Do I need to carry 20 000 baht with me on the way into Thailand from Vientiane?

[kmw]

20k thb reality is nothing, it's less then a weeks work!!! (In relation to Australian median income), especially for peace of mind, myself being on back to back metv always carry 20k thb or equivalent, never been asked to show though, this being immigration at bkk and cnx,

[DrJack54]

35 minutes ago, kmw said:

20k thb reality is nothing, it's less then a weeks work!!! (In relation to Australian median income), especially for peace of mind, myself being on back to back metv always carry 20k thb or equivalent, never been asked to show though, this being immigration at bkk and cnx,

You are sooooo on the money (excuse the pun). Geezus more often than not I have 20k on me and I live in los. These threads are so much rubbish. As I have retirement extension most likely will never be asked for the 20k.

If I was on VE or SETV...I would for sure have 20k on me. 

As many others have posted on endless threads. Its not about the 20k. Its more about how many "tourist visas" etc you have been living in los. Now along come the nutters saying there is no laws.

Ha...that's seriously funny/stupid

Edited December 5, 2018 by DrJack54
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[cven]

Glad I read this post. Never knew about that requirement, and have gone through Nong Khai many times. Didn't always have that much cash with me either but will next time, just in case.

[brianthainess]

On 12/4/2018 at 3:57 PM, ikebukuro5 said:

I's a lot of cash to carry around travelling...I'd rather just go to ATM as needed, usually about 5-10 thousand is enough, so that would mean arrying over 30 000 k , that's $1000 USD, it's not peanuts in any country!

If you already carry 10 then just take out 10 more the morning before you leave DOH!

[brianthainess]

On 12/4/2018 at 5:09 PM, stevymac said:

If you enter in to don muang from vietiene on a non b visa do u need to show 20k? Ubon joe or anyone know


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

My friend arrived at this airport from Cambodia to many stamps in passport Q,you have 20k A. no you cannot enter Thailand. At 72 yr he was put in a jail overnight charged 1k. sent back to Cam refused entry no stamp from Thai came back another night in jail 1k next day he had to fly back to Italy ! They surely must have known this would happen ! L O Scams.

[JackThompson]

3 hours ago, brianthainess said:

My friend arrived at this airport from Cambodia to many stamps in passport Q,you have 20k A. no you cannot enter Thailand. At 72 yr he was put in a jail overnight charged 1k. sent back to Cam refused entry no stamp from Thai came back another night in jail 1k next day he had to fly back to Italy ! They surely must have known this would happen ! L O Scams.

This is the first I've heard of Cambodia refusing entry to those denied-entry from Thailand and sent back.  I suppose they could not simply cancel his previous exit-stamp, because it was from the day before (or they were just being difficult). 

 

That last-minute flight to Italy must have cost a small fortune - yet I would bet he was initially denied-entry to Thailand based on the lie that he didn't have the money to afford his stay.  Clearly he did, or he could not have bought the ticket - but we know this isn't about actually having the money.   And this also undermines speculation that "young people" are immigration's targets; we can add this to the retired-snowbird interrogations, reported previously.

This is another reason to ONLY enter by land to Thailand if one has a more frequent / longer-stay history.  In the very unlikely case you are denied entry, you can simply walk back, and the other country cancels your exit-stamp.  If the issue was 20K Baht (only reported as an issue from Malaysia, currently), get the cash from the ATM, and come right back - all in the same day.

[jacko45k]

48 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

In the very unlikely case you are denied entry, you can simply walk back, and the other country cancels your exit-stamp. 

And are most of these neighbouring countries prepared to do that in light of you already having used the visa that allowed you in?

[JackThompson]

41 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

And are most of these neighbouring countries prepared to do that in light of you already having used the visa that allowed you in?

I have read reports of this on returns to Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia.  Malaysia cases were same-day-return Visa-Exempt attempts (must stay out one night if re-entering from there) or not having the 10K/20K Baht worth of cash to show.  Recent Cambodia reports were from those who didn't know about how bad the Poipet/Aranya entry point was.  I cannot remember the circumstances for the last Lao cases I read - but think was due to exceeding the "2x Visa Exempts by land-border per calendar-year" rule.

 

Some light-extortion was reported in some of these cases (Cambodia, maybe Laos) - up to 1000 Baht, if memory serves - sometimes with bargaining to reduce the price.

 

But important to keep in mind - all of these were 100% preventable - just have the cash (I keep most in travelers checks for safety), avoid Poipet, and follow the rules.  There is one extra "unpublished" rule to know for entry-points from Malaysia - the "no same-day visa-exempt return" - but the rest are standard across-the-board.

Edited December 6, 2018 by JackThompson

[brianthainess]

On 12/6/2018 at 12:23 PM, JackThompson said:

This is the first I've heard of Cambodia refusing entry to those denied-entry from Thailand and sent back.  I suppose they could not simply cancel his previous exit-stamp, because it was from the day before (or they were just being difficult). 

 

That last-minute flight to Italy must have cost a small fortune - yet I would bet he was initially denied-entry to Thailand based on the lie that he didn't have the money to afford his stay.  Clearly he did, or he could not have bought the ticket - but we know this isn't about actually having the money.   And this also undermines speculation that "young people" are immigration's targets; we can add this to the retired-snowbird interrogations, reported previously.

This is another reason to ONLY enter by land to Thailand if one has a more frequent / longer-stay history.  In the very unlikely case you are denied entry, you can simply walk back, and the other country cancels your exit-stamp.  If the issue was 20K Baht (only reported as an issue from Malaysia, currently), get the cash from the ATM, and come right back - all in the same day.

His English is not so good and as far as i know, he thought they were after 20 k bribe his pension was due in a few days. he had a credit card but not cash,denied entry to Cam coz there was no exit stamp from Thailand,go figure.he had flown in to cam and returned same day hoping to get a month on entry.

Edited December 9, 2018 by brianthainess
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[prb]

On 12/6/2018 at 12:23 PM, JackThompson said:

This is another reason to ONLY enter by land to Thailand if one has a more frequent / longer-stay history.  In the very unlikely case you are denied entry, you can simply walk back, and the other country cancels your exit-stamp.  

This is what i am doing since this madness has started: I avoid DMK and BKK.

 

However the additional cost of paying an hotel in Penang for example + transportation accross the border + paying an hotel in Hat Yai (if you don't arrive early enough) + plane ticket from Hat Yai to your final destination add up quite a lot of money and time.

 

Time to rethink the strategy i guess

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, prb said:

This is what i am doing since this madness has started: I avoid DMK and BKK.

 

However the additional cost of paying an hotel in Penang for example + transportation accross the border + paying an hotel in Hat Yai (if you don't arrive early enough) + plane ticket from Hat Yai to your final destination add up quite a lot of money and time.

 

Time to rethink the strategy i guess

One does need to time things well to arrive in Penang, bus+ferry to the train-station, train to Pedang Besar, then make a flight out of Hat Hai on the same day - though should be several flights to Bangkok - cheap when booked ahead.  Perhaps there are direct airport->train-station buses now.

 

Back when there were only a couple trains to Pedang Besar from Penang per-day, I spent the night at a cheap-guesthouse close to the train-station.  Fortunately, those trains are much more frequent now.  Trains ongoing to Hat Yai from Pedang Besar, however, are not as frequent.

 

One can catch a bus across the street from the Pedang Besar entry-point to Hat Yai - then hop-off when you see the airport-turnoff signs, and catch a taxi (private songhtiew) from there.  But, those buses can be 90-mins apart or so - and are not aircon.  There may also be a connecting bus or public-songthiew to the airport to save another couple hundred baht, but I never searched for it.

Edited December 9, 2018 by JackThompson