Back you go! Thirteen foreigners with no money denied entry to Thailand

[alex8912]

2 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

I think the lack of funds is simply a catch all as many have alluded to previously. I do wonder, however, why certain people get picked out of the line of the many thousands entering the kingdom on a daily basis. My feeling is that they don't always tell us the full story. How were they behaving? What did they look like? Their demeanour? Loud mouthed and full of arrogance? The Bwana syndrome kicked in?....Could be many of dozens of reasons that will never hear about.

People seem to forget that the IO is not the FIRST person checking you out. He is the LAST. 

You are being profiled the moment you exit the plane. Do you really think all those people apparently just standing around are doing nothing? There's usually three or four people right at the door of the plane. They aren't from TAT to give you a warm welcome. They are observing you, watching how you act, walk, talk.

I know people like to think Immigration are stupid. Believe me they are not. In any country.

How are you supposed to look after a 12 hour flight in economy?  Top hats are hard to travel with don’t forget. 

[nev]

7 hours ago, Sticky Wicket said:

I'm not convinced, I've heard numerous stories about it being thai baht only.

How would they be able to read the country of origin of the notes?

IMO they aren't going to mess about verifying the country of origin and working out if it is over 20k

A few years ago I got to Victory Monument and I had no Thai cash. 

Trying to change a 20 quid note with Thais was like I was some kind of witch doctor. It was early in the morning and no exchanges were open. It took almost an hour before somebody could recognise the note and it's worth

Took a bar girl in Pattaya maybe 10 years ago and in the morning I had no 1000 Baht to give her so I said here is $50aus, she would not except it even though at the exchange she would have got 1500 Baht, I had to go to my friends room and borrow 1000 Baht ????

[roadrunner32]

9 hours ago, Lee65 said:

Joe:  And you know this how?

Just curious......

 

It's happened to friends of mine.

Then what was the reason?

[emptypockets]

2 hours ago, terryofcrete said:

I do that now as I was pulled in for the first time ever this year. I stay 28 days 4/5 times a year, so a lot of stamps , but I always have the return flight and a first week’s accommodation voucher and my insurance and €2000 in cash. There was no problem once they spoke to me and actually didn’t ask for any of them once I explained my pattern of visiting as a retired person. They also assured me .. though I took it with a grain of salt .. that I was very welcome and would not have a problem with this routine. The one question they asked me that Amused me was had I got a Thai Wife .. I said no.. I don’t want a wife she would spend all my money and they laughed with me . Hasn’t been a problem since.  

I had a different experience. Same result had a good laugh. that was in the domestic departures at Don Meaung. 3 guys approached me, introduced themselves as immigration police and asked to see my passport. Bit of a chat, a laugh about Pla Ra (I was flying to Satuek in Issaan)and all good. Just doing their job.

[essox essox]

9 hours ago, BritTim said:

Note that having the required 10,000/20,000 baht as laid out in the regulations will not help if the immigration official wants to deny entry. That only prevents denied entry under the Immigration Act Section 12 (9). The officials are now denying entry under the vague Section 12 (2) which (on its face) seems to imply lack of funds, but is being twisted to mean not a genuine tourist.

just how do people coming here for the first time KNOW of these sections/sub sections.....their travel agency from the country from which they came probably do NOT know anything about the  sections.....therefore can not advise !!!

[emptypockets]

52 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

The story should be how Thailand immigration should behave according to the same standards that let Thai people visit foreign countries without these rules and regulations that very from one IO to the next.

 

Standing in an immigration queue in excess of 4500 people is just sheer ignorance and yes, you can specifically relate this to Thai incompetence.

 

Immigration queue of 4500 people. Get real. I've queued down the ramp and around the corner at Swampy. Very much doubt it was 4500 people though. What does that work out given a 1 minute processing time per person? 4500 minutes/60=hours in the queue. Never happened.

[Gillyflower]

9 hours ago, KittenKong said:

The carrying cash requirement is straight out of the dark ages. Thailand really needs to wake up.

 

I spent three entire months in the US and Europe armed with just three credit cards and the equivalent of 100USD in cash. At the end of the trips I still had 80USD cash left, as all my expenditure had been done with cards. That included hotels, car rentals, fuel, all meals ......

But not in Thailand.  I stay in a very large GH/hotel and I cannot pay 18,000 baht by card. There are not many restaurants  where I can pay

with a card etc etc

[emptypockets]

55 minutes ago, Greyhat said:

My mate is visiting next month, first time here and a legit tourist, should I mention to carry 20k to be on the safe side or do you think these people are repeat "tourists"? ..

First time? Just bring pocket change. He won't have a problem.

[emptypockets]

45 minutes ago, madmen said:

Good luck getting your GF a visa to oz or UK or US or anywhere outside of asia unless they pass strict visa requirements which most wont

Sponsored visa to Oz wasn't that difficult. As long as you have some decent paperwork to back you up.

[Martythekid]

10 hours ago, Sticky Wicket said:

The insurance thing keeps popping up.

It's a slow burner but it's coming soon for everybody!!

It's only right.  The Thai government is tired of footing the bill on a lot of cases where drunken tourists who have no money, fall down stairs or end up in a hospital.  

[pmbrs]

10 hours ago, Sticky Wicket said:

The insurance thing keeps popping up.

It's a slow burner but it's coming soon for everybody!!

But the insurance is not mandatory, isn't it?

What need I to enter in Thailand for tourism? It will be just 10 days. I'm coming from Europe.

[Traubert]

22 minutes ago, essox essox said:

just how do people coming here for the first time KNOW of these sections/sub sections.....their travel agency from the country from which they came probably do NOT know anything about the  sections.....therefore can not advise !!!

Then they shouldn't bill themselves as a travel agency should they?

 

It's their job to know.

[Mitkof Island]

59 minutes ago, oldwelshman said:

Trouble is thats just an excuse they do not even give chance to show the money!

In nineteen years and twenty two flights i have only been asked once and had more than enough money. They don,t give a chance to show you have enough funds? Sure they do if they ask you. The majority of countries in the world are much more difficult to enter and stay a long length of time. Tired of all the bitching and moaning on how the Thais and immigration do not welcome foreigners. After dozens of border crossings at every single border i have never had a problem. When i returned from Burma a few months back i was asked to come into the office where there were about six officials . I thought somehow something was wrong. One walked up to me shook my hand and asked where i had gotten my amulet and where i had learned to speak Thai. That was about the worst thing that has happened to me.

[bimmerbob]

We are evolving into a cashless society,; why insist upon 20k baht cash being carried by tourists?

[emptypockets]

33 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

From a visa on arrival or visa exempt country

Visa exempt requires one to adhere to entry requirements . Money/return tickets/proof of accommodation

 

 

Visa exempt every single time. Never been asked for any of it. Put the wife's house address on the TM6. Usually get a positive comment about Isaan.

Only one time about 7 or 8 visa exempt entries ago (late last year) a female IO told me she recommended I get a visa. I asked how I could do that and she just gave a dumb look and stamped me in. I've avoided female IO's since. I'm on my 3rd passport in 5 years as I ran out of pages. 42 page Oz passports. A lot of full page visas from other countries matching the visa exempts on for one.

 

Maybe I'll have a problem when I fly back in on Wednesday - who knows but going on past experiences I doubt it. Then again I could be posting here Wednesday night from the detention centre.5555

[StayinThailand2much]

10 hours ago, Sticky Wicket said:

They will want both!

...and a bribe, too.

[Traubert]

3 minutes ago, bimmerbob said:

We are evolving into a cashless society,; why insist upon 20k baht cash being carried by tourists?

My point exactly. At my local minimart I pay by facial recognition.

 

Quite how you would tie that into being able to afford your holiday I don't know but then again it's not my problem to solve.

[Razek]

They are following so called western country .

I hope they demand visas for western and americsin and aussie 

Isn t all people same same?

[emptypockets]

1 hour ago, alex8912 said:

How are you supposed to look after a 12 hour flight in economy?  Top hats are hard to travel with don’t forget. 

Probably more about body language and behaviour than physical appearance. Immigration people are experienced with this sort of thing. As are Customs. Call it a sixth sense if you like.

[lkv]

2 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Then again I could be posting here Wednesday night from the detention centre.5555

Yes. It's incredible how many people "being detained" have thought: I should go Thaivisa.com, that website I have been following for a long time, but never joined, create a username, and share my live experience from detention.

 

One would almost think they are paid government trolls, if one was to be more skeptical.

[emptypockets]

1 hour ago, nev said:

Took a bar girl in Pattaya maybe 10 years ago and in the morning I had no 1000 Baht to give her so I said here is $50aus, she would not except it even though at the exchange she would have got 1500 Baht, I had to go to my friends room and borrow 1000 Baht ????

Should have just swiped the credit card down the crack of her bum!

[Traubert]

5 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Maybe I'll have a problem when I fly back in on Wednesday - who knows but going on past experiences I doubt it. Then again I could be posting here Wednesday night from the detention centre.5555

Please give us a list of the conflicting information and infighting not relevant to your plight that you would like to read while in detention.

 

Thai Visa will not let you down.

[emptypockets]

2 minutes ago, Traubert said:

Please give us a list of the conflicting information and infighting not relevant to your plight that you would like to read while in detention.

 

Thai Visa will not let you down.

Pretty well guaranteed. 555

[9653]

11 hours ago, stillhereandlovinit said:

And so it should, either money in the bank or mandatory insurance.

No, both.

[StayinThailand2much]

8 hours ago, Sticky Wicket said:

Trying to change a 20 quid note with Thais was like I was some kind of witch doctor. It was early in the morning and no exchanges were open. It took almost an hour before somebody could recognise the note and it's worth

Tried to exchange Dutch guilders in 2000 at a major bank in the Asoke area. The bank teller did browse quite a bit through his currency booklet to check whether it was genuine money...

[Chivas]

6 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

Can you blame the Thais ??? This is becoming a common sight. If you want someone to blame have a chat with this guy or the next Full Moon Party loser you see on the streets. They are easy to spot.

What the hell is that creature.....

[Call]

10 hours ago, Badbanker said:

Sadly this Article 12 (2) and (9) has been used against people without them knowing about it on many occasions when arriving in the kingdom.  This has become the most common excuse to deny foreigners entry into Thailand.

 

The real reason is that the person has too many visa exempt entries into Thailand in the computer and in their passport!  

 

I know that in the past year on some days at land borders, 30 plus people were denied entry on visa exempt stamps and sent back.

 

I have gone so far at to recommend that friends who visit Thailand on a regular basis on a visa exempt stamp, actually have the requisite 20,000 baht cash and a return ticket in hand and put them on the counter with their passport when approaching the immigration officer.

 

Most times it works, but sometimes it doesn't!

 

Pay the immagration officer 20.000 Baht, far to much ????

[CNXexpat]

When my wife and me travelled for one week from Chiang Mai to Hanoi only with hand luggage, we had only a few Baht with us - but a Credit Card with which we took money in the airport. But behind the immigration.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

For those who have gotten a visa for Thailand from their home country they should be allowed to enter without showing cash because the submitted financial proof in order to get the visa. For visa free stamp they will ask for 20k. But to help those who do have access to fund, they should put atms on the arrival side before you get to immigration. If they want you to show then you can access funds. 

[allen303]

6 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

You should also not be telling this on Thaivisa as it could lead to all sorts of laughs. 

So, I guess his Thai friend get the money out and carries for him. Then gives to him when she decides he needs it. No, you have had enough money today!