donnacha Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 (edited) 9 minutes ago, wgdanson said: Can't say that I have, exchange booths BEFORE Immigration? I don't think anyone said that, just airside. If an IO considers it worth his time, he can quite legally escort you to his preferred booth anywhere that is airside, including the departure lounges. Don't forget, the pre-arranged "meet-n-greet" method in Don Mueang involves an IO meeting you as you disembark your plane and escorting you all the way through. They seem pretty to happy to put in the legwork if you are handing them a week's pay. Edited October 6, 2019 by donnacha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChipButty Posted October 6, 2019 Author Share Posted October 6, 2019 3 minutes ago, donnacha said: I don't think anyone said that, just airside. If an IO considers it worth his time, he can quite legally escort you to his preferred booth anywhere that is airside, including the departure lounges. Don't forget, the pre-arranged "meet-n-greet" method in Don Mueang involves an IO meeting you as you disembark your plane and escorting you all the way through. They seem pretty to happy to put in the legwork if you are handing them a week's pay. They used to have some scheme going at Phuket some years ago meet and greet $65 a pop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgdanson Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 50 minutes ago, donnacha said: I don't think anyone said that, just airside. If an IO considers it worth his time, he can quite legally escort you to his preferred booth anywhere that is airside, including the departure lounges. Don't forget, the pre-arranged "meet-n-greet" method in Don Mueang involves an IO meeting you as you disembark your plane and escorting you all the way through. They seem pretty to happy to put in the legwork if you are handing them a week's pay. Is AIRSIDE not before you pass Immigration? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnacha Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 (edited) 52 minutes ago, ChipButty said: They used to have some scheme going at Phuket some years ago meet and greet $65 a pop Yeah, my understanding from a thread here a few weeks ago is that, if you have a contact in immigration, even someone working in the back office, you send them a text with your flight details and someone, possibly not your contact, will be there to collect the money and walk you through. A blind eye is turned to it because it is considered a sort of bonus or pension scheme for everyone working in the Immigration department, in any capacity. It is the most democratic form of corruption I have ever heard of ???? Damned if I can remember how much it is in Don Mueang, but it is a standard price of maybe 2 or 3K per arrival. It is happening all the time because Thai companies in particular don't want their foreign visitors or workers to be given any hassle. It is a sort of insurance policy. By contrast, if you get stopped in the regular way, with nothing pre-arranged, you have to pay a far bigger bribe and they may ask for a truly ridiculous amount. If I lived in Bangkok, I would definitely consider the "meet-n-greet" method for any arrival where my number of recent stays was getting into dicey territory. It certainly works out far cheaper than an Elite visa. Luckily, the airport I fly into is far less hostile than the Bangkok airports. Edited October 6, 2019 by donnacha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnacha Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 (edited) 4 minutes ago, wgdanson said: Is AIRSIDE not before you pass Immigration? Airside is anywhere before arrivals have passed immigration AND after people leaving have passed through immigration. The departures part of Airside has a lot more going on because you can sell a lot more to people on their way out, including duty-free, massages, food, and currency exchange. People arriving just want to get through immigration, into the country and away from the airport as quickly as possible. Edited October 6, 2019 by donnacha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgdanson Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 (edited) 3 minutes ago, donnacha said: Airside is anywhere before arrivals have passed immigration AND after people leaving has passed through immigration. The departures part of Airside has a lot more going on because you can sell a lot more to people on their way out, including duty-free, massages, food, and currency exchange. People arriving just want to get through immigration, into the country and away from the airport as quickly as possible. But in most airports I have been in the arrivals are kept separate from the departures. I have never seen a duty free or exchange booth BEFORE reaching Immigration. Of course, departing passengers are FORCED to go through King Power etc. Edited October 6, 2019 by wgdanson 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnacha Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 (edited) 17 minutes ago, wgdanson said: But in most airports I have been in the arrivals are kept separate from the departures. I have never seen a duty free or exchange booth BEFROE reaching Immigration. Of course, departing passengers are FORCED to go through King Power etc. Working in an airport is a bit like working in IKEA. The different areas are actually right next to each other, you just have to know which non-descript doors to pass through. For a long time, there were well-known techniques at certain Thai airports for slipping from departures into arrivals after getting stamped out, allowing you to pay for a border run flight out but not actually take it, you just made your way back through immigration and got stamped in again. Ahhhhh ... the good old days! Obviously, that all got tightened up after 9/11, but it definitely worked well for a while for some people. That is why they sometimes insist on seeing the boarding stub for the flight you just arrived on. So, yes, in the situation we are talking about, an IO can escort you between those airside parts of the airport. They sometimes have to do that for legitimate reasons, such as a medical emergency, so, they have the necessary passes or codes. I recommend the book Air Babylon for some interesting insights into how porous modern airports can actually be. Edited October 6, 2019 by donnacha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shy coconut Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 (edited) 5 hours ago, ChipButty said: Im not sure about having the equivalent in foreign currency is accepted, last night I asked a guy who arrived last month about the 20k and he said he had 12k in Thai Baht and the rest was Aussie $$$ they made him change it at the airport Where did he change it at the airport? All the exchange booths are beyond immigration and the customs channels. Did an immigration officer follow him through the airport and witness the transaction? Edited October 6, 2019 by shy coconut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgdanson Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 9 minutes ago, donnacha said: Working in an airport is a bit like working in IKEA I never bought a kitchen at Swampy! LOL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnacha Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 Just now, wgdanson said: I never bought a kitchen at Swampy! LOL I expect all the bribes paid at Swampy over the years have paid for quite a few kitchens, not to mention entire houses ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max69xl Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 9 minutes ago, shy coconut said: Where did he change it at the airport? All the exchange booths are beyond immigration and the customs channels. Did an immigration officer follow him through the airport and witness the transaction? There are exchange booths before immigration at Suvarnabhumi. Just Google it. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChipButty Posted October 6, 2019 Author Share Posted October 6, 2019 13 minutes ago, shy coconut said: Where did he change it at the airport? All the exchange booths are beyond immigration and the customs channels. Did an immigration officer follow him through the airport and witness the transaction? They have ways and means doing any kind of transaction 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overherebc Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 5 minutes ago, Max69xl said: There are exchange booths before immigration at Suvarnabhumi. Just Google it. Exchange booths in an airport are a last resort. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max69xl Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 1 minute ago, overherebc said: Exchange booths in an airport are a last resort. Now we are talking about the 20k you might have to show immigration to be able to enter Thailand. Then the only possibility will be the exchange booths before immigration. Get it? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shy coconut Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 8 minutes ago, Max69xl said: There are exchange booths before immigration at Suvarnabhumi. Just Google it. Ok I stand corrected after a quick Google search! I still find it incredible that a customs officer would ask a tourist to go change a foreign currency before stamping the passport. I have never been asked to show any money on arrival, although I always have the equivalent of 20,000 baht on me in GBP 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max69xl Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 7 minutes ago, ChipButty said: They have ways and means doing any kind of transaction If they ask for cash when it's your turn at the immigration desk,they might send you back to where you came from. That's why you can withdraw money from the exchange booths before immigration. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnacha Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 Just now, shy coconut said: I always have the equivalent of 20,000 baht on me in GBP Yes, but is it the equivalent of 20,000 baht in GBP according to whatever corrupt, greedy rate the booth owner has decided to offer this captive customers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChipButty Posted October 6, 2019 Author Share Posted October 6, 2019 1 minute ago, shy coconut said: Ok I stand corrected after a quick Google search! I still find it incredible that a customs officer would ask a tourist to go change a foreign currency before stamping the passport. I have never been asked to show any money on arrival, although I always have the equivalent of 20,000 baht on me in GBP I know of people who have been asked all i wanted was to give the info if it applies to everyone or just some Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChipButty Posted October 6, 2019 Author Share Posted October 6, 2019 (edited) To the Mods I think we can close this thread now I got my answers, Cheers Edited October 6, 2019 by ChipButty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max69xl Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 3 minutes ago, shy coconut said: Ok I stand corrected after a quick Google search! I still find it incredible that a customs officer would ask a tourist to go change a foreign currency before stamping the passport. I have never been asked to show any money on arrival, although I always have the equivalent of 20,000 baht on me in GBP It depends on your visa and early visits in Thailand etc etc. Many tourists have been denied entry at airports this year for several questionable reasons incl.no cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnacha Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 (edited) 22 minutes ago, shy coconut said: I still find it incredible that a customs officer would ask a tourist to go change a foreign currency before stamping the passport. If the past five years have taught me anything, it is that we farang grumble but inevitably accept evermore bizarre and blatant behavior. My theory is that the head honchos at the airports, but Don Mueang in particular, inculcate a broad culture of low-level corruption in order to protect their own far more sophisticated operations. This has been helpfully assisted by the junta's flirtation with anti-western populism as a substitute for a real democratic mandate. The general feeling now, transmitted to IOs at even the lowest level, is that incoming Westerners are fair game, that it does not particularly matter if your demands "break" them and they don't come back. If they do start to further complicate the already ridiculous 20K requirement with forced exchanges at airport rates - and, again, we have no indication so far that this was anything more than isolated incident - it will be the biggest chill ever sent through Thai tourism. It will cause a lot of resentment and the word will spread fast. Edited October 6, 2019 by donnacha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overherebc Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 (edited) 26 minutes ago, Max69xl said: Now we are talking about the 20k you might have to show immigration to be able to enter Thailand. Then the only possibility will be the exchange booths before immigration. Get it? Doesn't change the fact it's where you get probably the worst exchange rate. Get it? You can show $ £ € if you want. If it's to pay off an IO I'm sure they will accept any easily exchangable currency. Edited October 6, 2019 by overherebc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 22 minutes ago, ChipButty said: To the Mods I think we can close this thread now I got my answers, Cheers Topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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