Single Entry Tourist Visa to Thailand now requires foreigners to show funds of 500k THB

[JAFO]

17 minutes ago, Techno Viking said:

A person 2 checks away from bankruptcy should not be considering an oversea's holiday, extremely irresponsible act but a mindset that has likely got them into their predicament.

I gotta say, that is the American way for most. Spend what you do not have and pay it back later at 18%.

 

I agree with a few others, $25K is not an awful lot of money. This will however definitely keep the cheap charlies from coming over here. Thailand clearly wants to change their image but they really do not have a plan.

 

Like many Thai new rules and requirements, they are implemented and then rescinded after they see the impact. 

 

Personally I am enjoying the no tourists here. So pleasant, Beaches clean, resorts low cost, Not dodging hundreds of caravans of super buses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lingba]

almost anyone who wants to visit Thailand on a tourist visa does not have a Thai bank account.They don't live there and just want to fvisit..so how can they show they have money in a Thai bank account?

[Thaijack2014]

If I would not be living in Thailand and be happy with my wife here, I wouldn't even bother to go to Thailand for a holiday. It is a lot of money. But they are talking about the people who stay longer than 30 days. So the average person spending 28 days in Thailand is not concerned. 

Only those who like to stay longer on a a visa are concerned.

I wonder if, after Covid, the borders would be open again, that also is for foreigners who live in Thailand and have a re-entry visa....

[Old Croc]

My thoughts are that cabinet see the current covid situation as a chance to tighten up controls on the border hoppers. The "visitors" who live permanently in Thailand on tourist visas. They all claim to be well off and to be propping up the economy, but I suspect many are living on minimal funds and working menial jobs (teaching?).

As someone who has to tie up 800k for my 12 months stay, I'm not necessarily against this change, but do consider it may affect many unintended targets

[Moon6966]

3 hours ago, MadMuhammad said:

Im guessing we won’t see any backpackers for a long time to come. Not such a bad thing 

What's wrong with backpacker's? 

Are only rich people allowed? 

Besides many people who are not backpacker's have money but not that much in account totally stupid law 

[CLW]

Good for those who are in Thailand already, the government making a perfect job to keep those pesky tourists out.

And we can enjoy the quiet beaches and other tourist attractions ????

[Is this real]

Good idea to finally end the notion that Thailand wants tourists.  They've been working towards this for 6 years.

[Jimbo2014]

Wow - that will really bring in the tourists! ????

[welshguy]

Hmmn,

 

Another day/hour...yet another idiotic idea from the powers that be!

 

IF! this plan does come into force......and IF it stays, I can see Thailand losing millions more tourists...

 

As for backpackers?  Maybe sone on here dont like them...I was a backpacker back in the 80s, I used to spend the British winters in Thailand  (I was a seasonal hotel worker in Blighty then)...that is what got me "into" Thailand, and its what made me repeat coming back for almost the last 40 years!

 

I doubt most backpackers have what is required by this inane plan...those that do? A tiny minority, probably wouldnt bother coming, with all the other ridiculous attachments !  This would be (I.M.H.O. at least) losing lots and lots of return tourists....they have many other places in S.E. Asia that would welcome their backpacker pound, euro, dollar etc.

 

Then there are the so called snowbirds...of which Im one........Im desperate to get back there...not though that desperate , that Im willing to show all these bank details and carry on with the other things needed.

 

So that leaves other tourists (Western ones Im talking about).. When the baht was weak, plenty of people who perhaps wouldnt have "usually" gone to Thailand regularly...started going to Thailand, as it was relatively cheap, easy to get to, immigration etc was pretty easy, so they would go for a week or two...spend their money, then go back to farang land...happy! It seems those type of tourists werent what the Thai elite wanted anyway..so hey..no great loss there!

 

Then we have what I call "the once in a lifetime trip to Thailand"...these were people who had saved for years, lanned their trip meticulously, and spent a lot of money in Thailand......would these people still come to Thailand, given  all the hoops they need to? I think lots wouldnt!

 

Of course, there are lots of other "types" of tourists Ive not talked about....Surely though? All this nonsense needed just to get into Utopia (sorry I mean Thailand!) would put many off?

 

Its putting  me off, Im desperate ti get back there, I have friends and family and property out there too....Im still

with every passing day, amazed at the idiotic ideas and plans new red tape blah blah blah, that is spouted by these people..."Apparently" losing face is a big thing over there? Dont these buffoons have even the smallest inkling , of what people in other countries think of these clowns? Ridicolous! This is coming from somebody who has been going there for almost 40 years, and LOVE the country.

[Thaijack2014]

A lot of folks here don't get it. Most people come less than 30 days for a  holiday to Thailand. THEY don't need that kind of money in the bank. Nothing has changed, except the momentarily requirements in conjunction with Covid. Once that is over, there is nothing to stop them from enjoying their 4 weeks holiday here.

[John Drake]

3 hours ago, Falcon said:

Taking in to account the lack of tourists here allowed entry and the future lack of tourists because of both financial problems and / or Thailand’s rediculous ideas on how to restart the tourist trade, or put more simply, how to get a hold of foreigners money, I am expecting them to announce that they are going to charge and entry fee to the country, just like Bhutan who charge up to $250 per day just to be in the country. Ideal for Thailand that...

 

Bhutan

However, it's also considered to be one of the most expensive trips in the world that you can embark upon. The government has placed a minimum fee of around $200 USD per day per person in low season and $250 USD per day per person during high season for visitors to Bhutan

 

You get what you pay for in Bhutan. A pristine experience. No crowds. Beautiful landscapes. Little pollution. A chance to go back in time at least 50 years. In Thailand you get PM 2.5 everywhere, fecal infected drainage on beaches, Chinese overwhelming hotels, restaurants, and temples, and government policies that acquiesce in the burning, stripping, and overuse of forest lands. If I have $250/day to spend, I'll do it in Bhutan, not Thailand.

[kamahele]

Not possible to show adequate credit card coverage I suppose.

[ChipButty]

Backpackers are the ones who put these places on the map long before the millionaire arrive

[BKKBike09]

[smew]

Who do they think they are??...

Another hoop to jump through and another piece of paper they want.

Would never go back to Thailand if my wife and son were not there.

Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia are places to go !!!!

 

[rkidlad]

When I came backpacking here for 4 months, I had about the equivalent of 210,000 baht saved (back when you could get 70 baht to the pound). I was also waiting on about 100k from work to come through a month later. So I had about 310k when the british pound was very strong, and I felt like that was a fortune (I was 21 years old at the time). Had I found out before that I’d have needed 500k, I’d have just said, “No, thanks” and found a new destination. I wouldn’t have entertained it for a second. 
 

 

 

[gerrytraveller]

To Madmuhammad..

 

Regardless of the merits of 500k.

...re your comment re backbackers ...

I, at age 75 still classify my self as a backpacker and i find your comment obnoxious.

[Benmart]

3 hours ago, HanSRT10 said:

Good!  Less crowd funding required for dumb @$$ cheap charley tourists who get themselves in to trouble and need others to solve the financial problems they and their family cant deal with

The mirror tells a lot.

[Spock]

Obviously only the select groups currently allowed in can take advantage of these conditions?

[tonysilly]

You should say, Thailand is closed for 1 year!!!  All hotels closed down. All tourist area closed and workers go back to live with Yai.   

[from the home of CC]

1 hour ago, alyx said:

When it comes to enjoying their time, people tend to forget how to reason

and this is Thailand reminding them..

[farangroby]

Every day change in bad

 

[TKDfella]

I'm sure there is a certain guy just tapping his pencil on his desk thinking 'right, who can I bash today.' First they declare X million tourists next year etc. etc. then come out with this. Next we'll here that TAT has some new stats for tourist, say 300 next time, and we members can say 'oh dear we were wrong'...not going to happen, Ha!

[Dogmatix]

3 hours ago, Phoenix Rising said:

Never got what some people have against backpackers. Was one myself eons ago and never saw a fellow backpacker hurt anyone else.

Is it jealousy of their youth? Can't think of any other explanation.

it’s a snob thing. They are a relatively poor country with a feudalistic structure and a huge wealth gap. The people who make the rules have the opportunity to become fabulously rich from unbridled corruption which puts them on the the top side of the wealth gap. They buy flats in Knightsbridge for their brats to study in  London and look down on farang kids who are just normal and don’t have parents who have been able to help themselves to taxpayers’ money like them.

[asiasurfer]

Don't worry. Nobody will come in the foreseeable future.

[overherebc]

3 hours ago, darrenr said:

If this is applied to tourist visa on arrival then tourism in thailand is dead on arrival ! Who can show $22727 AUD on arrival for a 14-28 day holiday especially for a single traveller , after 30 years i will go somewhere else bye bye Thailand 

I was also thinking about 'Kev and Tracy' from Essex who are both 19/20 years old working in their first office job and fancied a fortnight in one of the Thai Island resorts, ( to get to know each other better).  Of course they both have 500,000 sitting in the bank for 6 months ( not ). Spain/Greece wherever, here they come. ????????

[from the home of CC]

1 hour ago, Techno Viking said:

 

Who said the money has to be kept in a ow interest account ?

people were whining about this when they made the retirement seasoning changes also and using the same complaints about dead money and unsecured funds due to being in a Thai bank. Now there letting folks use their home bank and it's still about low interest and blah blah blah. IMO the Thai government best be vigilant in verifying the information provided to prove these financial requirements to be extremely vetted. Tourists and expats have repeatedly proven here they will lie and cheat and bribe to enter this country and remain here. You would have to assume attempts to 'create' documentation proving funds will be utilized..

[OneMoreFarang]

On the London embassy page the headline is:

Requirements for Certificate of Entry during travel restriction

 

That clearly shows what this is about: "during travel restrictions".

And this is only for tourists. They have lots of other categories.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 minutes ago, overherebc said:

I was also thinking about 'Kev and Tracy' from Essex who are both 19/20 years old working in their first office job and fancied a fortnight in one of the Thai Island resorts, ( to get to know each other better).  Of course they both have 500,000 sitting in the bank for 6 months ( not ). Spain/Greece wherever, here they come. ????????

Will anybody miss Kev and Tracy from Essex?

[NightSky]

Reading this article I had to think for a moment if it was April 1st