Do I still need to carry 20,000 baht cash to enter Thailand?

[Bluetongue]

I must admit that if I've heard of it, I've forgotten. I usually have some Thai and Aussie cash on me but not 20k worth. In 31 years probably entered 70 times, never asked. A bridge I will cross should I ever come to it.

[KarenBravo]

If I remember correctly, 20,000 Baht needs to be shown only if you are entering Thailand through a land border.

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, KarenBravo said:

If I remember correctly, 20,000 Baht needs to be shown only if you are entering Thailand through a land border.

Very seldom asked for though, if ever at all 

[KarenBravo]

4 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Very seldom asked for though, if ever at all 

They were when it first came out with the rule. There were lots of posts on here from people that had been turned back to Malaysia.

Doesn't seem to apply if entering Thailand by air.

[Mac Mickmanus]

9 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

They were when it first came out with the rule. There were lots of posts on here from people that had been turned back to Malaysia.

Doesn't seem to apply if entering Thailand by air.

How long ago was that ?

10-20 years ago ?

[Lemsta69]

13 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

They were when it first came out with the rule. There were lots of posts on here from people that had been turned back to Malaysia.

Doesn't seem to apply if entering Thailand by air.

in b4 ..."I've never heard of this rule therefore it doesn't exist"

 

"all those posts were fake"

 

????????????

[AlexCanada]

please delete.

Edited November 11, 2021 by AlexCanada

[Mac Mickmanus]

3 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

in b4 ..."I've never heard of this rule therefore it doesn't exist"

 

"all those posts were fake"

 

????????????

Quite probably that the new rule about having to show 20 000 Baht upon entry was made about 20 years ago and it initially caused much commotion and problems and so they stopped enforcing that rule .

   I have crossed land borders into Thailand about 200 times in the last 12 years and have never been asked to show 20 000 Baht even one time and neither have I ever seen anyone else being asked to show any money

[Lemsta69]

1 minute ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Quite probably that the new rule about having to show 20 000 Baht upon entry was made about 20 years ago and it initially caused much commotion and problems and so they stopped enforcing that rule .

   I have crossed land borders into Thailand about 200 times in the last 12 years and have never been asked to show 20 000 Baht even one time and neither have I ever seen anyone else being asked to show any money

not sure what your point is mate. you keep banging on about your personal experience as if it's universal. those posts that KB was referring to were from the pre-Covid "crackdown" era. I read them myself so I know what she's referring to. 

 

in b4 "but they must have been smelly ratbags" blah blah blah

 

cool story bro

[jackdd]

38 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

They were when it first came out with the rule. There were lots of posts on here from people that had been turned back to Malaysia.

Doesn't seem to apply if entering Thailand by air.

The rule exists at least since 1980, probably longer than that (probably different amounts back then). I think Thaivisa/aseannow didn't exist then ????

 

28 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

How long ago was that ?

10-20 years ago ?

At least 41 years.

That's the latest version of this rule, from the year 2000: http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2543/E/053/4.PDF

In section 1 of this document it says: Cancel the previous order from 9th June 1980

Edited November 11, 2021 by jackdd

[Caldera]

35 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

Doesn't seem to apply if entering Thailand by air.

It applies equally regardless of where/how a foreigner enters Thailand. But as others have noted, it's rare to be asked, and then there's usually a reason. Thus far I've never been asked to show cash at any immigration checkpoint.

[KarenBravo]

Just now, Caldera said:

It applies equally regardless of where/how a foreigner enters Thailand. But as others have noted, it's rare to be asked, and then there's usually a reason. Thus far I've never been asked to show cash at any immigration checkpoint.

Me neither, but for a period of time it was being enforced at the Malaysian land border. Whether it is still being enforced there, or if other land borders are enforcing it, I wouldn't know.

 

It could have been the typical Thai "crack-down". Enforced for a period of time and then quietly forgotten about. Everyone's face saved.

[RichardColeman]

out of interest , can you exchange currency at the airport before your hotel prison taxi man waves his placard at you ?

[aussiexpat]

15 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

out of interest , can you exchange currency at the airport before your hotel prison taxi man waves his placard at you ?

I wouldn't. Exchange rate is shocking

[RichardColeman]

30 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

I wouldn't. Exchange rate is shocking

I wouldn't normally, but 1. its better than in the UK. 2. you may need some baht for the hotel prison expenses

[Autonuaq]

On 11/10/2021 at 3:48 AM, Skeptic7 said:

I entered mostly on visa exempt from USA (and Retirement extension past 5 years) nearly 150 times total during the past 29 years. Not once was I ever asked about money. Never. It may be another of their silly-stupid rules, but I never encountered it. 

You think it is stupid rule unless you know that in many western countries they still have rules in place that makes that you need to have a certain amount of cash on you. If you not have they can lock you up regardless if you are foreigner or citizen.

Old rules handy to use when they want you of the street for what ever reason and the balance on a bank account or limit on a credit credit card that not works.

 

There are many funny laws that your and I not are aware of and still are in place

[RubbaJohnny]

When Mai Sai land border to Burma was open there was a notice stating 20k over person, never been asked on hundreds of entries there and other air/land /sea entries .I did see a guy at Sadao on the Penang to Hat Ya minbus  refused, he did look well dodgy to be fair.

[daveAustin]

Had it happen couple times, when bouncing borders under multi entry. Never when flying in. Last time (few years ago), didn’t have it and was made to enter to visit the atm lol. Unlikely to be a ‘thing’ during these times. However, the rule is there, but as long as you have cards on you, you’ll be allowed to do an atm visit. 

[daveAustin]

1 hour ago, RubbaJohnny said:

When Mai Sai land border to Burma was open there was a notice stating 20k over person, never been asked on hundreds of entries there and other air/land /sea entries .I did see a guy at Sadao on the Penang to Hat Ya minbus  refused, he did look well dodgy to be fair.

Mae Sai was the one me and a buddy had to show, albeit just the one time of many visits. Both well dressed and polite, though they were doing everyone at the time. The southern borders also tightened up but seem to go through phases. 

[asiam110]

Ive only ever been asked for this at the HatYai borders, never by air and if I remember correctly it always the quieter border that would ask - many years ago though.

 

Thailand 4.0 is still in beta stage... ????

Edited November 14, 2021 by asiam110

[zugzug123]

I was asked at DMK in 2019 as I was returning from a visa run from Malaysia by air after doing tourist visa runs for 1.5 years. The officer apparently marked me on my last visa run, but didn't mention it to me then, although I remember him asking me what I was doing here. I just answered whatever, and he shrugged and gave me the entry stamp. This time however he asked me aside and asked me what I was doing here for 1.5 years, had all my visits printed out in front of him. I just answered I stay here with my girlfriend and live in my condo. He then asked me to show him my cash. I just had 7-8k baht with me as I wasn't aware of the 20k rule then. Earned myself being blacklisted, but when I entered the country again with a new passport on landborder from Cambodia 5 months later, I was asked aside and had to sit there for a while until the friendly police officer sorted me out. He asked me what the reason for the blacklist was and I just said "no cash money", he smiled and nodded and that was that. I did have to fill out a form though which asked me how much money I had on me, which you can be sure this time I had enough. Wish I was active in online groups and forums back then, well, lesson learned.

Edited November 14, 2021 by zugzug123

[konaboy]

I came into Thailand last 6/1. Had enough cash. However, I was asked at Honolulu airport boarding gate by Customs how much $ I had on me. Only second time I was ever asked in many years and trips internationally. I had the amount under $10,000 (limit). Wonder if you could use Thai entry  Baht rule to keep some of your undeclared $ ?

[Orinoco]

Well it did happen to me about 15 years ago.

Not immigration but the Airline, I was refused a boarding pass to Brunei on a gulf air flight, i had a return ticket to Thailand but no onward ticket out of Thailand and no visa, i was just using 30 days entry stamps at the time.

The guy produced an A4 sheet with a list of restrictions on it, can remember seeing hippy on it, ( did make me chuckle ) cant remember the rest.

After going through the list,  it got down to money requirements. Now i'm not sure but think it was 500 US dollars was need or that amount in a different currency. to support yourself in Thailand.

Well  no worries as i had 1000 US dollars on me,  always carried that on me,  as i worked as an  offshore contractor,  and you never knew, if you needed to to book a flight or pay your way out of a situation around the world. ( cash is king )

After showing the money ,  boarding pass was issued.

So there you go, it can happen.

( never had an issue with immigration over this type of situation )