Visa Exempt

[rohitsuk]

Are immigration at Swammy really enforcing the requirements for Visa Exempt, detailed on the Thai UK embassy website, of showing B20k cash or Travellers Cheques and an onward flight ticket ?  My UK family have visited for many years on a Visa Exempt and have never been asked for this. 

[hotandsticky]

I have yet to meet anyone who has been asked for it................I am sure they exist.

 

 

I am sure that any respectable visitors (especially family members) could satisfy that simple criteria.

[BritTim]

If the immigration officers want to deny you entry for other reasons, they might ask to see those things (especially the cash/travellers checks) as the denied entry actually becomes mandatory as soon as they check and you cannot provide them. The real reason might well be that you have been spending more time in Thailand as a "tourist" than the officers consider reasonable. Under normal circumstances, Western travellers will not be asked to show the cash or onward flights, the only possible exceptions being people coming very often or people who look very poor. Note, however, that the airline will more often than not want to see evidence of a flight leaving Thailand.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

been coming yearly since 2008 ONE WAY with NO visa ever..never been asked for the 20k

 

though i do carry it on me....in love and war--always be prepared

[Sticky Rice Balls]

Just now, BritTim said:

Note, however, that the airline will more often than not want to see evidence of a flight leaving Thailand.

if it matters..ive never been asked during my annual visits since 2008  all one way-no visa

[DrJack54]

6 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

if it matters..ive never been asked during my annual visits since 2008  all one way-no visa

Not really as many have not been asked by airline for onward flight and many have. 

[OJAS]

3 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Not really as many have not been asked by airline for onward flight and many have. 

Could depend on the originating airport and, possibly, country, I think.

 

For instance, when checking in for a return flight at LGW in 2010 after a trip to the UK during the second year of my OA visa, I had a devil of a job persuading the check-in assistant that my re-entry permit was good to go - she was initially adamant that the fact that the OA visa had expired could be problematical!

 

And a few years later after another trip to the UK, the check-in assistant at LHR made a particular point of hunting down the re-entry permit in my passport.

 

Presumably I would likely have been asked for proof of flight bookings out of Thailand within the following 30 days had I been planning to enter the country visa-exempt on either of those occasions.

 

On the other hand, never been an issue whenever checking-in for return flights at CDG after visits to my sister who lives in Paris. All the check-in assistants there seem to have done is to check that my name as stated in my passport photopage and flight booking matched each other. Never any fuss made at that particular airport about re-entry permits, etc in my experience!

 

Edited August 2, 2022 by OJAS

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Could depend on the originating airport and, possibly, country, I think.

Agree.

Also if it's a low cost airline.

Seems more commonly required in short haul flights to Thailand. Example from Vietnam etc. 

 

 

[Old Croc]

10 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

been coming yearly since 2008 ONE WAY with NO visa ever..never been asked for the 20k

 

If you were coming monthly it could be different.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Better safe than sorry I say.

I will be returning in Sept from the U.K. visa exempt, I will have 20k baht secured about my person and obtain an onward flight :

 

 

 

shortly before leaving the U.K..

[hotandsticky]

2 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Better safe than sorry I say.

I will be returning in Sept from the U.K. visa exempt, I will have 20k baht secured about my person and obtain an onward flight :

 

 

 

shortly before leaving the U.K..

 

 

Do you not have a Thai bank account  -  with a bank book and ATM card.

[DrJack54]

22 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Do you not have a Thai bank account  -  with a bank book and ATM card.

A Thai bank account or ATM card won't be of any use if ask to show funds.

Also the main part of his post is concerning onward flight.

Often required by airline 

[hotandsticky]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

A Thai bank account or ATM card won't be of any use if ask to show funds.

Also the main part of his post is concerning onward flight.

Often required by airline 

 

 

Neither have ever been an issue for me.

 

I NEVER arrive with that amount of cash on me and I have never had an onward flight.

[daveAustin]

Op, not really a thing for obvious tourists with return flights visiting annually. However, them’s the rules and best to be prepared. I’ve always come over with cash to convert at Superrich at a decent rate. 

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Neither have ever been an issue for me.

 

I NEVER arrive with that amount of cash on me and I have never had an onward flight.

Fact is funds can be asked to be shown and airline requiring onward flight is often required. 

 

Your personal experience is somewhat irrelevant as there are many reports of onward flight being required. 

 

Just to be clear for others your earlier post implying ATM card or Bank book can cover the funds requirement is incorrect. 

[hotandsticky]

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Just to be clear for others your earlier post implying ATM card or Bank book can cover the funds requirement is incorrect. 

 

You would need to provide evidence for that.

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

You would need to provide evidence for that.

How about this from a embassy website.

"Travelers entering Thailand under the Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme must possess adequate cash of or equivalent to 20,000 Baht per person or 40,000 Baht per family."

Source: https://thaiembdc.org/visaexemption/

I have read many posts over the years of people being told cash only.

[hotandsticky]

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

How about this from a embassy website.

"Travelers entering Thailand under the Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme must possess adequate cash of or equivalent to 20,000 Baht per person or 40,000 Baht per family."

Source: https://thaiembdc.org/visaexemption/

I have read many posts over the years of people being told cash only.

That is not evidence of first hand experience; that is just a statement that we are all aware of from a website.

 

A bank balance of 1m Baht seems an adequate "equivalent" to me.

 

Maybe whip out one of small gold bars.....

Edited August 4, 2022 by hotandsticky