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Have you ever been asked by IO to show an onward ticket or 20kB cash when you made a visa exempt entry into Thailand recently?


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6 hours ago, raysunshineray said:

What concerns me about showing the equivalent of 10,000 THB in cash is that any note that has the slightest nick in it, or a pen mark or even a barely visible degree of damage will be rejected by Thai banks.

I did manage to change a UK £50 note that had a practically invisible minute tear in it at an exchange kiosk one time, but it's extremely inconvenient to have a note that's difficult to exchange, especially when one is in Thailand for extended visits.... (proposed one year multi-entry in my case.)  

I read one post that reckoned that a current bank statement showing funds wouldn't satisfy immigration on arrival with a visa exempt.

I mean... people don't travel with cash these days... do they?

And travellers cheques are archaic... plus there are charges.

Are you confusing Thailand with Myanmar?  Banks in Yangon demand pristine notes, but in my experience not Thailand.

 

A couple of weeks ago Pentor at the mall wouldn't accept my US$100's.  They only wanted "big heads."  Super Rich one floor below took them without any questions, even the 25-year-old worn notes.

 

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Pretty much every time I fly (alone or with Family) my passport is checked for my Visa... I have a lot of different visas from different nations and three from Thailand in my passport so the airline check-in staff have to search for the valid visa which usually involves me pointing it out. 

 

I am nearly always flying back to Thailand on the return leg of a ticket with Qatar / Emirates / Etihad / Finn / Thai....  (never a budge airline). 

 

Immigration have never asked for proof of onward travel (because its not required when I have a visa), neither have they asked for proof of funds.

 

--------

 

That said - it seems very rare, but it has happened that a foreigner is asked to show proof of funds at upon arrival. Usually if Immigration suspects the person of working here etc and wants to get rid of them on a technicality. 

 

Proof of onward ticket is also checked in very rare circumstances outlined above. 

 

The proof of onward ticket or Visa is commonly checked by the airline on check-in. 

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

Are you confusing Thailand with Myanmar?  Banks in Yangon demand pristine notes, but in my experience not Thailand.

 

A couple of weeks ago Pentor at the mall wouldn't accept my US$100's.  They only wanted "big heads."  Super Rich one floor below took them without any questions, even the 25-year-old worn notes.

 

Personal experience supports what I've said, - otherwise I wouldn't have written it. On three occasions I've had notes rejected at banks, and only the most forensic and meticulous inspection spotted the 'flaws' as they were so small as to be practically imperceptible.

I do think however, that it's possible that exchange kiosks may be less zealous in their scrutiny.

When the banks refused to accept the notes, they were at pains to point out that these minute nicks or pen marks were not acceptable in Thailand...whether they were right or wrong in their assertion is not for me to say.

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In 40 years coming in and out of the Kingdom I have never been asked to show any amount of money in baht or dollars.  I've also never been asked to produce an onward ticket.  Many of those years I was living and working in Bangkok so different criteria with that type of visa.  Visa Exempt, never been asked for anything.

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my situation:
had a retirement extension form 2001-2021 and moved to Cambodia> Bad mistake
now am heading back after Oct 1st ( so 45 day hopefully visa exempt stamp)
If questioned at check in would they accept that i will be changing the visa exempt to a non o in country and than getting a  new 1 year extension?
dont want waste $40 for a 60 day tourist visa
Us passport

Edited by zzzzz
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53 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

If questioned at check in would they accept that i will be changing the visa exempt to a non o in country and than getting a  new 1 year extension?

You are referring to check in for boarding pass with airline? 

Flights from nearby countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam will most likely ask for onward flight.

If you had a tourist visa airline would not ask about onward flight. 

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9 hours ago, raysunshineray said:

Personal experience supports what I've said, - otherwise I wouldn't have written it. On three occasions I've had notes rejected at banks, and only the most forensic and meticulous inspection spotted the 'flaws' as they were so small as to be practically imperceptible.

I do think however, that it's possible that exchange kiosks may be less zealous in their scrutiny.

When the banks refused to accept the notes, they were at pains to point out that these minute nicks or pen marks were not acceptable in Thailand...whether they were right or wrong in their assertion is not for me to say.

Well, sure.  Everyone's personal experiences are personal.  Your experiences are yours, and do not match my personal anecdotes.

 

I failed to add that in one case about four years ago, Pentor refused to take a heavily worn, creased $100 note with a few random pen marks and a "security stamp" from some forex window long ago .  They advised me to take the bill further into the mall to exchange at SCB.  The nice folks at that particular branch on that particular day accepted the bill without question.

 

I doubt immigration would deny entry due to "dirty money."

Edited by NoDisplayName
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