Traveling with a Lot of Cash

[Chivas]

Quoting myself to show emoji but for the life of me I cant see whats funny !

[ukrules]

7 hours ago, BangkokHank said:

When I was going through security at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City, I had put all of my VND banknotes into my carry-on backpack. After passing through security, I was stopped by a security officer who said to me, "Show me the cash in your bag."

 

The odd thing about this is that the money declaration is usually done on the way into the country.

 

But some countries do have restrictions on the amount of cash you can take out of the country without making a declaration, maybe this is what they were checking for.

 

Regardless of this - is it a customs/excise officers job to do this or a simple security guard at a scanner?

It's odd because their job is to check for weapons and other items not allowed to be taken 'airside'.

 

The cash sniffing dogs are very real in the UK, if you get caught with even just a few thousand without proof of withdrawal they can seize it - you will get it back eventually if you can prove withdrawal from a bank, etc. The lesson to learn is to keep receipts from any withdrawals and you're good.

[Scouse123]

21 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

They have dogs who can smell money too.

 

Yeah, they are called Thai bar-girls!

[Card]

20 hours ago, BangkokHank said:

It must be a good feeling to know everything. I envy you.

One that you clearly don't have.

Edited February 16 by Card

[Scouse123]

17 hours ago, uttradit said:

xray machines detect anything big or unusual shape.

 

So that's why they keep stopping me when they've X-rayed below my belt.

[VBF]

13 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

The odd thing about this is that the money declaration is usually done on the way into the country.

 

But some countries do have restrictions on the amount of cash you can take out of the country without making a declaration, maybe this is what they were checking for.

 

Regardless of this - is it a customs/excise officers job to do this or a simple security guard at a scanner?

It's odd because their job is to check for weapons and other items not allowed to be taken 'airside'.

 

The cash sniffing dogs are very real in the UK, if you get caught with even just a few thousand without proof of withdrawal they can seize it - you will get it back eventually if you can prove withdrawal from a bank, etc. The lesson to learn is to keep receipts from any withdrawals and you're good.

As you mentioned UK the limit is £10K without any formalities. You can find it on the uk.gov website plus 2 weeks ago before I came to Thailand , I phoned to confirm. Even so I had bank receipts showing the cash I was carrying.....can't be too careful 😉

[Lemsta69]

15 hours ago, Chivas said:

Quoting myself to show emoji but for the life of me I cant see whats funny !

 

Hint: the typo in your first sentence changes the meaning somewhat. 

[jippytum]

21 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

They have dogs who can smell money too.

My girlfriend can do thst better thsn any canine

[khunjeff]

15 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

But some countries do have restrictions on the amount of cash you can take out of the country without making a declaration, maybe this is what they were checking for.

 

Regardless of this - is it a customs/excise officers job to do this or a simple security guard at a scanner?

It's odd because their job is to check for weapons and other items not allowed to be taken 'airside'.

 

Vietnam requires a declaration when taking over 5k USD or 15 million VND (about $600) either in or out of the country.

 

And the person who questioned the OP wasn't a security guard, it was a customs officer. In Vietnam, customs officers sit next to the security screeners (you can see the different uniform) and look for cash and contraband. As you say, the screeners themselves are only looking for items that pose a danger to aviation.

 

(Anyone who ever flew to VN years ago may recall that customs used to have its own x-ray machines just before immigration - they have since streamlined the system by having customs share a checkpoint with security.)

 

19 hours ago, BangkokHank said:

Yes, you can carry any amount into Thailand. But if it is above a certain amount, it has to be declared. I have a friend who once entered Thailand with $100,000 cash that he didn't declare, and the Thais confiscated it all.

 

I wonder whether we have the same friend, because the exact same thing (with the same amount of money) happened to a friend of mine. To this day I have no idea why they happened to talk to him when he came through the green lane, something that virtually never happens.

[Surasak]

22 hours ago, BangkokHank said:

It must be a good feeling to know everything. I envy you.

Are you sure he isn't teen?😀

[BangkokHank]

49 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

 

Vietnam requires a declaration when taking over 5k USD or 15 million VND (about $600) either in or out of the country. I was aware of the USD 5,000 rule, but not the 15 million VND rule. I'm glad you mentioned that because I'm going back again next month and I'll be carrying the 34 million VND that I brought out of the country with me. Interestingly, the customs officer who stopped me was not interested in the 34 million VND when I brought it out. So I wonder if that rule has been relaxed? I'll ask my Vietnamese friends.

 

And the person who questioned the OP wasn't a security guard, it was a customs officer. Correct. In Vietnam, customs officers sit next to the security screeners (you can see the different uniform) and look for cash and contraband. Right. There were two guys sitting next to each other (wearing different uniforms), and the one who questioned me appeared to have been a customs officer (who, incidentally, spoke very good English). As you say, the screeners themselves are only looking for items that pose a danger to aviation.

 

(Anyone who ever flew to VN years ago may recall that customs used to have its own x-ray machines just before immigration - they have since streamlined the system by having customs share a checkpoint with security.)

 

 

I wonder whether we have the same friend, because the exact same thing (with the same amount of money) happened to a friend of mine. To this day I have no idea why they happened to talk to him when he came through the green lane, something that virtually never happens. My friend was a Chinese-American fellow by the name of Frank. How about your friend?

My responses in bold above.

[khunjeff]

34 minutes ago, BangkokHank said:

My responses in bold above.

 

We do indeed have the same friend.

 

It's definitely possible that they've relaxed the rule on VND export, or they just don't care. It's pretty clear that their main interest is in folks taking out lots of foreign currency.

 

Edited February 16 by khunjeff

[NoshowJones]

On 2/15/2024 at 10:10 AM, BangkokHank said:

I recently returned to Bangkok from Vietnam. While I was in Vietnam, I exchanged a little more than a thousand US dollars into Vietnamese dong (VND) for everyday expenditures. And because Vietnam is a rather low cost country, I went to the bank and changed my bigger VND banknotes into smaller ones. The result is that I had about five hundred relatively small denomination banknotes with me when I left Vietnam. (I kept them because I plan to go back to Vietnam again next month.)

 

When I was going through security at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City, I had put all of my VND banknotes into my carry-on backpack. After passing through security, I was stopped by a security officer who said to me, "Show me the cash in your bag." I thought to myself, "Whoa, their x-ray machines can detect cash!" Presumably he thought I was moving large sums of USD cash, which would have been illegal had I not declared it. I showed him my money, and since the total value was not very high, he let me through without any problem.

 

The point of this post is to make people aware that the x-ray machines at airports are definitely capable of detecting cash. In all of my years of traveling, I had no idea about this, as this is the first time that I've traveled with so many banknotes. So if you were thinking about trying to move large stacks of banknotes without declaring them, say to avoid taxes, then you should assume that your cash will be detected by the airport x-ray machines. Just a warning.

Back in 2005 I travelled from the UK to Thailand with about £38,000 on my person. Was never stopped by immigration, though whether I could do that today is another matter.

[BangkokHank]

26 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

 

We do indeed have the same friend.

 

That's kind of amazing. Ha.

[Liverpool Lou]

21 hours ago, BangkokHank said:

22 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Carrying legitimate cash of any amount is not illegal so why would anyone worry about "being caught"?

Yes, you can carry any amount into Thailand. But if it is above a certain amount, it has to be declared. I have a friend who once entered Thailand with $100,000 cash that he didn't declare, and the Thais confiscated it all.

Yes, I know that there are no limits but that declarations have to be made, that was what I posted!

"Your friend's" situation would be the same in any other country, if he couldn't explain the legitimate source of the cash (and he obviously couldn't) it would be held until he could, that's the law, nothing about that situation is particular to Thailand.  

[Liverpool Lou]

21 hours ago, retarius said:

...he goes home every year, takes the money out of the bank as cash and brings it over...he gets about 1400 pounds a month pension (government plus private) which equates to about USD $25000.

 

As I say an accident waiting to happen....

No problem for him, then, as he would clearly be able to produce evidence of the source of his pension cash if he had taken it out of his bank.  Carrying cash of any amount is not illegal unless it's source cannot be evidenced.

[CartagenaWarlock]

On 2/14/2024 at 9:10 PM, BangkokHank said:

I recently returned to Bangkok from Vietnam. While I was in Vietnam, I exchanged a little more than a thousand US dollars into Vietnamese dong (VND) for everyday expenditures. And because Vietnam is a rather low cost country, I went to the bank and changed my bigger VND banknotes into smaller ones. The result is that I had about five hundred relatively small denomination banknotes with me when I left Vietnam. (I kept them because I plan to go back to Vietnam again next month.)

 

When I was going through security at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City, I had put all of my VND banknotes into my carry-on backpack. After passing through security, I was stopped by a security officer who said to me, "Show me the cash in your bag." I thought to myself, "Whoa, their x-ray machines can detect cash!" Presumably he thought I was moving large sums of USD cash, which would have been illegal had I not declared it. I showed him my money, and since the total value was not very high, he let me through without any problem.

 

The point of this post is to make people aware that the x-ray machines at airports are definitely capable of detecting cash. In all of my years of traveling, I had no idea about this, as this is the first time that I've traveled with so many banknotes. So if you were thinking about trying to move large stacks of banknotes without declaring them, say to avoid taxes, then you should assume that your cash will be detected by the airport x-ray machines. Just a warning.

There is no declaration for credit cards. I was travelling with 100+ credit cards with a credit limit exceeding one million USD in my carry-on. I was stopped at US security. They checked all the credit cards to verify they belonged to me. Questioned me why I have so many credit cards. I replied that it is not illegal, and there is no declaration for credit cards. They agreed. I said it was my hobby to collect credit cards. Eventually, they let me go. 

[Liverpool Lou]

21 hours ago, retarius said:

...I'm not sure about cash sniffing dogs, because I've definitely never had my luggage sniffed by a dog at Suvarnabhumi.

Don't forget that he has to pass through an airport in the country of his departure where they also have cash carrying rules, it's not just Suvarnabhumi.

[ravip]

On 2/15/2024 at 9:08 AM, BangkokHank said:

They can't see everything. For example, they can't see laptops (apparently), which is why we have to remove them from our carry-on bags and have them x-rayed separately.

Why do I have to take my laptop out of the bag at airport security?

The main reason you have to remove your laptop from your bag is because its battery and other mechanical components are too dense for X-rays to penetrate effectively – especially if the scanning system is old. The same goes for power cords and other devices such as tablets and cameras.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/why-laptop-airport-security/index.html#:~:text=The main reason you have,such as tablets and cameras.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, VBF said:

As you mentioned UK the limit is £10K without any formalities. You can find it on the uk.gov website plus 2 weeks ago before I came to Thailand , I phoned to confirm. Even so I had bank receipts showing the cash I was carrying.....can't be too careful 😉

Yes, £10,000 is the amount at which a declaration has to be made but carrying less than £10k doesn't mean that enquiries about any amount of cash cannot be made or that £9,999 of dodgy cash is ok.  Someone carrying £5,000 (or less), for example, who couldn't justify it's legitimacy also risks having it confiscated until they can.

[khunPer]

On 2/15/2024 at 4:18 AM, FritsSikkink said:

They have dogs who can smell money too.

– especially dirty money, even if they have been washed...😀

 

However, even money from Vietnam and similar countries comes in a big pile of notes, it's relative small money in value; not a problem.

[Photoguy21]

You can and should always read the countries laws regarding money importing and exporting. It isnt hard to do, just go to their web site. Even so they can stop you and check on how much you are carrying. If it within the legal amount I dont see the problem.

[Chivas]

8 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

 

Hint: the typo in your first sentence changes the meaning somewhat. 

 

It wasn't a typo but I can see what you mean lol

[geisha]

On 2/15/2024 at 7:40 AM, Furioso said:

You're right, I thought the max was 10k but it's 20k. Good info to know if they start taxing money brought in via Wise, WU, etc. 

I think it’s 10 000 €/£$ in Eu , please correct me if I’m wrong.

[geisha]

6 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Yes, £10,000 is the amount at which a declaration has to be made but carrying less than £10k doesn't mean that enquiries about any amount of cash cannot be made or that £9,999 of dodgy cash is ok.  Someone carrying £5,000 (or less), for example, who couldn't justify it's legitimacy also risks having it confiscated until they can.

Yes, I saw that on one of those British Border control series on TV, and wondered why if the max is 10 000.  I know there are still people who keep cash and large amounts too, and not dirty money. Then you wouldn’t have bank proof if you had a control ?? A friend of mine saves his tips over the years which he uses for travel. 

[it is what it is]

On 2/15/2024 at 3:38 AM, BangkokHank said:

They can't see everything. For example, they can't see laptops (apparently), which is why we have to remove them from our carry-on bags and have them x-rayed separately.

 

of course they can see laptops, because if they couldn't see laptops in your bag then how could they suddenly see them out of your bag?!

 

i'd suggest a laptop's electrical components/battery may prevent other items being seen clearly.

[Captor]

On 2/15/2024 at 5:06 AM, jaideedave said:

I don't think it's enough to worry about.When I worked in the ME one employer paid everyone in USD cash.I often flew in BKK airport with over 10k in cash. Nobody asked and I didn't tell.

Mind you that was over 15 yrs ago.

I know that you're supposed to declare that amount but , oh well.

If asked I could have shown a pay advice.

One time waiting to board a plane at Heathrow to Tripoli a security fellow asked me how much cash I was carrying? I don't know why.

I think you are allowed to bring 15 000 USD into Thailand (or equilvalent) before you need to declare them.

[Liverpool Lou]

17 hours ago, geisha said:

Yes, I saw that on one of those British Border control series on TV, and wondered why if the max is 10 000.

It is because they are two different subjects, £10k is the amount at which a declaration has to be made but, just because a declaration has to be made at that level, doesn't mean that criminal activity such as tax evasion or money laundering involving lower amounts is ok.

[Liverpool Lou]

11 hours ago, Captor said:

I think you are allowed to bring 15 000 USD into Thailand (or equilvalent) before you need to declare them.

US$20,000 equivalent.

[WDSmart]

The next time you are planning to travel with a lot of cash, please send me your itinerary...