Tourists Advised to Bring US$417 Cash to Enter Thailand

[ujayujay]

OK, so Thais have to present 400 $ up when visiting western countries!? .....USA, Europe and Australia shold think about this

[n00dle]

2 hours ago, Ben Zioner said:

417 USD ? 

in singles it will certainly get you attention at the "gentlemans club"

[Lemsta69]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Except that its widely documented on all (most) Thai Embassy Sites of the visa free entry regulations. 

 

The entrant must be prepared to get there.

- 10,000 Baht per-person

- 20,000 Baht for families

 

 

 

Dunno which Thai embassy websites you were looking at because London and DC both say it's 20/40, not 10/20.

 

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/page/84498-faq

 

https://washingtondc.thaiembassy.org/en/page/visa-exemption

[timendres]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Did you get the answers from the Thai Embassy in Jakarta ?

http://www.thaiembassyjakarta.com/intro.html

 

As I pointed out, that website is unnavigable....   Most tourists are not as worldly wise as you and I and may not cast their search for information as widely. 

 

That is odd. Two clicks and I had every detail I could imagine for both tourist visa and visa on arrival, both with sufficient details for any visitor.

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Lastly, visitors are required to show proof of financial ability during their stay in Thailand by bringing in adequate cash into the country.

So they can't enter the country then do to Thai bank or ATM ?

They have to walk around with cash to enter?

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, timendres said:

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Did you get the answers from the Thai Embassy in Jakarta ?

http://www.thaiembassyjakarta.com/intro.html

 

As I pointed out, that website is unnavigable....   Most tourists are not as worldly wise as you and I and may not cast their search for information as widely. 

 

That is odd. Two clicks and I had every detail I could imagine for both tourist visa and visa on arrival, both with sufficient details for any visitor.

 

Perhaps thats just my computer...  ( I tried with Brave and Chrome )... 

 

... and you are right...  it works perfectly now (I didn't earlier for some reason) - so my comment is rather moot, the information is there at the correct source (although for Indonesia it should perhaps also be in Bahasa).

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

So they can't enter the country then do to Thai bank or ATM ?

They have to walk around with cash to enter?

 

In theory, yes...  which is an antiquated rule.

 

I always keep US$1000 in my travel pack - just in case....    but thats for the more backward countries I sometimes end up in.

 

In countries like Thailand where digital payment is everywhere, ATM's are everywhere the need to cary cash into the country is wholly unnecessary....  

 

As I pointed out earlier - Immigration seem to use this rule to prevent entry to someone they've profiled as undesirable (for whatever reasons, suspected work etc)... But, without professional training, this also gives them the power to act with emotion, in some cases allowing prejudices to surface. 

[proton]

How did that dumb homeless American tik toker girl get in a few weeks ago with $7?

[Photoguy21]

5 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

And yet Thailand complains to South Korea when a couple of its citizens are questioned when they arrive there.

Unbelievable.

Not really it is called self entitlement

[sirineou]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

The Embassy Website 'should' be the updated and most accurate and official source - the point I wish to make is that the Thai Embassy, Jakarta Website is unnavigable... Not only is it unnavigable, the English version does not work at all.

If the info in their embassy does not work,, I agree  they certainly need to repair it. Thai websites are notorious for being stupid. Yesterday I went to the Dohome website, to look for an item I needed. 

The Thai version has parts in English, so that a Thai who did not speak English would not understand it totally, and the English version has a nig part in Thai so that a person who did not speak Thai would also not understand it. 

This is true for most websites. 

but IMO it is still no excuse for not finding the info from other sources,

And again the excuse that the Thai Embassy website is to blame for not being easy enough to use. 

And the other excuse that "yes they could easily find the info if they were worldly   is illogical. 

  If a person is "worldly" enough to go to the Thai Embassy website for the information,then it is also "worldly enough, and has access to the internet,  to go and do a Google search. 

IMO this part is not debatable, it simply follows common logic. 

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, sirineou said:

  If a person is "worldly" enough to go to the Thai Embassy website for the information,then it is also "worldly enough, and has access to the internet,  to go and do a Google search. 

IMO this part is not debatable, it simply follows common logic. 

 

Agreed...   but a lot of people are not logical... 

 

When did this 'cash requirement' come in  ???

 

I've only known of it for 7 or 8 years (from this forum)... before that, it is something which could have caught me out. 

 

I know for a fact that family and friends who have visited here have not travelled here with that cash requirement, its something thats very often overlooked. 

 

 

[Red Forever]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Except that its widely documented on all (most) Thai Embassy Sites of the visa free entry regulations. 

 

The entrant must be prepared to get there.

- 10,000 Baht per-person

- 20,000 Baht for families

 

That said - the Thai Embassy, Jakarta website is unnavigable. 

 

 

This is perhaps Thailand Immigration being very difficult to Indonesian entrants and there is right to complain if the rejections are of genuine tourists and unfair.

 

The Issue of Korean Immigration being very difficult for Thai's to enter Korea has also been brought up in this thread. 

The rejection of genuine tourists in this case is also unfair.

 

Both are poor situations and just because one country has unfair, spiteful or or even rogue immigration officers it is not justified or excused by another countries immigration officers behaving the same way...  This just highlights that there are a number of people in official positions who are spiteful and there are forum members who seem to take some form of enjoyment in this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well said sir!

[KannikaP]

What a silly headline. The Thai law says the equivalent of Bht 20,000 in a convertible currency, cash, actual bank notes. So today Bht 20k is $557 not $417, or GBP 440 would do, or EUR 515.

No good saying you have an ATM card, there are no machines until after Immigration at Suvanabhumi or Don Muang. Don't know about Phuket or Chiang Mai but would suspect the same. Showing a bank app is not sufficient.

In 22 years coming & going I have never been asked, must be my kind face, but they could use it as a reason if they don't like you or suspect your intentions.

[sirineou]

14 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

but a lot of people are not logical...

I agree, but that cant be the fault of the Thai immigration. 

15 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

've only known of it for 7 or 8 years (from this forum)... before that, it is something which could have caught me out.

No one has ever asked me for funds, but that's probably because we have extensions to stay and falls to reason that we also have the funds, otherwise we would not have the extensions. 

But there have been several threads started in this forum by farangs who have been refused entrance  do to not having proof of funds. I think someone posted having to go to an ATM and get the funds. to be allowed entrance. Not having 6 months left in the passport is another reason for refusal and it is usually done by the Airline and not Thai Immigration. 

 

[Jaggg88]

1 hour ago, Scott Tracy said:

1. Evidence of adequate finance:
   • Single-Entry Tourist Visa: Bank Statement showing at least THB 20,000 per person or THB 40,000 per family or equivalent in other currencies.
   • Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa: Bank Statement showing at least IDR 80,000,000 (USD 7,000) for the past 6 months, and Letter of Employment

Where's the cash requirement?

They were arriving visa-exempt

[JensenZ]

5 hours ago, Emdog said:

"...most favored travel destinations for Indonesian tourists for its beautiful beaches..."

Indonesia is an island nation, with about 14,000 islands (depends if count high or low tide). Islands often have beaches. The ones I have been to there are quite nice, plus you can see them (not behind wall of umbrellas). They also have surfing, something absent mostly in Thailand.

"..and ease of access." Maybe I missed the content of the article, but sounded to me like "ease of access" is what is missing. Silly me

 

That certainly is nonsense - Indonesians traveling to Thailand for beaches. Indonesia has a long list of incredible beaches, far more than Thailand.

 

Why would any Indonesian want to travel to Thailand for a holiday?

Edited February 24 by JensenZ

[richard_smith237]

14 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

That certainly is nonsense - Indonesians traveling to Thailand for beaches. Indonesia has a long list of incredible beaches, far more than Thailand.

 

Why would any Indonesian want to travel to Thailand for a holiday?

Rather short sighted.

Why did you come here ??

 

People just like to visit others places, even if the sakes things are there…

 

Why do people go to different ski resorts? A ski slope is a ski slope right ?

 

Whats about cities? Many are samey samey…

 

Beaches.. and more specifically developed beach resort are what attracts people…

 

Your understanding of beach in this context was too literal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 24 by richard_smith237

[StayinThailand2much]

This is false information. I was almost denied twice in early 2020, and another time also thoroughly interviewed. During these three interrogations, I was neither asked to show the mentioned cash, nor whether I had a return-ticket. I was asked about accommodation during my stay, though; probably because the IOs were afraid that I would sleep under a bridge, or on the beach... 🤣

Edited February 24 by StayinThailand2much

[StayinThailand2much]

4 hours ago, sirineou said:

All reasonable requirements.

It's not like those requirements were a secret.

If one fails to meet reasonable requirements it's their fault and not the fault of those doing the job for which they were hired. 

 

Yes, they are. However, even if you fulfill all the requirements, you can still be denied...

[VBF]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Agreed...   but a lot of people are not logical... 

 

When did this 'cash requirement' come in  ???

 

I've only known of it for 7 or 8 years (from this forum)... before that, it is something which could have caught me out. 

 

I know for a fact that family and friends who have visited here have not travelled here with that cash requirement, its something thats very often overlooked. 

What you say is, in theory, correct in this post and earlier in this thread. However.... ignorance of the law is no excuse even if the law is outdated.

If people are too lazy (not illogical) to bother learning, then they have no right to moan if things go wrong for them.

[JensenZ]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Rather short sighted.

Why did you come here ??

 

People just like to visit others places, even if the sakes things are there…

 

Why do people go to different ski resorts? A ski slope is a ski slope right ?

 

Whats about cities? Many are samey samey…

 

Beaches.. and more specifically developed beach resort are what attracts people…

 

Your understanding of beach in this context was too literal.

It was a question, but you didn't answer it yet...

 

My understanding of Beach was too literal? How should "beach" be understood in the context of the writers claiming that Indonesians (who have more beaches than most other countries) are coming to Thailand for nice beaches?

 

Why did I come here? On a visa run from the Philippines... but an Australian expat visiting Thailand is a long shot from an Indonesian tourist visiting Thailand. There's nothing to compare.  

 

 

 

 

 

[orchis]

that has always been the rule, however I haven't been asked to show 20K in my 33 years here.

[JeffersLos]

7 hours ago, brianthainess said:

how does my daughter show proof of staying with me?

 

Staying with you? You need a hotel license!!! 

[nakhonandy]

5 hours ago, milesinnz said:

the "return (flight) ticket" is a joke when many people will exit Thailand by a land border.. even a pre-booked bus ticket to say Cambodia does not count..

I guess that must only apply to certain countries. I've never been asked for a return ticket by immigration, the airline I'm using, occasionally yes.

Proof of accommodation is also weird, why do you need it?

When I travelled as a tourist I chose where to stay when I arrived at my destination. 

[sirineou]

3 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

 

Yes, they are. However, even if you fulfill all the requirements, you can still be denied...

I agree. 

in and out of thailand for close to 20 years now, personally  I never had a problem , but it could be I was lucky. 

[metisdead]

A post with derogatory trolling comments toward Thai people contravening our Forum Rules has been removed:

 

 14. You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, Thai people, Thai culture, Thai institutions such as the military, judicial or law enforcement system or specific locations within Thailand.

[Burma Bill]

On 2/24/2024 at 4:23 AM, webfact said:

However, entering Thailand is not as easy as it sounds

 Wrong - very easy for me this past weekend, crossing between Cambodia and Thailand at the land border between Choam (Cambodia) and Chong Sangan (Thailand). Very easy, with aimiable, English speaking Immigration Officers both sides of the border. All I had to complete was a TM6 to enter Thailand, on which my address was Ubonratchathani Government Hospital. I did not have to fill in the reverse regarding income and I was not asked about how much money I was carrying.  On the return journey, I had to complete a Cambodian Arrival/Departure card but the kind Khmer Immigration Officer did this for me, noting my ER Annual Retirement Visa number.

Edited February 26 by Burma Bill
additional information

[milesinnz]

On 2/24/2024 at 6:39 PM, nakhonandy said:

I guess that must only apply to certain countries. I've never been asked for a return ticket by immigration, the airline I'm using, occasionally yes.

Proof of accommodation is also weird, why do you need it?

When I travelled as a tourist I chose where to stay when I arrived at my destination. 

It's more of a problem leaving from certain countries... New Zealand for one.. they won't let you board the aircraft... - the need to show an air ticket out of Thailand...