3 hours ago, Lightyear said:

https://royalthaipolice.go.th/downloads/laws/laws_03_03-03.pdf

 

Thai Immigration Act Section 12

 

Having no appropriate means of living on entering the Kingdom; (Section 12(2)).

Based on the pdf one should also bring a copy of their vaccination records. 

 

(5) Having not been inoculated against smallpox or undergone vaccination or 

any other medical operation for protection against communicable diseases as provided by

law and having not allowed the immigration physician to do so;

6 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

No...   a bank statement is not sufficient - it has to be cash - 20,000 baht or the monetary equivalent of.

 

This is why the rule is idiotic - it would be very easy for her to prove digitally that she had funds.

 

Immigration used this regulation as a reason to deny entry - all that has achieved is to force her to waste money & buy another set of flights and return to a different airport where the end result is entry to Thailand.... 

 

Immigration have achieved absolutely nothing with this.

 

 

So why choose the words "show proof of"?

9 minutes ago, sambum said:

6 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

No...   a bank statement is not sufficient - it has to be cash - 20,000 baht or the monetary equivalent of.

 

This is why the rule is idiotic - it would be very easy for her to prove digitally that she had funds.

 

Immigration used this regulation as a reason to deny entry - all that has achieved is to force her to waste money & buy another set of flights and return to a different airport where the end result is entry to Thailand.... 

 

Immigration have achieved absolutely nothing with this.

 

Expand  

 

So why choose the words "show proof of"?

 

I'm not sure what your point here is... 

 

The requirement of Thailand Immigration is to see 20,000 baht or the currency equivalent of.

 

You can argue the semantics and wording used in a translation of Thai Immigration regulations / requirements but that would be moot - Thai Immigration want to see physical cash when they request proof of funds (its stupid - but it is what it is).

 

 

6 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

 She wasn't begging for anything ,'

She had enough funds to buy a flight out of Thailand , buy another flight back and then another flight to her eternal destination

 

"Eternal"? 🙂 

6 hours ago, Harry Vibhavadi said:

20th of August, returning from Vientiane, exactly the same. That I had a visa card, good for € 5000, two bank cards, with each more money in as the IO will earn for a couple of years, a real estate + shares of a couple of millions in éuros, but all she wants to verify.

That in Bangkok, all goes via QR scans, even the taxi, was something for this lady, probably a fresh catch from the jungle at the Cambodian border, was a too high intellectual level for her.

For me a reason NOT to stay any longer, switch my business to Vietnam, etc, and leave, after I imported many thousands of containers of goods from Thailand to Europe since 1993.

In Laos, I saw, fresh fruits, vegetables and cane sugar was exported to Thailand, to be re-imported as fruit and vegetable products, sauces and.. cane sugar Time to set up some factories there, as.. agricultural products from Laos have ZERO import duty into the EU. For canned pine apple: a difference of 19,2 %

Thailand, la gogne, popkan chat na. ! 

so you didn't have a visa for Thailand and staying on visa exempt? 

 

You having a company I would think you would have a B visa and have no issues. 

When I had a B visa it was present passport, stamp it and a smile that's it as they know you're working in Thailand so can afford to care for yourself.

 

I'm surprised you moved your business and life to another county because you were asked to show money when entering Thailand. 

 

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I'm not sure what your point here is... 

 

The requirement of Thailand Immigration is to see 20,000 baht or the currency equivalent of.

 

You can argue the semantics and wording used in a translation of Thai Immigration regulations / requirements but that would be moot - Thai Immigration want to see physical cash when they request proof of funds (its stupid - but it is what it is).

 

 

 

I agree with your last comment ("it's stupid - but it is what it is"), but to me "show proof of 20,000 baht or equivalent", is not the same as "carrying 20,000 baht or equivalent".

 

I think the point here is that Immigration Officers do not all "play to the same hymnbook", either on gaining entry to the country, or in applying for an extension to a Visa - one of the  downsides to visiting "Amazing Thailand"! 🙂   

22 minutes ago, sambum said:

I agree with your last comment ("it's stupid - but it is what it is"), but to me "show proof of 20,000 baht or equivalent", is not the same as "carrying 20,000 baht or equivalent".

 

I think the point here is that Immigration Officers do not all "play to the same hymnbook", either on gaining entry to the country, or in applying for an extension to a Visa - one of the  downsides to visiting "Amazing Thailand"! 🙂   

 

Again - I don't follow your point....  There are enough stories of that in this forum and other news sources.

 

There isn't any debate to be had - Immigration have used this technicality to refuse entry to 'some' people. 

 

What are you going to do ??... 'argue with immigration that such a law does not exist when they are refusing your entry' ????

 

I agree - that this regulation is sketchy - if it any actual amount exists in Immigration code at all - nonetheless, its being used to refused entry - so any argument is moot.

 

 

Section 14 of the Immigration Act gives the Minister of Interior the power to “issue public notice in the Government Gazette requiring aliens entering the Kingdom to have with them either money or bond”.

https://royalthaipolice.go.th/downloads/laws/laws_03_03-03.pdf

 

 

9 hours ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

Who the f... walks around with 20000bt cash,it is fu....g 2025 dude.And who the f... knows about those rules?

Why the immigration didn't take her to an ATM???TAT is begging for tourists and then shi. like this happens????

 

 

who knows about the rules??  Normal people entering another country typically review the laws and what is required to enter, is it stupid to not know the rules?? 

 

Before I go to any country for the first time I review what is required and make sure I comply and ready for what will be asked for.

Such as, do I need a visa? or am I visa exempt? what are the requirements for entry? 

 

Just showing up at a boarder not knowing the rules and requirements is asking for trouble!

 

As for Thailand needing Tourist well, yes they do but normal tourist aren't the issue.

They use this rule when they feel someone is living in Thailand full time on a visa exempt or Tourist visa.

This is nothing new it's been going on for decades!

 

10 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

 

On numerous websites, incl. on this forum, it has been mentioned that the money needs to be in cash. (Personally, I have never been asked by IOs for the mentioned amount in cash. However, years ago, in mainland China, I was asked by Thai Airways staff at check-in, travelling to Thailand, whether I had the cash.)

Me too.  Transit Taipei 

7 hours ago, transam said:

But, I doubt most tourists don't know they must have 500 quid cash in their pocket to enter...🤫

That's on the tourist, just like when you're in any country it's your job to know the local laws. 

 

A tourist cant say I didn't know that was a law and since they don't know nothing happens, being ignorant of the law is not an excuse. 

If this was the case everyone could say I didn't know it was illegal and do whatever they want!

7 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

 

Well, I never had a problem until I got a METV... Towards the end of using it, there were signs that they wanted to question my history, and, after it wasn't valid anymore, and I entered visa-free, problems started... (IMHO, those VFE limitations must have started as far back as late 2019, particularly at Bangkok's airports.)

This started long before 2019 more like 2000's 

If  I recall correctly I heard allot of complaining around 2006-7ish about needing cash and people being hassled about the amount of back to back exempt or tourist visa entries. 

I believe the original rule was started around 2000 or maybe it only started being enforced at that time. I recall it was 10,000 baht needed if you had a visa, 20K needed if you were visa exempt or VOA. 

 

2 hours ago, sambum said:

 

"Eternal"? 🙂 

 

   ok, Final 

1 hour ago, ericthai said:

I recall it was 10,000 baht needed if you had a visa, 20K needed if you were visa exempt or VOA. 

 

Actually the other way round, 10K when arriving 30-day VFE, and 20K having a 60-day Tourist Visa. In the early 2000s it was sometimes even hard to get a tourist visa. I remember, having my application declined in Penang, because I had already two Tourist Visa stickers in my passport (which I got over the course of two years). That's when I started to use VFEs more often.

does anyone has the internet address to her youtube / tik tok ?

7 hours ago, ericthai said:

I dont recall any IO ever asking for 10K back then or heard of anyone having an issue. I didn't start coming to Thailand until the 90's but even when I first started coming there were barely any tourist back then (4-5 million a year) so they weren't hassled, things were easy, IO's were laid back and they didn't care about overstays. 

 

As I recall this only started in 2006 when they started cracking down on immigration rules increasing overstay fines and penalties, cracking down on boarder runs etc. 

IO have always cared about overstays and have always fined people who stay too long - the only difference now is that an exclusion period also applies: If you stay too long you are prevented from coming back for a period of time in addition to the fine.

 

Whilst the law has always provided for refusal of entry on the grounds of insufficient funds, its enforcement is a more recent thing as you say. Section 12(2) denial of entry has been used in recent years as a pretext, where the IO simply decides that someone is spending too much time in Thailand, and therefore 'must have no means of support'. It's likely that this is what happened to the subject of the OP: A zealous IO may have thought that she'd stayed too long, or visited too many times, and invoked Section 12(2) to kick her out, simply because there is no specific Section in the Act to deny entry to an overly frequent tourist.

9 hours ago, novacova said:

Why not just bring the cash before departure? And why risk it with an atm that may not function.

Isn't reasonable to assume that Suvarnabhumi, one of highest ranked airports in the World, according to Thailand, will have at least one working ATM.

3 minutes ago, Geoff914 said:

Isn't reasonable to assume that Suvarnabhumi, one of highest ranked airports in the World, according to Thailand, will have at least one working ATM.

There are ATMs, and money exchange counters, in the baggage claim area, but I haven't noticed any before you pass immigration. 

9 hours ago, novacova said:

Why not just bring the cash before departure? And why risk it with an atm that may not function.

Because it is 2025 not 1995. I nearly collapsed when I saw how far Thailand had progressed in some areas at least. Most thais pay by phone at a market stall but Thai Immigration is still in the 1980s.

1 minute ago, Lightyear said:

There are ATMs, and money exchange counters, in the baggage claim area, but I haven't noticed any before you pass immigration. 

Somebody did mention ATMs before Immigration. To be honest I wouldn't have thought of even looking for one there so no surprise I haven't seen one.

 

44 minutes ago, Geoff914 said:

Because it is 2025 not 1995. I nearly collapsed when I saw how far Thailand had progressed in some areas at least. Most thais pay by phone at a market stall but Thai Immigration is still in the 1980s.

That's all very well. But many people I've seen who get into trouble in Thailand have one thing in common: They assume that what applies in their home countries also applies in Thailand, when it simply doesn't. When we travel to a foreign country, we should be mindful of its laws, customs, and mores, so that we have an uneventful and pleasurable trip.

10 hours ago, billd766 said:

Not really. If you know that you are going on holiday to Thailand, when  you book your flight ticket, book 20,000 Thai baht or any currency you want at the bank as well.

 

It is called forward planning, which is what sensible people do.

 

Of course, you could always take a chance, get lucky, then try using your credit card to pay the public transport charge.

 

Cash may not be king in many peoples eyes, but it does grease the wheels in many countries, including Thailand.

"grease the wheel"? In Afghanistan a common term was "Baksheesh".  It can also mean "grease the wheels".  The Afghans claimed "Baksheesh" means "my gift from you".  As they say in LOS "555". 

1 hour ago, Lightyear said:

That's all very well. But many people I've seen who get into trouble in Thailand have one thing in common: They assume that what applies in their home countries also applies in Thailand, when it simply doesn't. When we travel to a foreign country, we should be mindful of its laws, customs, and mores, so that we have an uneventful and pleasurable trip.

Who remembers the days of travellers cheques.You were completely safe and were compensated if they were stolen. Now you have to carry a wodge of cash and just tough luck if it is stolen.

On 12/8/2025 at 3:05 PM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Look at her video, she's an influencer, these vlogger types are annoying. Thailand is fed up with them. 

 

 

Sorry, I disagree. Thailand loves them. Expats are fed up and with reason. 

8 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

There isn't any debate to be had - Immigration have used this technicality to refuse entry to 'some' people. 

Not really. The funds are the excuse, the real reasons sre different. Like suspect of living in Thailand without the appropriate visa, suspect of working, etc.

10 hours ago, ericthai said:

That's on the tourist, just like when you're in any country it's your job to know the local laws. 

 

A tourist cant say I didn't know that was a law and since they don't know nothing happens, being ignorant of the law is not an excuse. 

If this was the case everyone could say I didn't know it was illegal and do whatever they want!

Nothing to do with being illegal, or the law, if were the law, then EVERY tourist would be asked to show 500 quid.

 

It is an immigration thing that hardly ever gets used, and you sound like an immigration employee.....🥸..........🤣

22 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

Erm no, we would just use one of our other bank accounts or cards, very simple really, it is being very simple minded though not to have more than one bank account and not to have more than one card.

 

I am probably being over the top with my ten bank accounts, twenty seven credit cards/debit cards though. 😃

 

But the 147k pounds sterling limit on the credit cards is more than enough to cover any financial crisis while travelling abroad including an emergency air-ambulance back to the UK.

 

More the merrier regarding multiple bank cards if you can.... but I suggest expect the unexpected: some cash/travellers checks not that much a hassle AND imagine something happened to internet/satellite international banking connections... could be anything from solar flare to act of war.... if that much chaos came along, even cash and tc's might not work.... but don't put all your eggs in one basket my advice 

UPDATE
Tourist Clarifies Reasons For Denied Entry at Don Mueang

 

This story has been updated and clarified, please continue the discussion on the updated article below: