16 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

An expat returning to Thailand is unlikely to have 20k baht in his wallet or 600 USD either. Also

I usually had that much, if not all Thai baht a bit of sterling to add to it. Needed a bit for taxi and maybe duty free on arrival.

11 hours ago, couchpotato said:

Not calling this a madeup story, but an airport IO asking for these type of things is beyond believable.

It is if "Harry", who claims to have been exporting Thai goods to Europe for over 30 years, didn't have the correct visa for these activities? Since the only thing the IO sees is the travelers immigration history, it's possible that his prior activity that caused the red flag.

Anyway, I double-checked the relevant immigration regulations, and exporting containers to Europe doesn't confer any sort of immigration status.

15 hours ago, grain said:

I think much has to do with one's appearance, if you look smart and well dressed that counts for a lot to Thais, on the otherhand if you look like a destitute they're likely to check you out.

I think appearances are secondary to the immigration history that pops up on the IO's screen when the passport is scanned.

6 hours ago, Hummin said:

When I left with my new passport, I was flagged and had to use the manual booth. If they use certain parameters, such as how many days you have spent in Thailand over the last few years, or frequent back to back entries, you can be flagged and sent to manual service.

If that new passport renewal had been done while in Thailand, then referral to a manned booth to capture biometrics would be a given.

I agree that in order to ensure smooth throughput at the eGates whilst maintaining a higher degree of scrutiny, the individual's border crossing activity will be a determinant on who gets a green light, and who needs to go and have a chat with an IO.

14 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

They can always cite insufficient funds without even asking to see the cash , and physically showing them the cash in that situation is not going to change their mind

Absolutely spot on. This is the reason most are denied entry as suspecting or accusing someone of working illegally takes more time and can raise more challenges. Looking the other way, even when 20k cash is waved in their face, means they never saw it, thus no evidence of ever having it.

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Absolutely spot on. This is the reason most are denied entry as suspecting or accusing someone of working illegally takes more time and can raise more challenges. Looking the other way, even when 20k cash is waved in their face, means they never saw it, thus no evidence of ever having it.

"hot having the means to support oneself ...." has always been an easy way for an officer to deny entry , as you said before ones immigration history would be the main and initial focal point of most immigration officers, but I don't doubt that ones appearance and attitude would invariably have some bearing on any decision made by an officer.

As far as I am aware , in real terms very few people are denied entry for the above reason and I cant help thinking that those that do get rejected have a few things in common , and not necessarily a lack of funds

1 minute ago, Bday Prang said:

As far as I am aware , in real terms very few people are denied entry for the above reason and I cant help thinking that those that do get rejected have a few things in common , and not necessarily a lack of funds

Like a condo, a car, a bank account, a girlfriend and other things that bona fide tourists wouldn't have.

OK, some types of "tourists" have "girlfriends"...

On 8/20/2026 at 11:12 AM, wensiensheng said:

In any case. 10k baht is about 200quid, it’s not a lot.

People who don't want to carry any cash are at risk if something happens to their credit/debit card or if their phone is lost/stolen/out-of-battery. It is always wise to have an alternate source of funds for unexpected situations.

The Royal Thai Embassy in DC states cash is required. The TAT indicates that you can show documentation instead. Therefore, there is no clear standard. I wish they would create a clear policy for demonstrating sufficient funds. I prefer not to carry cash.

Asking for a friend (I have PR).

How does this apply if an arriving foreigner is planning to apply for a Thai retirement visa very soon after arrival in Thailand (Has been here longer stay previously and does have an active Thai bank account with Krung Thai bank). The foreigner returned to home country to get higher salry payments and therefore speed up saving of the 800,000 Thai Baht. He's just begun doing this and wonders if he should monthly send foreigner currency to his Krung Thai account?

Or is thee another way he can immediately satisfy (at date or lodging his application for a Thai retirement visa) the 800,000 Thai Baht in the bank requirement?

Y

Asking for a friend (I have PR).

How does this apply if an arriving foreigner is planning to apply for a Thai retirement visa very soon after arrival in Thailand (Has been here longer stay previously and does have an active Thai bank account with Krung Thai bank). The foreigner returned to home country to get higher salry payments and therefore speed up saving of the 800,000 Thai Baht. He's just begun doing this and wonders if he should monthly send foreigner currency to his Krung Thai account?

Or is there another way he can immediately satisfy (at date or lodging his application for a Thai retirement visa) the 800,000 Thai Baht in the bank requirement?

Asking for a friend (I have PR).

Asking for a friend (I have PR).