New Requirements To Enter Thailand

[Ricardo]

anyone who comes here on holiday with less than 10 or 20 k or working must be on a proper tight budget. infact u might get a free flight home when u get deported. you might be thank full. seeing as though u have 200 pounds to last u a holiday. less than 10 k wouldn't even buy your ticket home !

I recall meeting a backpacker, who was teaching in Cambodia, he had 5,000 Baht and was making it last for a month, hitch-hiking round Thailand and staying in dorms, I rather admired his spirit although it's a long time since I did that sort of thing myself.

This example just goes to show that there are exceptional-cases which don't fit your argument.

[bushwacker]

Why are people panicing? 10,000 baht is nothing. It's approx $300. usd/$320 CAD/$330AUD and 220 Euro. It's hardly a fortune.

If you are not carrying some cash on you when you travel, then you are not being prudent. What happens if there is a power failure and the atms or cc systems go dowm? what happens if you are stranded somewhere and there is a gigantic line at the atm or it runs out of cash? What do you do if the atm eats your card? What happens if you are stranded and the cc doesn't work. I have had all of these scenarios happen to me in the past 5 years of traveling. That's why I carry cash. I have yet to be robbed, scammed or pickpocketed (knock wood.)

I completely agree with you ..... what is the problem! There are so many things that could happen to you upon entering the kingdom .... why would you risk having less than that amount in cash?

[bushwacker]

Why are people panicing? 10,000 baht is nothing. It's approx $300. usd/$320 CAD/$330AUD and 220 Euro. It's hardly a fortune.

If you are not carrying some cash on you when you travel, then you are not being prudent. What happens if there is a power failure and the atms or cc systems go dowm? what happens if you are stranded somewhere and there is a gigantic line at the atm or it runs out of cash? What do you do if the atm eats your card? What happens if you are stranded and the cc doesn't work. I have had all of these scenarios happen to me in the past 5 years of traveling. That's why I carry cash. I have yet to be robbed, scammed or pickpocketed (knock wood.)

A lot of people (myself included) would probably wait until they arrived in Thailand before going to an ATM machine to withdraw THB.

A simple solution would be to install ATM's before you go through immigration. Have you ever seen the rates they give for THB in say Heathrow Airport?

If it's 52 baht to the £ in Thailand, you'll probably get 42 in London.

Just another stupid rule really...TiT!

I think you have misunderstood the requirement. You do not have to show Thai Baht but rather the equivalent amount in the accepted currencies. So US$, CDN$, Euro$, Austr$ ect are all fine. They just want to make sure that when you enter you have a minimum amount of money that will be changed into thai baht at a later time. I think it is an attempt to stop people showing up with no financial means and to stop people from trying to work upon arrival.

[buasaard]

Don't remember seeing an ATM machine on the air side of immigration and I for one will not be carrying hard currency of any sort on me to a 20K value so I guess it'll have to be a notorized bank statement from KasikornBank no older that 24 hours. Just to figure out how I'm going to get it?

Then again they may install internet access to the visitors so as we can show em our assets through internet banking.

Shlt silly me, Thailand is still in the 19th century.

HTF are they going to enforce this stupid law?

I don't know if someone who defines this law "stupid" is british, italian (like me) or other european countries and knows the laws of his country. As far as I know in every country of the world at immigration the tourist could be required to show how he can supports his stay

For instance : UK

http://www.aboutimmigration.co.uk/arriving...er-country.html

Travellers to the UK could be asked to show immigration officials the cash, travellers cheques or other financial means that they will use to support themselves during their stay.

USA

http://www.ice.gov/sevis/factsheet/100104ent_stdnt_fs.htm

Is acceptable a credit card, that could have been blocked? Is acceptable by the american custom officer a statement printed by yourselves that could have been modified? Let me doubt about it.

In Italy (I guess it's a Schengen rule) there's a defined amount in cash or travelers' cheques that tourists could be requested to show. A fixed amount plus a variable amount according to days of staying. A credit card is a valid mean? I arrived once in Phuket and the card didn't work it was demagnetized . Is there a tourist that risks to get into Thailand without some cash? The fact is that many people that consider themselves "tourists" are not tourists at all, like those making the visa run every three months.

I guess showing the book account should be sufficient, and if it is not you can go to the bank before immigration and get some money.

These "farang" forums are too self referencing, the world is not Europe, America and Australia, in Thailand try to arrive cambodians, lao, burmese , nigerians and people from other countries that could enter and wander without financial means. Whom do you guess they will check? The british with a non-immigrant visa or the lao girl that the custom officer suspects is entering to go to work in the sexy business in Pattaya?

I wonder why rules that are common in every country of the world and considered wise for these countries, if enforced by Thailand are considered stupid.

[CRUNCHER]

Thailand certainly has the right to enforce these conditions. In some ways I don't blame it.

But with so many countries issuing travel warnings is this the right time to raise the issue again??

[thaibear1]

Has anyone ever heard about traveler's checks??? Remember those? If you don't want to carry the cash then carry TCs instead. It's easily worked for me in other countries.

This money-for-entry is nothing new and is on the books in many countries. And while seldom enforced these days, it was often enforced in the past ... although never for me in Thailand. Why the rule? To supposedly eliminate the bums who arrive with not enough money to support themselves and thus make trouble and/or become stranded in Thailand with no way of returning home. I see their point is this regard, although, in spite of how cheaply one can live in Thailand, 10K baht ... even 20K .... won't last very long anyway.

with 10'000 nobody return home to Europe or USA? For this we have to show return ticket even at the chek in abroad !!!!

Some silly spend in 1 - 3 days his 10'000 for ladies in the bar etc. !!!! how it make sense?

If you arrive looking fairly well groomed and dressed ... instead of a tank top, shower shoes, wrinkled shorts, unshaven, etc. ... customs is very unlikely to enforce this rule. First impressions, you know. But if you look like a bum and/or for some other reason you appear to be undesirable they may ask to see money in hopes they'll find a reason to deny you entry. Having traveled and lived in over 60 countries for many years, I've learned it very often pays to look sharp and be courteous to officials ... esp. when dealing with immigration, customs, visa extensions, etc.

I traveled only over ca. 30 countries what you say is true. In my life I was asked to declare (not show) my money only in former ex-comecon countries (eat communist countries as Russia, Poland etc.) but sense was rather to not take more out then I bring. and bla bla bla. whatever Thailand need more such stupide law to welcome back the tourists

Having to carry 20K on you while in country??? No way. Why create a problem in your head that doesn't exist? I guess some people just like to worry about nothing.

[spooner]

It can be ATM or credit card form does not need to be cash.

That contradicts what others with real experiences have had and posted on.

A couple of years it was prevalent for a short awhile at some of the popular visa-run land borders and in those instances, it was strictly 20,000 baht/10,000 baht (depending on visa type) in cold cash.

No other acceptable form, be it plastic or bank statements or anything else, was taken to meet the requirement.

Cash only. The only concession made was that it was acceptable to have the equivalent in foreign currency.

Edited February 20, 2010 by spooner

[BigC]

anyway i think people with no money should go home. i hate stingy forangs out here with like 100 pounds to last them 6 months. never getting a round of drinks in. staying from so called friends house to friends house. ripping peoplle off. basically cheap and dirty bac packers.

have a rule now. any of my mates from england out here for 6 month back backing stay away from me. bad enough when i thai trys it on at least they are making a living out of it.

giving money to someone who just wants a holiday at my expense just takes the buscuit.

my problem is i am going to maccau next week. either i will win loads of money in casinos. or i will lose and have to raise 20 k to get back to thailand lol

[BigC]

It can be ATM or credit card form does not need to be cash.

That contradicts what others with real experiences have had and posted on.

A couple of years it was prevalent for a short awhile at some of the popular visa-run land borders and in those instances, it was strictly 20,000 baht/10,000 baht (depending on visa type) in cold cash.

No other acceptable form, be it plastic or bank statements or anything else, was taken to meet the requirement.

Cash only. The only concession made was that it was acceptable to have the equivalent in foreign currency.

what about gold ?

[tutsiwarrior]

ah gots me a one year extension an' a re-entry permit so's dey gots to respect me!

in 1971 at the canadian border I arrived with a backpack and long hair/beard and they refused me entry based upon the fact that only had USD50 in my pocket(distinctly remember that the officer looked like Melvin Laird, Nixon's sec of defense at the time)...no matter, I just hitched to the next closest crossing, waited until twilight and walked across some fields...unprotected borders are convenient for ruffians and lowlifes...

later, I stole sum cheese from a small shop in the interior of British Columbia and soon after worked illegally inna sawmill for 3 dollars per hour...union wage

[ableguy]

What you do with 10.000 ?

I spend 10.000 on Sukhumvit in one day !

Get a life

[challenger99]

What you do with 10.000 ?

I spend 10.000 on Sukhumvit in one day !

Get a life

woundering you spend your life in Thailand, but such bluff I read in the past !!! believe in yourself. Beside it is not question how much you spend but the proceeder to visit or live in this country. From now my kids (less 14 - travel alone) have each to keep min 10'000 in his pocket?

[TAWP]

It was introduced some years ago at the land borders to hassle the back to back 30day

visa runners. Yes I know it is only 15 days now.

Settle a bet for me; does the reduction 15 day still leave tourists subject to the 90 day max per 6 months or was that one lifted?

[AGareth2]

more and more hoops to jump through

[Tejas]

more and more hoops to jump through

At no other time, in no other country, have I ever even thought about how much money I might have to show immigration officials to enter.

I also have never had to put down how much money I make on any form before entering Thailand.....something all passengers must do.

To many Westerners, both of these things are insulting and do not, in any way, shape, or form, promote Thailand and tourism friendly.

Having said that, it is yet another component of Thailand's misguided social engineering project that began about ten years ago......with the immigration department implementing it.

It is also a security flaw. Now, instead of focusing on security, immigration officials are counting stamps, days, red marks.......and they may even ask you to "show them the money."

Some posters say it has never happened them. Well, that is not the point. The point is that is has happened and can happen.

A good example is the requirement to have an outbound ticket. Some posters say "that has never happened to me."

It did happen to me.

Some posters say just wear appropriate clothing and you will not have a problem.

Well, a lawyer-type in a three piece suit right in front of me was refused to get on an airline to Thailand because he did not have an outbound ticket........had to sign a special document releasing the airline from any damages.

The point is that these are stupid rules related to social engineering.

Stupid rules that do nothing but mess things up, cause confusion, waste time, and in some cases negatively impact security, should be removed from the books.

One more thing about social engineering: Howard Hughes, once the man with the most money on the planet, sometimes used to walk around looking like a bum (to see how other people lived) and he often never carried money with him.

I wonder if Thailand would let him in?

"Sorry Mr. Hughes, you look like a bum and don't have enough money to support yourself in Thailand."

[jdinasia]

Ummmm Howard Hughes was mentally ill. I think it would be more like ... "Hey Howard, you're a nutter, try _____ country instead"

Again --- other countries do have these rules and they do enforce them. Try being Thai and going to the US or UK, you'll not even get the visa until you prove you can support yourself for a trip there. See the post you were referred to before where a Thai was questioned in hong Kong before being allowed in ....

[jfchandler]

As best as I recall, the 90 days max per 6 months rule was erased sometime back...

Not sure if the change was in tandem with the cutting of the land entry permission from 30 to 15 days...or as a separate move...

In any event, that hassle from the past is now history...to be replaced, I'm sure, by something else....

Like requiring non-imm visa holders, many who've had to show they have 400K or 800K in a Thai bank (apart from those who show 65K in monthly income), to prove they have 20,000 baht in their pockets when entering the country.

It was introduced some years ago at the land borders to hassle the back to back 30day

visa runners. Yes I know it is only 15 days now.

Settle a bet for me; does the reduction 15 day still leave tourists subject to the 90 day max per 6 months or was that one lifted?

[Mario2008]

It was introduced some years ago at the land borders to hassle the back to back 30day

visa runners. Yes I know it is only 15 days now.

Settle a bet for me; does the reduction 15 day still leave tourists subject to the 90 day max per 6 months or was that one lifted?

As said, there is no more 90 day in a 6 month period rule.

Now back to the topic please.

[blakegeee]

When so many people were still doing back to back 30 day visa exemptions, this was standard policy for at least the last year of it in Mae Sai. They would ask to "show money" at least 75% of the time. I personally would bring travellers cheques and they never had any problem with them whatsoever. Actually I still have the same travellers cheques in case I ever need to "show money" again. That is exactly what I recommend people carry instead of cash.

[Ciocco]

All this rumors for 250 euro in the pockets... oh God!!

Also someone who think his "kids" have to go around with cash with them... am wondered...

Looks like to look for the hair in the egg...

250 euro... o a few more dollars... or a few less pounds...

WE already was walking ATM for some kind of Thai people... what are you worried about?

cheers,

ciocco

[HerbalEd]

When so many people were still doing back to back 30 day visa exemptions, this was standard policy for at least the last year of it in Mae Sai. They would ask to "show money" at least 75% of the time. I personally would bring travellers cheques and they never had any problem with them whatsoever. Actually I still have the same travellers cheques in case I ever need to "show money" again. That is exactly what I recommend people carry instead of cash.

Probably a good idea. But I've know people who signed their checks over to a robber at gun point ... in Colombia, not Thailand.

Edited February 20, 2010 by HerbalEd

[Phil Conners]

What are those idiots thinking. Pickpockets now KNOWING FOR SURE that everyone coming out have at least 10,000 baht in cash somewhere on their body. This is 2010 for fuc_ks sake. Keystone cops comes to mind. Again.

Another nail in the coffin.

[HerbalEd]

What are those idiots thinking. Pickpockets now KNOWING FOR SURE that everyone coming out have at least 10,000 baht in cash somewhere on their body. This is 2010 for fuc_ks sake. Keystone cops comes to mind. Again.

Another nail in the coffin.

I keep reading about all those nails in the coffin ... when are they going to bury the dam_n thing?

[jfchandler]

I just had a stroke of genius...or maybe just a stroke...

Been reading lately the ever-present threads about varying amounts of sin-sod, and somewhat my surprise, seen several accounts lately where farang have reported using a big, blow-up sized paper bank check at their weddings instead of actual cash/baht... Of course, just like in awards news conferences and such, those poster sized checks are worth only the paper they're printed on...

But how about, next time going thru BKK airport immigration, unfolding a big poster sized check with the amount... 20,000 baht written in big type... and maybe... made out to BKK Immigration...

That should be proof enough, right???

[farangpattaya]

Next requirement:

- on entry show at least the given figures

- on exit show an empty bankaccount

[Phil Conners]

What are those idiots thinking. Pickpockets now KNOWING FOR SURE that everyone coming out have at least 10,000 baht in cash somewhere on their body. This is 2010 for fuc_ks sake. Keystone cops comes to mind. Again.

Another nail in the coffin.

I keep reading about all those nails in the coffin ... when are they going to bury the dam_n thing?

It will happen sooner or later, and once it happens it will take a long time before people will start to return. Just watch the Philippines how they messed up their tourist industry about 15 years ago. Before then they were as popular as Thailand. They have still not recovered.

[jackr]

I wonder why rules that are common in every country of the world and considered wise for these countries, if enforced by Thailand are considered stupid.

Because I've just proved that I have 400,000 baht in a THAI bank to obtain a visa and now I'm being told I need to have 20k in cash on my person on entry to show I'm worthy!! That is why it is stupid.

Perhaps fair enough for those bouncing borders, but for bona fide tourists and those on non-imm visas.

Whether it is enforced or not is absolutely not the point, it is complete tosh.

[Bill97]

I wonder why rules that are common in every country of the world and considered wise for these countries, if enforced by Thailand are considered stupid.

Because I've just proved that I have 400,000 baht in a THAI bank to obtain a visa and now I'm being told I need to have 20k in cash on my person on entry to show I'm worthy!! That is why it is stupid.

Perhaps fair enough for those bouncing borders, but for bona fide tourists and those on non-imm visas.

Whether it is enforced or not is absolutely not the point, it is complete tosh.

Jackr, you are on quite a roll. Thanks for the laugh.

[GungaDin]

If the "show us your money rule" is enforced at Nong Khai border this week, please post here.

I don't fancy carrying 20K on me.

[Tejas]

Ummmm Howard Hughes was mentally ill. I think it would be more like ... "Hey Howard, you're a nutter, try _____ country instead"

Again --- other countries do have these rules and they do enforce them. Try being Thai and going to the US or UK, you'll not even get the visa until you prove you can support yourself for a trip there. See the post you were referred to before where a Thai was questioned in hong Kong before being allowed in ....

Ummmmmmmm..........yes he became that way. I was not talking about that period in his life.

At one time he was not "crazy." And he dressed in suits none of us could afford.

It was during that time that he often dressed up like a bum to see "the other side of life."

Put differently, he wanted to see how "poor" people lived and were treated by others.

He also wanted to see how he was treated by people who did not know who he was and how much money he had.

And he almost never kept cash in his pocket.

Enough of that.........this rule is stupid.

It does not matter one bit how a Thai is treated entering another country.

It also does not matter what other countries do.

Thailand is an independent country.

We are talking about Westerners coming to Thailand and Thailand's rules.

From the perspective of the outside world, the rules look stupid (even xenophobic).

Even from the perspective of Thailand's surrounding countries, they look stupid (just ask them).

And as stated, social engineering is not something immigration should be burdened with.