10 Bucks Or 500 Baht?

[chinofarang]

hello out there!

i posted this on the visa forum earlier and have had a lot of looks but no bites. headed on the green bus tomorrow for the tourist entry visa run and heard through the grapevine that they are not accepting 10 u.s. dollar notes and only 500 thai baht now. has anyone had a recent experience at mae sai with this? just want to know if i am wasting time going to the exchange for dollars. i thought i would ask any of you locals here in changers if you knew anything about this.

thanks for being available, this forum is the best!

[hellodolly]

I suspect it is up to the Burmese border crossing personnel I don't take chances I have both when I go.

Besides it never hurts to have a American bill in your possession.

One city I visited on the Chinese boarder wouldn't take Thai or Burmese money only Chinese witch left me in a bind when they asked for a security deposit on the room key. Fortunately I had some American money and it was excepted.

[true blue]

went across on friday,bloke snatched my hand off,for ten dollars,was on a vip pass but i dont think it made any difference,very busy friday had to wait ten minutes,to get in that little office,no photo needed with vip pass though,was in office two minutes.

[uptheos]

Officially it's $10 the same as the departure tax from Yangon or Mandalay.

However, the border guards know a good thing when they see it....i.e. 500 Baht as opposed to 300 Baht. Offer them $10 and make sure it doesn't have a crease or mark on it.

[sk1max]

The $10 option is no longer available, it's 500 bht each time.

[chinofarang]

man, i guess its a crapshoot, eh fellas? thanks for the all the replies and i will give the 10 buck option a shot but will be ready to shell out 500 baht if necessary, i guess. but sk1max sounds pretty sure so i will be ready for it when it comes. i get in on the greenbus at 1215 approx. and am on the 230pmer outta the bus station back to changers. i should have about a half hour or so after stepping over line in tachelik for some shopping or should i just cross back?

thanks again everyone!

[Pond Life]

They only wanted the baht 2 wks ago, they don't want any of that Yank crap with the ink still wet.

[tigerbalm]

I think it is still officially $10 but what i think happens is you give them 500 Baht, they then use 300 of it to buy $10 that leaves them with a nice little 200 Baht in their Tea money Jar.

[Fishenough]

Why do close friends who are the 15 day crowd get away with the $10 US, as early as last week, when often you hear it's not accepted via second hand chat?

I will admit to hearing of a refusal at the Mae Sot crossing, which occurred in the week before they closed it last.

[L&J]

We were over on Jan. 26th and they wanted 500 baht and were having nothing to do with

$10 USD. I had a wad of Burmese money with me and thought about trying to use that but

decided that would probably be asking for trouble. However was able to freely use it in

the market and got a good rate on it.

[ludditeman]

I paid $10 in both Mae Sot and Mae Sai.

Don't show any Thai money in your wallet, play dumb and keep offering the $10.

Don't speak or understand anything they say in any language, just hold out the $10.

In the end they give in and take it.

[hellodolly]

man, i guess its a crapshoot, eh fellas? thanks for the all the replies and i will give the 10 buck option a shot but will be ready to shell out 500 baht if necessary, i guess. but sk1max sounds pretty sure so i will be ready for it when it comes. i get in on the greenbus at 1215 approx. and am on the 230pmer outta the bus station back to changers. i should have about a half hour or so after stepping over line in tachelik for some shopping or should i just cross back?

thanks again everyone!

With that limited time frame I would just cross over. You never know if you will get hung up at the Thai immigration.

[iainiain101]

It is great when people learn arbitrage, but in this example who really gives a toss?

[Ulysses G.]

A buddy paid them with $10 US a few days ago, but he did have to insist on it.

[paulchiangmai]

Went there on Jan' 14th and offered $10, accepted no problem as has always been the case with me.

[true blue]

man, i guess its a crapshoot, eh fellas? thanks for the all the replies and i will give the 10 buck option a shot but will be ready to shell out 500 baht if necessary, i guess. but sk1max sounds pretty sure so i will be ready for it when it comes. i get in on the greenbus at 1215 approx. and am on the 230pmer outta the bus station back to changers. i should have about a half hour or so after stepping over line in tachelik for some shopping or should i just cross back?

thanks again everyone!

when you come out of the burma immagration office straight across the road is a very large supermarket/store,which will provide most of your needs,and they have some good quality gear in there,get all your duty frees there.ps,they accepted my ten bucks at imm on friday.

[uptheos]

We were over on Jan. 26th and they wanted 500 baht and were having nothing to do with

$10 USD. I had a wad of Burmese money with me and thought about trying to use that but

decided that would probably be asking for trouble. However was able to freely use it in

the market and got a good rate on it.

Where did you get your Burmese Kyat and at what exchange rate?

[kjhbigv]

Think I would rather just pay the GBP4.00 extra (a simple 500 baht) and be done with it!

[uptheos]

Think I would rather just pay the GBP4.00 extra (a simple 500 baht) and be done with it!

I guess the point is they are doing you out of 200 Baht.

But it's no big deal, no-one complains when they hand over 500 Baht at our whiter than white immigration office, for a COR, with no receipt.

[diseq]

On January 4th, I gave him 10$ and the Burmese officer said very sternly "Thai money! 500 baht!" I asked why, is this not good?( the 10$ bill). He barked back "only thai money".

That guy looked like he hadn't smiled since his 10th birthday, so I gave him his tea money.

Went there on Jan' 14th and offered $10, accepted no problem as has always been the case with me.

Just like that? Sounds a bit strange, he didn't ask for 500 baht, just accepted the 10$?

Maybe the passport might help, perhaps if you're from the U.S.

I paid $10 in both Mae Sot and Mae Sai.

Don't show any Thai money in your wallet, play dumb and keep offering the $10.

Don't speak or understand anything they say in any language, just hold out the $10.

In the end they give in and take it.

Yep, that sounds more likely.

However , I wouldn't try that "no hablo espanol" trick unless you're from a country that would bail you out in case you're stuck there, such as USA or UK.

Edited February 8, 2012 by diseq

[true blue]

Think I would rather just pay the GBP4.00 extra (a simple 500 baht) and be done with it!

I guess the point is they are doing you out of 200 Baht.

But it's no big deal, no-one complains when they hand over 500 Baht at our whiter than white immigration office, for a COR, with no receipt.

bit slow this morning,whats a COR?????

[uptheos]

Think I would rather just pay the GBP4.00 extra (a simple 500 baht) and be done with it!

I guess the point is they are doing you out of 200 Baht.

But it's no big deal, no-one complains when they hand over 500 Baht at our whiter than white immigration office, for a COR, with no receipt.

bit slow this morning,whats a COR?????

Sorry....Certificate of Residence.

[kevbap]

I paid $10 in both Mae Sot and Mae Sai.

Don't show any Thai money in your wallet, play dumb and keep offering the $10.

Don't speak or understand anything they say in any language, just hold out the $10.

In the end they give in and take it.

Exactly what i did, but i followed 3 American ladies into the office who wanted to cause a problem !

and i had to sit there while they had a go at the customs people, eventually they went and i got up and handed them my $10 . easy!

[uptheos]

We were over on Jan. 26th and they wanted 500 baht and were having nothing to do with

$10 USD. I had a wad of Burmese money with me and thought about trying to use that but

decided that would probably be asking for trouble. However was able to freely use it in

the market and got a good rate on it.

Where did you get your Burmese Kyat and at what exchange rate?

Any chance of an answer?

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

can confirm from a trip a few hours ago. They gladly took a crisp 10 USD from the person in front of me and they didn't even blink.

[bobl]

I don't suppose it's occurred to anyone, that it depends WHO at the Myanmar end. I've been twice and had US$ refused twice, by the same grumpy git who whips a 500 out of the drawer and says "Thai baht! Only Thai baht!" if you try to give him dollars.

[mcgriffith]

It's really just the luck of the draw; which officer, etc.

For those not familiar with it, here is a link to the pinned topic on the Chiang Rai forum (Chiang Rai is the Thai province that borders Tachilek, not CM) that deals with all things related to the Mae Sai/Tachilek border crossing:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/147481-mae-saitachilek-border-info/page__st__525

This is the last page- number 22 of 22 pages. Scroll back to read previous postings and info regarding the border crossing.

[ROMANOBA]

They acccept 10 us notes, but they must be spotless.Their excuse to refuse them is; this banknote is worn/too old.So if you are polite and hand them a new looking 10 us banknote saying you do not have thai money, they will accept it.In fact the room where you will have to do os is always full, and they als do not want to lose face. I NEVER had problems with the 10 usd note, they almost always asked me if I had thai bath, I politlely said ' no', and problem over.

And it you have bad luck, well your damage will be around 190 bath, you will survive it....

[el jefe]

It's really just the luck of the draw; which officer, etc.

For those not familiar with it, here is a link to the pinned topic on the Chiang Rai forum (Chiang Rai is the Thai province that borders Tachilek, not CM) that deals with all things related to the Mae Sai/Tachilek border crossing:

http://www.thaivisa....o/page__st__525

This is the last page- number 22 of 22 pages. Scroll back to read previous postings and info regarding the border crossing.

You mean Chiang Mai isn't flat and you don't fall off the edge of the internet, if you read any of the other 100 subforums?

I did an infrequent visa run yesterday and reported on it on the above referenced forum. Forum rules prevent me from double posting.

I find it bizarre how many farang think and post that you can tell the Myanmar Immigration Officers that you don't have 500 baht and that will force them to accept your $10. They may accept your story because they just don't want to deal with you but they could easily insist on 500 baht. They know you just left Thailand and they know you are going back in an hour or so. No one is walking around with less than 500 baht in their pocket and many Thai visas require you to show 10,000 baht or more at Thai Immigration (although rarely asked). All the Myanmar Immigration Officer has to do is calmly say "No. Go back to Thailand. Get 500 baht." How many of you will stand your ground and refuse to leave or pay baht when the Myanmar Police show up?

[ludditeman]

I find it bizarre how many farang think and post that you can tell the Myanmar Immigration Officers that you don't have 500 baht and that will force them to accept your $10. They may accept your story because they just don't want to deal with you but they could easily insist on 500 baht. They know you just left Thailand and they know you are going back in an hour or so. No one is walking around with less than 500 baht in their pocket and many Thai visas require you to show 10,000 baht or more at Thai Immigration (although rarely asked). All the Myanmar Immigration Officer has to do is calmly say "No. Go back to Thailand. Get 500 baht." How many of you will stand your ground and refuse to leave or pay baht when the Myanmar Police show up?

The Myanmar officer demanding 500bht is a corrupt officer.

If you give him 500bht he then changes the 500bht into $10 to pass on to his commanding officer (pocketing 200bht).

I would think it unlikely he wants the chance of his corruption being overly exposed.

After all, it is his country he is really cheating.

I'm completely confident he will accept the $10 that his country requires in the end.