30 day tourist exempt - Showing spending money on entry?

[cliveshep]

My kids (in their early 20's) are coming to stay for a couple of weeks next month. Well my son and his girlfriend next month for 2 weeks and the month after my daughter for 2 weeks.

 

We pick them up, they stay in our house and we drop them back at the end. In the meantime we cart them about and feed them as you do.

 

Both graduated from UNI a few weeks ago and neither are working apart from bar jobs which paid for their tickets.

 

That's the background. My worry is reading about a party of Indian tourists on a pre-paid package who were refused entry in what seems a very cavalier manner and had to go back at their cost one assumes, losing their paid holiday and flight costs.

 

I don't want my kids to suffer that at the hands of over-zealous Immigration officials so does anyone know if this is a hard and fast rule for entry as tourists now? 

[tonray]

Unless they have been living here continually on tourist visas it is unlikely they would be asked for anything but you could always wire them the $$ before they arrive if it makes you feel safer.

[elviajero]

It's not a hard and fast rule and you have nothing to worry about.

[BritTim]

Indian nationals (and some other countries' nationals) sometimes experience what seems like unfair treatment, both in getting visas and on arrival in Thailand. UK nationals that do not have a history of lengthy visits to Thailand are extremely unlikely to encounter a problem.

[Tanoshi]

I recently had family visit, on Visa exempt entry.

They were not asked to show any proof of funds, just a friendly smile and greeting from the IO.

 

Make sure you provide them with your address for the TM6.

[peterb17]

This is madness- why on earth should they not be allowed entry to the Kingdom? 

 

OP you are being a trifle paranoid. 

[darrendsd]

39 minutes ago, peterb17 said:

This is madness- why on earth should they not be allowed entry to the Kingdom? 

 

OP you are being a trifle paranoid. 

 

Unfortunately he is not being paranoid, there is plenty of stories of people being denied and due to Immigration's actions in doing this people are  reading or hearing stories and are starting to worry

 

Most of us know it's mostly only the longstayers that are being affected however some people don't know this,

 

There is nothing wrong in asking the question, this is what this forum is for

[Suradit69]

53 minutes ago, peterb17 said:

This is madness- why on earth should they not be allowed entry to the Kingdom? 

 

OP you are being a trifle paranoid. 

Although tens of millions of people arrive in Thailand without a problem, all it takes is a few incidents of people being refused entry, for reasons not fully understood by the active TV rumor mill, to cause mass hysteria. 

 

9 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

There is nothing wrong in asking the question, this is what this forum is for

Agreed, but quite often the answers to questions are provided by people possessed with active imaginations rather than facts, thus fueling confusion and adding to the worries of the person posing the question.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2017 by Suradit69

[JackThompson]

43 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

Unfortunately he is not being paranoid, there is plenty of stories of people being denied and due to Immigration's actions in doing this people are  reading or hearing stories and are starting to worry

Most of us know it's mostly only the longstayers that are being affected however some people don't know this,

There is nothing wrong in asking the question, this is what this forum is for

I agree the OP's family is very unlikely to have to show 10K (for exempt) 20K (w/visa) Baht worth of cash or travelers checks, based on what we know from reports.  Enforcement is arbitrary, not based on specified laws/rules, and that is exactly why it makes people paranoid - and why arbitrary enforcement is madness for a nation which wishes to encourage tourism.  If there was a rule which stated, "If you have stayed longer than X months in the Kingdom in the last Z-years, then you may be asked to show money," then everyone would know what to expect and no one would worry.

 

That is why, if I knew anyone coming here, I would tell them it is a legal-requirement to enter (however arbitrarily enforced), and encourage them to bring it to erase all concerns.

[cliveshep]

57 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

I agree the OP's family is very unlikely to have to show 10K (for exempt) 20K (w/visa) Baht worth of cash or travelers checks, based on what we know from reports..

So the likely amount is 10k for visa exempt arrivals from the UK if it is enforced at all?

 

I agree, arbitrary refusal of entry with no clear pattern is likely to cause tourists to want to go to another similar country instead of Thailand.

 

I know my children have worked really hard to put together money for air-tickets to come and see their Dad and family and it is special to all of us of course. We only see each other once a year as it is.

Edited August 5, 2017 by cliveshep

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, cliveshep said:

So the likely amount is 10k for visa exempt arrivals from the UK if it is enforced at all?

Correct - that is the amount which is/was stated on Immigration's own FAQ page, and on placards at some border-crossings for visa-exempt 30-day entries.

[cliveshep]

Thanks Jack.