invisible

Is this new madness or something got wrong with reporting?

CrazyInteg

Crackdown of the week/month/year. The abusers ruin it for the tourists.

It just talks about visas though, so I hope all the facts are straight, since most Americans do not get a visa when they enter Thailand.

YVR Cockroach

Weeding out the backpackers, visa runners and low-value tourists, I'd say. I think it will include U.S. citizens as a visa is defined as

A passport stamp is a visa.

Diplomatico

Absolutely not. It doesn't matter what Merriam-Webster or Wikipedia defines a visa as....it's what is used in practice. A passport stamp is most definitely NOT a visa.

That's why you still get a passport stamp when entering Thailand on a visa exempt entry, meaning you don't require a visa to enter.

YVR Cockroach

Definitions aside, do note that one of the complainers cited was a British national who - AFAIK - are normally exempt requiring formal visas for Thailand. .

Diplomatico

Do note, that same individual was cited for entering on multiple tourist visas which do not equate to visa exemptions.

FWIW, there's a report from a foreign national who is entitled to stay in Thailand on a one year permission to stay (which requires proof of financial solvency) who was also asked to show proof of funds.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, it's the latest "crackdown", otherwise known as the Thai government shooting itself in the foot, yet again.

Edit to add: I live in Chiang Mai nine months of every year. I do not, as a rule, walk around with 20,000 THB in cash in my pocket. That's just stupid. Nor would I ever let a Thai government official - of any persuasion - see that I have 20,000 THB in cash on my person.

transpac

There have been a few reports of issues, but given there are ~ 35 + million visitors, it sounds more like a few who are suspected of potentially working illegally.

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic...refused-entry/

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic...ngkok-airport/

I personally do not carry 20,000 THB in cash when I arrive, but I did bring my Bangkok Bank bank-book with me on my most recent trip, in case I had to prove anything. I'm on a One-Year Extension of Stay based on Retirement, with a Multiple-Entry Re-entry Permit.

Entry is up to the whim of the Immigration Officer, and can be denied for any reason, which does not have to be given.

I'm not sure this is something to be concerned about for most tourists, with a visa, or from a Tourist Visa Exemption country?

I think that, for those who require a Visa on Arrival

http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/cu...itled-for.html

they may be more strict/inquisitive re: funds on hand?

EmailKid

Ya, surprised it was a Brit.

Ya, saw it at ThaiVisa web site as well.

My biggest question is, does it have to be Thai Bhat

Never get Baht until I arrive in Thailand, which will be in three weeks. Would like to know things settled down by then @:-)

CrazyInteg

I was reading on ThaiVisa yesterday. It needs to be currency that is exchangeable to Thai Baht. That's what they say over there. So, US Dollars and Euros are good (according to ThaiVisa), Mexican Pesos are not (according to ThaiVisa).


So, denied entry....do you have to go back to where you came from, or can you buy a ticket on AirAsia and fly to Kuala Lumpur quick?

CJKatl

First, I thought 20k Baht is <$600. It used to be the amount I took out after clearing customs, although I now take out $15,900 so I have lower bills for a cab. I just looked, and at an exchange rate of 0.030 Baht/USD it comes out to $595. FWIW, the money goes into a safe and is doled out over a couple weeks so that I only have to pay one ATM charge.

Putting that to the side, I'm going under the assumption this will not impact me. But if it does, from what I am reading, one will not be able to just go to an ATM and pull out cash? I fly with almost no cash, but pull out Baht after going through security. IIRC, there are no ATMs between landing and immigration. Are there?

Plato90s

Traveler's cheques are acceptable, and your risk of loss is a lot lower than cash.

Personally, I always travel with both cash and TC's - in separate storage areas.

There are no ATM machines pre-immigration - only cash exchange stations.

transpac

But if it does, from what I am reading, one will not be able to just go to an ATM and pull out cash?

I would assume so, but honestly, one never knows.

That's how it works with the police when you're stitched up, and Immigration is part of the RTP.

My read, and I haven't been following it, is that this is just some bleed-over from the most recent crack-down (crack-down = current, brief enforcement of existing laws) on foreign labor, which sent hundreds of thousands of Burmese/Cambodians, et al., running for the borders a few weeks ago. This crack-down has been "deferred".

I doubt any tourists/visitors reading here would be impacted.


New foreign labour law deferred 180 days

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) will invoke Section 44 of the interim charter to postpone the introduction of new penalties for employment of unregistered foreign workers until the end of this year, army chief Chalermchai Sitthisart said on Tuesday.

The new executive decree on foreign workers was promulgated on June 23. It imposed very high fines of 400,000-800,000 baht per offence for companies employing illegal foreign labour.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/secu...erred-180-days

I recall that that SCB did have ATMs (which also dispensed USD, GBP and EUR) in the international transit area (so pre- Arriving Immigration, and post-Departing Immigration). I honestly do not know if those still exist. That said, Immigration police will be familiar with all of the methods foreigners can utilize to obtain funds to pay "administrative fees" and/or prove cash on hand.

Oldtiger

Sorry but this whole issue has been totally blown up out of all proportion. Two people entering Thailand via BKK were stopped last week and refused entry on the grounds of having insufficient funds to support their stay. That is two people out of tens of thousands of international passengers per day that pass through BKK.

These incidents came to light as a result of the two individuals posting their accounts on various social media whilst being held in the detention room at the airport and, therefore, caution needs to be exercised when reading their accounts which only give one side of the story, which with no disrespect, may well be clouded’ as a result of the situation which they suddenly found themselves in.

That said, from their own accounts, both individuals admit that they had been staying in Thailand for some considerable time (over 1˝ years according to one of them) by using 30 day visa except and 90 day tourist visas, running back-to-back.

Whilst there is nothing illegal with having any number of stamps/visas running back-to-back, such a history is bound to 'ring alarm bells' in the immigration officer’s eyes as to why a ‘tourist’ should be staying so long and how they are financing their stay.

Bearing in mind that although a person has a visa in their passport, that does not grant automatic right to enter. Entry is at the immigration officer’s discretion and the immigration officer is entitled to ask for additional information to substantiate grounds for granting entry, for example: itinerary, hotel reservation, funds, departure ticket etc. This is normal procedure in any country, not just Thailand.

In the two cases in question, both were unable to produce financial evidence to support their proposed stay. In the case of visa exempt and tourist visas the immigration officer would have expect to see that the individuals had 20,000 Baht (or equivalent exchangeable currency) to support their stay. Neither could provide such evidence. The lack of funds to support their stay no doubt then gave immigration officers’ to suspect that the individuals had been working, or were going to seek work, which is prohibited when entering on visa exempt or tourist visas. That said they were not refused entry for working or seeking work.

Why weren’t allowed to go to an ATM and withdraw the necessary funds. Unfortunately, there are no ATMs between the arrival gate and the immigration desk. There are ATMs in the transit and departure area, but the individuals would not have been able to access those on route to immigration. There are lots of ATM’s ‘landside’, but there is no way that the immigration officer is going to allow the person to enter the without granting approval to enter. What happens if they do a runner?

There has also been considerable talk on the ‘jungle drums’ that immigration are cracking down. Sorry but that’s BS. Immigration, no matter which country, are always on the lookout for people who are abusing the system. That’s part and parcel of their job.

The genuine tourist, with a few pervious visas in their passport, are extremely unlikely to encounter any problems or be asked to produce 20,000 Baht. If questioned by the immigration officer, smile, remain calm and most importantly, be polite.

Oldtiger

Sorry to correct you. Section 12 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 gives the reasons for refusal for entry and Section 22 of the Act states:

“In the instance where the competent official discovers that an alien is forbidden from entering into the Kingdom under the provisions of Section 12, the competent official shall have authority to order said alien by written notification to leave the Kingdom. If said alien is not satisfied with the competent official’s order, he (alien) may appeal to the Minister. The order of the Minister shall be final”.

transpac

"Published" regulations (at a land entry):