Thailand emerged as the most-visited country in Southeast Asia last year, recording a whopping 28.09 million visitors.
The main contributor to the statistic is Malaysian tourists, whereby over 4.6 million Malaysians visited the Land of Smiles last year, more than any other nationalities.
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You may be denied entry without having sufficient cash on hand
With that in mind, for those planning a trip to Thailand soon, it’d be best if you prepare some cash with you while travelling to the country or you may face being denied entry.
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This is after the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok released a reminder to its citizens of things to prepare before visiting Thailand, which includes having financial proof of your capability to support your travels while in the country and bringing sufficient cash on hand.
Furthermore, in an interview with the Indonesian network RRI, the Minister Counsellor of the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok, Dewi Lestari clarified that this regulation applies to all foreign tourists coming into Thailand regardless of countries, with the minimum cash to have on hand being THB15,000 or around RM1,992.
Things to ensure before travelling to Thailand
In the televised interview, Dewi Lestari revealed that many Indonesians have complained to the Embassy about being barred from entering Thailand. These incidents were due to many reasons, hence why the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok released the reminder.
According to the reminder, among the things a foreign traveller needs to ensure before travelling to Thailand include:
- Having a valid passport that’s not expiring within 6 months
- Having a return ticket
- Having proof of accommodations while in Thailand
- Having financial proof of being able to support their travels while in the country, including having sufficient cash
Dewi Lestari then clarified that under Chapter 2, Section 12 of Thailand’s Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979), foreign travellers within certain criteria will be barred from entering the country. One of these criteria is if they don’t possess any cash.
The Minister Counsellor of the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok added that accordingly, Thai immigration conducts random spot checks on foreign travellers into the country on whether they have the financial capability to support their travels while in Thailand.
As for why cases of Indonesian tourists being denied entry into Thailand have increased lately, Dewi Lestari said that this may be due to the Thai Government cracking down on cases of job scams and human trafficking in the country.
Bring at least THB20,000 or RM1,992 cash with you
As for the amount of cash that foreign travellers need to have with them when coming to Thailand, Dewi Lestari said that the country’s immigration law didn’t prescribe a set amount.
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However, based on open data collected by the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok from cases of tourists being denied entry, the amount is THB15,000 or RM1,992 for solo travellers and THB20,000 or RM2,656 for those coming in groups or with family.
Furthermore, she asserted that this requirement is also rather arbitrary based on the immigration officer, with some accepting financial proof in the form of bank account statements while others only accepting proof in the form of cash.
Hence, if you’re planning to visit Thailand soon, it’s better to be safe than sorry and make sure to prepare the required documents as well as bring at least THB15,000 or THB20,000 with you.
So, what do you guys think of the reminder by the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Also read: M’sians Travelling to Thailand Can Now Get Up to RM133k Insurance Coverage for FREE From Thai Govt
