Is it required to have 700 USD to enter Thailand?

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Being photographed like criminals while holding money

Rude and offensive

Many Vietnamese tourists traveling to Thailand via the Poipet border crossing (the Cambodia-Thailand border) reported that Thai immigration officers demanded them to show 700 USD or 20,000 baht to obtain entry stamps.

Some travel companies stated that their staff had fierce arguments at Poipet due to Thailand's unreasonable regulation, but mostly with no outcome. Without money, entry is not permitted.

Being photographed like criminals while holding money

The discomfort still lingers after the recent trip to Thailand during the April 30th and May 1st holidays, said Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, chairman of the Volkswagen Saigon club. He exclaimed: 'They demanded that we show USD or baht equivalent to 700 USD or 20,000 baht. Many in the group didn't have that amount, causing quite a confusion. The travel company representatives negotiated extensively, but everyone was still required to show money. And all money had to be spread out in front of a webcam at the immigration counter for them to take a photo before being allowed to proceed.'

Before, the group of Mr. Quoc Minh (Q.5) went to Siem Reap (Cambodia) for leisure and then traveled to Thailand by road. When presenting their passports at the border, Mr. Minh and the members of the group were quite surprised when Thai immigration officers demanded them to show cash before being stamped for entry. As many tourists in the group didn't understand the requirement due to language barriers, a Thai immigration officer presented a sign written in Vietnamese, stating: 'Present 20,000 baht or 700 USD' to enter.

'They even made us spread our money in front of a webcam for a photo before allowing entry, even our relatives traveling with us had to show their own money,' recounted Mr. Minh.

Rude and offensive

According to accounts from tourists who had to show money as proof per the request of Thai immigration officers, when asked about the reason behind this requirement, Thai immigration officers explained: 'because there are too many Vietnamese people coming to Thailand to work illegally, and then they bring their relatives here, so Thailand has to do this to limit Vietnamese people from entering illegally'?

In conversation with Tuoi Tre about this issue, Mr. Vu The Binh, vice chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA) and chairman of the Vietnam Travel Association (VISTA), affirmed that this is an excessively crude regulation. 'We will send a document to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in Vietnam requesting an explanation for this bizarre regulation,' Mr. Binh said.

According to Mr. Binh, this regulation is illogical from every aspect because not every tourist traveling abroad carries a large amount of cash; instead, they carry international payment cards, and there are tourists traveling on tours who do not necessarily need to carry much cash. 'Forcing tourists to carry a certain amount of cash when entering Thailand is completely wrong because if tourists have purchased a tour package (paid for food, accommodation, transportation, insurance, etc.), then how much money they bring is their right, why should there be a question?' Mr. Binh stated.

In our conversation, some travel companies that have taken clients to Thailand via this route mentioned that before queuing for immigration procedures in Thailand, the Thai Immigration Office has a notice board stating 'citizens of certain countries such as Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, South Korea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Saudi Arabia' and Vietnam may be questioned. These companies have raised this information with TAT and received a response that this is a regulation of the Thai Immigration Office so they cannot intervene.

As per Tuoi Tre

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour

MytourJune 18, 2014

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are Vietnamese tourists required to show 700 USD or 20,000 baht at the Poipet border crossing to enter Thailand?

Vietnamese tourists are asked to show 700 USD or 20,000 baht at the Poipet border crossing because of a regulation aimed at limiting illegal immigration. Thai authorities claim that many Vietnamese individuals come to Thailand to work illegally, prompting this cash requirement for entry.

What happened if tourists did not have the required amount of cash at the Thai border?

If tourists did not have the required cash, they were not allowed entry. The immigration officers would not stamp their passports, leading to confusion and discomfort among travelers. The process even involved photographing the money in front of a webcam before allowing entry.

Is the regulation requiring cash proof for entry into Thailand fair to tourists?

Many tourism experts and associations, such as Mr. Vu The Binh, consider this regulation unfair. They argue that it’s unreasonable since many tourists travel with international payment cards, not cash, and it violates the rights of those who have already paid for tours.

What did the Vietnamese Tourism Association do in response to this cash requirement at the Thai border?

The Vietnamese Tourism Association (VITA) planned to send a formal request to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to clarify and address the concerns raised by tourists regarding this unusual regulation, calling it an excessive and illogical measure.

How did Thai immigration officers justify the cash requirement for Vietnamese tourists?

Thai immigration officers explained that the cash requirement was a response to the growing number of Vietnamese individuals coming to Thailand to work illegally and bringing their relatives. They claimed this measure was necessary to limit illegal immigration from Vietnam.

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