Do you now have to show cash when you come back from Laos?

I've just been told by an unreliable source that you now have to show anything between 10 and 20k baht IN CASH when you re-enter Nong Khai from Laos (or anywhere else for that matter).

Is this true or just more nonsense doing the rounds?

That has actually always been a requirement for getting the visa (tourist) at the Embassy in Vientiane. It is 10K for a single person & 20K for a family. It used to be posted in the waiting area (for collecting your passports) at the old Thai Embassy. I can remember reading it about 5 years ago when I was sat waiting to get my passport back (so day 2 of the process) & thinking....God I only have 5,500 in my wallet, what will I do???
They did not then &, to my knowledge never have since, enforced it. I imagine that if they considered that you looked like an undesirable or wished to deny you entry then they could use it, but I have never heard that they have. Certainly holding a Thai Bank Passbook (see, there are uses for them ) a balance of more than 10/20K would probably do, as would having a foreign credit/debit card - which would give you a withdrawal of that amount in one hit.
As far as I am aware it is only a requirement for a tourist visa, but I have never heard of it being enforced.

Good man, that man! Many thanks.

I was also aware of it being a rule that had never been enforced and it always made me shudder to see guys well into their 70s crossing that bridge and thinking about them having to have such a relatively large sum of cash on them.

I got my news from a very unreliable source and it WASN'T thaivisa.com (absolutely no mention has been made on that site or over it's emails about such a change).

There was a "News flash" from Thai Visa that said that the rule was going to be enforced more regularly, and its up to the discretion of the immigration officer.

20K in cash? I rarely have that much in my possession, especially when I travel. Perhaps in the future, with enough data online, they will be able to do a quick background and credit check as you pass through immigration and that will be enough.

Has anyone on here been asked to show any money yet?

Spill the beans!

I've never had to show money, but I remember the first time I came here on a tourist visa and in order to get the tourist visa from the consulate in U.S. I had to show a certain amount in the bank there. Think it was about $500. So maybe they only ask to see the money from people getting a visa on arrival.

If you apply for a visa on arrival at a border crossing you're supposed to show money and a return ticket.
Visa on arrival by land: 15 days, the same by air: 30 days.

As Bob stated the Consular section of the Thai embassy can ask to show money but they never do. It is also not implemented in the immigration law but as everything it is to the discretion of the immigration officer to ask for more than usual.

Joe

I've just got back from Laos and wasn't asked to show any money.

Whoever started this rumour got it wrong and foreigners should only listen to official statements by Immigration.

Such a move would have to be announced months in advance and waivers would have to be issued for those caught in transit.

This won't be enforced for the forseeable future.

How can I say this with a degree of confidence? Mum's the word!

How can I say this with a degree of confidence? Mum's the word!

Which, ironically, by your own definition puts your advice in the class of a rumor.

SanukJoe wrote:If you apply for a visa on arrival at a border crossing you're supposed to show money and a return ticket.
Visa on arrival by land: 15 days, the same by air: 30 days.

As Bob stated the Consular section of the Thai embassy can ask to show money but they never do. It is also not implemented in the immigration law but as everything it is to the discretion of the immigration officer to ask for more than usual.

Joe

I have read the same in Lonely Planet,but it was also said, that people was only ask if they looked to be at the end of
the road on arrivel.