It's true that the funds rule is usually only applied to those who have been making too many visa exempt entries. Note that the definition of "too many" is up to the Immigration Officer.
Also true that it's cash-in-hand only.
Airport Passengers Denied Entry
-
mahjongguy
- Posts: 756
- Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 1:07 pm
- Has thanked: 19 times
- Been thanked: 55 times
-
atri1666
- Posts: 489
- Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 6:18 pm
- Location: LOS-SIN-KUL-Berlin
- Has thanked: 12 times
- Been thanked: 7 times
Re: Airport Passengers Denied Entry
In 36 years of travel to LOS they never asked me anything but I always have my insurance and min. 1000 Euro in the pockets. In Melbourne I saw they refuse many people the entry because of not enough money.
-
fountainhall
Re: Airport Passengers Denied Entry
I am curious about several issues re the Inigration officers' action.
1. How did they come to select the 13 now deported passengers? Was there a general check on a whole number of passengers and these 13 just happened to be caught out?
2. I know that a mandatory Bt. 100 health insurance charge is in the works for those found to be without travel insurance, although I have zero idea how Immigration officers are going to know if an arriving passenger has insurance or not. Although I have an annual travel policy and a card that I could show to prove it were I not a resident in Thailand, it is not in Thai and has nothing about limits. How would any Immigration officer have a clue that it is genuine?
3. In 2019 for cash to be the only way of proving an ability to pay one's way when I suspect most travellers bring only a small amount of cash and depend on ATMs and credit cards, to say nothing of those having prepaid their hotel/s in advance, is another issue that makes the Thai authorities seem backward. If there are no ATMs around, what is to stop them being installed so that those who would be in a position to prove their cash status can quickly do so?
4. I am surprised that there is no mention about the 13 not having return air tickets. I assume therefore that they must have had them and shown them. I understand this rule is seldom enforced but it is so simple for Immigration to check. Before I got my retirement visa, I lived in Thailand for several years but was never in the country for more than 30 days at a time. So almost always I purchased air tickets here. I was stopped twice, not by Thai Immigration but by airline staff at departure. Once was in Sydney when checking in for a British Airways flight to Bangkok on a mileage ticket. Because I had had to change dates at virtually the last minute, I was in First Class. But the check-in lady would not permit me to check-in until she saw evidence of an onward ticket from Thailand. I showed her my dozens of entry/departure chops - to no avail. I then recalled that I had a booking out of Bangkok 2 weeks later to Hong Kong but had not had the ticket issued. So I was forced to call my agent in Bangkok who said she would fax the detail to Sydney. By this time the manager had arrived. When I asked for his fax machine number, he said he did not know and in any case it was in their office quite some way away and we were getting too close to boarding time! I realised that airlines not only have to fly a passenger denied entry on this basis back to the port of departure but must also pay fines. The only way I could get on that plane was to give imprints of two credit cards. I was livid. On the other hand, this was a rule and not having had my Hong Kong ticket issued before the Sydney trip was my fault.
1. How did they come to select the 13 now deported passengers? Was there a general check on a whole number of passengers and these 13 just happened to be caught out?
2. I know that a mandatory Bt. 100 health insurance charge is in the works for those found to be without travel insurance, although I have zero idea how Immigration officers are going to know if an arriving passenger has insurance or not. Although I have an annual travel policy and a card that I could show to prove it were I not a resident in Thailand, it is not in Thai and has nothing about limits. How would any Immigration officer have a clue that it is genuine?
3. In 2019 for cash to be the only way of proving an ability to pay one's way when I suspect most travellers bring only a small amount of cash and depend on ATMs and credit cards, to say nothing of those having prepaid their hotel/s in advance, is another issue that makes the Thai authorities seem backward. If there are no ATMs around, what is to stop them being installed so that those who would be in a position to prove their cash status can quickly do so?
4. I am surprised that there is no mention about the 13 not having return air tickets. I assume therefore that they must have had them and shown them. I understand this rule is seldom enforced but it is so simple for Immigration to check. Before I got my retirement visa, I lived in Thailand for several years but was never in the country for more than 30 days at a time. So almost always I purchased air tickets here. I was stopped twice, not by Thai Immigration but by airline staff at departure. Once was in Sydney when checking in for a British Airways flight to Bangkok on a mileage ticket. Because I had had to change dates at virtually the last minute, I was in First Class. But the check-in lady would not permit me to check-in until she saw evidence of an onward ticket from Thailand. I showed her my dozens of entry/departure chops - to no avail. I then recalled that I had a booking out of Bangkok 2 weeks later to Hong Kong but had not had the ticket issued. So I was forced to call my agent in Bangkok who said she would fax the detail to Sydney. By this time the manager had arrived. When I asked for his fax machine number, he said he did not know and in any case it was in their office quite some way away and we were getting too close to boarding time! I realised that airlines not only have to fly a passenger denied entry on this basis back to the port of departure but must also pay fines. The only way I could get on that plane was to give imprints of two credit cards. I was livid. On the other hand, this was a rule and not having had my Hong Kong ticket issued before the Sydney trip was my fault.
-
Undaunted
- Posts: 2574
- Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 8:47 am
- Has thanked: 23 times
- Been thanked: 368 times
Re: Airport Passengers Denied Entry
I could never imagine immigration asking this of a Chinese person....they wouldn't dare!
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
-
mahjongguy
- Posts: 756
- Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 1:07 pm
- Has thanked: 19 times
- Been thanked: 55 times
Re: Airport Passengers Denied Entry
From the article: "Apart from not being able to provide evidence of sufficient funds, the arriving passengers didn’t have travel insurance either."
That's bad reporting. There is no requirement for travel insurance. I suspect it was mentioned as further evidence of insufficient funds.
Since there is no simple and clear rule for airports (e.g. a limit of X number of non-exempt entries per year), it's been said that failure to show 20,000 baht is used as the official reason to turn away those whom the database indicates may be border-bouncers.
That's bad reporting. There is no requirement for travel insurance. I suspect it was mentioned as further evidence of insufficient funds.
Since there is no simple and clear rule for airports (e.g. a limit of X number of non-exempt entries per year), it's been said that failure to show 20,000 baht is used as the official reason to turn away those whom the database indicates may be border-bouncers.
Re: Airport Passengers Denied Entry
I have been traveling the world and flying about for 70+ years--literally.
Upon entering a country, I have never been asked anything about money or health insurance.
Perhaps I have just been lucky; perhaps it is because I have a Swiss passport; perhaps it is because I always try to be polite and deferential to the immigration officer.
I also try to dress rather formally and neatly when I enter a country.
Upon entering a country, I have never been asked anything about money or health insurance.
Perhaps I have just been lucky; perhaps it is because I have a Swiss passport; perhaps it is because I always try to be polite and deferential to the immigration officer.
I also try to dress rather formally and neatly when I enter a country.
-
Gaybutton
- Posts: 21573
- Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
- Location: Thailand
- Has thanked: 2 times
- Been thanked: 1317 times
Re: Airport Passengers Denied Entry
I don't think so. The customs and immigration officials do this all day, every day. I think after a while they just kind of know who to suspect.
-
travelerjim1
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:41 pm
- Has thanked: 208 times
- Been thanked: 11 times
-
travelerjim1
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:41 pm
- Has thanked: 208 times
- Been thanked: 11 times
Re: Airport Passengers Denied Entry
AND...even when one has the 20,000 THB or equal in CASH on hand...mahjongguy wrote: ↑Wed Jul 31, 2019 9:50 am It's true that the funds rule is usually only applied to those who have been making too many visa exempt entries. Note that the definition of "too many" is up to the Immigration Officer.
Also true that it's cash-in-hand only.
IF the Immigration Officer believes you are using too many exempt on arrival entries,
or other visas to live in Thailand...they will cite the NO funds on hand reason...and deny you entry.
ITS the SOLE DECISION of the Immigration Officer...PERIOD.
Tj