Trying to expaln another difference:
SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT.
As every country, even Thailand has some structure in their Government Organization.
There is for example:
an Ministry of Transport, for vehicle registration and driving license
an Ministry of Labor, there you get your Work Permit
an Ministry of Foreign Affairs who try to promote Thailand in foreign countries.
To help this promotion, they opened Thai Embassies and Consulates all over the world and gave each consular department the freedom to sell visa's for Thailand.
These are free lance sales offices, yes there is a guide line to follow but, money is money.
At arrival in Thailand your passport get checked by the Royal Thai Police Immigration Bureau, another Government Organization.
They have their own rules and regulations.
These Immigration Officers are allowed to ask each and every visitor questions to provide more information why the person wants to visit Thailand by using the visa inside their passport or visit without visa.
It is part of their job, some times Immigration is called the first line of security to protect the Kingdom.
They can ask for:
Proof of funds, 20.000 Thb or equivalent currency in CASH
Proof of Accommodation, few days is allowed as it is know that tourists travel around
Proof of onward travel, mostly within the period of stay you can get, but for Visa Exempt Entry and Tourist Visa plus 30 days is normally no problem.
Be happy the Immigration Officers have the freedom to ask or to not ask, if they really have to check these three items of every person and check and do the address registration, the queue will be much and much longer.
NO, it is not to bring you in problems, the officer does not know if you have or not have the papers prepared in your bag. If you are not prepared, it is not the mistake of the Immigration Officer.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The post explains the structure of the Thai government related to immigration and visa issuance, highlighting the roles of various ministries Like the Ministry of Transport, Labor, and Foreign Affairs. It details the responsibilities of immigration officers at entry points, including the requirements for proof of funds, accommodation, and onward travel. The conversation also touches on the flexibility of immigration checks and clarifies that the cash requirement of 20,000 THB is per person, discussing the acceptance of other forms of currency.
