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What is the experience like at Padang Besar border crossing into Thailand with a Tourist visa?

Tourist VisaPadang BesarBorder CrossingVisa RequirementsEntry RequirementsFinancial RequirementsImmigration Rules in ThailandTravel Advice for Expats
Jul 17, 2017
7 years ago
Kevin ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Heading back tomorrow through the south. Will have a Tourist visa this time, as well as the 20k, hotel booking, flight out in August. Has anyone experienced the Padang Besar crossing before or know how it is?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The post discusses the traveler's preparations for entering Thailand via the Padang Besar border crossing, including holding a Tourist visa, having 20,000 baht, and a flight out scheduled in August. Various comments reflect experiences at the crossing, mentioning the need to show 20,000 baht in cash and the general unfriendly reputation of the border. Insights from other community members highlight possible scrutiny from immigration officials, particularly for Tourist visa holders, and suggest the importance of proper documentation and funds to avoid issues at entry.
Joe ******
And if you got in at Padang Besar,

any more info on this news from yesterday:

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/257997/tea-money-practice-abolished-new-25-baht-fee-imposed
7 years ago
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Joe ******
I usually make my border run to Wang Prajan (Satun) but never, ever paid a single satang or ringgit. Not on the Thai Side, not on the Malaysian side, although might be different for "locals". So an update would be much apreciated, thanks.
7 years ago
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Joe ******
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Tod *********
@Ke***
, did you get in via the land border in the south without a problem?
7 years ago
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Adam ***********
Mate just out of interest how did you get from KL to Bkk - by train?
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Not much. They are very careful about not receiving the usual 200thb slip in the passport. They have a guy in line checking passports making sure. Very friendly though, just make sure you have the 20k etc.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@Ke***
, glad you got in (y)

Did you have any problems at all?
7 years ago
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Adam ***********
Was there any swimming / jungle trekking / crawling under barbwire involved?
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Made it in. 😃
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
My projection of me in 3 hours..
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Leaving in a few hours. Will update soon as I am just at the consulate getting my stuff now
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
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Charmaine *********
So I have just got a visa in Hanoi

60 day

Previous I had an ed visa

And also a non b which I cult turn into a work permit due to the company folding

Now I'm returning on this visa

I have my 20,000 showed all paper work to embassy

I fly in quite late to domestic airport

Do you think I'll have issues

I'm using an Italian passport
7 years ago
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Charmaine *********
Seems many have 30 day back to backs

Never had one, always a correct visa.

Have the 20b in cash , a nightmare carrying that around. Lol

So scared of losing it..

I've never worked illegally any where in the world.
7 years ago
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Miho **********
No one here can assure you. Because someone is turned down with suspicion of working. 'Suspicion' it is hard to present not working, hanging around, doing yoga, isn't it?
7 years ago
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Tod *********
as long as you have the 20K you should be fine. Please report back and let people know if you had a problem when you stamp in.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
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Miho **********
Good luck.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
FWIW: this is the bottom of a sign at some border stating the financial requirements to get into the country. You can see that even holding a valid Non-Immigrant visa requires 20K baht IF they wanna ask to see it.
7 years ago
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Stephen ********
Thank you. I thought it was only a requirement for student and tourist visas. Also good to know about re-entering on an extension-of-stay, as my visa is a one-year single-entry.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@Stephen *******
 If it is a multi-entry one where you border-bounce every 90 days OR if you just got a 90 day single entry one and are comin' into the country for the first time yes.

Entering the country on an extension of stay that you get at the immigration office you are NOT required to show the money
7 years ago
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Stephen ********
Non-Immigrant visas as well? So if you have a Non-O or Non-B then you are also required to be carrying 20,000 Baht on entering the country?
7 years ago
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Ivan ************
You should post the top of that sign
@T**
7 years ago
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Ivan ************
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Keith **********
Interesting to see that he says he will go to Cambodia instead, "...i will just go to cambodia i can work there pretty easy..." ???
7 years ago
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Tod *********
Cody just answered me on his f/b page and said they are NOT letting him go to another country but ONLY back to the US. This totally doesn't make sense because as a rule, only when you are deported are you sent back to your home country. When you're denied entry you can go to any country that'll let you in usually.
7 years ago
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Tracy **********
yea he is a fighter here . hr comes to train and fight
7 years ago
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Tod *********
This certainly ain't his first foray to the Land 'O Thaiz, the pics on his f/b page show him in muay thai get up etc.
7 years ago
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Keith **********
Looks suspicious, I guess
7 years ago
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Tod *********
I asked on his page why he was denied entry but I don't think he answered :/
7 years ago
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Keith **********
TBH - and I don't know if he was breaching visa/employment rules then or before - it is people playing fast and loose with the visa rules who cause the problems for everyone else.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
I saw that too ;)
7 years ago
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Tod *********
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Ron *******
Another one just reporting
7 years ago
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Stephen ********
I think we may have stumbled onto something with this questionable and apparently varying detention fee.
7 years ago
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Ron *******
No point in arguing with the certain Primadonna posters on here or TVF Kevin. I've now realised there are 4 or 5 people across the boards who assume that they run immigration policy.

Anyway, good luck mate.
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
He's probably confused or was a miscommunication. But it's charged that much before six hours and then it goes up after 6 hours.
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Uh, no it's not. ^
7 years ago
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Amornrat **********
There has been no change in Policy. BTW , Ron Angel, IMHO it is not necessary to share links or post all the time. I get frequently,also in the past, calls from people in detention so really nothing unusual here, furthermore "your guy" post wrong info too, he said he is being charged THB750.- for each six hours, sorry but that is BS.
7 years ago
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Ron *******
Sorry Tod but 99.99% travelling to Thailand haven't heard of TVF or this page. Where are you expecting to see all these posts? If your waiting for an announcement from immigration then I think you'll be waiting for ever. There's no change of policy because visa exempts and Tourist visas were never designed to be living here more or less perpetualy.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@R**
, I don't wanna get in a pissing match with you :/

I'm just saying it's NOT a blanket policy change, because if it was the inter-web would be clogged with posts about people being denied (and it is not).

Now are they putting people under further scrutiny? Yep, but they are not enforcing this uniformly across the board. It's too sporadic,
7 years ago
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Ron *******
Ok Tod. It's not happening. Let's all wait until you or another expert says it is. Unbelievable!!
7 years ago
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Tod *********
now now,
@Ron ******
, you couldn't provide a single shred of evidence that they were actually going to change the rules. Even these denials is not confirmation they're changing the rules,

Face it a GAZILLION people fly in here every day and we're just hearing about what a handful of people so far?
7 years ago
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Ron *******
So what you saying, nothing is really happening because you haven't been the first to be told about it?
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@R**
, plus he flew in from the US too, NOT from a neighboring country although his connection was in Taipei :/
7 years ago
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Jeremy ********
@Ron ******
 when was it supposed to go into effect?
7 years ago
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Jeremy ********
Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam looks so much more appealing to get my money now...
7 years ago
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Ron *******
There was a warning it was going to happen but I was called out on it.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@Jeremy *******
 nope, :/ although someone on one of those "denied entry" posts on T/V said the immigration officers were saying no more than 180 days in a year or some b/s made up rule..
7 years ago
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Ron *******
The only thing he says is that he has always come in on 30 day stamps. Imo they are using any excuse to stop serial abusers.
7 years ago
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Jeremy ********
@Tod ********
 has there been a change in the amount of Fly In/Out visa exemptions you can get in the recent week that has been officially posted?
7 years ago
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Tod *********
That guy Cody doesn't say why he was denied on his f/b page.
7 years ago
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Ron *******
I really don't think it matters at the moment. There are reports from both Airports.
7 years ago
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Ron *******
No idea.
7 years ago
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Jeremy ********
was this at DMK or BKK or other airport?
7 years ago
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Ron *******
If he has no ticket out Harry he will be detained until he gets one.
7 years ago
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Ron *******
There must be dozens being detained considering the amount of reports. There is definitely a move on those with Tourist visas and visa exempts staying here full time.
7 years ago
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Ron *******
Thai Visa Robert.
7 years ago
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Robert *******
Where did you find that
@Ron ******
?
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Any details whether or not he had 20k etc? That's why I am doing a land border if anything happens I can just go back in Malaysia.
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
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Robert *******
Copied out of this article: Thaivisa has also received a report that immigration officials at Padang Besar on Friday were pulling tourist visa holders to one side and asking them to show 20,000 baht in cash. Those who could not show the cash were taken for questioning by officials.
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7 years ago
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Robert *******
Good luck.
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks. If anything I'll have double lol.
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
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Tod *********
that is a bad border crossing, make sure you have the "3-proof-ofz" and you should be fine (y)

report back if you would and let us know :)
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Cheers Tod.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@Kevin **********
, just unfriendly :/ If you have your ducks in a row you should be fine (y)
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks man. A bad one as in unfriendly?
7 years ago
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Kevin ***********
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Cliff *********
Padang Besar is more friendlier than Sadao
7 years ago
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Marcel *********
Good luck man!
7 years ago
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Marcel *********
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