Why was I denied entry into Thailand despite having a 60-day visa, a flight out, and $10,000 cash?

Anyway time waste here

@Ron ******

define fraud! I think you don’t know what u talking about. You can buy a regular ticket and change it too cost u 100 usd for a 1k flight. Again overstay is illegal and no fraud. Therefore u get a penalty.

They are nothing but a scam and using them is tantamount to fraud. Go and put one through the Penang consulate and let us know how it go's. You use them but please, don't try and convince the unsuspecting of the legitimacy of using fraudulent documents.

@Ron ******

you thinking the custom Service hold u for 48 hours and wait if it’s valid. Even in cm the thais selling them next to the immigration office lol

You can not travel with them as they are cancelled after 48h. But still they are real in the meantime and at the moment you need to use them as a proof. Don t know why you keep on not understanding. I though many times I know how it works and better than thinking I did use them and checked on airline website. Sorry Ron Think again :) and try it you ll see.

It’s not a scam they are real tickets but get canceled after 48 hours. I was myself stuck in bkk. Booked on a german Portal a ticket and canceled it after 48 hours. They block first 500 euro on my credit card. Then I tell them to cancel. They just do that for you. Using them since view years

@Holden ********

absolutely real. So real, you cannot travel on them.

Go for the $5 dollar upgrade. That comes with 1st class on Emirates, a night in the Bangkok Oriental with buffet breakfast plus a limo with fast track through the airport.

Anybody thinking immigration are not aware of these scams, i suggest thinking again.

Lol it's not fake tickets it's real ones. No fake ticket link here Ron sorry.

After you buy on bestonward you can check the ticket in the airline website.

Fake ticket lol yeah right! Ask the community how many are using these guys lol

I'm sure, in a minute a Volunteering link will pop up.

@Nilton ****************

Have you by any chance read the Community rules? Like promoting illegal activities?

Immigration can offer you advice on how legal that is to enter Thailand on one of those rental tickets and

@Robert ******

sure can help you to understand the community rules.

@Joe **********

it’s fully legal and no cheat! If u overstay ur visa then you illegal. Laws working different not by assumptions

Joe Joe Ling and again I know where they get the tickets from and no I don’t want to get my money blocked for 5 days when I cancel it. They can do it for me for 12 usd. Is that hard to understand?! Cheat the system? Visa run itself is a cheat lol

So you recon it's good advice, especially to a newbie, to tell them how to cheat the system?

And, if that scam is so very well known, don't you think Immigration will not pick up on it?

Basically you promote an illegal way on how to enter Thailand.

Not cool.

I recon you need to read up a bit more about all those "Ticket Rental" places on how they work and what you're buying.

In fact, they take your $$ for something you could get for free.:-)

Thank you Nilton. Exactly!

But common in these groups trolls take over talking trash instead of helping the people. Getting standard in these thai groups.

They reservations and will be canceled after 48 hours I can do that myself with some german portals or if I fly from USA with orbitz. If you would use your brain u would understand how it works. By the way u pay them with PayPal and always can open case.

Yes totally safe to use it and real plane tickets. If you don't know Joe, Don t play stupid and trust people who used it:)

Don’t play stupid.

Well known for what? :-)

@Joe **********

these people are well knowing in the ticket market. A lot of visa runner use them. It’s just a advise for newbies

Remember not to make business with companies that don't have a postal address :-)

@Joe **********

no he doesn't.

Bugger - not the brightest at reading.He doesn't mention anything about where his return flight is to.

Imo, and just my opinion, they had already made there mind up too deny him entry. Maybe for the back to back entry's (If he indeed has a lot, he hasn't said) maybe for suspicion of working etc. Fact is, when they start down this route with people, they are already in a frame of mind to deny the entry, imo.

@Ron ******

I don't disagree

@Ivan ***********

I've stated enough times, if they ask, its 99.99% of the time, asking for 20,000 baht. The only rule worth considering is the rule they make up on entry points.

@R**

you should probably clarify then that the rule is 10,000 but they may ask for 20,000 anyway. Which is entirely correct- but 20,000 is not the rule for a visa-exempt entry.

@Joe ********

that must be it.

I can only guess he got an immigration officer on a bad day that just got cheated on by his GF because I have personally entered with a visa in my passport many times and never been even told "sawatdekrab" nonetheless asked about money or anything else.

@Ivan ***********

don't try and teach me the rules please. I know exactly what the rules are

Deffo

Joe I think he meant 10,000B, or he was confused.

@Ron ******

it is 10,000 for a visa exempt stamp, if we are talking about the actual rules.

@Ivan ***********

I get 20,000 Thai baht. That is fine. $10,000 USD as the OP said is 325,000 Thai baht. Something is wrong there!

@Frankie ******

that's it then. 10,000 it is

I only had

@Thai *****

Joe they can ask you. They usually don't, but they can. They do it to have an excuse if they have decided they want to deny you for some other reason. It's 20,000B you have to be able to show (in cash only) if you are coming on a tourist visa.

I once did and they let me enter.

@Frankie ******

i suggest taking that up with immigration at the time they ask for the 20,000 baht as they normally do.

With a visa already in your passport? Done it many times myself. Always proved funds in advance to get the visa, never been asked at the airport with already having a visa, and $10,000 USD is ridiculous. Most people don't even have that much money in the bank.

A stamp is different.

That's if you've got a tourist visa.

@Frankie ******

rare. They invariably ask for 20,000 baht.

@Alvin ***********

was your flight FROM Vientiane? Good that they gave you a choice. I would go to Vientiane and use the land border there. You can fly on then from Udon Thani to wherever you want to go, as a domestic passenger. If they didn't stamp anything on your visa it should still be valid and you can use it at that land border. That border will not likely give you any hassles.

@Nikolina ******

good news. This was at Immigration though entering Thailand the OP is reporting.

@Ron ******

when we were getting visa in Bali for Thailand there was a girl and she had bus ticket as proof of onward travel and she got accepted

Nikolina Lisko somebody tried a push bike at the Hanoi Embassy in a previous post this morning....That was quickly batted for 6 out of the ground lol

"I always carry $10,000 cash!" And I am a big fat liar! lol!

@Ivan ***********

doesnt fit in wallet haha

@Joe *********

I meant exactly what I said.

Read again Visa Waiver (VE) is 20'000THB

VOA (Visa on Arrival) is 10'000 THB ;-)

@Joe **********

visa waiver you mean, not VOA. Don’t confuse the two

You can bring in $20,000

In order to enter Thailand on a VOA you need to have at least 10'000 THB

In order to enter Thailand on a VE or SETV you need to show 20'000 THB

You are free to import cash up to a value of 10'000 US$ anything above you need to declare.

And you're not allowed to take more money out of Thailand then what you have declared on bringing in to the country.

No big science.

@Mary *******

sorry your wrong. Its pretty much the same as here and in most developed country's. You simply need to declare it.

@Ron ******

it's illegal in the US to take over a certain amount of money out of the country. Thailand and every one else seem fine with however much you want to bring in.

Going off topic, There's no limit. You simply have too declare it.

$20.000 is the limit you can bring into Thailand. So, if you had $10.000 thats certainly no problem.

Yes 10k us was way high plus i know for me (USA) can't travel with that with out paperwork headache

@Mary *******

I’ve never been stopped but always carry £1k sterling to be on the safe side.

@Martin *****

20k Thai baht equivalent in your currency of choice. And fudge it to 25k. Hubby had put $2200 thb as income. He was using a different currency exchange rate than immigration. He had to start the whole process over.

Yes

@Jason **********

i got one reservation already for my thai visa and i got the visa.

@Nikolina ******

: Just know these services don’t always get you real tickets. It’s almost always better to buy a real ticket yourself.

@Jason **********

you are so confusing. u said they checked in thailand. but obviously they checked before flying into the thailand.

thanks anyways

@Nikolina ******

: They did, as they should.

@Jason **********

so airline checked before you flew to thailand?

@Nikolina ******

: The airline checked. My “onward flight” airline was next to the one I was actually using.

@Jason **********

immigration officer checked it or? if you arrived that time to BKK only them could have ask you.

@Duncan ******

a little off topic... but I was going to apply for a job position in your company, I hope this debate don't affect it :D :D

Why wouldn't you guys just buy the cheapest one way ticket out there? Surely it's no more than 1000 baht.

@Duncan ******

you have to show a valid ticket, and they can check if it's valid. Unless you could web check-in in advance (what usually is not possible until 14 or less days before the flight) you only have your e-ticket, and they can want to check that it's a real paid e-ticket.

Personal data protection has no matter here because you're not giving any personal data to third party - trust me, I'm a web developer from EU, the last half a year I have struggled as f*ck with the f*ck GDPR ;)

In EU every company are going to check that. At least as my experience (Qatar and Cathay Pacific) and my friend's experience.

And remember that this is not only the airline - the inmigration officer can ask for it as well. It's not as easy as not fliying with some companies.

Anyway, I can not understand the "I'd change airlines". If my onward ticket is legit, I have absolutly no problem they check it in the company website - with my previous consent.

I've traveled with TV sometimes. But last year I traveled with visa exempt because I was arriving at CM and two days later traveling to Laos - it was a Laos-Camboya-Vietnam trip. This year I came in another exempt because I'm applying for an ED Visa, and in my country is a pain to get a SETV/METV (3 days, and implies a 500Km travel and hotel stay or pay an absurd fee to UPS)

That would be my thinking on it, you are giving consent in the process of proving you have a valid ticket. Either way, I have heard of both airlines and other parties checking this, and they can check it. Whether they DO, routinely, is another question- they probably don't. But they can, and you need to be aware of the possibility that they might check.

Álvaro R. Royo you should just be able to show them a ticket. As you would understand, the reason they ask is that should a person be denied entry into Thailand the airline is held liable for flying the person back out.

If what you say is true (and it's the first I've heard of it- but I'm not suggesting that it has never happened), I'd change airlines. Of course the problem is far simpler solved - fly into Thailand with a visa. The requirement is only asked if you don't have a visa. Simple :)

Duncan Riley let's see it in other way: the officer ask you to prove your onward ticket. So he ask you to YOU enter the website and put your booking number in it. Do you think it's illegal? Or even unethical?

In fact, they have already your name, and if you show the ticket you're showing him the booking number. They can check it in the website and I can't see any illegal here.

You're responsible of prove you have an onward ticket. If the prove involves you show it in the company website... well, it's the prove.

Of course, you can refuse to do it; but then, you have not proved anything so they can deny entry.

BTW, they checked my onwards tickets twice in Europe, the land of the GDPR - which don't have any to do with this, because you're not giving any personal data more than your name, which your air company has already. And, in the case you think you're doing it, the important part is "without consent", but you're giving consent - because if you don't, they'll deny entry.

Ivan McAvinchey In Australia, Privacy Act 1988 and subsequent amendments. In Europe, GDPR rules. US don't know but some states have or are introducing GDRP-style rules. Those rules are all about denying third parties access to your information without your consent. Thailand doesn't have a general privacy law (we're talking about airlines checking outside of Thailand anyway) but the constitution does recognize the protection of privacy rights. There's also the Personal Data Protection Act but last I read about that is May, not sure if that passed.

Again - it's all about people not access to your personal information.

@Nikolina ******

: Yeah. At Don Mueang.

@Jason **********

in thailand or?

Where is is outright illegal

@Dun***

?

I’ve had my onward ticket checked before. That’s why I quit using the ticket rental services, they don’t book real tickets for you.

@Álvaro *********

Let's says that you're right -they using booking numbers via website of other airlines. It's not just unethical and in breach of their licensing agreements but is some countries outright illegal.

Álvaro R. Royo legally they can't (some website vulnerabilities aside) and you're confusing a travel agent system with the airlines directly. Two different systems. Airlines cannot, without agreeance from a partner, have access to another airlines' bookings. For starters it opens the door to anti-competitive practice. If I'm running AirAsia why would I want my competitors to have access to customer booking details? Think about it for a minute.

It's airline staff that check onward booking details, not travel agents, and even then, I'm fairly sure that travel agents don't get carte blanche access to every customer on every airline via Sabre (the most popular platform) either.

In fact, Sabre's privacy statement says that only an agent acting on your behalf an access your information.

What

@Álv***

says there is exactly what I'm referencing.

Duncan that's not correct, sorry. In fact you can check it in almost all the companies, all they have to do is open the company website, click on "Manage booking" and put the booking reference and passenger name. That's enough to check if it's a legit ticket - and if it's already paid.

So please, don't spread the "they cannot check", because with your name and booking reference/e-ticket number they DO can.

I myself have been checked a couple of times with onward tickets from Vietjet and Air Asia, and I can assure you they did be able to check the details.

@Ivan ***********

if it's a flight with the same airline or a code share partner, they absolutely can, but AirAsia for example has zero access to bookings from Lion Air. There are also different booking systems between airlines as well - there's not one platform they all use.

@Dun***

I'm not sure they can't check. Many airlines, anybody could check if they have the ticket in front of them, many airlines let the public look this stuff up with a name and booking number. I would totally believe they don't usually check, but I'm not sure they *can't*.

@Duncan ******

okay cool. thank you 🙏

@Nikolina ******

No access at all. The only time an airline would have some access is where they have a code-sharing or booking agreement in place with another airline.

@Duncan ******

so if im flying air asia they cant check emmirates ?

@Nikolina ******

Doubt they have that access. Iv never experienced that.

US passport and few credit cards 💳

@Lovett *******

most airlines have no access to the booking details of other airlines, period.

And does anybody knows does the rented ticket do the job?

@Lovett *******

what about immigration?

Most airlines now check on computer.. It's hit or miss.

Yeah that’s a mistake, he probably meant baht

It has always been a requirement to have these even with a 60 day tourist visa. It is just selectively enforced.

Christian Jaeger good. Considering the OP hasn't been allowed to enter, I'm guessing a bus ticket from Bangkok to the US wasn't going to work very well for him though?

@Ron ******

i talked 5times to immigration and also wrote yo a facebook immigration guy he confirmed the bus ticket thing. but you can also read that on immigration homepage

@Christian *******

sorry I assumed you worked for immigration from your previous post.

Long may it continue your not asked for anything.

@Ron ******

dont understand your question...when i entered the country (from bali for example)....onewayflight no visa( only visa exception....and i dont know if my next country is laos or cambodia....i had no problem....but in many groups i read to have an out of country going ticket like with a bus from one bordercity to next bordeecity is good enough.....i also never had thaibath on me...and never got chevked for that....i just hate to pick up some currency and pay for change again....maybe i have some backup euros on me but not dure if exactly enough if controlled

Christian Jaeger cool. We've been waiting for immigration to clarify. Which Division do you work for?

not a flight home....just out of country...bus,train boatticket same as good

Nikolina Lisko i don't work for immigration or the Dept of home affairs, but i would assume if they deem you to be using tourist visas the way they wasn't designed.for, then I'm guessing that's when it go's pear shaped.

@Ron ******

oh i see. how about 3 tourist visas? 2 in 2018.. and 1 next year?

@Nikolina ******

i would guess staying here for months on Tourist visas and visa exempt entries.

@Ron ******

what kind of visa history? thanks

Ellie Takei Yeah??? Who said anything else about where the ATM's are located?

ATM's where you can't withdrawal cash?

Where did you see them?

@Joe **********

ATM-look-machines in the restricted area before passport control when you arrive from abroad or after passport control when you are leaving Thailand) are only for currency exchange, not for cash withdrawal from your bank account.

Samuel Fila - There are several ATM's in the duty free zone in Phuket, Suvarnabhumi and Dong Mueang so you could get your cash out before you pass immigration.

Surat Thani or Hadyai don't have ATM before Immigration.

In either case, it doesn't matter as you're supposed to have the required amount BEFORE you even coma to an ATM in Thailand.

@Joe **********

I guess you answered me about the 10.000 on VE.. I deleted straight after writing because it felt off ;)

Sorry, wrong too. 10'000 is only for people with VOA - Visa On Arrival.

VE and SETV need 20'000 THB

Actually it's 20'000 THB for people on Tourist Visas.

The sign clearly say : 10.000,- bath = 250 $

Yeah, they can’t expect tourist to carry 10kUSD in cash

Darren Low $1000? About $300 US

Such beautiful patina ^_^

I love that sign. Same one is hanging in Kota Bahru since nearly 50 years ;-)

So yes it's sad but in fact Alvin V Moscoso just didn't have the required documents, so no big surprise here. understood.

thks!