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ResourcesVisa & Immigration LawThailand Immigration LawIs there a minimum amount of funds needed to enter Thailand?

Is there a minimum amount of funds needed to enter Thailand?

See transcript of the above video below:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing minimum funds required for entering Thailand. This is a topic that has posed some debate in forums and various online platforms and it revolves around the issue of whether or not one needs to have a certain amount of money accessible or on their person at the time they enter the Kingdom.  

Why is this a requirement or why is this a possible requirement? The viewer may be asking themselves. Well the reason it may be a possible requirement is mostly in a non-immigrant visa contact specifically in even a tourist visa or those entering with just a 30-day stamp or a Visa exemption or a visa on arrival.  Those who have been using visa on arrivals, tourist visas or 30 day exemption stamps for a prolonged period of time may have some issues with multiple entries into the Kingdom as Immigration Officials are going to want to see that that individual basically, first of all has tourist intent, so not the intention to remain long-term in the Kingdom, and long-term as a rule of thumb basically means over about six months in an aggregate period over the course of a calendar year, but also that that individual or individuals has the means to take care of themselves while they're in the Kingdom.  One of the big issues with respect to tourist visas in the past is there were a lot of people that were using them and then working illegally in the Kingdom and Immigration is trying to clamp down on that practice. So those who are coming into Thailand on multiple tourist visas or multiple exemptions or multiple visas on arrival may get  scrutinized more  heavily by an Immigration Official and that Official may want to go ahead and see that the individual has sufficient funds in order to take care of themselves here in the Kingdom.

Now folks have asked me and   I have seen it swirl about the internet with respect to what is the minimum amount. It is my understanding there's no hard-and-fast rule with respect to a minimum. But that being said, Bt20,000 at various Immigration checkpoints seem to be the threshold for many Immigration Officers and I think if one can show Bt20,000 in cash or a bank account with Bt20,000 in it, that may be enough to get over the threshold. But that being said, the Immigration Authorities make decisions with respect to allowing entry of a Foreign National into the Kingdom they make those decisions on a case-by-case basis, and based on the totality of the circumstances in front of them. 

So again there's no hard-and-fast rule with respect to an amount, but that being said, as we've seen in the past Bt20,000 seem to be sufficient at least at land borders  that I've heard about anecdotally.