Maximum Cash Into Thailand?

[STEVE G]

BB, be aware also that some airports now have sniffer dogs specially trained to find large sums of cash.

[Digger]

To get to a thai airport you have to pass through a European one.Max cash allowed by recent EU directive is 10,000 Euros
Before this rule was slipped in I was found with $25000 on my way via LHR to Buenos Aires.Group 4 passed me on to security/home office who questioned me for 30 minutes.Treated like a drug smuggler but I stuck with the truth,it was to buy a second hand 4 by 4.

[Super Joe]

[ozuncle]

It is common practice to share the money between your travelling companions (friends) so that everyone is just under the limit. That way you can not have a problem.

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You only live once.

[sandman67]

If you are carrying large amounts of cash across borders then you will fall foul of international laws intended on combating crime and money laundering. These have been in place for many years...only the amounts change.

The stated limits are there as "guidelines"....in the UK the regs state "ANY suspicious amount of ANY currency" and require "due cause or suspicion" to confiscate. So if you are carrying a few grand in cash, and are heading for SE Asia or the Caribbean / S America you are gonna get hassle. While you are being questioned they also look at your transit records...ie how you paid for the ticket, how many times you have traveled in the last 3 years, where to...etc.

Travelers Cheque purchases (and foreign credit card transactions) are also disclosed to the "Home Office"...(it aint them really who store and analyse the data, its a dedicated multi department unit). The same applies there....10k UK or more is the old boundary - again its "anything suspicious" and they open a file on you that stays open for at least 3 years.

A tip is that if you are carrying large amounts wear a proper discreet money belt and use Swiss Francs or the highest denomination Euros .....you can carry what would be a large suitcase full of sterling in the inside pocket of your jacket. A couple of property/car mags in your hand luggage to back it up and you are laughing.

still.....10K....man thats a lot o Sang Soms.....
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If I can't smoke and swear I'm f****d!

[Big Boy]

I think £10K will be enough for her simple needs in Khon Kaen. Thanks again for all of the help and advice.
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Green Army position 10 2007/08
Who said, "I've dumped PAFC for Eutopia at Liecester?"
Ian Holloway (should have been looking for a job)

[kendo]

Big boy,on a pending trip to Thailand me and my wife went into our local Natwest, i withdrew 2 grand,(any more than that i use my ATM card )no questions asked just flashed them my driving licence banked there since i left school no problem.My wife next in the queue wanted to withdraw 1 grand,they asked her for her passport, and asked her wot the money was for, so i butted in and "said that i have an objection to this you dident ask me wot the money was for, why"? "we have to ask this because she's not British" i just could not belive this so i said "if you really must know it's our holiday spending money" i was not happy about this.I have banked there for 23, years ,i had all sorts of problems opening a bank account for my wife they wanted utility and council tax bills with her name on they won't except mobile phone bills, wot a work up for a basic bank account.If you put your house on the market you have to give the estate agents a copy of your passport,and if you go to buy a new car they won't except anymore than 5 grand in cash, under money landering laws it just seems that no bugger trusts you anymore.!

[chelsea]

BB I have seen many times in Australia that people try and get money into the country hiding in suitcases etc and the people caught (unless they can prove where the money come from or if they had a legitimate case to have that much money on them) can have the money confiscated by the customs.

In Australia any money transaction over $10,000 is automatically reported to the Tax Office and as far as I know legally you can only bring in cash up to the value of $10,000. If you bring anymore it must be declared as otherwise as I have said previously it can be confiscated.

I would suggest that if she has a bank account in Thailand that she transfers the money via internet banking or telegraphic transfer to save any problems anywhere on the trip.

You may be able to take one amount out of the UK but if you are stopping over somewhere else, you may not be able to take the same amount into that particular country.


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Always Borrow Money from a Pesimist. "They Never Expect it Back"

[Big Boy]

Hi Guys,

Sorry, but this has all turned out to be a bit of a damp squib I'm not sure why somebody with no intelligence should have so much money

My wife was talking to her early this morning, just to confirm that everything was in order. She said, no problems and she was going to draw £10K from her bank on Monday before we leave for the Airport. Upon hearing this, I said there are 2 problems with her plan:

1. Monday is a Bank Holiday - by definition, the bank will not be open.

2. She keeps most of her money in a Nationwide Savings account. Building Societys limit the amount that you are allowed to draw every day.

Of course, my wife got straight back on the phone to tell her.

It now seems that she will be permitted to draw £1,500 today, and £500 on Friday and Saturday - that's her lot.

Having discussed the problem with her since, she will ask for a cheque for the remainder, and pay it in to her NatWest account and use her ATM card in Thailand for the remainder.

And no, she does not have a ATM account with Nationwide, and yes, I know that it will cost her more - at least she can afford it.
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Green Army position 10 2007/08
Who said, "I've dumped PAFC for Eutopia at Liecester?"
Ian Holloway (should have been looking for a job)

[HHTel]

Of course you could change all your cash into Euros before leaving the UK. The highest note being 500 Euros, you can get an awful lot of cash in your inside pocket!!