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As the French citizen, I can enter Thailand without a visa. According to the Timatic database, which I access through IATA, the entry is conditioned upon whether I can provide a proof of funds. Specifically, Timatic says:

The following should be taken into account even if holding a Visa: Visa exempt visitors older than 12 years must hold sufficient funds to cover their stay (at least THB 20,000.- per person or THB 40,000.- per family). Proof of funds includes Letters of Credit, vouchers, Miscellaneous Charges Orders (MCO) or well-known credit cards, which are honored in Thailand.

What does "well-known credit cards, which are honored in Thailand." mean? Does it mean that if I have a credit card that works in Thailand and allows me to withdraw over 20k THB then it's enough to prove I have enough money? If so, how do they check it allows me to withdraw over 20k THB?

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    I can't find any official guidance from MFA on this. They only specify 10,000/20,000 baht, and do not say anything about credit cards. I don't know where Timatic got this, but I do see lots of chatter about people being asked to show the larger amounts at specific border crossings. People seem to believe that Thailand is trying to crack down on "begpacking".
    – Michael Hampton
    Dec 20, 2018 at 0:54
  • I have entered tens of times in Thailand (and have a lot of friends that have also entered hundreds of times) and I have never listen about someone that is asked to proof their funds. Maybe it's a random requirement that rarely is enforced.
    – Ivan
    Dec 20, 2018 at 17:28
  • I suppose that as always, it depends a lot on your personal circumstances. If you arrive with your backpack and look like you're just out of Woodstock, they will probably have a lot more questions than if you are wearing the latest luxury brands. YMMV. A well-known credit card honored in Thailand would probably be a Visa or MasterCard (or possibly Amex, JCB or Union Pay, but I wouldn't bet on those).
    – jcaron
    Dec 21, 2018 at 11:05

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I guess this is to filter out people who only carry local card systems' issued cards, such as Russian Mir or Israel's Isracard which can lead to effective unavailability of funds as there's no places or ATMs that accept those.

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  • Thanks, is showing a credit card that work in Thailand enough to convince whoever decides to let me in Thailand? How do they know I can withdraw over 20k THB in Thailand with it?
    – Franck Dernoncourt
    Dec 20, 2018 at 13:04
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    @FranckDernoncourt There's 99% chance they'll trust you and do no checks, and maybe <1% that you are detained for additional questioning and maybe have to walk to an actual ATM with them.
    – alamar
    Dec 20, 2018 at 13:08
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If requested, the proof of funds must be provided in cash or traveler's checks.

1) there are usually no ATM's before the security/immigration arrivals checkpoint.

2) The proof of funds/POOT usually used to flag people who live on tourist visas or are suspected of working Illegally. Most tourists will not be affected by this.

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In general, to show that your cards have a certain credit line available, you can show a statement (bill) with your remaining credit limit on it.

To be more formal, you can request from your bank (online from mine) a "credit reference letter". They will mail a letter which describes your credit limit, current balance, average or maximum balance, and state your account is open and in good standing.

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