Vietnamese officials and tourism companies have shown strong opposition to a regulation requiring local travellers to prove they have 20,000 baht (USD700) to be allowed into Thailand.

 Thai proof of cash requirements anger Vietnamese travellers 

According to V.L.Phuong, a tour guide in HCM City, during Reunification and Labour Day, she took 32 Vietnamese tourists to Cambodia and Thailand. While completing procedures at the border at Arayaprathet in Sa Kaeo Province, customs officers ordered Vietnamese tourists to show USD700 or an equal amount of baht before entering Thailand.

Nguyen Manh Cuong, Deputy Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), said that he had just signed a document requesting an explanation from the Thai Tourism Authority as well as a request to change the policy.

"Some other countries impose proof of cash requirements before allowing entry, but many Vietnamese are insulted by the Thai rule," Cuong said. “This is unacceptable and we have requested that Thailand scrap this regulation. If not Vietnam will be forced to take counter-measures.”

He admitted that Vietnamese people have taken advantages of tourism to enter Thailand illegally. The official also noted that travel firms should be more careful in managing their customers during tours abroad to protect the country’s image, but these incidents do not justify the means taken by Thai customs.

An official from the Thailand Authority of Tourism said the regulation was aimed at preventing illegal entry of Vietnamese into Thailand.

Many Vietnamese have said they intend on canceling their tours to Thailand if the regulation is not eliminated.

Dr. Pham Trung Luong, Deputy Head of the Institute of Tourism Development Research, said that Vietnam respects Thai visitors so it is unfair for Vietnamese travellers to suffer from discriminatory behaviour from Thai customs. The Thai side does not have the right stipulate how much money tourists bring with them, he added.