On May 8, Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) released an announcement that after learning that Thailand's competent forces asked Vietnamese tourists to present cash around US$700 or 20,000 baths before entering their country, the MFA asked the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok to talk to Thai functional agencies and found that:
Recently, a number of foreigners have violated Thailand’s laws in terms of immigration and residence so that Thailand has applied new measures to manage the foreigners in its country.
According to the regulation, citizens from some countries, including Vietnam when entering Thailand for tourism purposes have to present return tickets, hotel reservation papers and cash (at least US$700).
On May 7, representatives of the Consular Department, under the MFA sent a diplomatic note to the Thai Embassy in Hanoi, saying that the non-announcement of the regulation which applies for Vietnam as the only ASEAN member is not suitable for the cooperative spirit in ASEAN and the traditional relationship between the two sides.
The Consular Department demanded the Thai side stop the regulation applicable to Vietnamese tourists and continue to create favorable conditions for the travelling of the two nations’ citizens.
