How much money can I bring to and from Thailand?
You are free to decide how much money you take with you to Thailand or from Thailand to the Netherlands, but are you taking € 10.000 or more with you? Or the same amount but in dollars or another currency, then you must file a declaration with the tax authorities Customs. You do not have to pay tax on the money at Customs, but Customs needs to know that you have the money with you.
The person who takes the money must report it. It doesn't matter if the money is yours or someone else's. Travelers checks and securities also count.
Are you going to Thailand from the Netherlands? And are you departing from Schiphol? Then file a declaration with Customs in departure hall 3 (Tax refund/OB refund office). Are you departing from another airport? Then go to Customs there. Make sure you file a declaration before you go through passport and security control.
Are you arriving in the Netherlands from Thailand? Then choose the 'red exit' when you are at Customs. That is the exit for when you have goods to declare at Customs. You can then file a report there.
Are you taking € 10.000 or more with you on both the outward and return journey? You must file a declaration every time you enter and leave the EU. So both on the way there and back.
Source: Customs
About this blogger
-
This article has been written and reviewed by the editorial team. The content is based on the author's personal experiences, opinions, and independent research. Where relevant, ChatGPT was used as a tool for writing and structuring text. We also sometimes generate photos using AI. Although the content is handled with care, it cannot be guaranteed that all information is complete, up-to-date, or error-free.
The reader is responsible for the use of the information on this website. The author accepts no liability for any damage or consequences resulting from the use of the information provided.
Read the latest articles here
Expats and retireesMay 4, 2026Loneliness destroys the health of pensioners in Thailand
AgendaMay 4, 2026Dutch people in Thailand can consciously experience Remembrance Day on May 4.
BackgroundMay 4, 2026How Thai beer bars, massage parlors, and escort agencies circumvent prostitution laws
HotelsMay 4, 2026Hotel rooms in Thailand require more attention than just the price.
'Customs must know that you have the money with you', I read.
Well, it doesn't stop there.
On the declaration form, you must also indicate, among other things, the origin of the money, what the intended use of the money is, and who the intended recipient(s) of the money is (are).
The information you provide will then be made available to the Financial Intelligence Unit Netherlands.
In any case, it is better not to bring more total currency converted to euros 9.999,00
Do you have more, yes then report it, but don't forget that you will be treated as a criminal.
Have experienced it and despite the fact that I had ordered the money from the bank, added paper from the bank with which notes I had received with signature, I was still treated as a criminal, even small change had to be taken out of my pockets and put everything on paper. Just sat in a room but couldn't get out, asked a few times if I could leave because I wanted to get a nice cup of coffee before the flight, they didn't budge, please investigate sir. They can just check your bank account. In total after 1.1/2 hours they came up with a rock and roll question whether I had no debts with the tax authorities, an account of 97.000 euros was open, but they could not trace that exactly from whom. I then said my BSN number is unique and only mine and if there are debts then only my BSN is important combined with my further details. Yes sorry they said then these debts are not yours sir. I wrote down their names and said I would report them and I did. Don't know if those tax clerks still work there now.
In Thailand you can enter freely up to just under $ 20.000 without declaring. If you bring euros for that amount of dollars, you can do so, but watch the dollar exchange rate, it can be higher or lower when you arrive. It is better than to stay well below it before departure, because imagine after about 15 hours of travel time that the value of the euro is suddenly much higher and then you have a problem, then you will have to declare it if it represents more than $ 20.000 and I don't think that's fun.
It is actually much safer to just transfer it by bank, costs a little more but no risk of loss or theft. Keep in mind that Thailand checks bank accounts and every foreign transaction is reported to Thailand's central bank.
Roel, I experienced about the same thing. Declaring at Schiphol departure took an hour, the customs excuse, the photocopier was broken, she had to make a copy somewhere else. But I'm sure they checked everything in the computer files and called the bank. control on the assembly line (security) was very humiliating passport was taken away all the money was counted while my papers from customs were in order. They were also called and had to come by. They saw the stamped paper and I could continue I almost missed my flight because of those idiots on that assembly line. So travelers who bring more than 10.000 add 3 hours waiting time for those checks
I doubt that those who do the security checks have the authority to check the amount of money you take with you.
Cornelis I didn't think so either. But what should I do about that. Didn't want to miss my flight. I reported politely that this is not possible what you are doing now. Everything is fine, see papers. This comment had the opposite effect. More came I thanked them now I miss my flight there was a very large queue for passport control.Early help me by standing at the front.The idiot walked away.I then went to the front of the queue myself .And was just in time for my flight.
Cornelius,
security should not interfere with this. Cash determinations are only made by Customs. Security can, however, call in Customs if it suspects an excessive amount of cash, after which Customs makes the actual determinations.
Dries
Also recently a pretty frustrating experience with customs. Together with my wife, I took more than 10.000 euros (less than 20.000). We didn't report it because we didn't think it was necessary. Asked in the lock to the plane if I/we had cash with us, answered honestly. Because -for safety's sake- I had all the money with me, I was screwed, I was the natural person who carries the money. Indeed treated like a criminal and fined 10%! After returning to customs to be heard: It doesn't matter that you are married in community of property, nor that it is traceable, that you take it with you in cash because of the exchange rate advantages, that you can transfer it directly to your bank account after exchange do not put in Thailand either, just like it is for the (finishing) construction of our house (bank account and house neatly in NL declaration!).
Hi Michael,
Customs looks at the money that the person HIMSELF has with him. It doesn't matter if you are married or not.
You should have divided the money between your wife and yourself. Then you had less than € 10.000 personally.
If you have more than 10.000 € (and less than 20.000 €) it is better to divide the money.
It is better to make a spontaneous declaration to Customs if you do not want to distribute the money during the journey.
Dries
https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/individuals/cash-controls/how-declare_en
All forms in different languages regarding the declaration form, explanation as well, and you can use the Form of the EU from any country
Here the Dutch form
https://download.belastingdienst.nl/douane/docs/aangifteformulier_liquide_middelen_iud0952z4fol.pdf
And that's not all I had done a nice tax return, and a year later I was able to explain it to the Belgian tax authorities and show papers of the car I had bought, I had also indicated this in Shiphol with the immediate question of how it could the amount be greater than my income of that year, apparently they assume that a person cannot have saved, I received the message that it was ok for the time being, but that they might come back to it.
Gr
Ronny
in France you are not allowed to carry more than €9.
not surprising when you consider that there is so much criminal money in circulation.
Last year, my wife and I took 19.900 euros in cash on a flight to Thailand via Schiphol. This amount was neatly divided between the two of us.
Just before boarding I caught the attention of a Malinois Shepherd Dog and her owner in customs uniform. The dog had clearly smelled mint on me.
The female customs officer asked how much cash I had on me. Answer 9.950 euros. I showed the envelope with the money on which my bank's logo was printed. They asked to come along to count everything. I then showed the bank statement. However, it stated 19.900 euros. With some difficulty I was able to clarify that my wife, who had already passed boarding control, was carrying the other half of this amount and that we had no other currency in our pocket except 1226 THB, and that we were each carrying half of it as it should be if you are married in community.
I was overjoyed to go because boarding was almost complete and my wife had already boarded.
Judging by the faces of the customs officers, my farewell joke about their Malinois was not much appreciated. I said, "Oh she's a bitch that's why she smells so good money."
I found the control just before boarding "strategically bullying". This makes catching your flight very exciting. Can't those law enforcement officers perform their control tasks earlier in the check-in process in order to get rid of less well-behaved citizens?
And say and write that now the crypto coins fly back and forth electronically …., but cash that is suspicious …. By the way, with me at Schiphol it was a Spaniel, such an almost typical ladies' dog at that 2 meter customs at the gate, because he had checked me upon entry and then seen those blank EU forms for declaration, (well if you know the rules and follow them you suspected anyway …) 4 weeks later noticed me going up to the gate while he was walking the opposite lane ….. and yes 15 minutes later he was standing in front of my waiting area .at the gate…
Have mentioned it here a few times …..the Schiphol arrival position is 8 flights and 7 times control …….
that few times of no control was otherwise a very busy arrival of several flights and only 2 customs present, gentleman and lady customs ... .. looked at each other once and quietly they were gone ... .. why .... aha nice .... that other flight was a so-called Mecca flight … all of those burkas … .. yes they don't like that … .. it's better to bully some good Westerners …. that's nice and they endure everything passively …
They just do their job, if you cooperate it makes it easier.
Faint, sexist jokes really don't help and showing an excerpt that says 19,900 Euros certainly doesn't help.
It might be good to know what is going on in Europe
Brussels opposes border controls, but at the same time it is increasingly blocking the movement of cash and other valuables. The EU has quietly issued a regulation that lifts the maximum limit of € 10.000, supposedly to fight the 'crime'. This means that even an innocent holidaymaker with € 1000 in his pocket and an expensive watch on his wrist can be stopped at the border even with the slightest suspicion, and everything can be confiscated.
Theoretically, an amount of only € 1000 can now be charged completely arbitrarily. A lower limit is no longer mentioned. In addition to cash, gold pieces, silver or other valuable goods such as diamonds or an expensive watch, or a beautiful necklace are now also covered by the new rules. Everything counts to reach the limit of € 10.000. If so, you've lost everything.
Given the experiences with other so-called 'anti-money laundering' measures, people with just under € 1000 in their pocket can also get into trouble. All it takes is a customs officer who thinks you 'look like a criminal' and thinks you may have evaded taxes.
And where can I find that ordinance?
Frans, Fernand has heard a bell ringing, very far away, but has not been able to find the clapper. It is not a regulation that has been issued – which, moreover, can never be issued 'silently' because the Member States decide on it in the Council and in the European Parliament – but a proposal. In that proposal, the 10.000 euro limit is maintained, but action can also be taken for amounts below that limit if there are indications that the money is related to criminal activities.
See ao http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-16-4458_en.htm
That is already clearer to me.
Thank you Cornelis, that will help us. A substantiated claim with source. Pub talk that Brussels is out to screw the common man (and forget for a moment that either the Dutch state has agreed to this in Brussels or we citizens ourselves via the EU parliament) is of little use to us.
The conclusion is simple: carry less than 10.000 euros in your pocket (pp) and you should not experience any hassle. If you go with your partner, divide the money evenly, if only in case you or your partner get robbed or lose something!
With a bit of bad luck, the sniffer dog will catch on or you will be picked out at random (the customs are not stupid: if they only filter out people with a 'criminal face', Mr. fashion model in a suit would arrange the illegal things). But if you don't have 10k in your pocket, tax debt, fines / receivables or other things then your experience shouldn't be a bad one. I have no idea myself, so far I've never been singled out. That's more luck or not bad luck than it being my nice and friendly looks. 555
Never heard or read anywhere that the 10.000 limit is / will be lifted. This is not mentioned on any site of any customs in Europe, just the 10.000 rule. Sounds like a monkey story to me.
And wearing an expensive watch? That's okay. I, as a watch enthusiast, also normally wear a watch of 4000 / 5000 euros or more. And then a spare in my hand luggage. Is sometimes curiously looked at in the tray that goes through the x-ray, but nothing has ever been said about it, at most what brand it is,
The official rule is still €10.000 in cash (together with traveler's checks and securities).
I would also like to read more about that. Something official then.
Hopefully the ticket will not be charged either, or the entire business class will be behind bars before departure. Or is this already considered the crime class by customs, given the price of their ticket 😉
Ronny, via the link below you can access the official text of the proposal under consideration, and the explanatory texts plus an 'impact assessment': https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/individuals/cash-controls/cash-controls-new-proposal_en
I suspect that the real criminals have long been looking for other ways (how is it with bitcoin?), and one should keep the objective of the regulation in mind when enforcing it. It concerns the fight against money laundering, the financing of terrorist organizations and 'criminal money in general', so to speak. If a couple wants to leave with 19.000 euros, but the man has all the money with him, they should be free to deviate from the 'zero-tolerance' policy. The story of the letter and the spirit. But then you need self-thinking executive officials, and those are few and far between.
Well, I had been doubting for a long time, but I think I should make the step to bitcoin.
No, no, have nothing to hide, but it is what Ronny L. quotes, if you own a business class ticket, it could be that you already have to justify the ticket.
bGlad that I left that land long ago.
If you seriously think that even having a business class ticket can lead to accountability, you have not understood the objectives and intent of the cash control legislation. Read them again in the links I gave earlier.
You are right Peter. Also my wife got her tits pinched (and not once !!) by a lesbian customs officer. She just couldn't stay away from it. In a separate room, of course. Of the approximately 50 flights vice versa that she has taken to Asia in her life, this was the first and also the last from the Netherlands (Schiphol). On a flight of 14000 km and 24 hours on the road (one way), the EXTRA time and distance to drive to a foreign airport does not matter much anymore. And often even cheaper if you book from the Netherlands in Belgium or Germany.
Sorry Jas, but I have very big doubts about the truthfulness of these kinds of stories. Moreover, you involve Pieter, who does not talk about his wife at all, by writing: 'also my wife' etc. ……….
555… That's why we never depart from Schiphol. My friends also complain about Schiphol airport.
It is indeed better to leave from Brussels!
Let's respond to that case of that couple who had 19900 euros with them, and that money was in the man's pocket. I don't think it's very smart from the point of view of theft. Our “trick” is to just distribute our cash over as many places as possible. As for ….
Nothing has ever happened to me, not even in Asia itself (10 x to Asia). EXCEPT for the first time (I had never flown before, I was 50 plus then) and in Dubai we took a hotel and looked around for a day. When checking in for the second part of the flight, we were through the whole hassle when a man in a very chic suit with 2 uniforms was looking for me. He also called my name. Turns out I had left my pouch with 1600 euros pocket money because of the stress.
I wanted to give the man 50 euros as a thank you, but that was flatly refused. We were a bit late and he quickly walked ahead of us to the trunk and spoke in Arabic that they had to wait a little longer. When we got there my wife and I got an upgrade to bussiness. Did he arrange it?
Enjoyed the whole journey (10 hours) snacks and stayed out for a long time.
I guess it was a sheikh or something.
But I've never been to Thailand, always the Philippines. Am on this forum looking for a comparison of the Philippines (Manila almost 5 years) with Thailand.
So never take a lot of cash with you, but just do pins in Asia. Okay, that costs something but I don't run any risk for that. If you ever have your money stolen or lost, you could pay the debit card charges for the rest of your life. So don't take 3000 euros or so with you. just 200 and withdraw the rest when I need money. I then take the maximum amount that I can take with me for a certain sum of costs. Or a multiple thereof, eg 2 x 200 euros if that is the maximum per transaction. And I use the credit card where possible.
If you only have 200 euros in cash with you, they can send you back without mercy. Good advice….
That's right, why only have 200 € cash with you when you leave.
On return, 200 € makes more sense. Debit cards are more expensive + bad exchange rate.
And when you pint, everything is also registered.
I do take 2.000 to 3.000 € with me when I leave, but never more than 10.000 € (or divide it with your partner).
FYI: At Brussels Airport, the declaration is made to Customs at the departure hall (3rd floor) at the Tax Refund office of Customs. Report outside the opening hours of this office to the Customs office in the arrivals hall (2nd floor).
I also read something about carrying specific objects: the value at Brussels Airport is 430 € of purchased items (excluding consumables = items necessary for daily use). So if you bring in a new expensive gift (> 430 €) you should in principle declare it spontaneously. Furthermore, for tobacco 1 farde and strong alcohol 1 bottle is allowed.
If in doubt, always check with Customs (red zone) before entering the green zone. Information brochures from Customs are also available at the baggage belts about what you may or may not have with you and the quantities, if any.
At Brussels Airport, you can also spontaneously declare your money when you return if you have more than €10.000 in cash with you. Carrying a cash document if you plan to travel with a large sum of cash is always useful.
Dries
Dries
Sorry, forgot the link of the Belgian Customs regarding travel:
https://financien.belgium.be/nl/douane_accijnzen/particulieren/reizen
You can also click on the link for the PDF brochure. Brochure is 20 pages and everything is clearly stated.
Also be careful with rare animal and plant species: illegally importing something in violation of CITES will be taken to court and fines start from 20.000 €.
https://financien.belgium.be/nl/douane_accijnzen/particulieren/reizen/vervoer-van-liquide-middelen-cash
https://financien.belgium.be/nl/douane_accijnzen/particulieren/reizen/vrijstellingen/ik-kom-terug-uit-een-niet-europese-lidstaat
I hope you like the links above…