Visa questions - worrying about nothing?

[tommysmithstache]

Travelling this week for my 1st visit since 2010.  Last minute deal so no time to apply to Thai UK Embassy for a visa.  Im planning on staying until end of August/start of September.  Ive been reading various articles online, and tbh they are scaring me a little.  Like I said it will be my 1st time out since 2010, so now on arrival do they want to see your travel documents?  I'll be able to show them my return flight (its an open ticket for 2nd September that can be changed), but because the return flight is more than 30 days after arrival will they not let me enter?  My plan would be to head to Vientiane or Phnom Phen after 30 days, but because I have no documentation to show this, again, will I not be allowed to enter?  Do you now need to bring a bank statement with you for customs? 

 

Also, is it possible that if I fly back from either Vientiane or Phnom Phen on arrival I will get an extra 30 days rather than the 15 from travelling back overland?

[moon71]

If you overstay your visa, from what ive seen, this will be detected at suvanabhumi immigration. After you show your passport you will be shown to the overstay counter where you may have to pay 500/baht a day.

 

My facts may be wrong but thats a good guess.

[dave01]

You may have a couple of problems... firstly your airline MAY not let you board at home, without proof of leaving Thailand within 30 days, due to the lack of visa in your passport

If they do, I think you will have  a problem obtaining the visa exemption stamp on arrival, with no proof of exiting Thailand within 30 days. very doubtful, that it will be issued.

If I were you, jump on skyscanner and find a flight, to any of the neighbouring countires.... I'm not sure what countries you are visa exempt, but that is where I would head. from what I can gather, you can get a visa exemption of 90 days, if you visit KL...  a 90 minute flight away.  So maybe that may be the place to go.... others would know better.

as for coming back, provided you re enter 30 days or less of your return flight home, you will get a 30 day visa exemption stamp, no problems

[robert69]

Never been asked for return flight details on immigration and on checkin just say you will do a tour through Asia. Thailand Malaysia. Singapore etc

 

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[dave01]

Never been asked for return flight details on immigration and on checkin just say you will do a tour through Asia. Thailand Malaysia. Singapore etc

 

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maybe the reason for that, is that when you present at checkin, at your home country, most people, maybe even you, are using the same airline to return, so all they do is look at your PNR and know you are legal, or not.

 

It is, the airline's job, to make sure that all PAX, that board, have the required documentation.  Maybe you have been lucky, or just maybe you have had all the stuff you need.

 

The fact remains, the OP runs the VERY REAL risk of being denied boarding at his home port... may not have happened to you, but the threat is still there... If, he clears that hurdle, it is very doubtful that a visa exemption would be issued, if the Immigration Officer in Thailand, asks to sight a ticket leaving Thailand within 30 days, and the OP is unable to provide one.

Buy a cheap AA flight to KL or somewhere and be done with it..... save a lot of worry and possible problems

[robert69]

Have been asked the question on check in. And then explained I would take train to Malaysia. From that moment no further problems. And i said print out itinerary to Clark within 30 days as op wants to go to angeles anyway

 

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[leeds]

think your ok if they mention at checkin tell them your travelling asia,then just fly out just before your 30 days arrival is up,get another 30days when you re enter, no probs have a good trip

[crazyman]

I've traveled to Thailand quite a few time on one way tickets and never been asked. I've heard a few people query whether it could be an issue or not. I know that the airlines are held financially responsible (usually a US$5000 fine) if somebody is sent home from a country for arriving without the correct visa. If you are asked by your airline just tell them that you have a few meetings in South East Asia and haven't worked out which order they will be in so you haven't booked the outbound flight yet. 

[tommysmithstache]

Thanks all for the replies, but there seems to be a few different opinions:-

 

You may have a couple of problems... firstly your airline MAY not let you board at home, without proof of leaving Thailand within 30 days, due to the lack of visa in your passport

If they do, I think you will have  a problem obtaining the visa exemption stamp on arrival, with no proof of exiting Thailand within 30 days. very doubtful, that it will be issued.

If I were you, jump on skyscanner and find a flight, to any of the neighbouring countires.... I'm not sure what countries you are visa exempt, but that is where I would head. from what I can gather, you can get a visa exemption of 90 days, if you visit KL...  a 90 minute flight away.  So maybe that may be the place to go.... others would know better.

as for coming back, provided you re enter 30 days or less of your return flight home, you will get a 30 day visa exemption stamp, no problems

If you don't mind me asking do you normally fly out from Australia?

 

Never been asked for return flight details on immigration and on checkin just say you will do a tour through Asia. Thailand Malaysia. Singapore etc

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Same question again - where do you normally depart from?

 

think your ok if they mention at checkin tell them your travelling asia,then just fly out just before your 30 days arrival is up,get another 30days when you re enter, no probs have a good trip

Am I right in assuming you fly out from the UK?

 

I've traveled to Thailand quite a few time on one way tickets and never been asked. I've heard a few people query whether it could be an issue or not. I know that the airlines are held financially responsible (usually a US$5000 fine) if somebody is sent home from a country for arriving without the correct visa. If you are asked by your airline just tell them that you have a few meetings in South East Asia and haven't worked out which order they will be in so you haven't booked the outbound flight yet. 

Same again, where do you usually depart from?

 

Reason Im asking everyone where they leave from is because that Ive never on previous departures from UK been asked anything about return flights etc.  If all the people saying I should be OK all depart from UK then I'll take the chance.  Only time I ever had any hassle was on 1 occasion when I flew on a 1 way ticket from Germany back in '05.  Alternative is pay a few quid to change departure date and to send off to Hull.

[robert69]

I was asked the question flying from germany. However the explanation of train to Malaysia was accepted

 

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[thebigh]

If the airline asks you at the beginning of your trip you can always buy a full fare ticket to their closest destination to tland. this then can be refunded with a small fee in tland...

[leeds]

i fly from the uk never been asked about return,if your on an open ticket should be ok if visas in order when you exit thailand.many people travel on open tickets if this was a problem why sell them

[bobSL1]

Tommy you got nothing to worry about...unless you are doing someat illegal...

I came on 30 day tourist visa but my return flight was 2 months later.....I just got 90 day non immigration visa for 1900......

If you are legit no worries it can all be sorted for not too much...do not use an agent

Chill and enjoy.

[Kandinski]

Absolutely no worries. I been using Bangkok as my airport hub for years and on more occassion I have  been  on standby in LOS for next assignenment  without travel docs and simply left the column on immigration departure card open and never had a question at immigration. If you stay longer than 30 days: go to immigration or take a visa run.

[jimchef81]

I've also come and gone on single tickets, returns that are longer than the 30 days my visa allowed, how Ed a few months ago some golfing buddies werent so lucky. They had tickets booked with BA, departing heathrow, returning 33 days later (they just planned on paying 3 days overstay ) . Because they didn't hav an appropriate visa the airline refused to check them in unless they changed the return to a date sighing 30 days. I'd never heard of them in oking this rule but it does happen.

[Excited]

I'm Flying next week on a one-way ticket from Manchester. I've got a triple entry tourist visa. Was planning on signing up for a language course after a coupl of months and getting a ED visa.

 

Will I have any problems at check-in or immigration as there is no return flight?

 

Thanks

[Scumbag]

I'm Flying next week on a one-way ticket from Manchester. I've got a triple entry tourist visa. Was planning on signing up for a language course after a coupl of months and getting a ED visa.

 

Will I have any problems at check-in or immigration as there is no return flight?

 

Thanks

With any sort of visa you will not have any issues when you check in or at immigration.

[key visa thailand]

Agreed with Scummy there is no reason for a return ticket when you have  a visa type in your passport as they know without any extensions from the Immigration you would be staying a minimum of 6  months and alot of people use the excuse to activate their entries by flying to a neighboring country for a holiday "or a break"

[Excited]

Thanks for info I'll just book the single then.

[Duck]

Did not get when you are leaving so this post may be too late?

 

I was in Australia in January and was at the airport to return to Bangkok with a friend.

He only had a one way ticket and the airline would not let him board without a flight out of Thailand.

Fortunately we had enough time to buy a ticket from BKK to Cambodia. Then they let him board.

 

I have gone from the USA to BKK with a three month return ticket on United Air without a prior visa and had no problems boarding. 

So who knows if you will have a problem? But I would go ahead and buy a ticket of some kind out of Thailand just to avoid the potential problems at the point of boarding the aircraft!

 

Enjoy your trip! 

[crazyman]

Thanks all for the replies, but there seems to be a few different opinions:-

 

If you don't mind me asking do you normally fly out from Australia?

 

Same question again - where do you normally depart from?

 

Am I right in assuming you fly out from the UK?

 

Same again, where do you usually depart from?

 

Reason Im asking everyone where they leave from is because that Ive never on previous departures from UK been asked anything about return flights etc.  If all the people saying I should be OK all depart from UK then I'll take the chance.  Only time I ever had any hassle was on 1 occasion when I flew on a 1 way ticket from Germany back in '05.  Alternative is pay a few quid to change departure date and to send off to Hull.

Sydney, London, Singapore. Probably a few more that I've forgotten. The rules are international so it's doesn't matter where you're flying from. Just tell them that you've got to fly out in a few weeks but you're not sure where you'll be flying to at the moment and you'll only know after you've already arrived in Thailand. 

[Scumbag]

Sydney, London, Singapore. Probably a few more that I've forgotten. The rules are international so it's doesn't matter where you're flying from. Just tell them that you've got to fly out in a few weeks but you're not sure where you'll be flying to at the moment and you'll only know after you've already arrived in Thailand. 

The reason why it is like this is not because of where you depart from but the laws of Thailand. If you arrive on a one-way ticket and you are refused entry the airline is responsible for removing you . They may also impose a fine (I don't know about Thailand but Australia certainly fines the airlines). Rightly or wrongly some airlines are more anal about it than others. My visa has been checked in Australia, Malaysia, India and China as I always enter on a one-way ticket. I would say they check it in one in 10 flights but the flights from Malaysia  (with Air Asia) and China (With Thai) are checked more often.