One-way ticket OK?

[Treetopview]

 

 

OK so I'm moving to Pattaya in a little over a month.  I meet all the requirements for a retirement visa and the required amount of Baht is in my Thai bank account and will have been there for 2 months on my planned arrival. 

 

I'll board EVA air from San Francisco to Bangkok with a one-way ticket, purchased well in advance.  Upon arrival I will obtain the automatic 30-day tourist visa.  The next day (or thereabouts) I will proceed to go to Jomtien immigration and apply for a 30-day extension.  I will have a local address since I will be renting a condo for my first month.  During this 60-day period I will proceed to complete the required documents for obtaining the O-A Retirement visa.

 

My question is:  Will having a one-way ticket only present any problems either with boarding my flight from San Francisco, or with immigration upon landing at Bangkok, since I will not yet have a long-stay visa stamp?  I'm considering purchasing an inexpensive ticket for a flight from U-Tapao to Manila or perhaps Singapore (which I probably would not be able to get a refund for, depends on the airline and when I purchase it) to be able to show onward travel.  The reason for choosing those destinations are that in the event I end up deciding to use the ticket, they grant automatic visas (I realize that I would need to have a multiple re-entry type Retirement visa before doing that, but that's the visa I will be applying for when there).

 

Any suggestions are welcomed, if I have overlooked something.

[worldpunter]

Why not get a multi entrty  visa before travel ? You have the requirements . If you planning to live there why go in on a TV   ? 

Dont say to save money , youwillbe treated better with correct visa . Thats my experience

[soi16]

Get the Tourist Visa which you then, in 60 days time, change to Non-O.

After one year you just apply for extension of that, aka "retiment visa".

 

[dave01]

18 minutes ago, Treetopview said:

 

 

OK so I'm moving to Pattaya in a little over a month.  I meet all the requirements for a retirement visa and the required amount of Baht is in my Thai bank account and will have been there for 2 months on my planned arrival. 

 

I'll board EVA air from San Francisco to Bangkok with a one-way ticket, purchased well in advance.  Upon arrival I will obtain the automatic 30-day tourist visa.  The next day (or thereabouts) I will proceed to go to Jomtien immigration and apply for a 30-day extension.  I will have a local address since I will be renting a condo for my first month.  During this 60-day period I will proceed to complete the required documents for obtaining the O-A Retirement visa.

 

My question is:  Will having a one-way ticket only present any problems either with boarding my flight from San Francisco, or with immigration upon landing at Bangkok, since I will not yet have a long-stay visa stamp?  I'm considering purchasing an inexpensive ticket for a flight from U-Tapao to Manila or perhaps Singapore (which I probably would not be able to get a refund for, depends on the airline and when I purchase it) to be able to show onward travel.  The reason for choosing those destinations are that in the event I end up deciding to use the ticket, they grant automatic visas (I realize that I would need to have a multiple re-entry type Retirement visa before doing that, but that's the visa I will be applying for when there).

 

Any suggestions are welcomed, if I have overlooked something.

The highlight in second paragraph will just about certainly cause you an issue. I moved here 2 months ago, on a single ticket, with a shiny TV  in my passport.  I was asked in Sydney "where is my onward travel proof". Having a visa, really should not have been an issue, but the clerk was adamant. Luckily, I had purchased a throw away 35$ ticket to Phnom Penh.  Showed her that and, no issue.

On a visa exemption, which is what you are intending entering the country on, you WILL be asked to show onward travel. BUY a throw away ticket out of the country,  dated within the 30 day period of your arrival. When you fill in the arrival card, you will be leaving the exit flight space, blank, which will certainly attract the attention of the Immigration Officer in BKK.

The rest of your plan is solid, except, don't go to soi 5 just after you arrive... go after about 20 days to seek an extension.

If you don't buy a throw away, I reckon you will be going nowhere.

[soi16]

15 minutes ago, Treetopview said:

a flight from U-Tapao to Manila or perhaps Singapore

You have a lot homework to do.

[soi16]

3 minutes ago, dave01 said:

When you fill in the arrival card, you will be leaving the exit flight space, blank, which will certainly attract the attention of the Immigration Officer in BKK.

Is this something new on the new card?

[Treetopview]

10 minutes ago, worldpunter said:

Why not get a multi entrty  visa before travel ? You have the requirements . If you planning to live there why go in on a TV   ? 

 

I just feel it is easier to do the application process and filling out of forms in person when in Thailand.

[dave01]

1 minute ago, soi16 said:

Is this something new on the new card?

It is on the departure card part of the arrival card, if that makes sense. TM6.  Just under the barcode it says" Flight or other vehicle number"   It has always been there.

[Treetopview]

7 minutes ago, soi16 said:

You have a lot homework to do

I mis-typed.  I should have said from Bangkok, not U-tapao.

[Treetopview]

12 minutes ago, dave01 said:

the clerk was adamant. Luckily, I had purchased a throw away 35$ ticket to Phnom Penh.  Showed her that and, no issue.

I know that Cambodia (Phnom Penh)requires a visa for entry.  That's why I had not thought to have an onward ticket to a country which I had no visa for.

[soi16]

5 minutes ago, dave01 said:

It is on the departure card part of the arrival card, if that makes sense. TM6.  Just under the barcode it says" Flight or other vehicle number"   It has always been there.

Understand! Had never wrote there anything.

[dave01]

6 minutes ago, soi16 said:

Understand! Had never wrote there anything.

Generally ok, if you come in on a visa

[dave01]

8 minutes ago, Treetopview said:

I know that Cambodia (Phnom Penh)requires a visa for entry.  That's why I had not thought to have an onward ticket to a country which I had no visa for.

That is why it a throw away... If you have intentions of actually travelling there, that's a different thing.

[Treetopview]

2 minutes ago, dave01 said:

That is why it a throw away... If you have intentions of actually travelling there, that's a different thing.

 

Granted, but since I will be interacting with an Immigration officer, I expect they could reasonably ask why I had no visa to land in that other country. 

 

I guess then I could say that I was going to proceed to get that visa during the upcoming 30 days, is that so?

[Treetopview]

Another person said something about a virtual service that lets you book a return flight and cancel it easily.  Any one have experience with this?

[dave01]

2 minutes ago, Treetopview said:

 

Granted, but since I will be interacting with an Immigration officer, I expect they could reasonably ask why I had no visa to land in that other country. 

 

I guess then I could say that I was going to proceed to get that visa during the upcoming 30 days, is that so?

He won't....

And the easy answer is.... "Visa on arrival available in Cambo".

[Treetopview]

Just now, dave01 said:

Visa on arrival available in Cambo".

Not for Americans, evidently.

[dave01]

3 minutes ago, Treetopview said:

Not for Americans, evidently.

Unless the law has changed recently, that is not correct.  After filling in your forms and handing over your cash, you will be granted a TV on arrival... UNLESS the law has changed.

[dave01]

This from your own state department

Tourists and business travelers may also obtain a Cambodian visa at the airports in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and at all major border crossings. Cambodian immigration officials at airports now collect fingerprints upon entry using an inkless, electronic process. You will need two passport-sized (4cm by 6cm) photographs and a passport valid for a minimum of six months beyond the date of entry into Cambodia.

[Treetopview]

4 minutes ago, dave01 said:

This from your own state department

Tourists and business travelers may also obtain a Cambodian visa at the airports in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and at all major border crossings. Cambodian immigration officials at airports now collect fingerprints upon entry using an inkless, electronic process. You will need two passport-sized (4cm by 6cm) photographs and a passport valid for a minimum of six months beyond the date of entry into Cambodia.

 

Thanks for clearing that up.  Yes, it was after looking up the information at the US State Department.  I didn't look deeply enough into the entry information for Cambodia. 

[dave01]

Just now, Treetopview said:

 

Thanks for clearing that up.  Yes, it was after looking up the information at the US State Department.  OK, so that provides a simpler solution.

NP...

You are getting into the weeds a bit I reckon.  My advice for you would be use skyscanner...  put in the date you want to use and pick BKK to Anywhere.  I just did a hypothetical, Jan 29... the cheapest was to Myanmar... 47 AUD... cambo was 59 AUD.. There is an anywhere option believe it or not.... and just grab the cheapest one way fare, and you are covered. And there will not be an issue.

After 20 days, get your extension, and then start the process of converting to a Non Imm O visa, and getting the retirement extension. Sounds complicated, but it ain't really. When you do get to the point of Getting you non imm o and retirement extension, don't forget you will need a re entry permit if you leave Thailand, because you will have to start the whole process all over again if you don't have one.  You don't need to buy the re entry permit at the time of being granted the visa and extension, you can buy one at any time.

[Treetopview]

3 minutes ago, dave01 said:

Sounds complicated, but it ain't really. When you do get to the point of Getting you non imm o and retirement extension, don't forget you will need a re entry permit if you leave Thailand, because you will have to start the whole process all over again if you don't have one.  You don't need to buy the re entry permit at the time of being granted the visa and extension, you can buy one at any time.

 

Sure, there is leg work to do, and some back and forth.  As with other things too (:     

And yes, I'll likely be returning to the States at least once in the coming year also, and will get the re entry permit.

[usexpat46]

Curious as to why you're getting the 30 day extension after arrival and not just begin the process of getting the Non "O" visa followed by the retirement extension.  Regarding the one way ticket and boarding at SFO, I would check with the airline directly and explain that you're planning on getting the 1 year retirement extension after arrival and find out if that will be a problem.

 

 

[forcebwithu]

1 hour ago, Treetopview said:

 

Sure, there is leg work to do, and some back and forth.  As with other things too (:     

And yes, I'll likely be returning to the States at least once in the coming year also, and will get the re entry permit.

If you can figure out when you'd like to return to the states, book a RT ticket now. By the time you do return you'll have a retirement visa and can then book the one way back to BKK. 

[Treetopview]

26 minutes ago, usexpat46 said:

Curious as to why you're getting the 30 day extension after arrival and not just begin the process of getting the Non "O" visa followed by the retirement extension.  Regarding the one way ticket and boarding at SFO, I would check with the airline directly

 

My instinct was to allow myself more time to handle the paperwork.  If it turns out that I can proceed to get the Non-Imm O straightaway, I think I would choose to do that.  I didn't want to have anything get down to the wire.

 

Good point about talking to the airline.