Short visit with no return ticket booked

[kevin2013]

Might have a 5 day trip to Pattaya next week, but not sure about return date, or might return from Phuket

I know I could probably book a changeable ticket

But my question - can you arrive at Suvarnabhumi just with a one way inbound ticket?? Or is that going to be a problem?

This would be visa exempt on arrival with UK passport

[LASportsNut]

In 25-30 trips I have never had a problem on arrival.

One time, I was in China and the airline (China Southern) gave me a hard time that I was a US Citizen traveling to Thailand without a ticket to return to the USA.

I explained I was retired and was traveling all of Asia and I did not know my return date yet.

They made me sign a waver form releasing them from any liability if I was arrested or detained in Thailand.

[mattmoore1965x]

For the sake of £15, I often book one of those Onward Plane Tickets you can find all over the web.

However, I’ve never been asked for it in Swampy or anywhere else, so apart from making me feel safer, it’s been a waste of money.

Place like this do them : https://onwardticket.com/

[momo5]

For visa exempt, there is a requirement for proof of onward travel within the allowed timeframe.  Could be a bus or train ticket too.  

The onus is on the airlines and boarding your flight to Thailand is where you could encounter a problem.   I typically fly on round trip air tickets, but the few times I’ve had one way tickets I’ve been asked a couple of times for proof of onward travel.  It’s exceedingly rare, but still a possibility.  

If you try checking in early enough and encounter this problem, you’d likely have enough time to book a cheap or fake onward ticket and try checking in again. 

Never heard of anyone being asked for this upon entry at BKK.  Doesn’t mean it’s never happened, but the odds are that it won’t. 

[jaynewcastle]

You will need POOT, but as far as I'm aware, that has to be a flight booking, not a bus or ferry ticket

 

I always buy real flight tickets, rather than buying fake ones as suggested, but up to you

 

Its the airline taking you who can refuse to let you board the flight, Thai immigration very rarely check this.

[allwet]

The airline you are taking to Thailand may ask for proof of an onward ticket. Some airlines will take your word for it while others will demand to see receipts. I recently took Delta/China Airlines and had to show them proof of my return ticket with JAL before getting my boarding pass. If they're real assholes then they will ask for proof of funds. 

[rioman]

9 hours ago, kevin2013 said:

Might have a 5 day trip to Pattaya next week, but not sure about return date, or might return from Phuket

I know I could probably book a changeable ticket

But my question - can you arrive at Suvarnabhumi just with a one way inbound ticket?? Or is that going to be a problem?

This would be visa exempt on arrival with UK passport

As long as I remember I have always used the throwaway/fake tkts that cost $10-15 and I have never had a problem and/or was asked for it.  However, did have an instance on a short trip to Mexico 3 months ago where I was going back to Colombia and had forgot to get one of these tkts.  Sure enough this was a problem at the desk and it seemed quite a bit more complicated to book this kind of tkt while standing in front of the desk.  Moral of this story is book one of these before for less hassle.  

[Leo_Bia]

52 minutes ago, jaynewcastle said:

I always buy real flight tickets, rather than buying fake ones as suggested, but up to you

They are most definitely not "fake" tickets.

[jaynewcastle]

7 minutes ago, Leo_Bia said:

They are most definitely not "fake" tickets.

Can you actually get on the plane & fly to the destination you have booked or is this not possible  ?

 

[rioman]

42 minutes ago, jaynewcastle said:

Can you actually get on the plane & fly to the destination you have booked or is this not possible  ?

 

This is just my understanding, but I believe these "fake" tkts are actually real tkts, but since they are for a future travel period all they are doing is cxlling the tkts within a 24-48hr period of time.  Some people would say why do you just not book/cxl the tkt yourself and I guess if you do not mind doing this right when you get to a new destination than that is a good option.  I usually have other things going on and find this is just a price of convenience.  

[momo5]

1 hour ago, rioman said:

This is just my understanding, but I believe these "fake" tkts are actually real tkts, but since they are for a future travel period all they are doing is cxlling the tkts within a 24-48hr period of time.  Some people would say why do you just not book/cxl the tkt yourself and I guess if you do not mind doing this right when you get to a new destination than that is a good option.  I usually have other things going on and find this is just a price of convenience.  

No.  
 

They’re not tickets at all, but a confirmed reservation.  

onwardtickets.com makes a reservation which generates a PNR which is pending payment in full prior to ticketing.  There is no ticket number issued until payment is confirmed; only a confirmed reservation which is typically held 24-72 hrs depending on the airline.  These onward ticketing agencies are exploiting this distinction and it’s why the ‘onward ticket’ is only good for up to 48hrs.  
 

So, no, they couldn’t be used for actual travel because there is no ticket and a ticket is what is required to obtain a boarding pass and to board.  Likewise, calling them a ‘fake ticket’ isn’t accurate either as one never actually has a valid ticket, only a valid reservation. 
 

I suspect that at some point airlines will find a way to weed these options out as they put unwanted stress on their systems.  

[momo5]

3 hours ago, jaynewcastle said:

You will need POOT, but as far as I'm aware, that has to be a flight booking, not a bus or ferry ticket

 

I always buy real flight tickets, rather than buying fake ones as suggested, but up to you

 

Its the airline taking you who can refuse to let you board the flight, Thai immigration very rarely check this.

Proof of Onward Travel is exactly what it says it is - proof of onward travel.  There’s no mention in the law/regulation that it must be via air, bus, water buffalo, etc.  
 

I can verify that exiting The Kingdom via train is acceptable because I did it once a few years back and was questioned about it as I checked in for my inbound flight.  No reason any other means of conveyance wouldn’t be acceptable though a bit more explanation may be necessary due to the uncommon nature of it.  
 

Yes, most of my travel is with fully refundable/changeable fares or cheap enough one way fares that I’m willing to take the risk of needing to write it off as a loss.  I’m not at a point in my life where I have months at a time to play with and can therefore be more lackadaisical with my itineraries; will figure out effective strategies when that time comes. 

[Leo_Bia]

3 hours ago, jaynewcastle said:

Can you actually get on the plane & fly to the destination you have booked or is this not possible  ?

Well, yes, apart from you have told the website you bought it from to cancel it 48 hours after you land.

[Leo_Bia]

1 hour ago, momo5 said:

onwardtickets.com makes a reservation which generates a PNR which is pending payment in full prior to ticketing.  There is no ticket number issued until payment is confirmed; only a confirmed reservation which is typically held 24-72 hrs depending on the airline.  These onward ticketing agencies are exploiting this distinction and it’s why the ‘onward ticket’ is only good for up to 48hrs.   

The last time I used one, they issued a ticket with Lion Air to Singapore on the date I wanted.

I could check on Lion Airs website and see my booking there.

I was told, that the Airport uses the Amadeus booking system, and I should check it on that system as well, and yes the booking was there.

But, I have never been asked about onward travel, so who knows.

I just think constantly calling these, fake tickets is wrong, and puts BM's off using them, when it might work for them better, than buying and cancelling themselves.

 

[momo5]

3 minutes ago, Leo_Bia said:

The last time I used one, they issued a ticket with Lion Air to Singapore on the date I wanted.

I could check on Lion Airs website and see my booking there.

I was told, that the Airport uses the Amadeus booking system, and I should check it on that system as well, and yes the booking was there.

But, I have never been asked about onward travel, so who knows.

I just think constantly calling these, fake tickets is wrong, and puts BM's off using them, when it might work for them better, than buying and cancelling themselves.

 

That would assume someone is paying for a ticket because tickets are not issued until full payment is received.  
 

While I don’t know the particulars of your situation, I strongly suspect what you were looking at was a confirmed booking reservation with a record locator/passenger name record attached to it as this is what these companies do.  This is very different from a confirmed/issued ticket.  Issuing actual tickets puts too much capital at risk as not all airlines provide full refund to original form of payment in all locations.  

[KyleReading]

You run the very real risk of ground handling at check in offloading you without prood of onward ticket

Immigration have never asked me in 34 years though at Bangkok

Edited July 5, 2023 by KyleReading