Coming into the Kingdom on a 1 way air ticket, how do you handle proof of onward travel ?

[Shamrock71]

For the first time, I will be travelling on a 1 way only flight to LOS, (planning to get a 15 month non O visa when I'm on the ground) but what will happen at immigration checkpoint?

Am I right in assuming they will look for proof of return back out of LOS before the standard 30 days (usually your return ticket) and if so what are my options for getting an onward travel ticket somewhere else, as proof, at the lowest possible price ?  I think I read somewhere of an online service that provides this rather than having to pay for a single flight to Laos/Cambodia/insert cheapest destination, etc  Tried a forum search but couldn't find the info.   What are my options ?

[Gonetothedogs]

1 minute ago, Shamrock71 said:

For the first time, I will be travelling on a 1 way only flight to LOS, (planning to get a 15 month non O visa when I'm on the ground) but what will happen at immigration checkpoint?

Am I right in assuming they will look for proof of return back out of LOS before the standard 30 days (usually your return ticket) and if so what are my options for getting an onward travel ticket somewhere else, as proof, at the lowest possible price ?  I think I read somewhere of an online service that provides this rather than having to pay for a single flight to Laos/Cambodia/insert cheapest destination, etc  Tried a forum search but couldn't find the info.   What are my options ?

Yes they will ask for a return or onward ticket. Recommend just buying an onward AirAsia ticket to Phnom Penh or KL 

[Luv2Phuket]

There are a few theories on this; up to you to decide which one is best:

1. Use a service that gives you a fake ticket that looks real - fairly cheap

2. Book a cheap "throwaway" ticket to a nearby country - also fairly cheap

3. Buy a fully refundable ticket, cancel it and get a refund after arriving in Thailand - higher up front cost and have to wait on your $$$, but, if you do it right, net out of pocket cost should be 0

[Rocketboy]

I moved to and retired here in October 2018 on a one way ticket from US. I was not asked at Immigration about a return or onward ticket.

[Arnie85]

OnwardTicket.com is a trusted site if you need to temporarily rent a ticket. 

[geezerrb]

I retired here November last year, I purchased a ticket from "Onward Ticket" website only cost a few £ and it was checked by the airline at check in at Heathrow. (I may have been refused travel if I didn't have it) It's the carriers responsibility to check rather than Thai Immigration.

[discrete]

2 hours ago, Rocketboy said:

I moved to and retired here in October 2018 on a one way ticket from US. I was not asked at Immigration about a return or onward ticket.

I never get asked for onward ticket with a one way ... but can not self check in when I have a one way ... at check in, they look at the passport and see my O-Visa ... and with that in place you don't need an onward ticket

[Nuffsaid]

My last trip I didn’t have one but used an onward-ticket site just incase. I was not asked about it and had the usual amount of time checking passport and fingerprint scanner.
 

That was last Dec. I’ll do the same thing in June 

[BigLicks]

I flew one-way LHR-BKK,  I had bought an onward ticket at a cost of around £12, I think its probably more now,  as a precaution, the last thing I wanted was a problem at check in, I was not asked for any proof of onward travel,  my luck on the day!

Edited April 10 by BigLicks
reword

[Thomaz73]

4 hours ago, Rocketboy said:

I moved to and retired here in October 2018 on a one way ticket from US. I was not asked at Immigration about a return or onward ticket.

Airline check in is the first issue. If you don't have a visa they're highly likely to require onward travel within 30 days. 

[Rocketboy]

1 minute ago, Thomaz73 said:

Airline check in is the first issue. If you don't have a visa they're highly likely to require onward travel within 30 days. 

I'm aware of all that..... I was a Customer Service ticket counter and gate agent at Delta Airlines. 

 

 

 

 

[Rocketboy]

1 hour ago, BigLicks said:

, I was not asked for any proof of onward travel,  my luck on the day!

Yes it was, because many airline agents would ask. Some not so much.

[travelling_man]

6 hours ago, Luv2Phuket said:

There are a few theories on this; up to you to decide which one is best:

1. Use a service that gives you a fake ticket that looks real - fairly cheap

2. Book a cheap "throwaway" ticket to a nearby country - also fairly cheap

3. Buy a fully refundable ticket, cancel it and get a refund after arriving in Thailand - higher up front cost and have to wait on your $$$, but, if you do it right, net out of pocket cost should be 0

Or 4.

Use your fully refundable reward mileage to have a return ticket and cancel/refund it as soon as you get in the country.

[dayo202]

Go online and book a bus ticket out of Udon Thai to Loas.

Price ticket is less than 300฿, that's your proof of onward travel out of Thailand.

No need to book a fight ticket.

[Rocketboy]

2 hours ago, Rocketboy said:

I'm aware of all that..... I was a Customer Service ticket counter and gate agent at Delta Airlines. 

 

 

 

 

Seems someone is confused, not sure why!!! 555

[kd_traveller]

8 hours ago, Shamrock71 said:

What are my options ?

 

35 minutes ago, dayo202 said:

No need to book a fight ticket.

Assuming you are Irish from you name, I have found that in recent years I have always been asked about an onward ticket in Dublin airport or a visa covering the period of time in Thailand. Apparently also when you have an O-visa an onward ticket is not required but when I mentioned this last week in Dublin the check-in person had no idea what I was talking about!

I am not sure not getting a flight ticket is the best option, all mentions on various Thai embassy websites all say "onward or return flight" as does the American Embassy in Thailand. It is the airline who have always asked me about onward or return travel, never immigration. They will understand what an onward or return flight ticket looks like more than a bus ticket and can even check online to see if it valid. Twice airlines have even taken the onward ticket I did have and entered details into their system!

The reason the airline checks is that they are responsible for the return flight if you are refused entry and in addition can be fined thousands of dollars for each passenger denied entry.  So while a bus or train ticket may technically satisfy, if the airline says it wants proof of return or onward flight, they have the final say!

Better safe than sorry!

[Max5151]

13 minutes ago, kd_traveller said:

 

Assuming you are Irish from you name, I have found that in recent years I have always been asked about an onward ticket in Dublin airport or a visa covering the period of time in Thailand. Apparently also when you have an O-visa an onward ticket is not required but when I mentioned this last week in Dublin the check-in person had no idea what I was talking about!

I am not sure not getting a flight ticket is the best option, all mentions on various Thai embassy websites all say "onward or return flight" as does the American Embassy in Thailand. It is the airline who have always asked me about onward or return travel, never immigration. They will understand what an onward or return flight ticket looks like more than a bus ticket and can even check online to see if it valid. Twice airlines have even taken the onward ticket I did have and entered details into their system!

The reason the airline checks is that they are responsible for the return flight if you are refused entry and in addition can be fined thousands of dollars for each passenger denied entry.  So while a bus or train ticket may technically satisfy, if the airline says it wants proof of return or onward flight, they have the final say!

Better safe than sorry!

This is absolutely correct.

It is the responsibility of the Airline to pay your return flight and any other costs if you are denied entry into Thailand.

So the airline will check if you have an onward or return ticket when you board your flight. 

Before I had a long stay permit, I would always just have a fully refundable ticket onward to Vietnam. Once I passed through Thai immigration I would just cancel it and get a refund. AirAsia are quite good for this. 

[Samadezp]

Onward ticket services are not issuing a ticket, they are issuing a reservation (PNR number). 
To be sure simply use Expedia and cancel the (real/valid) ticket within 24 hours.

Here is a step by step explanation

[Shamrock71]

I like the idea of buying a refundable ticket that I can cancel.  What's the 24 hour thing tho ?  Is that the limit, so you can cancel anytime up to 24 hours before the flight takes off ? 

Or is it that you only have 24 hours after purchase, to cancel it ??

[Luv2Phuket]

24 minutes ago, Shamrock71 said:

I like the idea of buying a refundable ticket that I can cancel.  What's the 24 hour thing tho ?  Is that the limit, so you can cancel anytime up to 24 hours before the flight takes off ? 

Or is it that you only have 24 hours after purchase, to cancel it ??

For tickets purchased in the US (at least on domestic airlines), you generally have 24 hours to cancel and get a refund after purchase.  I don't know if it applies to foreign airlines.

By buying a fully refundable ticket, it should be fully refundable up until about an hour before take-off.

Be sure to read the terms & conditions closely to be certain you get the right kind of ticket -- some charge a cancellation fee; others will refund a credit.  Neither of those are "fully refundable" in my book.  

[Shamrock71]

Yeah just did a check on Kayak and the first few providers I looked at where only offering vouchers or credit and not your money refunded.  I guess you need to go direct with the airlines and find one that is "fully refundable" as you described. Even if its more expensive (I assume) that's what I need - I want as much time as possible to cancel it. So if I choose a flight that takes off 2 or 3 weeks after I land in Thailand, I have plenty of time to cancel it and get a refund.

[bestmate]

I have used bestonwardticket.com a few times for proof of onward ticket with no problems to different countries. Their website has more destinations and also lets you pick your flight and the format of the reservation they send is much more professional looking than the more well-known onwardticket.com

You can also get a Thai tourist visa before your trip and with the tourist visa, you only need to show the airline a one-way ticket.

Edited April 10 by bestmate

[Shamrock71]

3 minutes ago, bestmate said:

I have used bestonwardticket.com a few times for proof of onward ticket with no problems to different countries. Their website has more destinations and also lets you pick your flight and the format of the reservation they send is much more professional looking than the more well-known onwardticket.com

 

You can also get a Thai tourist visa before your trip and with that, you only need a one-way ticket.

Thanks, I'll check them out. That might be the one I was reading about before but couldn't remember their website.

[Luv2Phuket]

13 hours ago, travelling_man said:

Or 4.

Use your fully refundable reward mileage to have a return ticket and cancel/refund it as soon as you get in the country.

A great idea, but you need to be careful which program you use.

American Airlines, for example, has a great policy - cancel before flight with no additional fees.

I have been using AirFrance a lot lately because they had availability (China Air) when I needed, and they hit you for a 70-75 EUR cancellation fee (which would be more than the cost of a throwaway AirAsia ticket or a fake itinerary from bestonwardticket.com)

[Max5151]

4 hours ago, bestmate said:

You can also get a Thai tourist visa before your trip and with the tourist visa, you only need to show the airline a one-way ticket.

Technically you need a long stay visa or work permit etc. 

The issue with short term tourist visas is that you can still be denied entry into Thailand, even though it would be unusual.

There were some of cases pre covid of people being denied entry even with a tourist visa. These cases involved the person being in Thailand for 18 months or more out of the last 2 years on various short term visas or visa on arrival. They were basically trying to stay permantly in Thailand on various short term visas and the Thai immigration cracked down on it.

I personally don't like to take any chances when travelling. Just 1 small paperwork mis-step can ruin an entire trip. Hence I always had a fully refundable ticket out of Thailand before I had a long stay permit.