gejohesch

Where was that? That sounds excessive! Pictures? What pictures? The embassy I deal with (in the EU) issued me a TR visa twice already, and each time I had a return ticket with a return date way past the 60 days (initial) period. Then again, I did a bit of prior explanation to them about my plans.

Ah, that's interesting! Your experience is the same then as the one of Persimmon (reply just before yours) : airlines can ask for an onward ticket even with a TR visa. This is new to me but I must say, I had doubts (hence my starting this post). So now, I will modify my plan (exposed above) and will factor in a side trip outside Thailand at the end of the 60 days TR visa period. I planned a side trip anyway for later on, after a 30 days TR visa extension, so making it earlier is no issue. I will get a 45 days visa exemption when coming back to Thailand. To recap: Option 3 = Option 1 Modified: TR Visa 60 days + Visa exemption 45 days = total 105 days That beats "Option 1 = 90 days" with an additional benefit in doing so : I will not even have to bother about the TR visa extension! Also, I will then have a flight booked outside Thailand before the end of the initial 60 days TR Visa period, which I will be able to show when checking in when departing from Europe.

"If you didn't have a visa or reentry permit and were planning on entering visa exempt the airline may wish to see onward flight within 30 days (currently 45). The availability of 30 day extensions does not come into it. The airline clerk was correct. You were wrong. " That's correct as far as I know. "OP, answer from @steve187 sums it up. Depending on your recent history in Thailand you could consider visa exempt entry. WIth "onward flight.com" you can rent a onward flight. At 45day vs 60 day the visa exempt good option. " That's really the point. As long as the visa exemption was 30 days, I preferred to get a 60 days TR visa which a) I could easily extend once in Thailand; b) avoided the request of "proof of exit" by the airline when checking in; c) avoided the need of a "border hop" - easier and less costly to extend the visa at the local immigration bureau, compared to making a short trip out of Thailand and back in. However, with the current 45 days visa exemption, I am now hesitating. Hence starting this discussion. I'm aware of the possibility to "rent an onward flight". Never done it before and I'm a bit weary about online scams (so many of them!). Anyone has recent experience with that option? At this point, I will try to recap: I have 2 options : Option 1 = TR visa vs Option 2 = visa exemptions. There are 5 points to consider when comparing these 2 options: point A = total duration of stay possible point B = costs point C = any issue when checking in for departure flight? point D = any issue at immigration when arriving in BKK? point E = convenience So here I go: point A = total duration of stay possible: Option 1 gives me 60 + 30 days extension = 90 days total Option 2 gives me 45 + 45 days again after "border hop" = 90 days total Verdict : no difference between the 2 options. point B = costs Option 1 : cost of TR Visa = 40 EUR + cost of 30 days extension = sthg around 2000 THB if I remember correctly : petrol consumption for return trip to local immigration bureau (120 kms return trip), cost of extension itself + cost of a document certifying my address in Thailand (500 THB at the immigration bureau). Total : 40 EUR + 50 EUR (2000 THB) = 90 EUR Option 2 : I would say close to 100 EUR : petrol consumption for a 500 km return trip to Nong Khai where my Thai partner will drop me, 30 USD visa at the Laos border etc; plus most likely a 1 night stay at a hotel either in Vientiane or in Nong Khai. Verdict : these are obviously cost estimates and can only be approximate, but all in all I cannot see any real difference between the 2 options. point C = any issue when checking in for departure flight? Option 1 = TR Visa. No questioning by airlines when checking in. Option 2 = visa exemption (followed by border hop). Possible request by airline to show proof of exit before end of 45 days visa exemption period. Verdict : as I will have a return booking from Europe and back over a 3 1/2 months period, Option 1 is better. Option 2 would add the need to have "onward trip rental" to be safe. point D = any issue at immigration when arriving in BKK? Option 1 = TR Visa. Option 2 = visa exemption (followed by border hop). Possibility of more questioning at immigration if I only have a return booking to Europe 3 1/2 months later. Verdict : Option 1 is better. point E = convenience Option 1 = TR Visa. My local Thailand embassy is at an easy 1/2 bus trip from where I live. I'm very used to putting together the docs required for the visa application, plus the procedure has become simpler than during the last 2+ years when COVID was raging around. The Thai consulate does not ask me to provide an insurance anymore. There is no ASQ, no Thai Entry Permit anymore etc. The visa extension would be an affair of a few hours going to the local immigration, doing the extension and back. Option 2 = visa exemption (followed by border hop). As said above, that would be a 500 km round trip to Nong Khai and back, plus crossing the border etc. Verdict : Option 1 is better. Faster for sure. Bottom Line : Option 1 = 60 days TR Visa + 30 days extension comes out as better option. I'm aware this was a long rambling, but I had to go through the whole thinking process and had to write it all down for clarity. So why not write it here to allow reactions, further advice etc? In any case, thanks for your patience!

"no return ticket needed with a tourist visa" Thanks for a clear answer. That's also what I understood were the rule, a few months ago at least. "immigration will not worry about a return ticket, but they may worry about lots of other things, ie hotel, etc " That fits with my own experience. I cannot count anymore how many times I entered Thailand over the years, but was never ever asked about anything. That seems to have changed this last year or so, when I was quizzed about the address I gave (my Thai partner's address up country). "before 31st March you will get 45 days stamp on a visa exempt entry, you will not do a 'visa run' it will be a 'border hop'" Thanks. 45 days, will that also be the case if entering via land? Thailand has at times (often?) made different rules for entries via air and via land routes. Thanks for the correction "border hop"! ????

"Maybe I will check with the airline before departure this time , just to be sure ." I may be a bit paranoid but I would not even trust that, unless getting a written statement from the airlines, which I doubt could be easily obtained. As for getting some sort of statement via an online chat, who would guarantee me that I would not get the opinion / interpretation of the rules of one (or a few) airlines rep(s) at a given moment, and that I would be faced with the opinion / interpretation of the rules of other airlines reps at the time of checking in?

Thanks for the reply ..... but "It does not change often"??????? ????????

I'm aware these may be recurrent questions but as the rules and regulations tend to change rather often in Thailand, I prefer to open a fresh discussion to ask the 3 following questions: 1) I will get a TR visa that allows me to stay 60 days in Thailand, and will get a 30 days extension at my local immigration bureau. I've done that a few times before, so that's not the question. However, I plan to book return flights from Europe and back with 3 1/2 months between the dates of entry and exit to/from Thailand. Will that cause a problem when checking at the departure point in Europe? I know by experience that if going without a visa, therefore planning to enter Thailand with a visa exemption, the airlines may ask for the proof of an exit ticket from Thailand before the end of the visa exemption period. This has happened to me twice and by chance I could prove the "timely" exit. Otherwise, clearly the airlines would not have accepted me on the flights out of Europe. With a TR visa (60 days), my understanding is that the airlines will not ask for proof of "timely" exit. Can someone confirm this? 2) My second question is similar to question 1), but at the immigration control when entering Thailand (will be BKK). Is there any risk of immigration raising an issue with a TR visa of 60 days and the return flight 3 1/2 months later? 3) If not getting a 30 days extension at the local immigration bureau, I may just make a visa run to Laos for 1 day. As I understand it, that would give me a fresh 30 days stay (on the visa exemption basis) when re-entering Thailand. Is that still applicable, or may I get a full 45 days' stay on re-entry (since the 30 days visa exemption period has recently been extended to 45 days)? I hope I have laid out my questions clearly enough. To be honest, even with so many years of travel experience, I still get confused with all those rules and regs!

"99% of Thais ..... wear masks everywhere" Yeah, that's what we see in our local ampheu city. 99% of the people on motorcycles wear a mask, which is totally stupid : how on earth can you catch the virus in free open air, especially when going at speed? At the same time, 90% of the same people do not wear a helmet. Go figure!

My wife (Thai) is 48 years old. She is still very good looking and far from being in urgent need of rejuvenating her looks, but gradually the years start showing. Lots of wrinkles around the eyes; just a hint of double chin showing at times. I have promised her to pay for cosmetic surgery. I imagine it would be sthg like a face and chin lift. We are not interested at all in changing the shape of the eyes or nose (I cannot understand that craze so many Asians have to get western looking features). The problem is that one gets totally lost with the number of sites advertising on the web, and all of them claiming to be top of the notch etc. But I know from experience that the reality is often not as good as what is being claimed. Thailand is world-class when it comes to presenting a good face on whatever you want. So, I would be very grateful if some of you with direct, tangible experience, would share their views and recommendations. I would think of getting it done in Bangkok, a priori, but would not entirely rule out Khon Kaen. I appreciate that good surgery is likely to be expensive but better pay the price and get sthg good done!