Can Thai's Transit Through Beijing (PEK) Without Visa?

[meer93]

Hey guys,

 

Are Thai passport holders/residents permitted to transit through Beijing international airport without a visa? Nothing I have read would suggest it, however, I'd like to be sure.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china/708095-china-24-72-144-hour-transit-without-visa-twov-rules-master-thread.html

link above states specifically that Thai's are ineligible, but not sure of the authenticity of the source.

any further information would be greatly appreciated.

[KhunBENQ]

From you source:

Quote

The wording in TIMATIC is not overly clear and it may appear the restriction to these nationalities only applies for transits in Urumqi (URC). This is not the case, with several reports in this thread of pax on Malaysian and Thai passports being refused TWOV through other Chinese cities including Beijing (PEK). If you are travelling on one of these passports you are advised to apply for a visa, or route your travel so it does not transit China

I have looked up the timatic information and it is indeed unclear what the restrictions for Thais refer to.

 

But after reading again and again I can only find a restriction referring to Xianmen.

I hope someone with experience can tell.

 

What is the final destination?

 

 - This does not apply to nationals of Thailand in transit

   through Xiamen (XMN). 

 - This does not apply to nationals of Thailand at Xiamen

   (XMN).

[KhunBENQ]

A link where you can query the timatic info yourself:

(others might exist)

 

https://cms.olympicair.com/timatic/webdocsI/spdbmainv.html

Edited April 13, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[sometimewoodworker]

4 hours ago, meer93 said:

Are Thai passport holders/residents permitted to transit through Beijing international airport without a visa?

Your question is not really clear.

 

Do you mean transit using the airside secure area from one flight to a connecting flight for no more than 24 hours? If so then I can see nothing preventing that.

 

Or do you mean leaving the airport for a short period.? If you mean the 72 hour visa free entry then no Thailand is not one of the 51 permitted countries.

 

Under most circumstances a Thai citizen must have a visa to clear Chinese immigration for any period of stay (I have personal experience of one condition where entry was permitted without a visa, it was unusual and not relevant to you)

[sometimewoodworker]

FWIW if you are talking about a normal transit (inside the secure airside area) most countries consider that as international space for most purposes, as technically you have already left the country that the airport is in, so visa requirements don't usually apply.

 

A problem could happen if however you are, for example, an Israeli citizen transiting a Muslim country and you onward flight is cancelled as you cannot enter the country so will probably have to stay airside for however many hours or days it takes to get a new flight, AFIK transit is still permitted.

Edited April 13, 2018 by sometimewoodworker

[meer93]

thank you for the answers, guys. To be specific, yes, she has a connecting flight in less than 24 hrs, and she will be inside the secure airside area for the full duration of her layover.

[sometimewoodworker]

13 hours ago, meer93 said:

thank you for the answers, guys. To be specific, yes, she has a connecting flight in less than 24 hrs, and she will be inside the secure airside area for the full duration of her layover.

No problem, no restrictions.

 

I don't believe that Beijing has any different airside transit rules to Shanghai, my wife (Thai) and I spent quite a few hours in transit there.

 

One very important point make absolutely sure that her bags are checked through to the final destination. Do not permit them to be checked through to Beijing UNDER ANY   Circumstances what ever the Check-in staff say. If they are checked through to Beijing it will cause a problem DAMHIKT. 

Edited April 14, 2018 by sometimewoodworker

[DipStick]

14 hours ago, meer93 said:

thank you for the answers, guys. To be specific, yes, she has a connecting flight in less than 24 hrs, and she will be inside the secure airside area for the full duration of her layover.

She may have an issue as Beijing Airport has three Terminals, if she is landing and taking off from the same terminal, should not be an issue, if she is landing at T3 (international terminal) but departing from T1 or T 2, then she will have to clear immigration, which could throw up problems. The distance for example between T1 and T 3 is 7kms and there are shuttle buses, meaning she has to go landside.

[sometimewoodworker]

8 hours ago, DipStick said:

She may have an issue as Beijing Airport has three Terminals, if she is landing and taking off from the same terminal, should not be an issue, if she is landing at T3 (international terminal) but departing from T1 or T 2, then she will have to clear immigration, which could throw up problems. The distance for example between T1 and T 3 is 7kms and there are shuttle buses, meaning she has to go landside.

I have had experience of being with a Thai national with no visa clearing immigration in china in transit, it isn't fast, it isn't pleasant it is possible. You should be sure that there is a much longer transit time than is usual to allow for the inevitable delays 6 to 8 hours may  be enough, 2 hours almost was not DAMHIKT 

 

It is also very unlikely that any airline will allow a passenger to board a flight if they know that the will not be permitted to transit. Because the will then have to off load the baggage and fly them back 

 

Beijing airport Read and shudder

[rct99q]

Hi all,

 

If you have travelled is it possible to provide an update. My family I just came back to Canada and decided not to go via China because there were reports of airlines not taking thais without a transit visa.

I contacted china eastern airlines and they asked for a visa.

Xiamen airlines is asking for visas via Xiamen.

But other cities it is unclear.

Going via China is usually cheaper but prefer using JL with good flight times.