Do i need proof of onward travel if coming in on SEV?

[Charged]

title says it all

[Crossy]

No.

 

[Csaw]

2 minutes ago, Crossy said:

No.

 

Thanks Crossy. You wouldn't happen to have any source you could share of that being the case would you?

 

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, Csaw said:

Thanks Crossy. You wouldn't happen to have any source you could share of that being the case would you?

I've only ever seen the "must have onward travel if on a visa exempt" rule actually written down, the implication being you don't need onward if you have a visa.

 

I'm sure someone will be along with the actual ruling, hello @ubonjoe ????

 

[ubonjoe]

31 minutes ago, Csaw said:

You wouldn't happen to have any source you could share of that being the case would you?

it is a well know fact that a return or onward ticket is not required to enter the country if you have a valid visa for entry. 

[Csaw]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

it is a well know fact that a return or onward ticket is not required to enter the country if you have a valid visa for entry. 

Was wondering when you would show up! ????

 

Yeah, i might have heard it. But i am yet to see any official citing which says so. If you know of any, could you throw one my way?

[Loaded]

However, evidence of return/onward travel may be a visa requirement of the consulate/embassy where you apply for your visa.

[dean2926]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

it is a well know fact that a return or onward ticket is not required to enter the country if you have a valid visa for entry. 

Recently applied for a SETV in Sydney, Australia and they required proof of an onward ticket, booked accommodation and 20,000 Thai baht.

As an Australian I have been coming to Thailand for nine years and this is the first time they have required these three documents.

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, Loaded said:

However, evidence of return/onward travel may be a visa requirement of the consulate/embassy where you apply for your visa.

Correct for transit and tourist visas but not for non immigrant visa as shown here on the MFA website. Also for tourist visa it does not say it has to be within the allowed stay of 60 days. http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html

 

 

[Csaw]

1 hour ago, Loaded said:

However, evidence of return/onward travel may be a visa requirement of the consulate/embassy where you apply for your visa.

Asking about immigration at the Thai airport when arriving with a SEV which had already been issued by the embassy

[elviajero]

Anyone entering as a Tourist is expected to have an onward/return ticket. The onus is with the embassy/consulate issuing the SETV to check you have one. Immigration do not, as a rule, check if you have one on entry.

 

The only time they might ask to see one is if the visitor is a long term tourist and the IO is considering denying entry because they’ve stayed too long as a tourist.

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, Csaw said:

Asking about immigration at the Thai airport when arriving with a SEV which had already been issued by the embassy

Past reports indicate the IOs at Bankok-Airport checkpoints could say/do anything.  Others with valid TR-Visas have been forced to buy tickets - in some cases tickets to "their home country" - before being allowed to enter.  This is not due to any actual law or rule - but because an IO has the power to detain/reject-entry, and wanted to make someone buy an expensive ticket they have no intention of ever using.  There is apparently no oversight to prevent this sort of abuse.

 

As to whether or not they will choose to do this to you, having a visa lowers the odds of problems considerably.  It is impossible to say for sure, because the IOs at that checkpoint abide by no known rules - but, generally, if you have been here for longer-periods in recent years, the odds of problems are higher.  There is no known stay-period which crosses the line to "too long" - so it's up to how the IO and their supervisor(s) feel at that moment.  Appearance and age may also be factors, but some older folks have been given the nth degree, so being older is no guarantee.

 

To increase your odds of getting through the gauntlet, be sure to have at least 20K Baht worth of cash or travelers checks when you board the plane.  More is better.  Having at least this amount of cash is a published-rule, and has often been used as a reason to deny-entry to those with valid visas.  Note that there are No ATMs between de-boarding and immigration.