Is Immigration Checking Return Flight Tickets Now?

[llothar]

I came here last week and in Duesseldorf/Germany i startet a conversation with the lady at the check-in counter. She told me that the airline (LTU) had a lot of people without a Visa and no return flight who were not allowed to enter Thailand and were sent back immediately. She said it started about two weeks ago.

In the past i never saw any immigration person at the airport checking the return flight ticket. Can somebody else confirm that this is happening now?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I came here last week and in Duesseldorf/Germany i startet a conversation with the lady at the check-in counter. She told me that the airline (LTU) had a lot of people without a Visa and no return flight who were not allowed to enter Thailand and were sent back immediately. She said it started about two weeks ago.

In the past i never saw any immigration person at the airport checking the return flight ticket. Can somebody else confirm that this is happening now?

The airline checkin staff co that check.

[IMA_FARANG]

I came here last week and in Duesseldorf/Germany i startet a conversation with the lady at the check-in counter. She told me that the airline (LTU) had a lot of people without a Visa and no return flight who were not allowed to enter Thailand and were sent back immediately. She said it started about two weeks ago.

In the past i never saw any immigration person at the airport checking the return flight ticket. Can somebody else confirm that this is happening now?

The legal requirement for many years (at least 25 years) is that a person arriving without a Tourist Visa or other visa issued by a Thai consulate and entitled to to a passort stamp on arrival (often mistakenly called visa on arrival) for a 30 day stay must show evidence of a ticket departing Thailand to a further destination after the expiration of his/her 30 day arrival stamp. It is the responsibility of the AIRLINE that brings the traveler to Thailand to verify this before the traveller leaves their home country.

In the past the immigration has not normally been enforcing/checking this requirement on arrival. However, immigration is legally required to make a check of the traveller arriving. In the past they just often have not bothered to check. The law stipulates that the AIRLINE who brings the traveller is responsible for their return or removal from Thailand if they are not admitted to Thailand by Thai immigration rules.

Therefore, with the current climate of strict enforcement of Thai immigration rules, it would be extremely wise for a traveller arriving without a visa; and expecting a stamp-on-arrival; be prepared to show an onward ticket (out of Thailand) to immigration when they land in Thailand.

Remember, this not have to be a ticket to country of origin (home) just a vailid tickrt to a destination outside of Thailand, It could be to a neighboring country.

Just a word-to the wise as they say,

[Crossy]

No idea about immigration, but Thai are checking onward tickets on departure from Manila, no ticket and no visa = no boarding.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

No idea about immigration, but Thai are checking onward tickets on departure from Manila, no ticket and no visa = no boarding.

Most carriers same same.

[Krub]

On my more than 80 flights into Thailand over the last 10 years I have yet to be asked to show a return or onward ticket from Thailand by the check-in staff. I mostly fly in from Tokyo, Singapore or Sydney with Thai, Singapore Airlines or All Nippon Airlines in business or first class.

The last incoming flight was with Thai International on February 3 from Hongkong.

[lopburi3]

The original post is about Immigration checking and not allowing entry. This has always been a rule but enforced selectively (on flights/nationalities were they expected a number of overstays were possible). It would appear from airline statement that it was more strictly enforced starting several weeks ago so either that airline has now become suspect or there is a general increase in this checking.

Best advise continues to be to obtain a visa when you plan vacation travel and only use visa exempt entry for local travel/emergencies.

[thaihome]

On my more than 80 flights into Thailand over the last 10 years I have yet to be asked to show a return or onward ticket from Thailand by the check-in staff. I mostly fly in from Tokyo, Singapore or Sydney with Thai, Singapore Airlines or All Nippon Airlines in business or first class.

The last incoming flight was with Thai International on February 3 from Hongkong.

In my 7+ years of flying into Bangkok from various Asian and US cities, I have also never been questioned on onward or return tickets. But, in virtually every instance of flying in without return, the airline has looked in my passport for proper visa or re-entry permit. When I was using my now expired 48 page passport I often had to help them locate the current re-entry permit. New passport is not so full, so current re-entry permit is fairly easy to find. Last trip into Bangkok was on TG 23 Feb 07 from Singapore and they looked.

TH

[jackspratt]

Maybe it is the combination of no visa + no outward flight that is the problem. If you have one of them, not having the other should not be such a problem.

But maybe I am wrong (not for the first time )

[abdulrahman]

Maybe it is the combination of no visa + no outward flight that is the problem. If you have one of them, not having the other should not be such a problem.

But maybe I am wrong (not for the first time )

You'r right,this time!

[sonicdragon]

This happened to a friend of mine last month. He was refused entry at suvarnabhumi - no return ticket and no visa.

In the past I have been asked to sign an indemnity by cathay pacific in HKG, whereby I would reimburse them for costs if repatriated from thailand on their airline, although I was never questioned in BKK.

[Thai-Spy]

To further the discussion...

What minimum standard of proof is required? Physical ticket, e-ticket or merely a reservation?

And is an air ticket strictly required or would a train ticket to Butterworth, Malaysia suffice?

[Axel]

Tickets and e-tickets should be ok. (Never understood why e-ticket, which everybody can type)

Train- or bus tickets are, AFAIK, not aceptable, depends, of course how you explain to the airline staff at check-in.

Edited typo

Edited February 26, 2007 by Axel

[thaihome]

This happened to a friend of mine last month. He was refused entry at suvarnabhumi - no return ticket and no visa.

...

This was after the airline let him on the plane? I believe this is very rare. If it is true, than the airline is subject to a fine and must pay the cost of returning him. Where did they detain him until his return flight left? The movie Terminal was really neat, but in fact that is not what happens (at least in Asian airports).

TH

Edited February 26, 2007 by thaihome

[jackspratt]

Maybe it is the combination of no visa + no outward flight that is the problem. If you have one of them, not having the other should not be such a problem.

But maybe I am wrong (not for the first time )

You'r right,this time!

Whew!!!! Thanks Abdul - maybe I am on a streak, and will be right again tomorrow. Look forward to your confirmation

jack

[dddave]

Last year, my GF and I took one of those cheap 2 night package deals from BKK to Singapore; outbound was on Cathay-Pacific, return on Finnair. I was on the end of a double entry visa and planned to get a 30 entry permit on our return.

Finnair refused to allow me to board the return flight as I had never thought to bring my return ticket to the USA along for this short trip. I had to run to the Air Asia counter and buy a return trip to Singapore from BKK before they would let me on. I damm near missed the flight...not a relaxing end to a weekend away!

[JonnieB]

Interesting posts...I have traveled in and out of LOS for the past 7 years on a Western passport. Sometime with and sometimes without visas, but never with an oneward ticket. Never once have I been refused entry by BKK airport immigration personnel. Maybe I was just lucky. I did have a short discussion about not having a visa or outbound ticket by a Philippine Airlines check-in staff in Manila a few years back but a little huffing and puffing on my part and she put me on.

On my most recent trip, again to the Philippines, i was again without visa or outbound ticket. This was just last week. The flight was on Cebu Pacific and I had no problem boarding or entering LOS. Again, I guess I was just lucky. In future, it looks like I will carry with me an open ticket to SNG or someplace with me when I go on visa runs.

[lamphun]

More scaremongering by the sound of it.

[jfk]

Maybe it is the combination of no visa + no outward flight that is the problem. If you have one of them, not having the other should not be such a problem.

But maybe I am wrong (not for the first time )

You'r right,this time!

Whew!!!! Thanks Abdul - maybe I am on a streak, and will be right again tomorrow. Look forward to your confirmation

jack

i,m arriving in los on 8th march. already checked with consulate in hull about my one way ticket. told her i was flying with lufthansa (she said no problems with them) and as long as i had my multi o it would be fine. i want to travel all around asia and so dont know if i will be flying out of los or china and when, so dont want to buy return ticket.

as long as you have a proper visa then no problems (i hope).

[chuchok]

i,m arriving in los on 8th march. already checked with consulate in hull about my one way ticket. told her i was flying with lufthansa (she said no problems with them) and as long as i had my multi o it would be fine. i want to travel all around asia and so dont know if i will be flying out of los or china and when, so dont want to buy return ticket.

as long as you have a proper visa then no problems (i hope).

If you have a multi O, then you have no problem whatsoever.

[Krub]

More scaremongering by the sound of it.

Maybe so but the immigration rule is : air ticket out of Thailand required within 30 days of arrival if no visa and on a visa waiver allowed passport.

It is wise to have the ticket with you even if the airlines do not check it upon departure and Thai immigration might not ask for it.

better still travel with a valid visa and don't worry about counting days or return air tickets

[oooooo]

in 15 years i was never asked that question

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Maybe it is the combination of no visa + no outward flight that is the problem. If you have one of them, not having the other should not be such a problem.

But maybe I am wrong (not for the first time )

You'r right,this time!

Whew!!!! Thanks Abdul - maybe I am on a streak, and will be right again tomorrow. Look forward to your confirmation

jack

You never know Jacko. May the force be with you

[sonicdragon]

This was after the airline let him on the plane? I believe this is very rare. If it is true, than the airline is subject to a fine and must pay the cost of returning him.

I believe this is part of the reason that some airlines make you sign an indemnity when you check in.

Where did they detain him until his return flight left? The movie Terminal was really neat, but in fact that is not what happens (at least in Asian airports).

TH

I'm afraid I don't know. I don't think it was a horror story otherwise I'm sure he would have said. He took a flight out within a few hours that he had to pay for.