Is flight ticket required before applying for Tourist Visa?

[LisuLover]

Last time I applied for a 60 day tourist visa, I did so before I knew my travel dates.  I'd like to do that again now.  However, things seem to have changed.  Is it the case that you now have to buy your ticket before you apply for the visa?  How does it work for people who won't know their travel plans until last minute?  

[sanemax]

You have to apply online (in the UK) and they require you to put your flight number on the application .

  I dont know whether they check or not 

[BritTim]

I believe you can still apply at the honorary consulates without a confirmed flight, but the "e-visa" system (used to apply through the London embassy) requires you to have one.

[bbi1]

However, things seem to have changed.

 

What makes you think that things have changed? Who told you this?

[ubonjoe]

Many embassies and consulate have been require a ticket in and out of Thailand for a long time.

Where are you applying at?

[DrJack54]

OP, you mention that "last time you applied for 60 day TV......"

Where was this, that an onward flight was not required?

I'm aware that some consulates will accept an onward flight beyond the 60 days if you explain that you intend to apply for extension. Saigon just as one example insist on print out of "confirmed" onward flight. 

 

[elviajero]

It’s always been a requirement to have an onward ticket. Increasingly  embassies/consulates ask to see evidence of it when you apply. Some still don’t, so if it’s a problem, you might be able to choose where you apply depending on your location.

 

If you do have to evidence a ticket most places accept a ticket to anywhere; so you can buy a cheap throwaway ticket.

[Max69xl]

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Many embassies and consulate have been require a ticket in and out of Thailand for a long time.

Where are you applying at?

Not just a ticket, a copy of the receipt for a paid ticket with arrival and departure dates. It's been required in Europe since at least the mid 80's. 

[VBF]

57 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Not just a ticket, a copy of the receipt for a paid ticket with arrival and departure dates. It's been required in Europe since at least the mid 80's. 

None of that WAS required in London as recently as January 2019. That was before the online application process began.

[SunsetT]

29 minutes ago, VBF said:

None of that WAS required in London as recently as January 2019. That was before the online application process began.

Yes. Even though I always had a return flight for 6 months, for an SETV the old form used to ask for the duration of stay, I put 60 days, and mode of transport and destination (I think) on departure. I always wrote truthfully 'bus' to 'Laos' and never had a problem. This winter I have come on a 90 day single-entry non-O based on retirement where no transport details are required. So Im not sure what the dreaded online evisa travel proof is now for a SETV.

[Letseng]

Even some hon. consulates want to see a ticket and accomodation booking.

[freeman01]

I use expedia.com to book a 24h free refundable ticket right before I give my application, works like a charm and got refund on my visa within days.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

1 hour ago, freeman01 said:

I use expedia.com to book a 24h free refundable ticket right before I give my application, works like a charm and got refund on my visa within days.

This might not work depending on your airline. Many, including the last I flew into Thailand with, ANA, won't let you get on the plane without seeing your onward ticket. They know that Thailand wants everyone to have one, and thus they've made a deal to check their passengers.

 

Thus, the 24 hour thing won't work, because if you're like me taking an international flight running up to nearly $1000 US, you're booking your ticket at least a month in advance, unless you want that price to double.

 

My solution and many others, is to buy a cheap throwaway ticket. Nok Air into Laos, for under 1000 baht.

[Peter Denis]

8 minutes ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Thus, the 24 hour thing won't work, because if you're like me taking an international flight running up to nearly $1000 US, you're booking your ticket at least a month in advance, unless you want that price to double.

When you buy a fly-onward rental ticket the price of the flight doesn't matter, as you have no intent to actually take the flight, but simply 'rent' a booking for 24 or 36 hours (cost between 8 and 12 US $).  So obviously you do that in the hours before actually boarding.

[LisuLover]

If I don't get the SETV organised and finish up getting a 30 day stamp at the airport, can I extend it for a further 30 days at immigration in BKK or HKT?

[freeman01]

49 minutes ago, LisuLover said:

If I don't get the SETV organised and finish up getting a 30 day stamp at the airport, can I extend it for a further 30 days at immigration in BKK or HKT?

yes, you can always extend a tourist visa or visa exempt stamp for 30 days, it cost 1900 thb.

[freeman01]

2 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

This might not work depending on your airline. Many, including the last I flew into Thailand with, ANA, won't let you get on the plane without seeing your onward ticket. They know that Thailand wants everyone to have one, and thus they've made a deal to check their passengers.

 

Thus, the 24 hour thing won't work, because if you're like me taking an international flight running up to nearly $1000 US, you're booking your ticket at least a month in advance, unless you want that price to double.

 

My solution and many others, is to buy a cheap throwaway ticket. Nok Air into Laos, for under 1000 baht.

I was advising for requesting a visa at embassy or crossing a border, but I don't see why it wouldn't work for airlines as well ? buy the ticket before boarding in and cancel when you are checked in ?

 

whenever someone asked for a flight ticket, book refundable ticket, show ticket, cancel ticket --> free refund, no fees ---> victory, you hacked the system !

hey 20-30 bucks goes a long way in asia !

[DrJack54]

41 minutes ago, freeman01 said:

I was advising for requesting a visa at embassy or crossing a border, but I don't see why it wouldn't work for airlines as well ? buy the ticket before boarding in and cancel when you are checked in ?

 

whenever someone asked for a flight ticket, book refundable ticket, show ticket, cancel ticket --> free refund, no fees ---> victory, you hacked the system !

hey 20-30 bucks goes a long way in asia !

This is not breaking news. Good advice but thinking limited life span in future. There are also many other providers. eg search "rent a flight ticket" ~ $10 USD.

As mentioned above some flight to nearby countries very cheap. 

[DrJack54]

55 minutes ago, freeman01 said:

yes, you can always extend a tourist visa or visa exempt stamp for 30 days, it cost 1900 thb.

To add...for many imm office in order to apply for an extension to ve or tourist visa you need to have current tm30

[PeteDaKat]

Verbatim from the Thai Consulate, Los Angeles website. LA Consulate TR Visa Page

You need inbound and outbound plane tickets.

Part 4 of the guideline a the single entry TR visa

A copy of flight confirmation/reservation, showing going from US to Thailand and leaving from Thailand (The name of the applicant must indicated clearly)

[orchis]

3 hours ago, LisuLover said:

If I don't get the SETV organised and finish up getting a 30 day stamp at the airport, can I extend it for a further 30 days at immigration in BKK or HKT?

yes

[Jimbo53]

8 hours ago, SunsetT said:

Yes. Even though I always had a return flight for 6 months, for an SETV the old form used to ask for the duration of stay, I put 60 days, and mode of transport and destination (I think) on departure. I always wrote truthfully 'bus' to 'Laos' and never had a problem. This winter I have come on a 90 day single-entry non-O based on retirement where no transport details are required. So Im not sure what the dreaded online evisa travel proof is now for a SETV.

In a word...Horrendous! I ended up arriving on a 30 day VOA,and doing a 30day extension at Immigration.1900 bht,and no BS to fill in.

[Jimbo53]

3 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

To add...for many imm office in order to apply for an extension to ve or tourist visa you need to have current tm30

You will be fined 1600bht on top of the 1900 bht fee at Jomtien Immigration if you don't have a TM30.

[LisuLover]

Please explain what a TM30 is?  And why do some say I'll need one in order to extend an SETV for a further 30 days.  Others don't mention the requirement.  I will apply for SETV extension at Bangkok or Phuket immigration office.

[BritTim]

55 minutes ago, LisuLover said:

Please explain what a TM30 is?  And why do some say I'll need one in order to extend an SETV for a further 30 days.  Others don't mention the requirement.  I will apply for SETV extension at Bangkok or Phuket immigration office.

If you are staying in a regular hotel, you do not need to worry about this.

If you are staying in an apartment/condo or private house, the TM30 will likely be needed. This is a notification by the "possessor" of the property that a foreign person has arrived in the property. It is supposed to be filed by the owner/lessor/renter within 24 hours of your arrival. If they do not do it, Immigration will likely refuse to provide you with any service (including an extension) until you arrange for the possessor to do his duty, including payment of a fine for the delayed notification of somewhere between 800 and 2,000 baht.

If you think this system is absurd, you are not alone.

[SunsetT]

5 hours ago, BritTim said:

If you are staying in a regular hotel, you do not need to worry about this.

If you are staying in an apartment/condo or private house, the TM30 will likely be needed. This is a notification by the "possessor" of the property that a foreign person has arrived in the property. It is supposed to be filed by the owner/lessor/renter within 24 hours of your arrival. If they do not do it, Immigration will likely refuse to provide you with any service (including an extension) until you arrange for the possessor to do his duty, including payment of a fine for the delayed notification of somewhere between 800 and 2,000 baht.

If you think this system is absurd, you are not alone.

Didnt some high up IO state that TM30's are not required by tourists? And in any case if extending a SETV they will assume that he has been staying in hotels and would probably be too lazy to check anyway. Also I doubt if Immigration's online system is sophisticated enough to check where he has been staying for 60 days anyway. If an address is required and his address is not a hotel, just find a hotel on Agoda.com a long way away and give that. If they have any questions on this  he can say that he has just arrived in Phukhet or Bangkok and has not booked into a hotel yet.

[Alidiver]

Yes, It was required in November, in Cardiff for a multi entry tourist so assume it is also required for a single entry.
Also, be aware that the 60 days starts when the visa is issued and not on arrival in LOS.

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, Alidiver said:

Also, be aware that the 60 days starts when the visa is issued and not on arrival in LOS.

The visas 6 month validity starts on the day it is issued.

The 60 day entry it allows starts on the day you enter the country.

[SunsetT]

27 minutes ago, Alidiver said:

Also, be aware that the 60 days starts when the visa is issued and not on arrival in LOS

Wrong! See above.

[Max69xl]

21 hours ago, VBF said:

None of that WAS required in London as recently as January 2019. That was before the online application process began.

Thai Embassy in London requires a copy of a confirmed ticket. A confirmed ticket is a paid ticket.

Same requirement at the consulates in the UK. 

Several embassies in Europe requires a confirmed ticket incl. Arrival and Departure dates.