Visit Thailand and Malaysia - proof onward travel

[mja1906]

I am asking for my parents (in the UK) who want to visit Thailand and Malaysia for 160days total. They want to keep their options flexible, with regards to if and when to visit Malaysia from Thailand. As currently they would need to quarantine in Malaysia and they are trying to avoid this. Is it better to get a 60 day tourist visa, or fly in on a 30day visa exemption? A tourist visa seems more complicated now because you need to show proof of onward travel, and they don't know if or when they will leave for Malaysia. 

 

Pre-covid times, they used to arrive in Thailand on a 30days exemption, then extend at local immigration office (Chiang Mai) for 30 days, then fly to Malaysia, spend 30-60days there, then fly back to Thailand on another 30 days exemption before returning to the UK. However since covid, I'm not sure you can still extend the 30days exemption now? And if they are able to, they would have still needed to show onward proof of travel after 30days, so wouldn't this be a wasted ticket? How do people get around this? If seems that whatever option, they need to show onward proof of travel, how can they do this when they are not sure when they will leave? Thanks 

[ubonjoe]

When entering visa exempt the airline would be likely to ask to see a ticket out of the country within 30 days. Immigration will not ask for it.

Having a low cost one way ticket to anywhere would be accepted. Or they get a temporary onward ticket for around $12 for one of many sites offering them (search for onward ticket and you will find several of them).

The same type of tickets could be used to apply for a tourist visa.

[Chad3000]

Thailand first. Malaysia weather will get better around March.

[lyskamm]

21 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

When entering visa exempt the airline would be likely to ask to see a ticket out of the country within 30 days. Immigration will not ask for it.

Having a low cost one way ticket to anywhere would be accepted. Or they get a temporary onward ticket for around $12 for one of many sites offering them (search for onward ticket and you will find several of them).

The same type of tickets could be used to apply for a tourist visa.

Are these cheap onward tickets like onward.ticket.com a valid option?

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, lyskamm said:

Are these cheap onward tickets like onward.ticket.com a valid option?

Yes 

BTW cost? about 12usd?

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by DrJack54

[mja1906]

 

On 11/6/2021 at 3:18 PM, Chad3000 said:

Thailand first. Malaysia weather will get better around March.

Really? I did not know that, and that's when the air in Chiang Mai is very bad

[Chad3000]

1 hour ago, mja1906 said:

 

Really? I did not know that, and that's when the air in Chiang Mai is very bad

Perhentians are nice starting March-ish April on.

 

Best months in Bali (Indo) and that area are June July. Coolish, maybe some bit of breeze and dry.

[JimmyJ]

On 11/6/2021 at 3:04 PM, ubonjoe said:

When entering visa exempt the airline would be likely to ask to see a ticket out of the country within 30 days. Immigration will not ask for it.

Having a low cost one way ticket to anywhere would be accepted. Or they get a temporary onward ticket for around $12 for one of many sites offering them (search for onward ticket and you will find several of them).

The same type of tickets could be used to apply for a tourist visa.

 

"When entering visa exempt the airline would be likely to ask to see a ticket out of the country within 30 days."

 

I've been aware of this and have complied with it, but I do have a question.

 

My understanding of the rationale for this is that one may be turned down if one does not have a Visa, and the airline then has to take the passenger back to the point of departure.

The ticket is some sort of assurance that the passenger has the financial means of repaying the airline for the forced return?

 

But how does a ticket for a flight 30 days in the future help that situation?

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

But how does a ticket for a flight 30 days in the future help that situation?

The assumption is that the ticket could be changed if a person was denied entry.

It is also meant to prove a person has the means to leave the country after 30 days. That rule was done before the 30 day extension was allowed in 2014.