Return air tickets now required for entry to Thailand ?

[cdemundo]

On 6/11/2022 at 7:18 PM, sandyf said:

Exactly.

I do not understand why people keep dragging the the airlines into it.  It has always been a Thai requirement based on visa status.

I have read in several places (sorry can't provide link) that it is the airline that will refuse boarding if you don't have onward ticket.

 

That seems to be for some reason in the airlines best interest not sure the details of that.

[Lemsta69]

On 6/12/2022 at 9:18 AM, sandyf said:

Exactly.

I do not understand why people keep dragging the the airlines into it.  It has always been a Thai requirement based on visa status.

ser, it's a fairly basic concept. airlines can be held responsible for repatriating passengers that don't meet the entry requirements of the destination country(ies). 

 

so they screen the passengers before flying them halfway around the world. speeds up immigration queues too because the IOs don't need to wait 5 minutes for the passengers to extract their onward tickets from their bumbags. simples. 

[LikeItHot]

Another rule by another moron who fails to realize there is more than one way to exit a country.

[heybuz]

As the consul has closed permanently in my town and I'm not inclined to send all my guff to the embassy for my normal visa can i come visa exempt for 30 days apply for another 30 days and change return date with airline,THE AIRLINE IM INTENDING TO GO WITH IS ALLOWING CHANGE OF DATE IF BOOKED BEFORE JULY 22. SORRY ABOUT CAPS DODGY keyboard and maybe silly question.

[DrJack54]

14 minutes ago, heybuz said:

can i come visa exempt for 30 days apply for another 30 days and change return date with airline,

Not a problem.

 

[Captain Monday]

The requirement has always been there.  I have flown to Thailand "dozens of times" with  one way tickets or even with no ticket at all, as a supernumerary crew member on personal travel. Seems  certain countries airports and airlines are more strict. I fly from Japan Korea Taiwan or Hong Kong. 

There  was once or twice I had to sign a form acknowledging I was responsible for any costs of being denied entry. Never had a problem.

[Dawesy]

It has always been a requirement when entering visa exempt or on a tourist visa , in the past they haven't enforced it but maybe they are starting to now .

[sandyf]

11 hours ago, cdemundo said:

I have read in several places (sorry can't provide link) that it is the airline that will refuse boarding if you don't have onward ticket.

 

That seems to be for some reason in the airlines best interest not sure the details of that.

You should read the airlines conditions of carriage.

[sandyf]

9 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

ser, it's a fairly basic concept. airlines can be held responsible for repatriating passengers that don't meet the entry requirements of the destination country(ies). 

It is a fairly basic concept that you read the airlines conditions of carriage.

I suspect like many you just tick the box.

[Big Bert]

16 hours ago, riclag said:

What does the supervisor /mgr  check ! is there documentation that we can show

them in case a Super/mgr . become perplexed ? Maybe I'm over thinking this.

I'm not sure what they check, it was more someone with experience to deal with it. They may have come across this before or they may have a site with entry requirements. RTE site states an onward ticket not required with certain visas. Keep a copy of the link on your phone.

 

I had an issues during the pandemic regarding exemption from PCR testing, KLM had a tablet with government entry requirements and still couldn't understand it.

 

[DFPhuket]

I'm on a retirement extension and frequently travel internationally. When I'm flying to Thailand I'm inevitably asked at check in about my flight leaving Thailand. I just say, "I have a visa and re-entry permit. Let me show you in my passport," and that is sufficient. 

 

Many airlines use an IATA system called Thimatic. Here is a link that allows you can check entry requirements based on your passport, destination and immigration status. It tells you (and an airline check in agent) about Covid and other entry requirements. If you don't have a re-entry permit, it indicates an onward flight out of Thailand is required. 

 

If passengers are refused entry to Thailand, the airline is responsible for flying them back. Not checking and following the rules is a costly mistake. I'm certain the agent who completed the check in would have hell to pay should that happen. 

[sandyf]

19 hours ago, DFPhuket said:

If passengers are refused entry to Thailand, the airline is responsible for flying them back. Not checking and following the rules is a costly mistake. I'm certain the agent who completed the check in would have hell to pay should that happen. 

If you read the conditions of carriage you will it is the passengers responsibility to comply with entry requirements and that the passenger is also responsible for any costs arising from refusal of entry.

Not as clear cut as many would like to make out.

[merijn]

On 6/12/2022 at 2:19 AM, Onerak said:

Immigration and the airlines can always ask for a return ticket. The did not ask before does not guarantee that they won't ask in the future. I have travelled to Europe (schengen countries) numerous times with one way ticket and and an US passport but one  time the IO in Zurich insisted that I must have a ticket out of a Schengen country within the three months time period.  I booked a ticket from Portugal to UK to be able to enter Zurich. And unfortunately when I tried to enter UK, I was denied entry because I had just visited UK a few months before my entry to France, a Schengen country. 

For Thailand you only need a onward ticket when arriving on visa exempt or Visa on Arrival (TR15).

All others including tourist visas (TR60) don't need a onward ticket.

As airlines are financial responsibly when somebody is denied entry due to this it is understandable that the airlines will check for this.

[NativeBob]

Only been asked once back in 1997 or 1998 at SG Airlines. However some guys (and even girls) been "cursed with instant "show mee your ticket from" requests. Just like that 20K proof or insurance - pure luck. 

Edited June 15, 2022 by NativeBob

[EricTh]

On 6/11/2022 at 9:55 AM, TC206 said:

Thank you all for the clarification. I did forget to add that I am Visa on Arrival now. Jetstar does in fact inform you at check-in in Australia but don't stop you from boarding. Singapore Air, Qantas and Malaysian have never mentioned it to me at check-in. Shame, because it seems I need to book return tickets and lose the flexibility of the one way ticket. 

 

Which airline is it that you took from Cambodia? I might want to avoid that airline.

 

[Longwood50]

I had that in the USA some years ago.  I booked back/back tickets using the flight from one ticket to enter the USA and the flight from another to return to Thailand.  

I did that because strangely enough it was cheaper to throw away one unused portion of one of the tickets than to buy a 1 way. 

Fortunately I still had the return to Thailand portion unused and was able to show the airline that I had it. 

The fact that I had a non-o visa and could live in Thailand did not seem to be enough.