Thailand Reverses Visa Policy for Tourists From 60 Countries

[jacko45k]

22 hours ago, SportRider said:

In 30 years of coming to Thailand regularly, I have *never once* had to show an onward ticket at arrival immigration.

I do not think I have either....but I most certainly have had my passport checked if I had a one way booking at check-in UK....so the concern is valid. I have heard of people being refused boarding in Cambodia too....

[radiochaser]

21 hours ago, loveushorttime said:

Correct. But you can extend for another 30 days at the immigration office for B1900, even if not going to Vietnam. Your new 30 day visa on return from Vietnam is also extendable by 30 days.

Thanks for the response.   I am aware of the extension service.  I did that last year with my daughter and grandkids.   I wasn't sure about getting a new 30 days on arrival on my return from Vietnam.   

[robin hood]

On 4/3/2023 at 6:01 PM, radiochaser said:

I will be traveling to Thailand in June this year.  I have a return ticket from Thailand to U.S. of A. in August, so longer than 30 days. 

But wife (who will go in July) and I will travel to Vietnam for a week then return to Thailand on one of the airlines.    As I understand the VOA (or visa exempt), I will have 30 days when I first arrive.   I will also have a new 30 day VOA when I return to Thailand by air from Vietnam and will not have to apply for an extension to my first arrival. 

Is my understanding of the 30 VOA issue correct? 

You sir are correct 

[radiochaser]

20 minutes ago, robin hood said:

You sir are correct 

 
Thank you. 

[tai4de2]

On 4/3/2023 at 11:13 PM, radiochaser said:

Thank you.   I believe that the round trip ticket to Vietnam will be purchased in Thailand.   We will apply for the Vietnam visa prior to leaving for Thailand.   

I will have a return ticket to the U.S. of A. when I arrive in Thailand. 

If you do not have an air ticket to leave Thailand within 30 days of your initial arrival there, you will likely be denied boarding in the USA for your flight to Thailand.

[Sheryl]

23 minutes ago, tai4de2 said:

If you do not have an air ticket to leave Thailand within 30 days of your initial arrival there, you will likely be denied boarding in the USA for your flight to Thailand.

Exactly. He should buy the onward ticket befire leaving US  easy enough to fo online. 

[radiochaser]

18 hours ago, tai4de2 said:

If you do not have an air ticket to leave Thailand within 30 days of your initial arrival there, you will likely be denied boarding in the USA for your flight to Thailand.

 

17 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Exactly. He should buy the onward ticket befire leaving US  easy enough to fo online. 

I have tickets to Thailand, flying through Europe and tickets returning to the U.S. of A., flying back the first week of August. 

My round trip tickets to Thailand and returning were purchased about 2 months ago. 

Tickets I do not have yet, are to from Thailand to Vietnam and back to Thailand.  

Edited April 6, 2023 by radiochaser

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, radiochaser said:

 

I have tickets to Thailand, flying through Europe and tickets returning to the U.S. of A., flying back the first week of August. 

My round trip tickets to Thailand and returning were purchased about 2 months ago. 

Tickets I do not have yet, are to from Thailand to Vietnam and back to Thailand.  

We understand this and it is these (more specifically the Thailand VN segment) that you need.

 

Because to enter visa exempt you are required to have proof of  onward travel within 30 days. 

 

They don't udually check this on arrival at immigration but many airlines enforce it at check in.

 

 

 

 

[tai4de2]

15 hours ago, radiochaser said:

 

I have tickets to Thailand, flying through Europe and tickets returning to the U.S. of A., flying back the first week of August. 

My round trip tickets to Thailand and returning were purchased about 2 months ago. 

Tickets I do not have yet, are to from Thailand to Vietnam and back to Thailand.  

What does "flying through Europe" mean?

 

Is it a simple connection on the same booking? If so, when you check in at the airport in the USA for your flight, the airline will treat Thailand as your destination. Will you be able to show a ticket to leave Thailand within 30 days? It seems not, and so you risk being denied boarding.

 

If on the other hand you will actually enter a country in Europe for a little stopover, or if you have separate tickets for the USA-Europe and Europe-Thailand segments, then when checking in at the airport in the USA the airline will treat your flight as one way to Europe, i.e. your eventual travel to Thailand is not relevant at that point. So you will need to satisfy whatever requirements exist for entering that European country (probably a nothingburger, so low risk... but I don't know for sure). But you could get denied boarding for the Europe->Thailand flight if you have no proof of onward travel from Thailand within 30 days. How strict those checks are in Europe, and for foreign passengers traveling to a third country, I don't know.

 

 

[Straight8]

boooo

[radiochaser]

14 hours ago, tai4de2 said:

What does "flying through Europe" mean?

 

Is it a simple connection on the same booking? If so, when you check in at the airport in the USA for your flight, the airline will treat Thailand as your destination. Will you be able to show a ticket to leave Thailand within 30 days? It seems not, and so you risk being denied boarding.

 

If on the other hand you will actually enter a country in Europe for a little stopover, or if you have separate tickets for the USA-Europe and Europe-Thailand segments, then when checking in at the airport in the USA the airline will treat your flight as one way to Europe, i.e. your eventual travel to Thailand is not relevant at that point. So you will need to satisfy whatever requirements exist for entering that European country (probably a nothingburger, so low risk... but I don't know for sure). But you could get denied boarding for the Europe->Thailand flight if you have no proof of onward travel from Thailand within 30 days. How strict those checks are in Europe, and for foreign passengers traveling to a third country, I don't know.

 

 

Flying through Europe means I will be on different flights that connect in two different countries in Europe.     I will stay in the airport a few hours at a time before leaving on my next connecting flight.   My travel is for the purpose of going to Thailand.  Europe is not my destination.   Even though I will not exit the airport, from what I read, I may need a transit visa for the second stop in Europe.   

Last year, I and other family members flew to Thailand and we had to extend our stay there for a week before we left on our return flight.   Our return departure date was past 30 days.   I forget how many days it was.   Two or three other times in the past I have also had to extend my stay before I left on my return ticket to home, because my return flight was more than 30 days after my arrival in Thailand.    I have had no problem with that, so far.   

One time before when I flew to Thailand, my first stop was in Germany.   What I found odd was that I needed to go through immigration just to go from my arrival gate at the airport to the gate from which I departed the airport to continue my travel to Thailand.    I think I may have gone the wrong way through the airport and left the international travel part, and walked into the domestic travel part of the airport.   I actually left the airport building for a few minutes too.  When I reentered  the reentered the airport I received a second stamp in my passport before I had to go through security again. 

It was after questioning the German official that first stamped my passport, I understood that I could actually leave the airport, so I did.   I walked around outside for a short time, then decided it was nothing special and went back into the airport proper again. 

But I have had no trouble with the issue of my departure from Thailand being more than 30 days after my arrival there.   

I did, however, have a problem leaving Thailand one time.  My wife booked me a round trip ticket, leaving 28 days after my arrival in Thailand.   When I went through immigrations they said I had overstayed 3 days.   I showed them my itinerary from the U.S. of A.,  and connecting in Japan which showed my scheduled arrival date and time, in Thailand was 28 days before,  But the entry date stamped in my passport indicated that I had arrive 5 days before I actually did.   I argued a little bit, then just paid the 1500 baht and continued through to my gate.   I have since, tried to remember to check the date of the entry stamp since then. 

[rabang]

14 hours ago, radiochaser said:

Flying through Europe means I will be on different flights that connect in two different countries in Europe.     I will stay in the airport a few hours at a time before leaving on my next connecting flight.   My travel is for the purpose of going to Thailand.  Europe is not my destination.   Even though I will not exit the airport, from what I read, I may need a transit visa for the second stop in Europe.   

 

If you have a US or Canadian passport (and most other passports from the Americas will do as well) and unless you fly through Belarus or Russia, which is very unlikely and complicated nowadays, you don't need a transit visa or any visa whatsoever for a short visit on tourism purposes.

[crouchpeter]

On 4/4/2023 at 10:03 AM, Hakuna Matata said:

No, I don't think so. I wish they reduced it to 14 days for all countries. Those who want to stay longer than 2 weeks are not real tourists. Many of them take jobs from local people and are involved in criminal activity!

What rubbish!

[bkk_bwana]

On 4/3/2023 at 11:56 PM, WHansen said:

Strange. The longer a tourist stays, the more money they spend

Yes. But 'proper' tourists spend MUCH more than those who live here and use the system to stay here, which makes up all the people complaining right now. Average tourist spend is 5,100 a day.  150,000 a month. We see plenty of videos and stories out there about how you can live for $1,000 a month, one fifth of the spend of a typical tourist. Is it any wonder that they are happy to let tourists in for a month but make others jump through a few hoops?

[Sydebolle]

On 4/4/2023 at 7:28 AM, sandyf said:

False information.

A tourist visa is in the $30 - $50 range.

 

On 4/4/2023 at 8:35 AM, sandyf said:

Of course it is "dumb" to think there is something wrong with 30 days visa exemption because it inconveniences you.

Tell me, how many days visa exemption does the US offer to Thai nationals?

Well, how many days visa exemption does the US enjoy in North Korea, Bhutan or Mongolia for that matter. The tourism impact in the US might be slightly different to Thailand. Compare apples with apples or revisit Primary Grade 2 for clarification ???? 

[sandyf]

14 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

 

Well, how many days visa exemption does the US enjoy in North Korea, Bhutan or Mongolia for that matter. The tourism impact in the US might be slightly different to Thailand. Compare apples with apples or revisit Primary Grade 2 for clarification

Like the majority on here you want everything for nothing.

Obviously reciprocity is outside your comprehension.

[radiochaser]

On 4/4/2023 at 3:30 AM, arithai12 said:

Not all spend the same.

A "real" tourist (IMO) comes for 2 weeks, stays in hotel, eats in restaurant, takes taxis and tours. Average 5000B/day.

The "45days" tourists are people who (IMO) come to stay with gf or rent a room, buy mostly at 7/11, don't take tours, rent a Scoopy. Average 1000B/day?

There will be exceptions to each category, but in general the Thai economy needs the first, not the second type. And there is already more than enough of both.

 

As for "reversal", typical click-bait. The policy was for 3 months, they have expired, nothing to report.

Wow!   1000 baht a day.   That is about the average that I spend on my self, when I am in Thailand.   I really hated it when my ex-brother in law retired from the Royal Thai police and gave up his free apartment, where I stayed by myself.  I only had to pay for electricity there.   But it was very convenient to the MoChit BTS/MRT stations.   Also convenient as it was closer to downtown than some other places.   I only had to pay a few Baht on the bus to go to MoChit, then downtown on the BTS/MRT, depending on where I was going.   No need for taxis to go where I wanted to.   

What the heck is a Scoopy?  

You don't buy anything from 7/11?   

Why pay for  a tour?   Family friends do that.

I don't have a girlfriend. 

 

 

 

 

  

 

[juiso]

I think it’s quiet interesting that Brazilians and some other countries receive 90 days visa exempt instead of the 30 days.

[JayClay]

6 hours ago, juiso said:

I think it’s quiet interesting that Brazilians and some other countries receive 90 days visa exempt instead of the 30 days.

My understanding is the reason citizens of some countries get a 90 day stamp is because those countries have a reciprocal agreement, and Thai nationals also get 90 days when visiting them.

 

I could be wrong, of course. So, as always, if anyone can confirm or refute I'm happy to stand corrected.