Do i need return ticket to visit Thailand?

[DrJack54]

41 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

Well if you already have a ticket at 34 days what is the cost of re-scheduling your paid ticket? Maybe $50

Low cost flight the cost of "flight change" most often exceeds cost of new ticket. 

However you could buy a throw away ticket to cheapest destination or buy on the spot from "onwardticket.com" 

15usd. 

Edited April 30, 2023 by DrJack54

[Lemsta69]

1 minute ago, Pattaya57 said:

I just find it funny that people on long stay visa's where a return flight is not relevant seem to have the loudest say demanding its required....

 

Meanwhile, visa exempt people who it actually applies to have their advice diminished by "you were lucky" or "some are asked, some not", so you must get a ticket. How would you know if you are not flying visa exempt and actually experienced it?

 

 

I guess you don't read all the threads and posts on here. Plenty of people, including myself, have reported being asked to show onward ticket when flying visa exempt. 

 

I was asked for it on my latest flight to Thailand on visa exempt (SYD-BKK on TG, 2021-12-01). I had the onwardticket(.)com thingy printed out already because I simply CBF stuffing around at check-in and asking for Duty Officers etc

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

I guess you don't read all the threads and posts on here. Plenty of people, including myself, have reported being asked to show onward ticket when flying visa exempt. 

Think I can call and raise you one.

Flying X Melbourne to Saigon with a visa for Vietnam, Jetstar would not issue me with boarding pass as my visa for Vietnam only had 3 days remaining.

I had to show my flight Saigon to Bangkok couple of days later and my reentry permit to Thailand to be given boarding pass. 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by DrJack54

[richard_smith237]

16 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

I just find it funny that people on long stay visa's where a return flight is not relevant seem to have the loudest say demanding its required....

 

Meanwhile, visa exempt people who it actually applies to have their advice diminished by "you were lucky" or "some are asked, some not", so you must get a ticket

Because when they ask for your passport and flick through the pages they are looking for your Thai Visa... IF you don't have a visa the airline check-in staff can and often do ask for the onward / return flight (if you are using the first leg of a return ticket). 

 

Thats just fact whether you find the responses ‘funny’ or not. 

 

 

 

 

[Lemsta69]

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Think I can call and raise you one.

Flying X Melbourne to Saigon with a visa for Vietnam, Jetstar would not issue me with boarding pass as my visa for Vietnam only had 3 days remaining.

I had to show my flight Saigon to Bangkok couple of days later and my reentry permit to Thailand to be given boarding pass. 

 

 

I don't think "Pattay57" will believe that story. Do you reckon he's the reincarnation of "Aussieexpat"? That guy had a bug up ... I mean a bee in his bonnet about onward tickets.

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, Lemsta69 said:

I don't think "Pattay57" will believe that story. Do you reckon he's the reincarnation of "Aussieexpat"? That guy had a bug up ... I mean a bee in his bonnet about onward tickets.

QLD..,. Remember very well. 

[arfandy]

2 hours ago, Pattaya57 said:

Since someone laughed at my post above, I arrived 8 March on visa exempt with a return ticket nearly 5 months later and nobody cared.

 

Last year I flew to Thailand 3 times on one-way tickets entering visa exempt, no-one cared.

 

I'm wondering if all the people saying you can't do it are actually experienced visa exempt flyers or just quoting some long held belief (or have shares in onward flight company lol)

My last entry to Thailand was February 2020, just right before the global pandemy and country lockdown. I often travel back and forth to Thailand, NEVER had i need to bother preparing return ticket(s). 

 

I left Thailand in August 2021 (18 months of self lockdown in Bangkok) back to home and never once i travel outside again. I know travel rules might have changed a lot during this time, hence i must make sure what i need to prepare before restarting my travel again. But i do hope there is no need to purchase return ticket as it gives me more flexibility to leave Thailand anytime, whenever i'm done with family matter.

[Maestro]

On 4/29/2023 at 5:04 AM, arfandy said:

Am i required to purchase return ticket when passing immigration checkpoint at airport? I will enter with free tourist visa 30 days, but i intend to leave 34 days later. Will i have a problem with IO when i show my

It is highly unlikely that Thai Immigration will ask you for a return ticket, but the airline may ask you when you check in for your flight to Thailand.

[Chivas]

16 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Because when they ask for your passport and flick through the pages they are looking for your Thai Visa... IF you don't have a visa the airline check-in staff can and often do ask for the onward / return flight (if you are using the first leg of a return ticket). 

 

Thats just fact whether you find the responses ‘funny’ or not. 

 

 

 

 

Spot on...

[Chivas]

18 hours ago, arfandy said:

I am an Asian and visiting Thailand i get visa exempt for 30 days. Ofc i could apply for 14 days extension at CW but will airlines refuse to accept my reason for extension within 30 days? I know such website provide temporary booking flight for 48 hours at the cost of $10. But i will have my retur ticket ready and scheduled at the 33th or 34th day and it is within the grace period where i am legally allowed for a single extension while being in Thailand. Will airlines still insist i must leave or provide the proof of leaving the country before 30 days are up?

Well fella I suggest quite politely you rely on your "grace" period whatever that is

You've had more than enough answers including relevant websites to buy onward ticket reservations for $15 but you can only lead a horse to water so many times

[BusyB]

On 4/29/2023 at 8:00 AM, Lemsta69 said:

They're simply doing their jobs. It's a Thai government requirement for an onward flight ticket for visa exempt entry, not the airline's.

 

Airlines will get fined at least a couple of thou USD if they deliver passengers that don't meet the official requirements. There's also the attendant administration costs, bad publicity etc so it's in their interests to pre-screen the passengers on behalf of Thai Immigration.

 

Thai Immigration, in principle, should be double-checking every passenger to see if they have onward tickets and the minimum amount of cash. However that's not practical as it would take way too long to clear the queues hence the current lassez-faire approach.

 

It works well and the only reason it's an issue is because some people are unprepared for any questions when they are checking in. I only found out about this sort of stuff when I turned up at BNE many moons ago on my first trip abroad with a one-way ticket to Bali and the check-in staff forced me to buy an expensive refundable one-way ticket from Medan to Penang that took forever to get my money back from.

 

Much easier now with internet access and onwardticket(.)com et al.

Thanks. I was hoping someone would save me the bother.

 

For the record EVA's  e f f i c i e n t  check in staff in VIE queried me on my way to BKK visa exempt last year. Told them I was going for a Non-O retirement - no further questions.

[Lemsta69]

1 minute ago, BusyB said:

Thanks. I was hoping someone would save me the bother.

ha ha yeah I was feeling generous that day. probably won't happen again anytime soon ????

[richard_smith237]

17 hours ago, arfandy said:

But i do hope there is no need to purchase return ticket as it gives me more flexibility to leave Thailand anytime, whenever i'm done with family matter.

There is a ‘requirement’.... Whether that becomes a ‘need’ depends on whether or not your onward travel status is checked upon check-in. 

 

As ‘Chivas’ wrote.. 'one can only lead a horse to water’ - in this case, its best to have your ducks in a row or a good plan B....

 

Ducks in a row = Proof of onward travel (i.e. flexible return ticket).

Plan B = Ready access to fast ticketing for an onward travel IF checked.

 

Anything else and you are taking a chance of being refused boarding - its just that simple. 

 

 

 

[Seattlite]

In my experience flying from the USA to Thailand, multiple airlines have been *quite* attentive to the need for a return or onward flight.  Not sure if they care when it is.  For instance, in our recent trip we didn't have a return flight, and after 15 minutes of debating in the backroom (during which they multiple times said we needed a return ticket), they eventually relented.  The reason they relented:  I had an O Visa, and my wife and daughter had Thai passports.  When we initially presented them with USA passports for us all, and no return flights, they weren't going to let us fly.  They also didn't really understand the O Visa until they did more research (this was on an asian airline).  Its entirely the airlines' discretion as to whether to let you fly.

 

During over 20 entries to Thailand, Thai Immigration has *never* asked for return flight info.

[khunJam]

On 4/30/2023 at 5:22 AM, Pattaya57 said:

Since someone laughed at my post above, I arrived 8 March on visa exempt with a return ticket nearly 5 months later and nobody cared.

 

Last year I flew to Thailand 3 times on one-way tickets entering visa exempt, no-one cared.

 

I'm wondering if all the people saying you can't do it are actually experienced visa exempt flyers or just quoting some long held belief (or have shares in onward flight company lol)

Same me, fly in many times exempt on a one-way ticket and months round trip ticket. No questions asked about a 30-day return. It may have something to do with the country of departure or certain airlines.  

Edited May 2, 2023 by khunJam

[Bingo66]

No, no bank statements or return flights needed or even a TM7 at BKK last week ... My first airport run of the year, previously 3 land border bounces in a row then covid extensions since 2018/2019.

 

I've been on visa excempt(s) since 2018, I included the previous page which shows a 7 day permission of stay the day after songkhran when immigration opened with 2 day overstay and pushed it to 1 day free day overstay at airport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2023 by Bingo66

[Captain Monday]

On 5/1/2023 at 12:20 PM, Chivas said:

Spot on...

How do airline staff see a visa when they "flick" thru your passport when it is an eVisa?

[richard_smith237]

39 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

How do airline staff see a visa when they "flick" thru your passport when it is an eVisa?

They either don’t bother...  OR, IF the staff are attentive they’ll flag the issue and ask. 

 

when returning to Thailand on the return leg of a ticket, when the airline check-in staff flick through my passport they may sometimes see an older visa sticker and see the expired date... They’ll ask me if I have a visa, I have to point out that they stopped on an old one and flick forwards a few pages to the current one... (not uncommon). 

 

Thus: Some do check, in my experience most check for Visa status if travelling on a one way ticket (or return leg)... Obviously, the experience of others varies and their status is not checked. 

 

The point is, if you are travelling visa exempt on a one day ticket and want to ensure you have no issues make sure your ducks are in a row and have a good plan B (i.e. be prepared to quickly purchase and show an onward ticket).