Tourist Visa : is onward ticket required?

[gejohesch]

I'm sure this question has been asked before, but please kindly accommodate me!

 

I already booked my flights : to Thailand in mid August + return to Europe end of October. That's a total stay of 75 days. My original plan was to enter Thailand on the visa exemption basis, fly out after 30 days and spend 2-3 weeks somewhere else in SE Asia or India, then return to Thailand again on the visa exemption basis for another period of 30 days - and finally return to Europe end of October.

 

As I'm revisiting my plan, I now think I would rather apply for a TR visa, which allows for a 60 days stay, and go to immigration to get a 30 days extension (1900 THB, I've done that in a previous visit). With the extension, I will be allowed to stay until early November, which is more than I need since I will leave end of October - no problem with that.

 

My concern now is how the airline will handle me at check-in when departing from Europe in August. With a TR visa =60 days but my return flight booked 75 days after arrival in Thailand, will the airline make a problem? I would rather like to avoid booking a "throw-away" flight out of Thailand to match the 60 days TR visa period, just to satisfy the airline. I've done that in a previous visit - no one asked me anything - I know it's not that costly, maybe some 50 EUR about, but extra costs keep adding up....

[Brickleberry]

When I flew here on a one way ticket several years ago, the airline staff would not let me board without an outbound ticket from Thailand. I had to buy a ticket from BKK to Cambodia - I didn't use it, but it was cheap.

 

You could look into buying a bus ticket online from Thailand - Laos, that should suffice and will be cheaper than plane tickets.

[DrJack54]

OP, with a tourist visa the airline will not ask for onward flight. 

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, Brickleberry said:

You could look into buying a bus ticket online from Thailand - Laos, that should suffice and will be cheaper than plane tickets.

Bus ticket won't cut it.

 

Also you state you flew to Thailand years back and had to buy onward flight.

Did you have a visa or flying visa exempt? 

[gejohesch]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, with a tourist visa the airline will not ask for onward flight. 

Thanks, that confirms what I thought. 

[lewis1]

you can´t get Tourist visa without ticket out.....if you have a visa then you have ticket already......and some airlines ask onward ticket some not, you never know...(if you don´t have a visa)

Edited June 1, 2023 by lewis1

[Brickleberry]

3 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Bus ticket won't cut it.

 

Also you state you flew to Thailand years back and had to buy onward flight.

Did you have a visa or flying visa exempt? 

Visa exempt.

 

[Celsius]

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, with a tourist visa the airline will not ask for onward flight. 

 

Yes they might  and it is entirely up to Airline to make your life diffucult or not. Things have changed a bit post covid and as I mentioned a few times here Cathay Pacific asked me for a return ticket on my marriage visa (I won that one).  I have personally seen people in Toronto being forced to buy return tickets on the spot even with tourist visas while other times they just let everyone thru. 

 

Also if you are applying for a visa from your home country you will most likely be applying for e visa. One of the requirements is to show a return flight.

[gejohesch]

34 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

Yes they might  and it is entirely up to Airline ........

 

Also if you are applying for a visa from your home country you will most likely be applying for e visa. One of the requirements is to show a return flight.

Last 2 times I went to Thailand - with Emirates from Europe, via Dubai:

- november 2022 to march 2023: I obtained the e-visa, TR option, with no problem even though the return flight was over 3 months after entry to Thailand.

- april - may 2023: on the visa exemption basis. No question asked at check-in - but I had been asked by airlines at least twice in years past for "proof of onward ticket". So I was prepared, I had a "throw-away" flight booked to Siem Reap. Money wasted since the airline (Emirates) did not ask anything at check-in.

 

So two comments:

- check-in experiences re. onward flight vary when traveling on the visa exemption basis.

- e-visa application indeed requires a return flight booked, but that return flight can be booked beyond the 60 days TR period, no problem - at least that's my experience.

 

And of course: no one ever asked about onward flights when passing immigration in Bangkok (I flew in countless times over the years). Nearly needless to mention that as it is the experience of 90-99% people I think.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Celsius said:

Things have changed a bit post covid and as I mentioned a few times here Cathay Pacific asked me for a return ticket on my marriage visa (I won that one).

What marriage visa?

If you are referring to non O marriage extension then you would have also had a reentry permit and the airline would not ask for onward flight. 

If the clerk did then she was a novice.

Perhaps you did not point out the reentry permit.

 

As for the onward flight for e-Visa that was not the OP question.

 

The airline would not ask to see flight if SETV in pp.

 

[Celsius]

11 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

What marriage visa?

If you are referring to non O marriage extension then you would have also had a reentry permit and the airline would not ask for onward flight. 

I

 

I am talking about non o (marriage) visa.

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

I am talking about non o (marriage) visa.

That visa is a single entry visa that provides 90 stamp.

Unusual (very)  the airline would want to see onward flight 

[BritTim]

7 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

That visa is a single entry visa that provides 90 stamp.

Unusual (very)  the airline would want to see onward flight 

If you hold a visa (whether single or multiple entry) the airline will not normally want to see evidence of an onward ticket. On the other hand, at many embassies/consulates, an onward flight ticket will be one of the requirements when applying for the visa.

[DrJack54]

5 hours ago, BritTim said:

On the other hand, at many embassies/consulates, an onward flight ticket will be one of the requirements when applying for the visa

The OP question was specific.

He is asking about the airline at departure with a tourist visa.

States earlier that he has done that before (obtained tv) ....

He stated this ( the underline is done by OP)

 

"My concern now is how the airline will handle me at check-in when departing from Europe in August. With a TR visa =60 days but my return flight booked 75 days after arrival in Thailand, will the airline make a problem?" 

 

Answer: the airline will not ask to see onward flight.

 

obtaining SETV is another matter. 

 

[gejohesch]

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

The OP question was specific.

He is asking about the airline at departure with a tourist visa.

States earlier that he has done that before (obtained tv) ....

He stated this ( the underline is done by OP)

 

"My concern now is how the airline will handle me at check-in when departing from Europe in August. With a TR visa =60 days but my return flight booked 75 days after arrival in Thailand, will the airline make a problem?" 

 

Answer: the airline will not ask to see onward flight.

 

obtaining SETV is another matter. 

 

Thanks. It's good to bring back focus on the question at hand. I find all too often that discussions on this site diverge a bit too much. Everyone likes to bring in his story - that would better be discussed in another discussion to avoid confusing all sorts of issues in this present discussion.

[sabaiguy]

On 6/1/2023 at 12:02 PM, DrJack54 said:

OP, with a tourist visa the airline will not ask for onward flight. 

Thought you gave a different response on another thread.

[Lite Beer]

6 minutes ago, sabaiguy said:

Thought you gave a different response on another thread.

Link to the other thread please.

Yes he is correct you will not need an onward ticket.

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, sabaiguy said:

Thought you gave a different response on another thread.

Please post it.

I would not have posted that.

 

[sabaiguy]

Not sure how to post a link (I'm a digital dumbbell) but It was under the thread title METV, your post dated Apr. 30.  Looking again maybe it's apples and oranges.  There I think you were referring to MOFA and here the airline.  There (MOFA) you responded yes, here (airline) you responded no.  Whereas my recent experience is no and no.  Hope this clears things up but probably not.

[NativeBob]

will the airline make a problem?

imho, that is wrong question. the "airline" itself might has its very own and specific rules, but at the airport we deal with staff, often dumb and vicious.

In general I think the smaller country the dumber and angrier they "follow rules". The worst was some 50+ customs dude in Bulgaria ????

Regarding a ticket: print whatever and just show "on demand". No way they would be able to verify it. Same goes to $700 or equal to THB20K.