Update.....Re flying one way with or without visa in advance

[Caldera]

10 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

No that's not fraud because the requirement is only to show a ticket at the time of check in that can in fact be used to fly you out of the country.

 

It's a nonsensical requirement that ultimately proves nothing else than that the traveler has 1500 baht, which would typically be the price for the cheapest ticket out to a nearby country.

 

With an onward ticket service, you do have the option to purchase the ticket you made a reservation for, within the timeframe the reservation is valid for. Of course that's not usually the traveler's intention, but does that make it fraudulent? Not any more than buying a throwaway ticket or a flexible ticket whose travel date you intend to change. 

[edwardandtubs]

18 hours ago, BritTim said:

 

A rental ticket is a genuine reservation that could be used if fully paid for.

How could it be fully paid for though? The "agent" doesn't offer that service.

[TimeMachine]

Friend been several times recently with voa and one way ticket. No issues. So it does seem they have forgotten about hassling people. 

Edited October 28, 2023 by TimeMachine

[DrJack54]

27 minutes ago, TimeMachine said:

Friend been several times recently with voa and one way ticket. No issues. So it does seem they have forgotten about hassling people. 

Silly advice.

Try reading the thread 

First up it's not visa on arrival..

It's about entering Thailand without a visa under visa exempt concession.

The airline at departure MAY require an onward flight and often do.

 

These threads are posted weekly and very silly advice from the ...

"I have entered zillion times via air without a visa zero issues" brigade

 

 

[Caldera]

2 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

How could it be fully paid for though? The "agent" doesn't offer that service.

 

I think you're wrong about that. They mention that, in case you wish to purchase the ticket, you can contact them while your reservation is valid.

 

To be clear, I don't think that actually happens (and their price probably wouldn't be competitive), but I have no reason to doubt their claim that they could facilitate it upon request.

[TimeMachine]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Silly advice.

Try reading the thread 

First up it's not visa on arrival..

It's about entering Thailand without a visa under visa exempt concession.

The airline at departure MAY require an onward flight and often do.

 

These threads are posted weekly and very silly advice from the ...

"I have entered zillion times via air without a visa zero issues" brigade

 

 

I didn't give advice to not get a return flight. In fact I tell my friend that he may face problems. I'm just stating what's been happening. It does seem that they have been ignoring the rule and "MY ADVICE" is you should be vary careful going into Thailand without a visa and not having a return flight.

 

Better?

 

[Chris Daley]

I saw one poor guy being asked to book a hotel room just for his border run.  He had to stand there at the counter and do it on his phone.

 

These people are scumbags.  Just book a return to be safe.

Edited October 28, 2023 by Chris Daley

[DrJack54]

18 minutes ago, TimeMachine said:

I didn't give advice to not get a return flight. In fact I tell my friend that he may face problems. I'm just stating what's been happening. It does seem that they have been ignoring the rule and "MY ADVICE" is you should be vary careful going into Thailand without a visa and not having a return flight.

 

Better?

 

Yep.

Just added note.

It does not need to be RETURN flight.

Any onward fight would suffice. 

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, Chris Daley said:

I saw one poor guy being asked to book a hotel room just for his border run.  He had to stand there at the counter and do it on his phone.

 

These people are scumbags.  Just book a return to be safe.

Nonsense 

[TimeMachine]

1 hour ago, Chris Daley said:

I saw one poor guy being asked to book a hotel room just for his border run.  He had to stand there at the counter and do it on his phone.

 

These people are scumbags.  Just book a return to be safe.

I shxit my pants with anxiety each time I have to deal with any authority. There are people out there that somehow get pleasure in stuffing others around. 

[edwardandtubs]

3 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

I think you're wrong about that. They mention that, in case you wish to purchase the ticket, you can contact them while your reservation is valid.

 

To be clear, I don't think that actually happens (and their price probably wouldn't be competitive), but I have no reason to doubt their claim that they could facilitate it upon request.

 

Their website FAQ says, "Can I use my flight reservation to fly? No, this is a flight reservation only. Please contact us if you want to pay for the flight to receive a ticket you can use to travel."

 

That seems like an unambiguous "No" to me. The "please contact us" sentence appears to refer to a different service that has nothing to do with the "flight reservation only" service.

[Caldera]

6 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

Their website FAQ says, "Can I use my flight reservation to fly? No, this is a flight reservation only. Please contact us if you want to pay for the flight to receive a ticket you can use to travel."

 

That seems like an unambiguous "No" to me. The "please contact us" sentence appears to refer to a different service that has nothing to do with the "flight reservation only" service.

 

They obviously need to be unambiguous as to the question if you can fly with the reservation you've purchased ALONE.

 

Whether you want to see the ticket purchase option that they offer as a "different service" or as an "add-on" is up to you, but as I said, they would be able to facilitate providing you with an actual ticket you could actually fly with.

 

It's worth noting that some embassies that require an "air ticket paid in full" as part of their requirements insist to see not just the itinerary, but also the payment receipt. So there are already cases where using an onward ticket service doesn't work.

[Chivas]

Interesting thread and wasnt expecting the amount of responses

 

Point in question if we go onto the Royal Thai website in London (am sure other countries are the same) and it clearly says a ticket out of Thailand is required for entry.....not specific to certain visas but a ticket out is required

 

I absolutely would not (despite my OP) rely on one way ticket and no Evisa in advance....

 

Whilst check in never looked at mine I was pleased I had it and of course no messing around at the 30 days point to extend it

Edited October 29, 2023 by Chivas

[edwardandtubs]

4 hours ago, Caldera said:

It's worth noting that some embassies that require an "air ticket paid in full" as part of their requirements insist to see not just the itinerary, but also the payment receipt. So there are already cases where using an onward ticket service doesn't work.

 

And I'm sure if the immigration officers or airline staff knew that what you were showing them was a throwaway ticket they wouldn't accept it. It's just a matter of time before they get clued up on this and start to reject it.

[BritTim]

13 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

 

Their website FAQ says, "Can I use my flight reservation to fly? No, this is a flight reservation only. Please contact us if you want to pay for the flight to receive a ticket you can use to travel."

 

That seems like an unambiguous "No" to me. The "please contact us" sentence appears to refer to a different service that has nothing to do with the "flight reservation only" service.

 

The reservation as it stands, is not fully paid up. It is held for 48 to 72 hours, and cancelled if payment is not made by then. In that sense, the reservation (as with one made through a travel agent) is not automatically valid to travel on. It is a valid reserved flight ticket, but is cancelled if no further action is taken.

[DrJack54]

2 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

 

And I'm sure if the immigration officers or airline staff knew that what you were showing them was a throwaway ticket they wouldn't accept it. It's just a matter of time before they get clued up on this and start to reject it.

Your posts are from the Twilight Zone.

 

[edwardandtubs]

6 hours ago, BritTim said:

 

The reservation as it stands, is not fully paid up. It is held for 48 to 72 hours, and cancelled if payment is not made by then. In that sense, the reservation (as with one made through a travel agent) is not automatically valid to travel on. It is a valid reserved flight ticket, but is cancelled if no further action is taken.

 

And if you explained all that to an immigration officer, what do you think their reaction would be?

[BritTim]

13 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

 

And if you explained all that to an immigration officer, what do you think their reaction would be?

 

There are no circumstances I can think of where I would need to explain a flight reservation to an official at an Immigration office, with the single possible exception of my flight being cancelled, and needing the seven days to leave the country.

[edwardandtubs]

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

 

There are no circumstances I can think of where I would need to explain a flight reservation to an official at an Immigration office, with the single possible exception of my flight being cancelled, and needing the seven days to leave the country.

 

I mean if you're stopped while entering at the airport and the IO wants to see your flight out. If you said, "Sure! I'll just buy this $16 one from onwardticket.com. I can't actually fly with this ticket but it is a valid reserved ticket!" they would obviously not accept it. The reason it works is not because it's "a valid reserved ticket" but because the IOs have no idea what it really is. If and when they realise people are using this website they'll stop accepting it. Anyone using it is therefore doing so at their own risk.

[BritTim]

7 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

 

I mean if you're stopped while entering at the airport and the IO wants to see your flight out. If you said, "Sure! I'll just buy this $16 one from onwardticket.com. I can't actually fly with this ticket but it is a valid reserved ticket!" they would obviously not accept it. The reason it works is not because it's "a valid reserved ticket" but because the IOs have no idea what it really is. If and when they realise people are using this website they'll stop accepting it. Anyone using it is therefore doing so at their own risk.

 

The reason it works is because it is 100% indistinguishable from a fully paid up ticket.

[Furioso]

I flew here last year from Vegas on a one way ticket. Yes, I did buy an onward flight ticket for about 15 USD just in case. However, once I arrived in Bangkok I didn't need to show it to them. Still, I think it's a good idea to purchase one just in case. Always be one step ahead.  

[edwardandtubs]

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

 

The reason it works is because it is 100% indistinguishable from a fully paid up ticket.

 

If you look at the sample they have on their website it doesn't look much like a fully paid up ticket, which have the logo of the travel agency like Expedia or the airline if booked direct on top. All it would take is the IO at the airport or the airline staff to say, "Where did you buy this ticket?" and you're screwed. It's great that there are no reports of this happening yet but to say there's no risk of it happening in future is not true.

[Chivas]

4 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

 

If you look at the sample they have on their website it doesn't look much like a fully paid up ticket, which have the logo of the travel agency like Expedia or the airline if booked direct on top. All it would take is the IO at the airport or the airline staff to say, "Where did you buy this ticket?" and you're screwed. It's great that there are no reports of this happening yet but to say there's no risk of it happening in future is not true.

 

I'm with you somewhat on this subject

I've commented on previous threads over stepping away from a check in counter and buying one of these throwaway tickets

 

Ground handling contrary to popular opinion are not stupid and of course its their airline that is on the line for an immigration refusal fine which is now up to a maximum of $10.000

[DrJack54]

6 hours ago, Furioso said:

However, once I arrived in Bangkok I didn't need to show it to them.

Immigration very rare to check for onward flight.

It's an airline thing at departure. 

[Caldera]

7 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

If you look at the sample they have on their website it doesn't look much like a fully paid up ticket, which have the logo of the travel agency like Expedia or the airline if booked direct on top. All it would take is the IO at the airport or the airline staff to say, "Where did you buy this ticket?" and you're screwed. It's great that there are no reports of this happening yet but to say there's no risk of it happening in future is not true.

 

I think what you don't understand is that not only do they send you the itinerary produced by the onward ticket service themselves, but you can actually go to the airline's website, log in with your booking code and name, to verify your PNR.

 

Lo and behold, the airline ALSO offers the option, to print (or export as PDF) your itinerary. That one looks a lot more legit and indistinguishable from one you'd get when booking with that airline directly.

 

I think this option is common knowledge among people who have actually used such a service, but it doesn't hurt mentioning that this is what you should do.

[Des1]

On 10/28/2023 at 1:17 AM, BritTim said:

 

A rental ticket is a genuine reservation that could be used if fully paid for.

Spent just a tiny wee bit of time thinking about this.

The forward flight tickets we buy are claimed to be real. In my experience they are.

These companies do not work in the shadows, they have websites and explain quite clearly what they do! They act as travel agents with a special cancellation feature. Airlines could choose not do business with them, yet they do. For sure, they know who has access to their reservation system.

There may be a regulatory body (Gov.) that requires airlines to make sure passengers come AND GO. I imagine the times when ne’re-do-well idiots have to be repatriated are a very small cost to the airlines.

Airlines want people to travel with ease, bums in seats. So I have the feeling they are ok with these companies. The conspiratorial in me thinks the airlines may actually own these companies, or at least require a fee for them to operate.

[Lemsta69]

42 minutes ago, Des1 said:

Spent just a tiny wee bit of time thinking about this.

 

The forward flight tickets we buy are claimed to be real. In my experience they are.

 

These companies do not work in the shadows, they have websites and explain quite clearly what they do! They act as travel agents with a special cancellation feature. Airlines could choose not do business with them, yet they do. For sure, they know who has access to their reservation system.

 

There may be a regulatory body (Gov.) that requires airlines to make sure passengers come AND GO. I imagine the times when ne’re-do-well idiots have to be repatriated are a very small cost to the airlines.

 

Airlines want people to travel with ease, bums in seats. So I have the feeling they are ok with these companies. The conspiratorial in me thinks the airlines may actually own these companies, or at least require a fee for them to operate.

 

 

They're only making a reservation on your behalf, not purchasing an actual ticket and issuing a ticket number. That would require a serious amount of capital which those onward ticket outfits don't have.

 

If a check-in clerk or an Immigration officer who knew the score were to look up the PNR on the airline's website then they'd see it was an unconfirmed flight and react accordingly.

 

Goodness knows what that would be, I've only used onwardticket(dot)com once a few years ago and the Thai lass at TG check-in in SYD barely looked at the printout 😅

[Des1]

4 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

 

They're only making a reservation on your behalf, not purchasing an actual ticket and issuing a ticket number. That would require a serious amount of capital which those onward ticket outfits don't have.

 

If a check-in clerk or an Immigration officer who knew the score were to look up the PNR on the airline's website then they'd see it was an unconfirmed flight and react accordingly.

 

Goodness knows what that would be, I've only used onwardticket(dot)com once a few years ago and the Thai lass at TG check-in in SYD barely looked at the printout 😅

Well, I disagree. They have purchased an "actual" ticket for me. The reason i know this ...when I was called to the counter before boarding my flight they entered my return ticket information..all good.

[Des1]

On 10/30/2023 at 3:52 PM, Des1 said:

Well, I disagree. They have purchased an "actual" ticket for me. The reason i know this ...when I was called to the counter before boarding my flight they entered my return ticket information..all good.

Further to this... reservations do not mean "I'll pay you later" If only that were true. Also,(regarding the capital needed)  these companies choose the nearest country to your destination. If S.E.Asia is your destination, the cost of a foreward ticket is small. So, I don't want to go on and on aboiut this.

[JayClay]

On 10/27/2023 at 7:26 AM, Chivas said:

clearly at least Etihad are not bothered about one way tickets

 

Clearly at least the one particular Etihad employee who delt with you was not bothered about your one way ticket, on that particular time, on that particular day.