Onward Ticket?

[bkkbaz]

Hi folks,

Finally on a proper visa myself, but a pal is coming to visit in October. She's coming from London, on a UK passport, and intends to spend 3 months or so travelling around SE Asia - Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bali etc, using Bangkok as a 'hub'.

Given that she'll be spending a fair bit of that time outside Thailand exploring elsewhere, I advised her that she doesn't need a tourist visa, as she can get exemption stamps for 90 days in 180, etc. All good stuff.

However, I just found out that she's booked her flight into Bangkok from London, but is returning to London from Singapore. She hasn't booked any of the intermediate flights yet, but is planning on getting here first and then figuring out an itinerary "on the hop", so to speak.

So, since her onward ticket (Singapore to UK) doesn't actually leave from Thailand, is she likely to have problems entering Thailand without a visa? I guess she could get a single entry tourist visa and pay for a multi re-entry permit - what do people recommend?

[lopburi3]

Get a single entry tourist visa. Once here, and with tickets in hand, she can use the 30 day visa exempt entries. She can use a re-entry permit if it suits her but if stay will not exceed the 90 days it would not be required (and she could always obtain a new tourist visa if a change of mind). If she tries to travel without onward ticket within 30 days she may never leave the UK as airline could block her.

[Crossy]

She may have trouble getting on the flight in the UK without a visa or onward travel (which should be within 30 days).

Immigration were also enforcing the onward travel rule at BKK airport although the signs requesting it seem to have been removed.

A single entry TV (and re-entry permits as required), would be the safe option

[bkkbaz]

Thanks guys, that's what I suspected.

I think that her best bet is to get a single-entry tourist visa from the UK before she leaves (60 days, extendable to 90), and then get a multiple re-entry permit (3,800 baht?) when she gets here. If I'm right, that'll allow her to pop in and out of Thailand as she pleases, without any worries about showing onward tickets for the duration of her stay.

Edit:

Immigration were also enforcing the onward travel rule at BKK airport although the signs requesting it seem to have been removed.

The signs were there when I went through immigration at Suvarnabhumi on Wednesday. Something like "Please have ready your passport, immigration card and onward ticket".

Edited August 17, 2007 by bkkbaz

[lopburi3]

A multi re-entry permit will only serve for the 60 day entry (current permitted to stay until stamp) - not for the extra 30 day extension of stay so it may be cost effective to just obtain single re-entry if you want to use that method.

[Crossy]

Immigration were also enforcing the onward travel rule at BKK airport although the signs requesting it seem to have been removed.

The signs were there when I went through immigration at Suvarnabhumi on Wednesday. Something like "Please have ready your passport, immigration card and onward ticket".

I think there are different signs at each set of desks, I came through at 5.30 this morning, came through the desks near carousel 10, the signs did not include onward ticket, so who really knows what they're doing (I have a visa so no idea what they want for visa exemption).

[bkkbaz]

A multi re-entry permit will only serve for the 60 day entry (current permitted to stay until stamp) - not for the extra 30 day extension of stay so it may be cost effective to just obtain single re-entry if you want to use that method.

Ah, I didn't know that - thanks.

I have no idea what her itinerary is going to be, and neither does she. She doesn't particularly want to commit to staying for specific lengths of time in places she hasn't been to yet, which seems perfectly sensible to me.

No sense in committing to a week in eg. Hanoi if you might end up discovering that you either want to leave after a day, or stay for a month.

Once again, the visa rules make it a complete pain for genuine tourists, but hey - what's new?

Thanks for the info everyone - appreciated.

[sjaak327]

^

I don't agree with your statement, for genuine tourists who stay for less the 30 days and have a return ticket and qualify for visa excempt (>40 countries) it's a walk in the park.

When you want to use Thailand as a travel hub, stay longer and don't have proof of onward travel, it becomes a little bit more difficult, but by obtaining a tourist visa (either multiple entries, or using re-entry permit) it isn't a big deal. You just need to figure out how many times you are entering thailand. By determining that you could decide to get a multiple entry visa, or use re-entry permits, and plan your last entry within 30 days of flying back, so you will get the free 30 day excempt stamp.

Remember for Vietnam for instance, you will need a visa beforehand. Otherwise, consider using Malaysia as your travel hub, You will get 90 days visa excempt, no onward ticket requirement and KL is the main hub for Air Asia and from KLIA there are plenty of other flights.

[bkkbaz]

^

I don't agree with your statement, for genuine tourists who stay for less the 30 days and have a return ticket and qualify for visa excempt (>40 countries) it's a walk in the park.

When you want to use Thailand as a travel hub, stay longer and don't have proof of onward travel, it becomes a little bit more difficult, but by obtaining a tourist visa (either multiple entries, or using re-entry permit) it isn't a big deal. You just need to figure out how many times you are entering thailand. By determining that you could decide to get a multiple entry visa, or use re-entry permits, and plan your last entry within 30 days of flying back, so you will get the free 30 day excempt stamp.

Remember for Vietnam for instance, you will need a visa beforehand. Otherwise, consider using Malaysia as your travel hub, You will get 90 days visa excempt, no onward ticket requirement and KL is the main hub for Air Asia and from KLIA there are plenty of other flights.

Hi, thanks for the Vietnam info. I was already aware of it (she'll apply for the visa in the Bangkok embassy), but I believe a few folks have got as far as the .vn border before realising they needed a visa!

I agree that for most regular 2-week holidays, the Thai immigration/visa laws are perfectly acceptable. However, Thailand's the only country I'm aware of in the region with the 90/180 day or onward-ticket nonsense. Truly the ginger step-child of SE Asia

The problem with the whole multi-entry thing is that no itinerary has been decided yet. It's my friend's first trip - this is why she's starting in Bangkok, so that I can give her a helping hand with the language and a push in the right direction - but she's obviously going to find places she loves, and places she can't stand. Far better to figure out which they are on the way, and plan around that, rather than committing to how long she's going to stay in them before she gets there.

Anyway, I think we've got enough to go on now. Thanks again to all responders.