2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Do they? I very much doubt it.

But if they do, they'll be admitted.

And over-stay... what Immigration need is software on their system to red-flag tourists who over-stay their departure date and chase them down.

Not asking dumb itinerary plans on arrival.

As usual the new rules and information provided by immigration is ambiguous and varies on interpretation. 

To make the new rules effective immediately caused hardship to people already on visa runs and people abroad who purchased return tickets for their holiday to Thailsnd in advance. 

As with the cannabis  fiasco and u turns from the authorities more professional formation of new requlations  however nessesary should be a requirement. 

19 minutes ago, jippytum said:

To make the new rules effective immediately caused hardship to people already on visa runs and people abroad who purchased return tickets for their holiday to Thailsnd in advance. 

People trying to circumvent existing rules.

1 hour ago, mikeymike100 said:

Maybe, but surely they are 'real' tickets, with real PNR's,  just short lived?

 

They said "unpaid return tickets" in that same sentence, so it's definitely referring to those onward ticket websites that just give you a short lived reservation.

On 11/24/2025 at 8:06 AM, webfact said:

The visa-free programme usually permits a stay of up to 90 days, but repeated entries extending stays to 150 days have prompted these actions.

Funny that during covid you could stay up to 9 months and still be considered a genuine tourist!

43 minutes ago, Homburg said:

 

Thanks for that detailed description mikeymike100,

 

So in theory, if it works as you describe then Immigration should accept it, but I'd guess that there is a reason why the announcement refers to "unpaid return tickets".  Could it be perhaps that Immigration (using its "discretion"), will consider these tickets to be "unpaid", even though technically these are not?

 

It would be safer perhaps to buy a cheap ticket to a neighboring country, or a fully refundable return ticket rather than risk being denied entry?

 

It may well be 'safer' to do as you suggest, buy a "fully refundable return ticket rather than risk being denied entry?"

 

The directive targets "unpaid return tickets," which specifically includes reservations like these that get canceled/refunded shortly after entry. Immigration is now cross-checking systems more aggressively for patterns of abuse (e.g., repeat entries with no actual exits). If they later discover your ticket was auto-canceled (visible in airline/immigration databases), it could be flagged as entering under false pretenses—leading to scrutiny on future visits, denial of extensions, or in extreme cases, deportation/blacklisting.

OnwardTicket is legit for what it is and beats outright fakes, but with Thailand's 2025 rules tightening on post-entry cancellations, it's not foolproof anymore!

 

Apparently, 

Thai Immigration has real-time access to the reservation systems (GDS — Global Distribution Systems like Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo) that almost all legacy/full-service airlines use (Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, EVA Air, JAL, ANA, Qantas, etc.).
Officers at the airport (especially Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang) can type in your PNR (the 6-character booking reference) and instantly see:

Flight number, date, route

Passenger name

Booking status (Confirmed / Cancelled / No-show / Refunded)

Ticket number and whether it was ever actually paid or just a “hold”

Exact cancellation time (down to the minute)

 

Under the new crackdown:

At the immigration counter they rarely ask to see the ticket anymore (they used to sometimes).

Instead, if your passport raises any red flags (multiple recent entries, overstay history, “digital nomad” profile, etc.), they quietly pull up your last onward ticket PNR in the background and check if it was cancelled within hours or days of your arrival.

If it was cancelled → they treat it as having entered with an “unpaid” or invalid onward ticket → immediate refusal of entry or (if already inside) problems when you later try to extend or re-enter.

 

Services like OnwardTicket.com, GetYourTicket, BestOnwardTicket, etc., are now very risky for Thailand because the cancellation is visible in the exact systems immigration checks.

I guess all those cowards from Russia and Ukraine, the roid heads from Europe, Australia and UK and the cheap, shady Indians will have to find another country to exploit their visa program.  

 

Thailand is a patient country, but when you disrespect the land of smiles, fight like idiots, start dealing drugs, and try to work without permits and insult the locals, what did you expect.

 

I am in full support of this policy.

 

Phuket is a nightmare now.  

1 hour ago, mikeymike100 said:

Yes you're right, but the airlines don't care, imagine how many people they check in per day? 

It’s a legitimate reservation that exists in the airline’s system exactly like any other ticket you could buy yourself — just borrowed for a day or two.

I'm sure you're right. In my way of thinking if I owned a company and found out someone was using my equipment for free to run their business I would be inclined to shut them down or at least charge them for the privilege, just on principle.😛

40 minutes ago, shdmn said:

They said "unpaid return tickets" in that same sentence, so it's definitely referring to those onward ticket websites that just give you a short lived reservation.

Yes, maybe they'll check for payment.

 

But, it's an announcement like many in the past. Wait and see. 

Why don’t they focus on people that DONT have visas first.

 

honestly who cares if someone is here long time on tourist visa vs retirement need as long as they are documented and following reporting procedures.

 

having had to do the runs in my past they are a form of hellish torture all on their own that no one likes and that was because they had no decent visa at that time for long term stay.

 

at least (for now) they’ve added dtv which should work for most 

 

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

There will be no questioning. Just understand the intention, and look at what has been communicated.

Yes because what is communicated is 100% how Immigration operate at all times, no exception.

54 minutes ago, loong said:

Funny that during covid you could stay up to 9 months and still be considered a genuine tourist!

it is only when there is no tourists they cry and loosen stupid rules...otherwise lets make it hard as possible for tourists

14 minutes ago, ryandb said:

Yes because what is communicated is 100% how Immigration operate at all times, no exception.

You're not looking at the intention. This has nothing to do with genuine tourists, like in the quote i replied to.

On 11/24/2025 at 8:06 AM, webfact said:

Officials have warned visa agencies against facilitating such activities, with potential legal repercussions for non-compliance.

But is it not immigration themselves that facilitate this..?

2 hours ago, kimamey said:

I don't think this is just in Phuket, it's a national thing. I saw a video from Pattaya yesterday dealing with this. The first part is just directions. Skip to about 4:20.

Interesting video. I didnt quite get what was said about passengers in transit being turned around and sent back (13.35). The item about foreign landlords (15.00) could be alarming for some. There are Thai landlords who refuse to give their personal details.  

57 minutes ago, parafareno said:

it is only when there is no tourists they cry and loosen stupid rules...otherwise lets make it hard as possible for tourists

The same rules apply when entering Australia and New Zealand. Immigration check that you have a return ticket and enough funds to support yourself for your holiday period. They are also vigilant in the case of visa runners!

I find it difficult to understand Thailand's vision here, as long as the people entering the Kingdom are properly screened & monitored then what really are they trying to achieve. I would say step up your screening & monitoring process as people "in country" are spending money, supporting infrastructure which in turn puts $$$ in Thailands pockets. Yes constantly returning people may be involved in work deemed illegal or other actives not favourable to Thailand but surely with the age we live in screening & monitoring people has become far easier and much more informative. 

Its a little like when the Covid pandemic hit and the authorities did everything in their power to entice people to leave Thailand to the extent that if their visas didnt comply they could face imprisonment. It went until most had left the country and many under duress that it finally dawned on the authorities that their cash cow had diminished and they scrambled to think of ways to encourage tourists to return. Their plan should have been quite the opposite when they saw the actual number of in country fatalities decreasing rather than increasing in the first 6 months of covid despite global propaganda fabricating the opposite! 

35 minutes ago, potless said:

Interesting video. I didnt quite get what was said about passengers in transit being turned around and sent back (13.35). The item about foreign landlords (15.00) could be alarming for some. There are Thai landlords who refuse to give their personal details.  

That could be a problem indeed. If you can't use your landlord, and don't want to move, your only choice seems to be using an agent for it. But then again, I suppose you are in their hands, whatever that means. No, this is not good.

 

I also hope they put the driver's licenses back on track. I just did both of mine, at Banglamung. Written test of 50 questions, and a very easy driving test, and an even easier vision test. 

3 hours ago, Kandinski said:

Bad news for the crowd  working rotation abroad.  Fewer in the bars and more condoes for rent soon I'll guess

Offshore workers.. can they get metv multiple reentry,  or expensive elite visas.  Multiple setvs? Certainly getting awkward at best

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

You're not looking at the intention. This has nothing to do with genuine tourists, like in the quote i replied to.

And once again how it's applied is never 100% followed so it may become inconvenient to people who have multiple legit holidays in a year, like say an offshore worker who spends their downtime here, comes 3 times a year, suddenly they get questioned, next year they go to vietnam or PH instead

46 minutes ago, potless said:

Interesting video. I didnt quite get what was said about passengers in transit being turned around and sent back (13.35). The item about foreign landlords (15.00) could be alarming for some. There are Thai landlords who refuse to give their personal details.  

I watched another video about long staying and immigration now wanting valid 12 month visas from landlords with ID etc, and many foreign landlords will not be in country with 12 month visas. Buzz in pàttaya had a great interview with a visa guy o. The u tube 

56 minutes ago, brian69 said:

But is it not immigration themselves that facilitate this..?

Sshhh !  Along with the banks, who are supposedly clamping down on "mule" accounts. 

I was sure old mate down the pub had said that Phuket was going to be renamed little Russia and then annexed I guess that suggestion didn't go down to well

3 hours ago, stevenl said:

Those people will have a return ticket.

 

Not always.

 

I prefer to fly into a country with my bicycle and riding gear and then cycle back home.

 

When I was living in China, I'd fly one-way to Singapore or Cambodia or Thailand and return by land.

 

Yes, an outlier, but I do see entire families doing similar.

9 minutes ago, gk10012001 said:

I watched another video about long staying and immigration now wanting valid 12 month visas from landlords with ID etc, and many foreign landlords will not be in country with 12 month visas. Buzz in pàttaya had a great interview with a visa guy o. The u tube 

Thats the youtube video I was referring to that was posted on page one.

3 hours ago, stevenl said:

If Thailand is their place on off rotation, they need a non immigrant visa.

Correct,From 2005-2012 I was working O&G on various rotas. I had a Retirement visa extension and never had any issues at all. I no longer enjoy flying or airports for that matter. 

9 minutes ago, ryandb said:

And once again how it's applied is never 100% followed so it may become inconvenient to people who have multiple legit holidays in a year, like say an offshore worker who spends their downtime here, comes 3 times a year, suddenly they get questioned, next year they go to vietnam or PH instead

He should get a non-immigrant visa. That's the way it is now as well, the same discussion was here already many times in the past.

14 minutes ago, gk10012001 said:

I watched another video about long staying and immigration now wanting valid 12 month visas from landlords with ID etc, and many foreign landlords will not be in country with 12 month visas. Buzz in pàttaya had a great interview with a visa guy o. The u tube 

That's the video on page one.

It seems all immigration Dept are jumping on the same wagon... seriously, what real harm is being done by border runners....if the police did their job any illegal activity would be minimised...but that would take effort, and getting off their arse.

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

That's gonna put a lot of people off coming here... the thought of being denied entry at the airport will make a lot of genuine tourist reconsider Thailand.

Why is that going to affect genuine tourists?