Just wondering the dates that need to be on the airline ticket. I have an open ended ticket because I do not know the exact date I will be returning. The immigration officer was not clear but he said something like the dates need to be confirned? Confirmed for the end of the upcoming visa or confirmed for when I am leaving? Help, thanks!

If for visa exempt entry the date must be confirmed and be within the 30 days allowed for entry. If you already have a visa there should not be any check of return airline ticket.

To confirm, when I flew into Thailand a few months ago, at the Immigration check-in, an official turned back 3 passengers in front of me who had arrived with open-end tickets for VOA. They were sent back to a desk within the airport's Arrivals area, that apparently enables them to convert their tickets to specific flight dates that comply with the 30 day requirement.

Well yes, because if your flight out was in 45 days and you had no visa, you could only get 30 days which, on allowing you entry, would effectively be "allowing" you to overstay 15 days.

If you have a visa, there is no such requirement.

To confirm, when I flew into Thailand a few months ago, at the Immigration check-in, an official turned back 3 passengers in front of me who had arrived with open-end tickets for Visa Exemption

Was there any discrimination here?

Were the people turned back European, or Asian?

I have never heard of a European being asked to show a ticket.

On an unrelated but parallel line, I remember entering Hongkong with no questions asked,

whereas my Thai boss received the 3rd degree about whether he had enough funds.

All rather embarrassing.

To confirm, when I flew into Thailand a few months ago, at the Immigration check-in, an official turned back 3 passengers in front of me who had arrived with open-end tickets for Visa Exemption

Was there any discrimination here?

Were the people turned back European, or Asian?

I have never heard of a European being asked to show a ticket.

On an unrelated but parallel line, I remember entering Hongkong with no questions asked,

whereas my Thai boss received the 3rd degree about whether he had enough funds.

All rather embarrassing.

They were Indian.

...They were Indian.

Therefore, the officer at the immigration desk sent them to the desk where the visa on arrival is issued. Indian nationals are not entitled to visa-exempt entry but can get a visa on arrival at a special desk for this purpose, and then at the immigration desk will receive permission to stay for 15 days.

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Maestro

...They were Indian.

Therefore, the officer at the immigration desk sent them to the desk where the visa on arrival is issued. Indian nationals are not entitled to visa-exempt entry but can get a visa on arrival at a special desk for this purpose, and then at the immigration desk will receive permission to stay for 15 days.

It was strange then that the Immigration official only seemed to focus on their airline ticket being open-ended. As he was speaking in a loud voice, it couldn't be helped hearing the conversation while waiting in line. He profusely and distinctly told him the special airline reservation desk, not the visa on arrival desk, is where they needed to go because he (and the other 2 that apparently traveled with him) needed to have specific flight return dates.

When people from countries that aren't granted visa-exempt entry obtain their visas at the visa on arrival desk in arrivals, is part of that process checking for their return airline ticket or do they send them on to Immigrations and have that aspect checked there? That would explain the situation I witnessed.