Onward Ticket Confusion

[asheelliott]

i would like to spend several months in SEAsia and specifically I'd like to spend at least one month in thailand. if i fly into thailand do i need a return flight from the country of thailand within my "exempt" month, or can i have a return ticket from say, malaysia, two months later? or if i fly into malaysia and then enter thailand by land do i need an onward ticket from the country of thailand (within one month of my arrival)? these may be stupid questions, but all the information i've found is vague, too unclear to feel comfortable planning by.

cheers!

ps i'm in my 20's, and from the usa

[dr_Pat_Pong]

i would like to spend several months in SEAsia and specifically I'd like to spend at least one month in thailand. if i fly into thailand do i need a return flight from the country of thailand within my "exempt" month, or can i have a return ticket from say, malaysia, two months later? or if i fly into malaysia and then enter thailand by land do i need an onward ticket from the country of thailand (within one month of my arrival)? these may be stupid questions, but all the information i've found is vague, too unclear to feel comfortable planning by.

cheers!

ps i'm in my 20's, and from the usa

You need a confirmed flight out of Thailand within 30 days or a 60 day Thai torist visa.

[PhilHarries]

i would like to spend several months in SEAsia and specifically I'd like to spend at least one month in thailand. if i fly into thailand do i need a return flight from the country of thailand within my "exempt" month, or can i have a return ticket from say, malaysia, two months later? or if i fly into malaysia and then enter thailand by land do i need an onward ticket from the country of thailand (within one month of my arrival)? these may be stupid questions, but all the information i've found is vague, too unclear to feel comfortable planning by.

cheers!

ps i'm in my 20's, and from the usa

You need a confirmed flight out of Thailand within 30 days or a 60 day Thai torist visa.

That's the rule, in reality I've never been asked for proof of onward or return travel but have always entered via Bangkok airport and, of course, may just have been plain lucky. I believe the land crossings are more strict and do ask for proof. I don't understand what you mean by "or can I have a return from, say, Malaysia, two months later?" Do you mean "to Malaysia" in which case you are inferring a visa exempt overstay which is not advisable. If you are staying in S.E. Asia for several months and wish to spend up to one of them in Thailand there are three choices.

1. Buy your ticket to Thailand and at the same time buy a ticket out of Thailand to your next country dated within 30 days of your arrival date.

2. Visit Thailand in the last month of your tour and have your return BKK to home ticket suitably dated.

3. Get a 60 day tourist visa as dr PP suggests. This is your best option especially if arriving mid tour as it allows you the option of staying that little bit longer, a phenomenon that seems to happen to a lot of people.

In theory you could enter Thailand on a visa exempt stamp with an outward ticket 60 days later and do a visa run at 30 days. This would be perfectly legal but immigration do not allow for it. Is this what you meant by your return from Malaysia two months later?

Also in your calculations do not forget that your arrival and departure days count within your 30 days exemption stamp, tough if you arrive 23:30 day 1 and then depart 06:30 day 30.