I have had a most interesting day. Thai friend and I are going on holidays in November this year. He tried for a Tourist Visa to spend two weeks in Australia late last year and was knocked back. We have seen Thailand together and been to Singapore. Going to Hong Kong together in April this year to get a few more stamps in his passport.

I am looking at options. He mentioned he would like to see a couple of European countries - UK, France and Switzerland. I have started researching and bookmarking sites so I can print off the visa application forms and work out a rough itinerary.

It occurred to me he may like to see New Zealand. As an Australian living on the east coast of Australia, it's just a hop, skip and a jump from here.

One option would be for him to fly BKK-Auckland with either Emirates or Thai Airways. I would fly from Gold Coast to Auckland and meet him there. Then my devious mind came up with Plan B.

He could fly Air Asia from BKK to Kuala Lumpur to Gold Coast airport. I could meet him in the Transit Lounge and we could fly with Pacific Blue or Air New Zealand together. This is fine - except Gold Coast airport does not have a Transit Lounge. Flight Centre couldn't help so I phoned the Department of Immigration.

A nice lady pointed me to the Department's website and said: 'Thailand is one of the countries which has an arrangement with the Australian Government. Travellers on Thai passports do not need a Transit Visa if they depart Australia by air within 8 hours of the scheduled time of their arrival and hold confirmed onward booking and documentation necessary to enter the country of their destination and remain in the transit lounge at an airport.'

Interesting. Arrive in Australia from BKK and KUL in the morning, fly to NZ in the afternoon. Spend the day in the non-existent transit lounge at Gold Coast (international) airport.

Any thoughts?

Peter

by transit lounge, would this by chance mean the area between the plane and immigration desks...otherwise known as the departure lounge??

If so, then he'll never officially enter Australia for immigration purposes, which will be fine according to what you've quoted. But immigration won't let him past the immigration desks, and you'll be subjecting him to at least 8 hours stuck in tiny(?) gold coast airport, not to mention the inconvienience (impossiblity?) or having to re-check baggage given you are flying a low cost carrier Great way to start the holiday...not

Best probably you just meet up in Nuw Zuland.

Thanks for clearing that up, samran. I thought as much. Because Thailand is one of the countries mention as a Transit Visa free country, Thai passport holders are not eligible to get a Transit Visa (Subclass 771) which enables foreigners to enter and remain in Australia for up to 72 hours.

I don't know how true it is, but when I complained to the Department of Immigration that it is unfair how I could just get on a Thai Airways plane in Brisbane at 23.59 hours tonight and be in Bangkok at 6.30am tomorrow and a Thai passport holder has to jump through a number of hoops to get a Tourist Visa - the Officer I spoke with said the matter of eVisas for Thai people 'was being looked at ...'

I won't hold my breath waiting for this to happen - but it shows the Department is not totally heartless.

Peter

I imagine the percentage of travelers from Australia that want to go to Thailand and overstay and work in a low paying job to send money back home to Australia is probably a little lower than the percentage of Thai people that would overstay in Australia and work a low paying job under the table and send money back to Thailand.

Might be better to fly on a full sevice airline through Brisbane.

Designated International Airports in Australia.

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/aviation/...g_airports.aspx