Hey guys, i've seen millions of visa posts for thailand, but am -STILL- unclear on some things.

I'm a Canadian living in China with my girlfriend. We just finished a teaching contract and want to travel Thailand. We are in Hainan, have a flight booked to Shenzhen where we will fly to Bangkok. We wish to stay longer than the 30 day visa-free period. We don't have a visa for Thailand, but would happily get one. The problem is we have no means of filling out the application here, and our situation makes it difficult. We aren't planning on booking a return ticket until we are more sure when we want to leave Thailand. I guess i'm wondering if we will be able to get a visa any time within that free 30 days of visa-free time. Will the airline let us fly into Thailand without a visa? Will immigrations give us the 30 day stamp without a return ticket?

If we could purchase a travel visa after arriving in Bangkok, that would really be ideal.

Any thoughts would be -awesome-. Thanks

Jesse

Edit: just noticed a thailand visa section, will repost there, this can be deleted. *sorry*

Edited July 5, 200818 yr by ManyouRisms

It's very unlikely you will have a problem with immigration on a one way ticket, but it is very likely that the airline will refuse to let you fly.

2 options -

1. Get a tourist visa in China (there must be an embassy or consulate somewhere).

2. Book either a refundable return ticket, or a cheap ticket to Malaysia/ Cambo/ anywhere local.

As I said before it is LIKELY they will not let you fly, but you might get away with it.

EDIT// to add, you can't get a visa in Thailand, only in an embassy/ consulate outside of LOS.

Edited July 5, 200818 yr by sweetchariot

The "onward ticket" debate is a strange one. I flew from Macau to BKK today and wasn't asked, either by Macau or Bangkok immigration. This was my third and final visa exempt entry as well. Thinking about it logically, is the travel industry really going to ask THOUSANDS of passengers to produce tickets for flights one month in advance? I doubt it. Of course you MAY get a jobsworth who wants to be awkward, but it is very unlikely in my view.

The only time in maybe a dozen entries I've been asked to produce evidence of onward travel was when I actually had a visa - I just told him I have a 12 month visa and haven't planned that far ahead yet.

My experience is the opposite.. I have been asked many many times, once they wouldnt even sell me the ticket let alone board without proof of visa (it was in a second passport) and another time I had an overactive check in person who thought I needed one even with a visa..

My buddy was stranded in HK and only just made his flight by running round and buying a one way ticket in the airport.

The opposite is my brother has been stopped.. Whenever they ask for a ticket he just says.. Yeah I am booked on Tiger ref 'aegh6b' or some other lie.. Its a ticketless airline and so I dont know how they can control that !?!?!

I wonder whether how many stamps you have in your passport makes a difference? If you've years and years of visa exempt stamps, they might be more concerned than the first time holiday maker with a clean passport? As I said, I can't see them demanding onward travel evidence from the millions of holidaymakers coming through immigration each year. It wouldn't even occur to me to have that had I not read about it on here. I actually had evidence of onward travel on me when I came through macau, although had left it in my checked luggage - guess I'd have been screwed if asked for it on arrival.