E-tickets And Proof Of Return Flight

[Richard W]

If a citizen of a wealthy country comes to Thailand as a tourist by air, he generally gets a 30-day leave to remain on arrival, but he is supposed to have a return ticket. How would he demonstrate this if all he has is an 'e-ticket'? I have an e-ticket, and it seems that all I need to get my boarding pass is my passport! (It's possible that the 'locator code' is also needed.)

I will be carrying the letter from my travel agent explaining that I have an 'e-ticket', but I doubt a Thai immigration officer would be happy to be presented with that in lieu of a return ticket. (The letter arrived a few days before the flight, and a few days after I had asked why our tickets hadn't arrived.) British Airways seems to have no worries about carrying Britons to Thailand on the strength of such meagre documentation.

[thaiflyer1]

The problem isnt at the Thai Immigration end (although in theory it could be) the normal problem arises with getting the carrier to let you board to come here in the first place........obviously if you have an e-ticket with that carrier to exit Thailand within 30 days of arrival then you have no problem.

[lopburi3]

The requirement is for onward transportation, not a round trip ticket. The requirement is almost never checked by immigration but if it was they would be able to figure out an e-ticket (they are also used here in Thailand). The airline flying you here may check and they also can figure out an e-ticket; and as they told you no problem. Relax and enjoy.

[Axel]

All the e-tickets I get around here are confirmed by fax and/or e-mail which I print out an carry with me.

Actually, when checking in at BKK they do attach the luggage stubs to my printed copy.

[Sunny Valentine]

I had big problems with a return E-Ticket to South Africa last Year. They did not credit my Email printout, I was first refused entry and was guarded to Lufthansa office where they could finally verify my claim of having a confirmed return ticket.

I would not bet two satang on the Thai's getting this straightened out better than the Southafricans ......

Sunny

[muenwai2]

Thousands of passengers arrive at BKK every day on e-tickets.

Ignore Sunny Valentine's comment. We do not know his demeamour or appearance on arrival but safe to assume the immigration officer had good reason for their action. The tone of his last sentence tends to suggest this.

They will only ask for evidence of confirmed onward transportation if they have reasonable suspicion.

You will have absolutely no problems and will proceed through immigration in a fraction of the time it takes a Thai to get through UK airport immigration

[astral]

The requirement is for onward transportation, not a round trip ticket.  The requirement is almost never checked by immigration........

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That may be true for you and me, but depends on nationality and colour of skin, sad to say.

I have been behind people of African descent, who have been groping for their tickets at the request of the Immigration officer.

See Sunny Valentine's comments.

[lopburi3]

The requirement is for onward transportation, not a round trip ticket.  The requirement is almost never checked by immigration........

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That may be true for you and me, but depends on nationality and colour of skin, sad to say.

I have been behind people of African descent, who have been groping for their tickets at the request of the Immigration officer.

See Sunny Valentine's comments.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I do not get the felling this is such a case:

If a citizen of a wealthy country comes to Thailand as a tourist by air

The fact is that people here do know what ticketless travel is all about and there should not be any problem using an e-ticket.

[Ian_B]

Don't worry as e-tickets are very common here now.

Fact is Thai Airways ONLY issue e-tickets for domestic flights now. You simply cannot get printed Thai Airways domestic tickets in Thailand

[monochaser]

I think that e tickets are gonna be a problem. they would not take mine last time. I would get paper tickets. theyre easy to get. problem with e tickets is that you can print anything you want off a computer. nobody knows this better than the thais

[lopburi3]

I think that e tickets are gonna be a problem. they would not take mine last time. I would get paper tickets. theyre easy to get. problem with e tickets is that you can print anything you want off a computer. nobody knows this better than the thais

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I suspect your problem may have had more to do with what you said earlier:

just make border runs every 28 days. thats what i do

[Richard W]

I think that e tickets are gonna be a problem. they would not take mine last time. I would get paper tickets. theyre easy to get. problem with e tickets is that you can print anything you want off a computer. nobody knows this better than the thais

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How did you resolve the problem?

[monochaser]

they just gave me one of those "this will be the last time" statements

[Richard W]

They will only ask for evidence of confirmed onward transportation if they have reasonable suspicion.

You will have absolutely no problems and will proceed through immigration in a fraction of the time it takes a Thai to get through UK airport immigration

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's what I expect, which is why I said, 'Just curious'.

Actually, Thais seem to be getting through UK immigration quite quickly in my most recent, but limited, experience. There was no queue at Gatwick, and last time at Heathrow the non-EU queue was quite quick. The EU channel is not as fast as the UK channel used to be.

Incidentally, what's the current policy on families of mixed nationality? Can a foreign mother holding ILR and accompanying a UK child still use the EU queue at UK immigration? We used the non-EU queue last time lest we be turned back from the EU queue and forced to join the end of the non-EU queue.

[Ken]

I think that e tickets are gonna be a problem. they would not take mine last time. I would get paper tickets. theyre easy to get. problem with e tickets is that you can print anything you want off a computer. nobody knows this better than the thais

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How did you resolve the problem?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

E tickets have been around quite a number of years now (ok my first was 5 years ago). It is getting close to "impossible" to get paper tickets anymore. Welcome to the age of computers, etc. Never, ever had a problem with an e-ticket so don't realy know what you mean about an e-ticket being a problem.

[Richard W]

I think that e tickets are gonna be a problem. they would not take mine last time. I would get paper tickets. theyre easy to get. problem with e tickets is that you can print anything you want off a computer. nobody knows this better than the thais

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

E tickets have been around quite a number of years now (ok my first was 5 years ago). It is getting close to "impossible" to get paper tickets anymore. Welcome to the age of computers, etc. Never, ever had a problem with an e-ticket so don't realy know what you mean about an e-ticket being a problem.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The problem is demonstrating to a third party that you hold a return ticket. If the immigration officer can speedily access the airline's database then there is no problem. If he can't then the only evidence may be a very easily faked document.

With paper tickets, immigration could check that all those who should have them had tickets for onward travel. I don't believe that is feasible with e-tickets without a significant drop in throughput. The TM card would have to show the onward flight, the Immigration Officer would have to type the details in, and then there would be a long wait while the airline system responded. Thai Immigration officers seem to spend long enough staring at their screens as it is. I don't know whether they have a lot to read or are just waiting for their own system to respond.