Touristic Visa Problems

[kamikams]

hello everybody,

i am french, and i decided to visit asia during 2 years by starting by thailand. So i bought a one way plane ticket to bangkok. I want to stay 6 month in thailand so i need a double entry tourism visa. I heard that thai embassy in paris dont give this visa to who have only one way ticket. Is it true? I dont need a return yet cos i dont know when i will. I want visit another countries after thailand bit i didn't decided where yet.

How can i do to get this double entry?

thanks for help and sorry for my poor english.

[Jingthing]

Well, there are different ways to handle an open ended situation like this, but here is my idea.

Get the single entry tourist visa.

That is 60 days in Thailand.

You can probably extend this for another 30 days while in Thailand.

From there, you can do a quick border runs and obtain stays of up to 90 days in a 6 month period (at a maximum of 30 days a time) with 30 day stamps, no visa needed.

(OR/AND) you can visit Penang or Vientiene or Kuala Lumpur and get another tourist visa (perhaps even a double entry?), giving 60 days plus a potential 30 day extension.

Alot depends on what your plans turn out to be once you arrive. You will need to learn the rules and play the game but if you are traveling around Asia starting with a single entry tourist visa should get you started. You will want to ask more questions once your travel plans get more decided.

Another tip. If you plan on leaving Thailand within 30 days of arrival, ask the immigration at the airport not to use your visa yet (don't write the number on the landing form if you want to do this) and you can save that first tourist visa until your next entry (assuming it will still be valid to use by the time you need to use, they do expire).

Yet another idea, ask the embassy in France if you can get the 2 entry visa if you can show an air ticket out of Thailand to a local country at a logical time near the end of the second entry. This might be a cheap ticket to Penang, for example, and may be a throwaway ticket, but they may possibly go for it.

[Fizz]

Buy a fully refundable ticket from thailand to anyplace else. after you enter thailand apply for the refund.

[ubonjoe]

Some consulates do want to see a return or onward ticket.

As said before you can purchase a oneway ticket to a nearby country.