Don't Forget Your Air Ticket For Tourist Visa

[RickBradford]

I applied last Thursday for a 60-day Thai tourist visa in Singapore, but was told by the officer that since the visa itself is now free, you have to show a valid return air ticket to the Kingdom and out again before they will accept your application (sorry if this has been posted elsewhere, couldn't find it).

In other words, you have to buy a ticket before you know whether they will let you into the country or not. (OK, I'm sure it's unlikely they will reject an application, but you never know.)

As an aside, since this was the Thursday before the Good Friday holiday in Singapore, the staff at the Thai Embassy had decided to take a long holiday themselves and offered to process the visa by next Wednesday (ie after Easter, and after Songkhran).

So it was either spend six days in S'pore, or get visa on arrival in BKK.....

[lopburi3]

Consulates normally observe both home and local holidays - it seems they were opening early if they said would be available on Wednesday as that is also a holiday.

A ticket is a requirement for visa issue - but normally not asked for at most consulates.

2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months

- Visa application form completely filled out

- Recent( 4 x 6 cm.) photograph of the applicant

- Evidence of travel from Thailand (air ticket paid in full)

- Evidence of adequate finance (10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family)

- Consular officers reserve the rights to request additional documents as deemed necessary

[RickBradford]

Thanks for the clarification -- in that case, I'll just note that with the visa being free, the air ticket requirement is now being rigidly enforced, in Singapore at least.

[JR Texas]

Thanks for the clarification -- in that case, I'll just note that with the visa being free, the air ticket requirement is now being rigidly enforced, in Singapore at least.

So, to get a tourist visa outside of the country you must buy a round trip ticket (in and out of Thailand) before you know if the visa will be forthcoming. And even if it is, you have to show an exit ticket when you probably have no idea when you want to leave or by what method (train, bus, plane, ship). Yet another rule change that will hurt tourism.

[lopburi3]

It is not a rule change - it has been the rule - but most Consulates do not ask. Singapore runs hot and cold as I mentioned before. This seems to be the cold season. Such is not the case at most other Consulates.

[JR Texas]

It is not a rule change - it has been the rule - but most Consulates do not ask. Singapore runs hot and cold as I mentioned before. This seems to be the cold season. Such is not the case at most other Consulates.

You are correct: It has been on the books a long time. Still it is a "rule change" in the sense that it is being selectively enforced. It will hurt tourism.

As you are well aware, lots of tourists use Bangkok as a "hub" to other places in the region. In the past, it was easy and convenient to fly to Bangkok (without any air ticket out of the country), stay and explore, then decide, often at the last minute, to go visit another place (e.g., Lao), then return to Thailand, etc.

When ready to leave, these types of travelers would buy and exit ticket inside Thailand.......thus helping some Thai businessperson make money...........that is changing.

This "rule change" negatively impacts travelers that like to travel on the spur of the moment. It negatively impacts businesses in Thailand that sell airline tickets to foreigners. Why? Because foreigners will now have to be purchase airline tickets outside of Thailand.

If I were one of those businesspersons, red or yellow shirt, I would be seriously upset by this "rule."

[Tawai]

To me it appears like the imm...people run the country (down). Looking how they give trouble to (mostly) honest foreign business people here, one has to think they are the enforcement crew to get competition (even when they are not competing any already existing businesses) out of the country. I know personally several cases where one has no other way of explaining than TIT.

I just don't get it why they are allowed to make rules wich hurt Thailand much more than the "unwanted foreigners" they try to get out of the country. The not so affluent foreigners which really want to, or do not have much better choices than this country, find a way of staying on anyhow.

The real problem in my eyes is, that like in the rest of the world, the inocent have to suffer for people who do not obey the laws. I better not ask for better enforcment of the laws, as the laws are very poor designed and many times too strict.

Don't think too much and you have a grat chance of leading a happy life here. Sad but true, because thinking would be needed very much in Thailand.

Rant over, have a nice holiday all.