I will be returning to Thailand later this year (my non-immigrant visa will expire), and I see that for a Tourist or Transit Visa, one of the requirements is Evidence of Travel from Thailand.

My default plan was to simply fly into Bangkok and get a 30 day Transit Visa, and then within 30 days take a trip up to Laos to get a double 60-day Tourist Visa.

If arriving by air, is this Evidence typically truly required? What would happen if I arrived on a 1-way ticket, explaining that the rest of my travel tickets simply had not been purchased yet?

Alternatively, does anybody have experience obtaining a Tourist Visa in the US or Canada without having such a Return airfare already purchased?

I would appreciate this forum's expert guidance.

Your problem will not be with Immigration but the airline.

They may not let you board the flight without a Visa if you do not have a ticket leaving Thailand within 30 days.

You should have no problem getting a Tourist Visa in the US. Use an Honorary Consulate such as Houston rather than an Embassy. They are more friendly.

I think you are talking about a 30 day visa exempt entry it is not a visa of any type.

You will need to show an onward or return ticket leaving within 30 in order to get on your flight. The airline would not allow you on the flight without it.

Most honorary Consulates in the states and Canada will not ask to see a ticket when you apply for a tourist visa. The official consulates and the embassies would probably ask for it.

You can even get a 3 entry tourist visa there that would aloow you to stay for almost 9 months without getting a new visa.

List of conulates in the States use pulldown menu at top of page. http://www.thaiembdc.org/AboutEmb/EmbDirect.aspx

Canada near the bottom of page (Vancouver is official consulate). http://www.magma.ca/~thaiott/visa3.htm

Believe you noticed that information on a Consulate web site? They can ask to see travel documents prior to issue of a visa but normally that is not done for home country nationals and only selectively enforced. There is no requirement for onward travel by Immigration or the airlines if you have a visa for entry.

Believe you noticed that information on a Consulate web site? They can ask to see travel documents prior to issue of a visa but normally that is not done for home country nationals and only selectively enforced. There is no requirement for onward travel by Immigration or the airlines if you have a visa for entry.

First time I came to Thailand I had a return ticket. The second time, no return ticket, but no problems with Royal Brunei out of NZ, and no problems with immigration. I simply put on the card that my method of departing was by car into Laos, and they didn't blink an eye. Selectively enforced? Most likely, yes. Guess I didn't fit whatever profile they had developed.

The second time, no return ticket, but no problems with Royal Brunei out of NZ,

You were just lucky.

Immigration does not normally ask for tickets out it is always the airlines that do the enforcing.