Do I Need An Outbound Ticket?

[banff1981]

My friends and I will be flying into bangkok early next year from Canada. One friend will have a return flight to Canada from Vietnam. My other friend and myself will be arriving in Bangkok on a one way ticket as we plan to travel to surrounding countries. My question is that if we both have tourist visas for vietnam and india, do we need a return ticket or will the visas for the other countries provide the proof that we do not intend on staying long term. I was not intending on getting a tourist visa because we plan on staying less than 30 days.

Thanks for any help that anyone can provide.

Chris

Banff, AB.

[thaiphoon]

Without a visa your airline may refuse to allow you to board without an outward ticket from Thailand within 30 days of arrival. Best to obtain a tourist visa. They are currently free until 4th March 2010.

[junkofdavid2]

A cheap friend of mine claims he instead used a 100 Baht cross-border bus ticket, and it worked.

[lopburi3]

The airline is not likely to accept anything but an air ticket that they can verify if they so desire. Bus tickets were acceptable on land border crossings from Cambodia recently but have never heard of an airline accepting them; but it is often a case-by-case call on there part.

[Ayutthaya69]

My friends and I will be flying into bangkok early next year from Canada. One friend will have a return flight to Canada from Vietnam. My other friend and myself will be arriving in Bangkok on a one way ticket as we plan to travel to surrounding countries. My question is that if we both have tourist visas for vietnam and india, do we need a return ticket or will the visas for the other countries provide the proof that we do not intend on staying long term. I was not intending on getting a tourist visa because we plan on staying less than 30 days.

Thanks for any help that anyone can provide.

Chris

Banff, AB.

Hello so you need a visa so when you come to Thailand because until march 4 2010 the tourist visa free of charge

[ericthai]

Call you airline and speak to them, each airline has different rules. I flew from USA to Thailand on a one way ticket and had no visa, told them I was going to Vietnam for work and did not know when I was returning. That was not a problem, but again depends on the airline, so best is to call them. Also, this was 12yrs ago.

[thaiphoon]

Call you airline and speak to them, each airline has different rules. I flew from USA to Thailand on a one way ticket and had no visa, told them I was going to Vietnam for work and did not know when I was returning. That was not a problem, but again depends on the airline, so best is to call them. Also, this was 12yrs ago.

12 years was a long time ago. All airlines have access to the IATA database which provides directive to airlines for visa travel to Thailand (have a visa or a ticket out of Thailand within 30 days). The airline runs a risk if it breaks the rules as it will be fined and have to pay for passenger return travel if entry into the Kingdom is refused. Most airlines understandably do not want to take that risk.

[pigh123]

I was asked to show proof of onward travel from Air Asia when I left Australia, luckily I had it, although the girl was pretty laid back about it like it was just procedure, im sure I could have talked her into letting me on

[Jingthing]

Generally you need either a visa or an AIR ticket out that leaves within 30 days if arriving to get a 30 day stamp. Generally, anything other than an AIR ticket will not be accepted. I personally would not listen to people telling you this is a laid back situation, boarding in Canada to Thailand. It is not.

[MisterBean]

My recent experiences with Air canada leaving from Toronto in the last year are;

Flying to Bangkok on a round trip ticket but with a return date longer than 30 days, they wanted to see a visa, although they didn't notice or care that the visa expired before the return date on my ticket.

Flying to Hong Kong one-way, they didn't care about anything. This one could have been the agent not bothering, I was in business class and she was trying to check my bags through to Bangkok since I had another ticket from Hong Kong on Thai. I did have a visa and proof of onward travel if she had asked.

Tourist visas are free, I was lucky to get a really free one. In Toronto now there is a $35 per visa service charge which is the same amount as the nomal visa fee. I would get a visa for Thailand to make sure there are no snags at the airport.

[Jonathanpattaya]

My friends and I will be flying into bangkok early next year from Canada. One friend will have a return flight to Canada from Vietnam. My other friend and myself will be arriving in Bangkok on a one way ticket as we plan to travel to surrounding countries. My question is that if we both have tourist visas for vietnam and india, do we need a return ticket or will the visas for the other countries provide the proof that we do not intend on staying long term. I was not intending on getting a tourist visa because we plan on staying less than 30 days.

Thanks for any help that anyone can provide.

Chris

Banff, AB.

You are very sensible for asking this question before travelling.

Just make things easy for yourself and get a tourist visa which are free until next March.

[banff1981]

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.

[JamieP]

Flying to Bangkok on a round trip ticket but with a return date longer than 30 days, they wanted to see a visa, although they didn't notice or care that the visa expired before the return date on my ticket.

I may well be wrong but I thought that the visa expiration date is only important in terms of when you arrive.

If your visa expires the day after you arrive ypu will still get the 60/90/whatever days?

[lopburi3]

Correct and the only thing the airline is concerned about is the visa as that in itself allowes one way travel.

[luvthailand]

I flew one-way from Los Angeles to Bangkok last year via Cathay Pacific. At the last minute, as we were boarding (!) the machine in which you enter the boarding tickets set off an alarm when mine was entered. She took me out of the line and said my ticket was one-way and wanted to question me. I just pulled out my triple entry 6 months tourist visa and showed it to her (I am USA citizen) and that was fine, I boarded. She did not actually ask for anything, I just immediately offered the visa after she said my ticket was one-way. The whole thing took 30 seconds.

LuvThailand

[kyb789]

I live in Thailand and travel back to the U.S. twice a year. The only people that care are the airlines. Thai imigration have never asked. But I have traveled with a work permit. The airlines hassle me everytime. Even with the work permit and re-entery VISA. I don't have a "return ticket" and eventually win my case. But what a pain in the ^$%.

[ezside]

My friends and I will be flying into bangkok early next year from Canada. One friend will have a return flight to Canada from Vietnam. My other friend and myself will be arriving in Bangkok on a one way ticket as we plan to travel to surrounding countries. My question is that if we both have tourist visas for vietnam and india, do we need a return ticket or will the visas for the other countries provide the proof that we do not intend on staying long term. I was not intending on getting a tourist visa because we plan on staying less than 30 days.

Thanks for any help that anyone can provide.

I regularly travel to Thailand w/o an onward ticket. No problem on United, THAI or many others. Air New Zealand refused to board me on a flight to HK, however, just because I was continuing on THAI to BKK (!?). One other airline (maybe Korean Air but I don't remember) asked but let me on when I explained that I live in Bangkok and leave the country at least monthly on business but just wasn;t quite sure where I was going next (which was true). YMMV.

Chris

Banff, AB.

[crocodilexp]

Flying to Bangkok on a round trip ticket but with a return date longer than 30 days, they wanted to see a visa, although they didn't notice or care that the visa expired before the return date on my ticket.

The airline checks only because of the Thai immigration requirement to have an onward ticket if you do not have a visa. If you do have a visa, there is no need for an onward ticket. As long as you are admitted when you arrive, airline doesn't care if your visa expires later -- your problem.

Flying to Hong Kong one-way, they didn't care about anything.

This because Hong Kong immigration regulations are different than Thai regulations. HK probably does not require a return ticket.

[thetravellingcat]

I've flown London to BKK on a one-way ticket with Thai airways with no tourist visa only the intention of getting a 30 day stamp on entry. nobody said anything and I set off no alarms when boarding! however, in light of the recent developments I would advised getting a tourist visa sorted out before you depart.

[moskito]

bad luck with MALAYSIA AIRLINES, on my way back home from US to Thailand where I live since ten years, Malaysia Airlines refused to let me on board in Frankfurt. I had to buy another ticket which stated that I leave Thailand after 30 days....on sundey morning on airport tickets are expensive.

My Visa was finished after three month in US and the girls on the counter were not intrested in my Passport which stated I live in Phuket. Funny thing was, they sold me a one way to Malaysia with Malaysia Airlines too.....but Malaysia have the same rules, no return, no in.....

nobody on the airport at arrival ask me for the ticket, its just Malaysia Airlines I guess

[Seismic]

I always travel on one way tickets due to the nature of my work. Over the past 30 years I have been asked to show my Visa 3 times. The closest i came to being refused was SAS Singapore to Bangkok, Funnily enough I am currently working in Norway and they never ask to see a thing.

It is highly unlikely that you will be refused entry to thailand ( I have never been asked to show an onward ticket at Thai Immigration).

However, As has been pointed out. If you have a tourist Visa then its just one more piece of Ammo for you to use.

[thaiphoon]

It is highly unlikely that you will be refused entry to thailand ( I have never been asked to show an onward ticket at Thai Immigration).

It is not a case of being refused entry into Thailand. It is a case that the airline may refuse to let you fly. All airlines have access to the IATA database that sets out the requirements for travel to Thailand. Those requirements are clear. The fact some airlines do not bother to check puts them at risk if you are refused entry, because they will have to repatriate you at their own cost.