Tourist Visa Question

[tvh13]

Hi All,

I'm 41yo and currently in Lathmandu Nepal. I am a US citizen looking for the best visa option for me right now. There is a Thai Emabasy here in Kathmandu.

I plan to fly into Thailand later this week but I don't have an exit option yet. I plan to purchase a one way airline ticket to Thailand.

Once in Thailand on my tourist visa I plan to attend a 10-day meditation session in the south and then make my way slowly up to Chiang Mai to look at TEFL schools and enroll in one and also get a 1-year visa.

I am concerned about getting my tourist visa without an air ticket out of Thailand. I have spoken with the school I want to attend (SEE) and they are willing ot help me now before I go to see them.

My question is can I get a tourist visa with a one way airline ticket? How do those who fly in and then plan to bus to another counrty like Laos manage?

Getting the tourist visa and then convirting to the Education visa would give me more months of visa yes?

I have looked around the site and I imaginet that the answer is already here somewhere but I could not find the answer. I appreceate any help offered.

Thanks!

[ALFREDO]

Tourist Visas are in the moment free of charge until March 2010, with a Touristvisa, so I think you do not need to show a Ticket at the Thai-Consularsection,

I buy my Tickets always in Thailand back to Europe, I could never show a return Ticket at the Embassy.

So, the Return Tickey should not be a problem,

I was never asked in Viennas Thai Embassy to show a return Ticket,

I also was never asked on any Thaiairport or Landborder to produce a Ticket with which I planned to leave Thailand.

Should be no problem at all.

[Mario2008]

There is no requirement to have an air ticket out of the country, never the less, some embassies/consulates want to see one. I don't know about Kathmandu, better ask them first.

If you want to study, you have to get papers from the school and with these papers you go to a Thai embassy or country abroad and apply there for an Ed-visa.

[tvh13]

Looking at the Thai Embasy page in Kathmandu it requires a round trip air ticket confirmed and a photocopy. I cna't be alone in wanting to fly in and take another route out or to get my visa extended once I visit the school I will attend.

Any suggestions? Should I just go ahead and ask the school to help me with the papers I will need to get the education visa now and not deal with the tourist visa? Will I be able to extend my 1-year visa at the end of the education visa? I basically don't want to loose out on days if I can help it.

Thanks

[thaiphoon]

You will need to obtain papers from the school to study and use them to obtain Non-ED visa from consulate abroad. That will require a trip out of Thailand, so book that ticket now and you will have the appropriate paperwork to support your immediate tourist visa application in Nepal.

Once you have obtained Non-ED visa you will get 90 day permission to stay on entry into the Kingdom. That can then be extended at Thai immigration with papers from the school.

[tvh13]

Ok so you are suggestion that I get my tourist visa here in Nepal and then deal with the education visa once in Thailand. My problem is the return air ticket. I don't have one.

Have others received a Thai tourist visa here in Kathmandu Nepal?

Thaiphoon response:

Believe confirmed ticket into Thailand and confirmed air ticket out of Thailand will suffice, but best to check with embassy.

[tvh13]

Believe confirmed ticket into Thailand and confirmed air ticket out of Thailand will suffice, but best to check with embassy.

Right. The problem is that I have a one way ticket. NOT a return ticket. I imagine that many tourists come by air and leave by some other means. My question is how to get the tourist visa without a return air ticket.

[thaiphoon]

You can book a ticket out of Thailand online. Have a look at websites such as Air Asia dot com. Check that this is acceptable to the embassy first. Believe they just want to see that you are actually planning on leaving Thailand by end of visa period (rather than where you are actually going).

[lopburi3]

You need to check requirements with the Embassy - most have return ticket as a requirement but often do not require it depending on your passport. If it is required you buy a discount ticket to KL or someplace - if you plan to obtain an ed visa you will need to travel anyhow.

[tvh13]

You need to check requirements with the Embassy - most have return ticket as a requirement but often do not require it depending on your passport. If it is required you buy a discount ticket to KL or someplace - if you plan to obtain an ed visa you will need to travel anyhow.

Ok. I'm going to go with my one way ticket and tell them at the embassy that I plan on land travel from Thailand. If this doesn't work I will goto plan B and purchase a ticket out of the country.

I am aware that I will need papers from the school. The school I intend to go to has offered to help me now but I figure it is more complicated than a tourist visa and I can stay three etra months with my tourist visa and then 1 year on the Student visa for a total of 1.25 years. Is my thinking flawed in any way? Would it be best (easiest) just to get the student visa now?

[lopburi3]

Am not at all sure you will be issued a one year ED visa in the area of Thailand - but school should know. Most often it is a single entry 90 day and if you qualify (full time college) you extend for one year. I seriously doubt teaching English course will provide that.