No Return Ticket

[percy2]

Mon Dieu,

I agreed with everything Lop said!

(in the last post)

[Rolling Stone]

Why not just buy your onward ticket from Thailand to Austrailia in India? I am sure a travel agent can sell you a ticket on the airline of your choice for your flight from Thailand to Austrailia.

Keep it real!

[lopburi3]

Why not just buy your onward ticket from Thailand to Austrailia in India?

Probably because the ticket will be much cheaper if he buys it in Bangkok?

[Nat]

Thought I'd add my two cents into the discussion. I just flew Qantas and (after reading all this) decided to ask them about one-way tickets. The lady at the check-in counter explained that one must have a visa (any type of visa) to travel on a one-way ticket. They have a screen (which she was kind enough to show me) that lists the requirements for travelling with a one-way ticket. They check all passports & tickets and won't allow individuals, travelling on a one-way without a visa, to board the plane. Well, that's how Qantas does things, believe BA are the same.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Thought I'd add my two cents into the discussion. I just flew Qantas and (after reading all this) decided to ask them about one-way tickets. The lady at the check-in counter explained that one must have a visa (any type of visa) to travel on a one-way ticket. They have a screen (which she was kind enough to show me) that lists the requirements for travelling with a one-way ticket. They check all passports & tickets and won't allow individuals, travelling on a one-way without a visa, to board the plane. Well, that's how Qantas does things, believe BA are the same. 

Qantas are the agents for most foreign airlines in Australia. That means they handle the ground arrangements for those foreign carriers, including check in. That list includes Thai Airways International

[Payne]

Japan Airlines has refused to let me board the plane in New York without a return ticket to BKK. Thus I had to buy a BKK/TPE one way ticket to satisfy JAL, even though they knew that I would cash it in pronto.

Cathy Pacific seems to have no problem in this regard.

Thirty years ago, the Thai immigration wallah used to ask to see my return ticket, but I don't recall this happening in the last decade. Of course, as a Thai resident I buy my air tickets in BKK or HKT.

[wowpow]

A friend of mine, who has lived in S E Asia for over 18 years mostly in Thailand, was recently asked to provide evidence of a return/onward ticket when he came to Thailand requesting a permission to stay for 30 days. Despite speaking fluent Thai and having numerous credit cards and a Thai bankbook showing several hundreds of thousand bahts deposited, and a passport covered in various Thai permission to stay, Visas and work permits, he had a hard time getting entrance but eventually did.

My understanding is that Thai Immigration have a rule requiring evidence of a return or onward ticket. They have not enforced this for decades but have done so recently for persons requesting a 30 day permission to stay and coming from a country which is entitled to that. I cannot find any confirmation of this other than in Lonely Planet Guide.

I think that the airline situation is that many countries have such a rule. If they fly someone into a country with such a rule and that person is refused entry, the airline is oblidged to return the passenger and to carry the cost if the passenger cannot or refuses to pay. Some airlines enforce the rule and others knowing that Thailand was not checking allowed passengers to travel without a return onward ticket. A senior check in guy at Heathrow told me that EVA Air don't bother but with Thai they check that the passenger has or appears to have adequate funds to purchase a ticket. This may have recently changed.

I would like to see Thaivisa include confirmed information on this rule into the website as it is a great source of anxiety to tourists.

Also I would like to know if this just applies to the Permission to stay 15/30 days on arrival or to all Visas.

I would ask advice on what happens in the case on someone who has a return/onward ticket out of Thailand which is dated after the 30 days granted on arrival e.g. if he intended to apply for a ten day extension or planned to exit Thailand but return for another 30 days permission.

[Siguy]

Might I ask,

is it possible to get a 60 day tourist visa from my local Thai Consulate with a one-way ticket ?

the MFA website shows that to get a 60 day tourist visa requires airline ticket.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Might I ask,

is it possible to get a 60 day tourist visa from my local Thai Consulate with a one-way ticket ?

the MFA website shows that to get a 60 day tourist visa requires airline ticket.

In practice a person with a visa is permitted to travel on a one way ticket. The 30 day on arrival permit is conditional upon the passenger having a confirmed outbound ticket within 30 days.