Stealth Change To Tourist Visa Exemption Rules?

[billp]

As a result of a discussion on another forum, I've discovered that the requirement for proof of onward air travel for visa exemptions no longer appears on the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, nor on the internet pages of various embassies. The requirement for adequate funds is still there, but the onward travel part has disappeared. I'm sure it was still there last time I looked. It's still in the downloadable document provided by the Thai Consulate in Hull, England, though. Is it possible the MFA has made a change to their policy without telling anybody???

If so, this would be very good news for many foreigh tourists who'd like to use Bangkok as a hub for several months of travel in the region. They had to get a 60-day Tourist Visa even though they never planned to stay longer than the 30 days in Thailand, because some air carriers were denying boarding to anyone who didn't have either proof of onward travel or a visa.

Could someone who reads Thai have a look at the original Thai regulations and see if this requiement is still there?

[Deserted]

That is good news, good post.

[mrclough]

You may wish to consider that if any carrier considers it possible that you may not be granted entry they are within their rights to not allow you to travel on a one way ticket as it is their responsibility to return you to your port of embarkation in these circumstances.

Your visa packs also tell you that getting a visa does not mean you will be granted entry upon arrival.

To put it in a nutshell, if you have a one way ticket the airline can still say no regardless of the visa in your passport be it for 30 days or 1 year!

[lopburi3]

There is no restriction on travel one way if holding a visa for entry. Only for those without visa (visa exempt) is there such a requirement.

Immigration officers can request visitors who are visa

exempt to show return/onward tickets and documents required

for next destination.

[billp]

Yes, yes, of course I know all that old stuff. But what I'm asking is if there's been a recent change. The discussion started when a British check-in agent posted that she had NOT been briefed to check for proof of onward travel, only for 6 months passport validity. So she cast doubt on the need for the dreaded proof of onward travel. I wanted to post a quote from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regulation about proof of onward travel and IT WAS NO LONGER THERE. In a cursory check of embassy websites, it (mostly) had also disappeared.

So my question to you: does anyone know about a stealth change to the regulations that they just didn't bother telling anyone? What does the Thai version say?

(And Lopburi, what's the source of your quote?)

Edited January 11, 2011 by billp

[lopburi3]

IATA data base.

https://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/international_travel_information/visa_passport_information/index.jsp

Ministry of Foreign Affairs has nothing to do with entry into Thailand. That is an Immigration function.

[billp]

True, but the MFA instructs its consular representatives in the regulations. Do you know of a website for Immigration?

IATA data base.

https://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/international_travel_information/visa_passport_information/index.jsp

Ministry of Foreign Affairs has nothing to do with entry into Thailand. That is an Immigration function.

[lopburi3]

There are many websites for various divisions of Immigration; but most are updated infrequently. The main and oldest site is

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php

[Maestro]

...a British check-in agent posted that she had NOT been briefed to check for proof of onward travel, only for 6 months passport validity...

I think this is due to a misunderstanding. We do not know in what context she was told to check that the passport is valid for at least six months. Surely, this can't have be the full extent of her training regarding passport check, but it may have been a reminder about this specific aspect of the check in a particular context.

I would imagine that as part of her initial training this check-in agent received a manual or some other document outlining the procedures and that these procedures included checking for a return/onward flight for a UK passport holder without a visa or -- more generically -- instructions about what keys to press on her keyboard to bring up the page on the Delta website giving the visa requirements verify whether they are met. Unless she has received written instructions to the effect that this check is no longer required she is obliged to continue to do it, even if in whatever context she is reminded only about the check of passport validity and not also all other items of the passport check.