Correct Visa Required For Open 12 Month Trip ?

[jumpybongo]

advised by travel agent that my plan for a 30 day visa on arrival in thailand is insufficient these days as i will be travelling on an open 12 month ticket.

they claim several customers been made to change dates of ticket to 30 days if they dont have approprite tourist visa.

i plan to fly to phillipines and malaysia o this trip as i did in 08/09 with no problem.

can anyone advise if rules have changed at all please?

and yes,have read all pinned topics and avidly read here daily.

tia.

[lopburi3]

For visa exempt entry to Thailand onward travel proof can be required by airline within the 30 days of your permitted to stay time. Either obtain a tourist visa or have a flight out within that time period is the normal requirement. Local flights may not check closely but long haul flight most often do check.

[slorson]

Your choices are:

1) Get visa in advance. Not sure on onward ticket requirements for this to be honest. You may need to get a refundable ticket or fake eticket, etc

2) Get a ticket to a nearby country for within 30 days of your arrival. Go check out Cambodia or Malaysia, etc.

3) Buy a refundable ticket and refund it when you get to Thailand. Keep in mind that these are normally expensive and it may take several weeks to get your refund.

4) Fake an eticket. Edit an old eticket to show a flight from Thailand within 30 days. Make sure the times, codes, flight number, etc are that of a real flight. Also make sure it's a different airline from the one you are flying in on so they cannot verify.

5) Show up and hope that they don't check. If they do, buy a refundable ticket from the airport. Last time I flew from USA on a one way ticket I had an onward ticket but nobody checked.

Forgive me if I missed anything.

Edited May 1, 2011 by slorson

[mrjohnno]

I have never been asked to show onward ticket but the rules have changed since my last visa run. I have to do a run on Thursday so I'll report back if I'm asked to show one. I'm glad this topic came up because in the past I have only take my passport for the visa run and was going to do the same on Thursday. I think now I'll take my eticket just in case

[Maestro]

I have never been asked to show onward ticket but the rules have changed since my last visa run...

I have a feeling that what you call a "visa run" is not the same as what the OP is talking about.