Getting A Visa With A 1 Way Plane Ticket?

[auserb]

I am in doubt, please can you tell me: I have a child 3, 1/2 years old. Can you please tell me how can I have a child to take my surname, I need to have his present (thai surname) to take my surname as I want to have him as my legal child. We are not leagaly married ...but i want baby to bear my surname.... please help and adise

regards

auserb

Edited July 15, 2012 by auserb

[Mario2008]

A Thai national can only have a Thai name, unless (s)he has a foreign father. Currently you are not the legal fahter, so the child cannot have your last name.

If you are on the birth certificate as the father, the amphur might give the child your last name if you and the mother politely ask. There is a small changethey will do it, but stictly seeking they should not.

Best thing is if you becoe the legal father of the child, as having your last name or not doesn't mean anything besides the emotional aspects.

See:

[GoSoon]

As I understand, I can get into Thailand either with no Visa and an ongoing $100 throwaway/refund ticket, or go to a neighboring country and get a Thai Visa (since I want to go soon, I won't have time to apply to a US consulate). In the case of a throwaway ticket, will they deny me at the gate and let me go buy one in 5 minutes (ei. stuck at the airport), or will they kick me out and so I lose my Thai fare?

My travel plans ultimately include some other parts of Asia, so my main issue now is regarding their Visas.

Does anybody have experience getting a Visa for another country in Thailand, as a western national? Would it be harder, not having a Thai Visa? Specifically, I'm looking at India and China. I know there's a forum for this, but I posted there and have gotten no response.

Edited July 15, 2012 by GoSoon

[lopburi3]

They would normally allow purchase if you have time (but may require full fare to get). There is no issue getting third country visas in Thailand if you meet there requirements (having a Thai visa is not one of them).

[zazzalicious]

So, if I understand correctly, there is a catch 22 here for my situation, and i will need to either get a return ticket, or a Visa in advance with a 1 way ticket?

yes, definitely, I've been asked many times to show them a valid visa at check-in ... as I usually buy a return ticket while in Thailand...

i.e. BKK-LHR-BKK and on the return leg, LHR-BKK they won't check you in if you've not got a return ticket unless you have a valid visa already.

Edited July 15, 2012 by zazzalicious

[gark]

buy a fully refundable onward ticket (eg Bangkok to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific), then get a tourist visa from a Thai consulate...problem solved!!!

[bubba]

Interesting discussion here. It looks like government employees have been retiring (or teaching) in Thailand and point out all possible but unlikely obstacles.

You will have no trouble getting into Thailand without a return ticket, even a consulate will hardly ever ask for it, unless you are unwashed, unshaven and full of tattoos.

Don't worry all those people telling you you cannot board a plane or you will be refused are probably in Thailand for years and do not posses themselves any ticket. They go over the border every few weeks or months. You will have no trouble entering Thailand, the only ones who have are the people that are misbehaving or are looking not so nice.

And if you are really seeing ghosts make a reservation from a local airport to Malaysia or Laos with Thai airways and cancel it later. By the way, you can always buy a ticket on the airport when there would be a bean counter (which you will not, Thailand is luckily not North America or Western Europe, where Xenophobes rule)

Not true. I live in Thailand, do not "misbehave", and travel very frequently on business trips. Without exception, the airline check-in agents always check to see whether I have a visa, since I have an inward bound only ticket. This has nothing to do with what you refer to as North American or European "xenophobia". I have observed this in Asian, European and American airports. Thai immigration law requires either a visa or an outward bound ticket (not a reservation), and the airlines can be fined if they do not comply with that. The airlines understandably do not want to take that risk.

This is all very straightforward: if you do not have either a visa or an onward ticket, when you present yourself to the airline check-in counter, you will not be allowed to board.

[MadMac]

Oh god, what a mess here....for the onwards ticket, which is not really required if you hold a first world passport, you can just make an online reservation and print that out. Good enough. Cancel as you wish.

[Maestro]

...I've been asked many times to show them a valid visa at check-in ... as I usually buy a return ticket while in Thailand...

i.e. BKK-LHR-BKK and on the return leg, LHR-BKK they won't check you in if you've not got a return ticket unless you have a valid visa already.

zazzalicious, what country's passport were you using? MadMac implies that it was not a "first world passport"

[MadMac]

zazzalicious, what country's passport were you using? MadMac implies that it was not a "first world passport"

No intention to sound racist if it looked like that, but we've seen in the past that countries that should support their citizens (here ASEAN) were rather knocking them out, whereas farangs enjoy free entry. Not fair

[freezacrowd]

Most likely you will be stopped at the checkin counter in the US of A. it is the airlines that police the rule

[freezacrowd]

Interesting discussion here. It looks like government employees have been retiring (or teaching) in Thailand and point out all possible but unlikely obstacles.

You will have no trouble getting into Thailand without a return ticket, even a consulate will hardly ever ask for it, unless you are unwashed, unshaven and full of tattoos.

Don't worry all those people telling you you cannot board a plane or you will be refused are probably in Thailand for years and do not posses themselves any ticket. They go over the border every few weeks or months. You will have no trouble entering Thailand, the only ones who have are the people that are misbehaving or are looking not so nice.

And if you are really seeing ghosts make a reservation from a local airport to Malaysia or Laos with Thai airways and cancel it later. By the way, you can always buy a ticket on the airport when there would be a bean counter (which you will not, Thailand is luckily not North America or Western Europe, where Xenophobes rule)

You are mistaken if you think there are people in Thailand that have been here for years and go over the border every few weeks or months. Those days are loooong gone. The fact is if you rock up to a check in counter in the u s of a you will be stopped right there if yo have only a one way ticket

[freezacrowd]

So, if I understand correctly, there is a catch 22 here for my situation, and i will need to either get a return ticket, or a Visa in advance with a 1 way ticket?

Yes you either get a return ticket or qualify for a type "o" visa You need to be over 50 and have a Thai marriage certificate among other things. A return ticket is not much more anyway. Multi visa runs went out a loooong time ago

[lopburi3]

You do not need any specific visa for entry without onward travel - any visa will be accepted. It is only when you have no visa or re-entry permit that you may be prevented from boarding by IATA rules. And it is up to the airline if they wish to enforce or not.

[bubba]

Oh god, what a mess here....for the onwards ticket, which is not really required if you hold a first world passport, you can just make an online reservation and print that out. Good enough. Cancel as you wish.

Incorrect again. ALL passport holders eligible for a one month entry permit on arrival must have an onward ticket or a visa. That is Thai immigration law. A printout of a reservation is not a ticket. The airlines do check - and they always check me in every airport that I have departed from in Asia, Europe and America. A tourist visa will do, or you can purchase a fully refundable ticket to say, Phnom Penh, then get a refund later on.

I have had a non-immigrant B visa for the last 15 years, so I have no idea whether immigration ever check for the onward ticket, but I can tell you for certain that the airlines always do. No visa? No onward ticket? No seat.

[MadMac]

Incorrect again. ALL passport holders eligible for a one month entry permit on arrival must have an onward ticket

Well, we can continue this, but it's pointless . As a matter of practical experience no onward ticket is required, and never was for the last 11 years I go in and out of Thailand with all types of stamps and visas. Edited July 16, 2012 by MadMac

[Mario2008]

It is required, but immigration rarely checks. They leave it over to the airlines, who can get a huge fine and will have to burden the cost of transporting you back, if you are denied entry for not having the right paperwork (ticket out).

Some airlines don't check, but most major airlines do as many people have found out. They can deny you boarding and will do so.