Round Trip Ticket.

[Deekcon]

I am from the USA. I am over 50. I might want to stay in Thailand for a few months. I qualify financially for the non-immigrant "O" visa and might apply at some point. I want to come initially for the 30 days that you can get at the airport. I don't know how many months I will stay. I read online that I need a round trip ticket for a date within the 30 days. Is this true? Are they very stringent about this? Will I be denied entry without a round trip ticket If I am denied can I reticfy it by buying a return ticket somewhere at the airport and gain entry? A friend said he has been going to Thailand for years and haven't had a round trip ticket once and it is the same with everyone he knows. Is this baloney? Any advice?

[george]

The airline can deny you check in on the flight to BKK if you don't have an outward ticket. Risky!

Immigration in Bangkok rarely checks return tickets.

Go for a multiple entry NON-O for your first trip. That visa is valid for multiple entries within one year.

[Lite Beer]

Yep without an exit ticket within 30 days or a Visa you may well be refused entry to the flight.

[lopburi3]

A single entry tourist visa would only cost $40 and eliminate the need for outbound tickets and allow 60 day stay and extension of 30 days to find out if you want to stay longer. You then could leave or if you decide to stay convert to a non immigrant 90 day entry and extend for retirement after another 60 days.

[Deekcon]

A single entry tourist visa would only cost $40 and eliminate the need for outbound tickets and allow 60 day stay and extension of 30 days to find out if you want to stay longer. You then could leave or if you decide to stay convert to a non immigrant 90 day entry and extend for retirement after another 60 days.

Thanks. Very clear.

[JimGant]

A single entry tourist visa would only cost $40 and eliminate the need for outbound tickets and allow 60 day stay and extension of 30 days to find out if you want to stay longer.

But, apply at the honorary consulate in Portland -- they have no ticket requirement for Americans applying for a tourist visa. However, some other (most?) consulates *do* have ticket requirements, although with no apparent consistency. Example:

Thai Embassy DC: "A copy of round-trip ticket or itinerary."

Thai Consulate LA: "Copies of airline ticket -- confirmed onward ticket – showing flights into and out of Thailand. Either paper ticket or confirmed e-ticket is acceptable. Itinerary is NOT accepted. If applying for 2 entries, ticket must show 2 entries into Thailand."

[lopburi3]

Believe almost all will issue without ticket to home country nationals. At most a proposed itinerary may be asked.

[ubonjoe]

The multiple entry non-o might be the best option because you get 90 day entries each time and could do an extension during the last 30 days of any of those entries. Portland does issue these visas according to posts here.

If you have tourist visa you would either have to do a change of visa status (2000 baht) or go out for a single entry non-o visa if you decide to extend.

[Deekcon]

A single entry tourist visa would only cost $40 and eliminate the need for outbound tickets and allow 60 day stay and extension of 30 days to find out if you want to stay longer. You then could leave or if you decide to stay convert to a non immigrant 90 day entry and extend for retirement after another 60 days.

This suits my situation and gives me the flexibility of going in a different direction. I have checked out Portland as suggested and will get my tourist visa from there with no round ticket required. I have another question about multiple entries. If I get a 60 day tourist visa with 3 entries and leave Thailand do I get another 60 days upon reentering? I might try making this question a seperate post. Thanks to everyone that answered. It helped.

[Deekcon]

The multiple entry non-o might be the best option because you get 90 day entries each time and could do an extension during the last 30 days of any of those entries. Portland does issue these visas according to posts here.

If you have tourist visa you would either have to do a change of visa status (2000 baht) or go out for a single entry non-o visa if you decide to extend.

I checked out the Portland site. To get the 90 day I need to be going to school in Thailand or have business contact or married to Thai wife. Maybe I missed something. But I don't have proof of any of these things.

[lopburi3]

You get 60 days and you can then extend 30 or depart/return for 60 and extend 30 or depart/return for 60 and extend 30 if you wish. All entries do have to be made during validity of the visa (which is normally six months from date of issue from Thai Consulate in US).

[Deekcon]

A single entry tourist visa would only cost $40 and eliminate the need for outbound tickets and allow 60 day stay and extension of 30 days to find out if you want to stay longer.

But, apply at the honorary consulate in Portland -- they have no ticket requirement for Americans applying for a tourist visa. However, some other (most?) consulates *do* have ticket requirements, although with no apparent consistency. Example:

Thai Embassy DC: "A copy of round-trip ticket or itinerary."

Thai Consulate LA: "Copies of airline ticket -- confirmed onward ticket – showing flights into and out of Thailand. Either paper ticket or confirmed e-ticket is acceptable. Itinerary is NOT accepted. If applying for 2 entries, ticket must show 2 entries into Thailand."

You seem right Jim. The Portland suggestion was really helpful. I didn't think that there would be such inconsistency. I am going apply there by mail.

[Deekcon]

You get 60 days and you can then extend 30 or depart/return for 60 and extend 30 or depart/return for 60 and extend 30 if you wish. All entries do have to be made during validity of the visa (which is normally six months from date of issue from Thai Consulate in US).

Thank you so much. This is what I will do.

[JimGant]

I checked out the Portland site. To get the 90 day I need to be going to school in Thailand or have business contact or married to Thai wife. Maybe I missed something. But I don't have proof of any of these things.

I am from the USA. I am over 50

Deek, you're also, by being over 50, eligible for a Non Imm O visa from Portland in order to investigate retirement options in Thailand. Contact Mary, per the Portland website contact info, to find out what financial reports she'll need for this visa. Some combination of pension reports, or money in the bank, adding up to a baht equivalent of 800k is the norm.

Assuming $200 isn't going to put you out, the Non Imm O multi entry visa you can get from Portland, is your best, most flexible, option. (Because, you get a visa valid for one year, meaning you can enter Thailand at any time during that one year validity, and get a 'permitted to stay' stamp of 90 days each time. No need to visit Immigration for another 30 day extension to a tourist visa entry, whose validity would only be for 6 months, not the one-year on the Non ImmO multi entry visa.)

[Deekcon]

Jim I will check this out with email to Mary @ Portland. Thx.