Visas And 1 Way Tickets To Thailand

[topshot]

Hey guys,

I am moving to Thailand in February and planning to stay for 9 months (~270 days). I live in California, US.

I am reading that in order to apply for Tourist Visas to Thailand, I need to send in a copy of itinerary and ONWARD ticket. Is this mandatory? I am not sure if I want to return back to America OR go to the Philippines VIetnam, China or other parts of South East Asia...

One problem for onward ticket is that the airlines only show tickets up to October 1st 2013. I am planning to leave around Early to Mid November 2013.

Does that mean I have to wait to buy my tickets to go to Thailand?

Can someone shed some light on this?

And what would you recommend me to do.

[Ohyesuare]

Depends on the consulate as they each have their own interpretation of the rules but usually with a visa you don't need a return or onward ticket so a one way ticket would be fine.

[notmyself]

I hear Portland is pretty good but other members should be able to say if that is correct.

[heatherm]

The consulats are all different. I've gotten a tourist visa with no ticket out of Thailand (Laos) and I've needed to show both the flight in and the flight out (Singapore). What you do need a ticket out for is the airline. They can't let you board if you don't have an oubound ticket booked. This too depends a little bit on the agent and how well they know the rules.

Sent from my GT-P1010 using Thaivisa Connect App

[IMA_FARANG]

Not sure where you live in California, but there is a Thai consulate in Portland Oregon that has been mentioned before as being a nice friendly consulate.

As far as I know they don't require a ticket there in order to give you a tourist visa, but as someone else mentioned Thai consulates have their own interpretation of the "rules" for visas.

Best deal, go online and find the contact address and telephone number for Thai consulates close to you. Then phone them and see exactly what they want you to show to give you a visa.

Most consulates in the U.S. let you apply for a visa by mail and will return your passport with a visa by mail also. Use reqistered mail for your passport.

Anyway, call the consulate you chose and ASK them first.

A single entry tourist visa will get you 60 days on entry to Thailand and can be extended for another 30 days in Thailand for a 1900 Baht (roughly $65 depending on dollar/baht exchange rate in Thailand)

A double entry tourist visa is basically two single entries and with 2 extensions can get you 180 days, However for that double entry, you need to rxit and re-enter Thailand in order to activate the 2nd entry in order to get the full 180 days.

There is also a triple entry tourist visa that can get you that will get you 250 days in Thailand. That visa requires 2 exits and 2 re-entries to get btween 250 and 270 days in Thailand. But with that triple entry tourist visa you need be creful to watch the date, because a triple entry visa is usually valid for only 180 days after issue. So in order to make full use (maxing your time in Thailand) you should plan to exit Thailand and re-enter on your 179th day, which would then give you a total of (179 days plus 90) or 269 days in Thailand.

Talk to whatever consulate you chose about what options they will give for visas, and how to max your stay (legally I mean) in Thailand.

Thai tourist visas are available in neighboring countries also, so it would be possible to go from Thailand to a neighboring country and get another tourist visa there. You might think about that option in Thailand.

As an American you have the option of a visa free 30 day entry on arrival, But that visa free arrival can only be extended for 7 days in Thailand....and a visa free arrival requires you to have an out-of-country ticket after your 30 day visa free arrival.

That's why getting a single entry, double entry, or triple entry tourist visa initially is a better option if you intend to stay morethan 30 days.

Usually, with a tourist visa issued by a Thai consulate the airline won't ask to see your out-of-country ticket.

Without a visa, the airlines often WILL ask to see your out-of-country ticket before you are allowed to board your flight to Thailand.

So it's smarter to have that Thai visa to avoid any hassle with the airline at boarding/check in time.

As to purchasing your airline ticket.....be careful that the return ticket you purchase wll be good for at least 6 months after the date you purchase it.

THis MAY not be true for the cheapest fare tickets.....so you've got to check that before you purchase. Read the fine print.

Sometimes it's better to pay a slightly higher fare and get a ticket that's good for 6 months or longer than to buy a cheaper ticket that won't be valid 6 months later.

Ask the airline before you purchase if you have any doubt.

P.S. Must airlines will do their yearly fare increase around September or October.

Often purchasing a ticket, and paying for it, BEFORE that fare hike will lock you in to the old fare and let you avoid the fare hike.

Edited November 7, 2012 by IMA_FARANG

[wayned]

Use the honorary consulate in Portland, they have been very friendly in the past. Here's the info:

Visa application porcedures, Portland Oregon.doc

Shouldn't be a problem.

[lopburi3]

You should not be doing anything until January in any case as visa will not be valid longer than 90 days (six months) from date of issue. As said ticket likely will not be required at Portland in any case.

Edited November 8, 2012 by lopburi3
Correct above to read six months which should be amount provided by that Consulate.

[koolbreez]

Forget the consulate in Portland, use the consulate in Los angeles. No ticket requirement, and they will issue 3 visas. Just send the application, passport, 2 passport photos, and copy of the details page of your passport, Money order ($40 for each visa), along with a self-addressed stamped envelope for them to return your passport (stamps, not metered postage). They are very nice if you happen to have to call them, and they get your passport back to you in a very reasonable timeframe.

I used this consulate for 8 years, twice a year, before I moved to Thailand, and never had a problem. Expect your passport back within 10 days. I used USPS priority mail for the return envelope, not express mail as they recommend, and never had a problem.

http://www.thaiconsu...rvice_visa.aspx# Go to this FAQ --> Tourist Visa Requirements for US passport holders

Edited November 8, 2012 by koolbreez

[Tomtomtom69]

Not sure where you live in California, but there is a Thai consulate in Portland Oregon that has been mentioned before as being a nice friendly consulate.

As far as I know they don't require a ticket there in order to give you a tourist visa, but as someone else mentioned Thai consulates have their own interpretation of the "rules" for visas.

Best deal, go online and find the contact address and telephone number for Thai consulates close to you. Then phone them and see exactly what they want you to show to give you a visa.

Most consulates in the U.S. let you apply for a visa by mail and will return your passport with a visa by mail also. Use reqistered mail for your passport.

Anyway, call the consulate you chose and ASK them first.

A single entry tourist visa will get you 60 days on entry to Thailand and can be extended for another 30 days in Thailand for a 1900 Baht (roughly $65 depending on dollar/baht exchange rate in Thailand)

A double entry tourist visa is basically two single entries and with 2 extensions can get you 180 days, However for that double entry, you need to rxit and re-enter Thailand in order to activate the 2nd entry in order to get the full 180 days.

There is also a triple entry tourist visa that can get you that will get you 250 days in Thailand. That visa requires 2 exits and 2 re-entries to get btween 250 and 270 days in Thailand. But with that triple entry tourist visa you need be creful to watch the date, because a triple entry visa is usually valid for only 180 days after issue. So in order to make full use (maxing your time in Thailand) you should plan to exit Thailand and re-enter on your 179th day, which would then give you a total of (179 days plus 90) or 269 days in Thailand.

Talk to whatever consulate you chose about what options they will give for visas, and how to max your stay (legally I mean) in Thailand.

Thai tourist visas are available in neighboring countries also, so it would be possible to go from Thailand to a neighboring country and get another tourist visa there. You might think about that option in Thailand.

As an American you have the option of a visa free 30 day entry on arrival, But that visa free arrival can only be extended for 7 days in Thailand....and a visa free arrival requires you to have an out-of-country ticket after your 30 day visa free arrival.

That's why getting a single entry, double entry, or triple entry tourist visa initially is a better option if you intend to stay morethan 30 days.

Usually, with a tourist visa issued by a Thai consulate the airline won't ask to see your out-of-country ticket.

Without a visa, the airlines often WILL ask to see your out-of-country ticket before you are allowed to board your flight to Thailand.

So it's smarter to have that Thai visa to avoid any hassle with the airline at boarding/check in time.

As to purchasing your airline ticket.....be careful that the return ticket you purchase wll be good for at least 6 months after the date you purchase it.

THis MAY not be true for the cheapest fare tickets.....so you've got to check that before you purchase. Read the fine print.

Sometimes it's better to pay a slightly higher fare and get a ticket that's good for 6 months or longer than to buy a cheaper ticket that won't be valid 6 months later.

Ask the airline before you purchase if you have any doubt.

P.S. Must airlines will do their yearly fare increase around September or October.

Often purchasing a ticket, and paying for it, BEFORE that fare hike will lock you in to the old fare and let you avoid the fare hike.

Lots of good info and very accurate. Last time I flew to Thailand on THAI from Sydney, the friendly check-in agent didn't check anything, just asked me if I had a ticket out of the country (I showed her my tourist visa) and then waived me on through. At first, she wasn't expecting to see a visa in my passport as she couldn't be bothered flipping through it (she was Thai) hence the question. Thus having a visa in your passport will likely eliminate questions being asked. When flying within Asia to Thailand, you'll find no one will ask for an onward ticket out of Thailand from most neighboring countries, even if you don't have a Thai visa in your passport. The one exception is Hong Kong. Last time I flew from Hong Kong to Bangkok I had to show them a credit card, since I didn't have any outbound ticket on me, which was happily accepted and thus I was allowed to board my flight.

Edited November 8, 2012 by Tomtomtom69

[notmyself]

Thus having a visa in your passport will likely eliminate questions being asked.

Perfect use of the work 'likely'

[heatherm]

I agree. They "likely" won't ask for an outbound ticket. "Mostly" they don't if you have a visa. I've only been asked once for the outward ticket when I had a tourist visa. It's just an international flight, take a chance. Why throw away $6 on a train ticket when you might not need it.

Sent from my GT-P1010 using Thaivisa Connect App

[topshot]

Alright thank you. I think I will buy my flight tickets in January. It sounds like a safer bet. It's 3 months away, but I am already packing for my trip. At least my protein and stuff anyways.