Hello everybody,

I have a question for you. Do people need a return ticket in order to get the Visa on Arrival?

My boyfriend (a 37-year- Italian) is here now on a double-entry tourist visa who is expiring at the end of April after all the possible extensions.

He's going to India two different business trips in April, so he's going back and forth twice. For the first trip there's no problem, but after the second, when is coming back to Thailand, he's worried not to get the Visa on Arrival because he won't have a return ticket to somewhere outside Thailand.

He was told that needs that in order to get his 30 days. I actually didn't know about this rule and I'm really surprised. He could try to obtain a new double entry tourist visa somewhere in India, but he's not sure he has time there and his boss has already bought his ticket back to BKK, so he can't stay longer in India to get the visa.

Thank you in advance!

Cheers,

Nico

He can not obtain a visa on arrival with such a passport. You are talking about visa exempt entry and an outbound ticket within 30 days would be required if asked. But immigration is not going to ask so that leaves airline who may well not allow him on flight without such a ticket - but it varies by airline and boarding city and person processing you. He should arrive at airport check-in with time to buy a ticket somewhere if required.

^ correct.

Immigration normally does not check, but it is indeed legally required to have outbound travel arrangements.

Airline much more likely will check, as when you would not be allowed in Thailand due to insufficient paperwork which the airline should have checked, then they are required to fly you out again!

^ correct.

Immigration normally does not check, but it is indeed legally required to have outbound travel arrangements.

Airline much more likely will check, as when you would not be allowed in Thailand due to insufficient paperwork which the airline should have checked, then they are required to fly you out again!

... and pay a hefty fine. The way out is to buy a ticket to Phnom Pen or somewhere with a credit card at the airport if required. I flew in without an onward bound, no problem.

I could be wrong, but my impression was that a ticket was required to anywhere outside of Thailand, not a return ticket.

I could be wrong, but my impression was that a ticket was required to anywhere outside of Thailand, not a return ticket.

Correct.

Any outbound ticket regardless of destination, within 30 days of arrival will do.

Actually the requirement is to a destination you hold documents for so some passports would have issue of needing an issued visa for some destinations.

Visitors who are visa exempt are required to hold documents

for their next destination.

- Visitors over 12 years of age are required to hold

sufficient funds to cover their stay (at least THB 10,000.-

per person or THB 20,000.- per family).

Additionally do note that as he's coming from India the check-in crews are quite rigorous at applying the requirement for onward travel.

I fly in and out regularly to projects in India (mostly Mumbai and Bangalore) and even with an extension of stay and re-entry permit I have often had to request to speak to a supervisor before they would allow me to check-in on the return half of a ticket.

If he's in a city with a consulate or VFS office he could try for another Tourist Visa, but even that requires flight tickets to be shown (local rules which can be bent by speaking nicely to the Consul). Have a look here for locations and requirements http://www.vfs-thailand.co.in/

Most countries have the same rule and, as said above, it is the check-in staff that may or may not enforce it. Several times I have needed to buy an onward ticket on the spot at an airport. The best solution for me has been to buy a full-fare one way ticket to a nearby destination directly from an airline office, paying cash. Often the ticket is absurdly expensive but it doesn't matter because you won't use it and it can easily be refunded in full.

The reason I prefer to pay cash is that airlines take months to refund credit card purchases which is a pain to keep track of whereas cash is done on the spot.

Thank you all!

I've just recall that when he applied for the Tourist Visa in Italy, he showed the booking of a ticket back to Italy. However, it wasn't the actual ticket but just the pre-booking of it. Do you think it could work? If it so, I could ask to a tourist agent's I know to issue one. He could use it when he's leaving Kolkata for Bangkok.

Check the price of one way tickets to nearby countries on Air Asia you can find them so cheap that you could throw them away and not loose a lot.

The airlines will not accept just a booking it has to be a paid for ticket.

Thank you all!

I've just recall that when he applied for the Tourist Visa in Italy, he showed the booking of a ticket back to Italy. However, it wasn't the actual ticket but just the pre-booking of it. Do you think it could work? If it so, I could ask to a tourist agent's I know to issue one. He could use it when he's leaving Kolkata for Bangkok.

In theory not but in practise I think it might work. The scraps of paper that sometimes pass for etickets these days mean they would have to read it in some detail to see whether it was a confirmed booking or actually issued and they quite likely won't do that.

Worth a try anyway since he will still have the option of buying an onward ticket at the airport if it doesn't work.

But a person that knows they will need an onward ticket could buy it now for perhaps half the price (or more) than if they wait until they are at the airport and need it.

Edited March 25, 201313 yr by ubonjoe