apparently Air Asia does not require proof on onward travel

[impulse]

There's a lot of times I don't get asked to prove onward travel.

Like when I fly R/T on the same itinerary. The nice lady behind the check-in counter has my entire itinerary on her screen.

That's more definitive than any e-ticket I could have easily falsified and printed.

Thats a good example of not needing proof..... but Round trip tickets are self explanatory....aren't they?

As far as onward travel....that a bit more complicated. I leave New York, and they chase me down asking for proof that I am ever coming back. Then I say, hey, I got a visa to Thailand for 2 months so I don't need a return. The airline says, well, you cannot board. Then I say, well I have this ticket from Bangkok to the Philippines (onward travel). They look at me again and shake their heads...very nice, you are visiting two places this year....but I need to see your return trip. Thats when I flash the Philippine I-Card for permanent residency. Now their requirement for a round trip has been negated, and I have the onward travel to deal with in the Philippines. (The I-card is expired and I enter visa exempt for 21 days). That is where the problem occurs.

That's a good example, and kind of makes my point.

What I was alluding to is that a lot of folks offering up anecdotes here may not realize that there are reasons they weren't quizzed about onward travel. If they had a proper visa, they may not be quizzed. If the nice lady sees onward travel on their itinerary pulled up on her screen, they may not get quizzed.

As you have pointed out, just 'cause I didn't get quizzed for onward travel, doesn't mean someone else on the same flight won't get barred from boarding if their I's aren't dotted and T's aren't crossed.

Edited November 18, 2013 by impulse

[OMGImInPattaya]

A visa does exclude the recruirement for a ticket out o the country within 30 days of arrival. The ATA database, which member airlines can check, states so and is also what is being checked by aililnes. Travelling on a one-way ticket they ask to see my visa and all is well.

However....this does not hold up. For example, when leaving the USA in particular, they will still ask for the return, as in my case. Granted, it was not Air Asia, but EVA.

Not really sure what you're talking about. I've flown EVA BKK-SFO return many times on USA passport and never been asked anything about onward tickets at either end.

I now recall one other instance when United's check in at SFO inquired about onward ticketing for return leg if that same route and when pointed out my non-imm multi thai visa everything was copacetic.

[Konini]

We have been very heavy travellers for 15 years, mainly on one way budget air tickets or using FF points for long haul flights for the last 7 or 8, literally dozens of entries to Thailand - we have been travelling since 2007 around using Thailand as a base to store things and catch our breath, usually we're on double entry tourist visa's (we really are tourists, we spend a little time here, a little time there, catch our breath and then go off again), sometimes visa exempt and once on a non immigration-O visa.

We've only ever been asked once for an onward ticket - we had flown into UK on FF points, and as we knew we would be returning within a year and there was a sale with prices too good to refuse, bought a return ticket on Etihad (as we had done 2 years earlier year on Emirates). We were half way through a 12 month non immigration O. Check in clerk asked for onward ticket because the visa expired (Dec) earlier than the return to UK (May). Told her we would be going on to Australia and didn't have the ticket yet. She hummed and ha-ed for a while, I got out our Aus passports and said we go to Australia every December. She looked, said no stamps. I told her that as in UK they didn't stamp us in and out, and there were no stamps in our UK passports to show we visit UK ever June.

She eventually shrugged her shoulders and said OK. I have to stress that is once in 15 years, and we are very heavy travellers; we have juggled Aus and UK passports as they fill up, and have just this year got new passports for both - our 3rd from both in 15 years - i.e. we have totally filled 4 passports each in 15 years, and we don't get stamped in or out of UK or Aus! I've seen a few, maybe 10, rather straggley dressed people being asked at immigration lines for onward proof, two of these times was in Indonesia, maybe 3 in Thailand, the others in Vietnam; check in desks are probably too far spaced to notice what people are asked for, or maybe we just don't notice.

Also interesting, if off topic. The only time we have been pulled (I'm talking lots of travel to SE Asia from Australia between 1999 and 2007, several times a year as I worked for myself and my husband did two weeks on, one week off) was when we'd been to South America and didn't have yellow fever certificates. They worked out we'd flown out of Brazil to Chile on a Friday morning, calculated the number of hours we were in Chile (3 days) then in transit back to Aus and we came up 12 hours short of 5 days. I explained we'd only been to Rio, WHO site and travel doctors said we didn't need yellow fever shots if we were only going to Rio, that we had checked thoroughly as we were risk aversive and didn't want to catch a horrible disease etc. They seriously were going to make us stay in quarantine until the 12 hours were up. After a lot of phone calls and 2 hours they let us through after having a doctor talk to us about symptoms, signing a form saying we would phone that doctor and wouldn't ignore said symptoms and giving us several very important looking notices. Not what was needed after a total 20 hour journey.

They were doing their job, that's fair enough, but not the point I make. My point is this: We have both filled 4 passports in 15 years, which is a lot of travelling in anyone's opinion. The biggest majority of that travelling has been to and around SE Asia. We have never been stopped or even given a second glance by either immigration or customs in any country, apart from one time mentioned and it was on yellow fever grounds rather than we may have something in our bags or that we do an awful lot of flitting around the world. We still take our allowed amount (and no more) of cigs and booze going into Australia, and have never had anything to declare.

I can only conclude that we really and truly must look like the most boring middle aged couple in the history of international borders.

Edit: Typo (I'm funny like that).

Edited November 19, 2013 by Konini

[Toosetinmyways]

I bet the first time Air Asia have to fly a passenger back to their departure country because passenger has no visa or onward ticket they will start checking more closely.

[JimGant]

But now with online check in... all there is, is a disclaimer as a warning of a potential issue.

Not with United. If you're booked to Thailand, when you check-in on-line, you'll be advised to see an agent at the airport to receive your boarding pass. That could be a rude awakening, during check-in at the airport, for the clueless. In contrast, Korea Air, when you begin the booking process on-line with a flight from the US to Thailand, will warn you about 'if no visa, require roundtrip or onward ticket.' Of course, you're not prevented from booking - just given a heads-up.

Now, when Korea Air denies you boarding, you can always come to Thaivisa and start a new thread about, 'Do I really need an onward ticket?"

[samsung99]

Never ever someone checked my return ticket...

Neither with Thai Airways, Air Asia, China Airlines, Swiss, Etihad, Qatar, Emirates, Norwegian, Gulf Air, and all the others i used to fly in and out (Often I only do have a one way ticket)

[bt2017]

This is a REAL requirement but depends on the airline and maybe country. My brother was refused boarding by Thai Aiways at Sydney because he only had a one way ticket to BKK & was getting a Visa on Arrival. I asked the Thai Consulate in Sydney about this he just laughed & said they do'nt care but if you're refused a VOA in LOS the airline is responsible for your repatriation which is why they check. If you posess a 60day Tourist visa & hold a one way ticket no probs I did it 2 weeks ago. BT2017

[Tomtomtom69]

There's a lot of times I don't get asked to prove onward travel.

Like when I fly R/T on the same itinerary. The nice lady behind the check-in counter has my entire itinerary on her screen.

That's more definitive than any e-ticket I could have easily falsified and printed.

Thats a good example of not needing proof..... but Round trip tickets are self explanatory....aren't they?

As far as onward travel....that a bit more complicated. I leave New York, and they chase me down asking for proof that I am ever coming back. Then I say, hey, I got a visa to Thailand for 2 months so I don't need a return. The airline says, well, you cannot board. Then I say, well I have this ticket from Bangkok to the Philippines (onward travel). They look at me again and shake their heads...very nice, you are visiting two places this year....but I need to see your return trip. Thats when I flash the Philippine I-Card for permanent residency. Now their requirement for a round trip has been negated, and I have the onward travel to deal with in the Philippines. (The I-card is expired and I enter visa exempt for 21 days). That is where the problem occurs.

Why would an airline need to see a return ticket? An onward ticket is perfectly fine. The airline carrying you from Thailand to the Philippines can worry about checking for outbound tickets from the Philippines then, but as far as the journey from the USA to Thailand is concerned, you have already met the requirements for an outbound ticket by booking a ticket to the Philippines.

[Tomtomtom69]

We have been very heavy travellers for 15 years, mainly on one way budget air tickets or using FF points for long haul flights for the last 7 or 8, literally dozens of entries to Thailand - we have been travelling since 2007 around using Thailand as a base to store things and catch our breath, usually we're on double entry tourist visa's (we really are tourists, we spend a little time here, a little time there, catch our breath and then go off again), sometimes visa exempt and once on a non immigration-O visa.

We've only ever been asked once for an onward ticket - we had flown into UK on FF points, and as we knew we would be returning within a year and there was a sale with prices too good to refuse, bought a return ticket on Etihad (as we had done 2 years earlier year on Emirates). We were half way through a 12 month non immigration O. Check in clerk asked for onward ticket because the visa expired (Dec) earlier than the return to UK (May). Told her we would be going on to Australia and didn't have the ticket yet. She hummed and ha-ed for a while, I got out our Aus passports and said we go to Australia every December. She looked, said no stamps. I told her that as in UK they didn't stamp us in and out, and there were no stamps in our UK passports to show we visit UK ever June.

She eventually shrugged her shoulders and said OK. I have to stress that is once in 15 years, and we are very heavy travellers; we have juggled Aus and UK passports as they fill up, and have just this year got new passports for both - our 3rd from both in 15 years - i.e. we have totally filled 4 passports each in 15 years, and we don't get stamped in or out of UK or Aus! I've seen a few, maybe 10, rather straggley dressed people being asked at immigration lines for onward proof, two of these times was in Indonesia, maybe 3 in Thailand, the others in Vietnam; check in desks are probably too far spaced to notice what people are asked for, or maybe we just don't notice.

Also interesting, if off topic. The only time we have been pulled (I'm talking lots of travel to SE Asia from Australia between 1999 and 2007, several times a year as I worked for myself and my husband did two weeks on, one week off) was when we'd been to South America and didn't have yellow fever certificates. They worked out we'd flown out of Brazil to Chile on a Friday morning, calculated the number of hours we were in Chile (3 days) then in transit back to Aus and we came up 12 hours short of 5 days. I explained we'd only been to Rio, WHO site and travel doctors said we didn't need yellow fever shots if we were only going to Rio, that we had checked thoroughly as we were risk aversive and didn't want to catch a horrible disease etc. They seriously were going to make us stay in quarantine until the 12 hours were up. After a lot of phone calls and 2 hours they let us through after having a doctor talk to us about symptoms, signing a form saying we would phone that doctor and wouldn't ignore said symptoms and giving us several very important looking notices. Not what was needed after a total 20 hour journey.

They were doing their job, that's fair enough, but not the point I make. My point is this: We have both filled 4 passports in 15 years, which is a lot of travelling in anyone's opinion. The biggest majority of that travelling has been to and around SE Asia. We have never been stopped or even given a second glance by either immigration or customs in any country, apart from one time mentioned and it was on yellow fever grounds rather than we may have something in our bags or that we do an awful lot of flitting around the world. We still take our allowed amount (and no more) of cigs and booze going into Australia, and have never had anything to declare.

I can only conclude that we really and truly must look like the most boring middle aged couple in the history of international borders.

Edit: Typo (I'm funny like that).

The only travellers ever asked for onward tickets at Thai immigration are from such countries as Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and most countries in Africa (the Thai axis-of-evil countries that can't obtain any form of visa-on-arrival or visa exempt entry). Westerners, ASEAN visitors, Japanese, South Koreans and nationals of other rich countries are never asked for anything at immigration.

In Vietnam, only nationals of visa-exempt 15 day countries may be asked for proof of outbound travel by air, as I witnessed at immigration when a Danish passenger, who doesn't need a visa to enter Vietnam was asked for this proof. Travellers of countries obtaining a pre-approved visa on arrival or with a visa in advance are never asked for proof of outbound travel.

[Tomtomtom69]

Also... I got my double entry Thai Visa from the consulate in LA with a round trip ticket that read August (departing) to May (returning). No issue and no questions and no I did it myself this time. At check in I was not asked about it and never once did the check in staff member even look at the Thai Visa on page 9 of my US passport! So it might just be the way things actually work rather than the way they are supposed to work. Furthermore it is the individual's responsibility to abide by the local laws... not the airline to play policemen. The worst thing is that they will have you sign off on their disclaimer so that you cannot hold them responsible if you are refused entry due to the length of your return ticket, as I have already said. The trouble some of you have had in Japan and the Philippines is beyond me as I have traveled to both many time and actually I had no out-bound ticket when I entered the Philippines. In Japan I just walked straight through with no problem... maybe because of my US Passport? That could have been the deciding issue for both. I have no idea.

Probably. A US passport is one of the best to hold.

Holding a Sri Lankan or Pakistani passport for example virtually requires you to possess an outbound ticket for every destination you attempt to travel to, notwithstanding how difficult it is just to get a visa to say, Thailand for nationals of those countries and others like them.

[Sceptict11]

Also... I got my double entry Thai Visa from the consulate in LA with a round trip ticket that read August (departing) to May (returning). No issue and no questions and no I did it myself this time. At check in I was not asked about it and never once did the check in staff member even look at the Thai Visa on page 9 of my US passport! So it might just be the way things actually work rather than the way they are supposed to work. Furthermore it is the individual's responsibility to abide by the local laws... not the airline to play policemen. The worst thing is that they will have you sign off on their disclaimer so that you cannot hold them responsible if you are refused entry due to the length of your return ticket, as I have already said. The trouble some of you have had in Japan and the Philippines is beyond me as I have traveled to both many time and actually I had no out-bound ticket when I entered the Philippines. In Japan I just walked straight through with no problem... maybe because of my US Passport? That could have been the deciding issue for both. I have no idea.

Probably. A US passport is one of the best to hold.

Holding a Sri Lankan or Pakistani passport for example virtually requires you to possess an outbound ticket for every destination you attempt to travel to, notwithstanding how difficult it is just to get a visa to say, Thailand for nationals of those countries and others like them.

Most "Western" passport holders have huge travel advantages over those holding so called third world passports.

Even if a visa is required my "Western" status is an advantage .

People complain about having to "jump through hoops", they should experience the brick walls those without a Western passport have to break through.

Edit

formatting

Edited November 23, 2013 by Sceptict11

[OJAS]

Also... I got my double entry Thai Visa from the consulate in LA with a round trip ticket that read August (departing) to May (returning). No issue and no questions and no I did it myself this time. At check in I was not asked about it and never once did the check in staff member even look at the Thai Visa on page 9 of my US passport! So it might just be the way things actually work rather than the way they are supposed to work. Furthermore it is the individual's responsibility to abide by the local laws... not the airline to play policemen. The worst thing is that they will have you sign off on their disclaimer so that you cannot hold them responsible if you are refused entry due to the length of your return ticket, as I have already said. The trouble some of you have had in Japan and the Philippines is beyond me as I have traveled to both many time and actually I had no out-bound ticket when I entered the Philippines. In Japan I just walked straight through with no problem... maybe because of my US Passport? That could have been the deciding issue for both. I have no idea.

Probably. A US passport is one of the best to hold.

Holding a Sri Lankan or Pakistani passport for example virtually requires you to possess an outbound ticket for every destination you attempt to travel to, notwithstanding how difficult it is just to get a visa to say, Thailand for nationals of those countries and others like them.

Actually, Tomtomtom69, you made an excellent suggestion a few months ago in this connection. If I recall correctly, it entails booking a one-way THAI flight online to somewhere like Singapore, but select the "pay later" option. I did precisely this to overcome the possibility of being challenged at Paris CDG a few months ago when checking in for a return flight to BKK after a trip to Europe. In the event I was able to board the flight without any problem.

Edited November 23, 2013 by OJAS

[paz]

Flew in from Australia few days ago with jetstar, no exit ticked was asked. Flew from europe with, I think, srilankan, they made a reservation on the spot for me, free and that was it.

Sent from my GT-I9070 using Tapatalk

[paz]

There's a lot of times I don't get asked to prove onward travel.

 

Like when I fly R/T on the same itinerary.  The nice lady behind the check-in counter has my entire itinerary on her screen.  

 

That's more definitive than any e-ticket I could have easily falsified and printed.

 

Thats a good example of not needing proof.....  but Round trip tickets are self explanatory....aren't they?

As far as onward travel....that a bit more complicated.  I leave New York, and they chase me down asking for proof that I am ever coming back. Then I say, hey, I got a visa to Thailand for 2 months so I don't need a return. The airline says, well, you cannot board. Then I say, well I have this ticket from Bangkok to the Philippines (onward travel). They look at me again and shake their heads...very nice, you are visiting two places this year....but I need to see your return trip. Thats when I flash the Philippine I-Card for permanent residency. Now their requirement for a round trip has been negated, and I have the onward travel to deal with in the Philippines. (The I-card is expired and I enter visa exempt for 21 days). That is where the problem occurs.

Visa holders do not need an exit ticket to board or to enter kingdom. That is final and undebatable. At the moment the counter agent insists just ask to talk to the airline local manager and it will end there.

Sent from my GT-I9070 using Tapatalk

[slipperylobster]

There's a lot of times I don't get asked to prove onward travel.

Like when I fly R/T on the same itinerary. The nice lady behind the check-in counter has my entire itinerary on her screen.

That's more definitive than any e-ticket I could have easily falsified and printed.

Thats a good example of not needing proof..... but Round trip tickets are self explanatory....aren't they?

As far as onward travel....that a bit more complicated. I leave New York, and they chase me down asking for proof that I am ever coming back. Then I say, hey, I got a visa to Thailand for 2 months so I don't need a return. The airline says, well, you cannot board. Then I say, well I have this ticket from Bangkok to the Philippines (onward travel). They look at me again and shake their heads...very nice, you are visiting two places this year....but I need to see your return trip. Thats when I flash the Philippine I-Card for permanent residency. Now their requirement for a round trip has been negated, and I have the onward travel to deal with in the Philippines. (The I-card is expired and I enter visa exempt for 21 days). That is where the problem occurs.

Visa holders do not need an exit ticket to board or to enter kingdom. That is final and undebatable. At the moment the counter agent insists just ask to talk to the airline local manager and it will end there.

Sent from my GT-I9070 using Tapatalk

thats fine for visa holders. holds no salt for anyone else.

[slipperylobster]

OP was concerned about the air asia Before getting on the Airplane....Not about after arrival in Thailand....Please Read.