38 Day stay but no Tourist Visa in Advance

[Chivas]

Now this is not myself (genuinely its not !!) but a mutual friend from our Home City who is booked on Eva Air out of Heathrow on a 38 Day trip but who doesn't have a Visa in advance.

I understand he normally just pays the Overstay.....

Can he be offloaded at Heathrow at check in for having no onward ticket....?? My view is that its a definate possibility....??

[Sceptict11]

He might not be "on-loaded" !

Attempting to fly without a visa or return ticket can, and does , end in disaster !

[Chivas]

He might not be "on-loaded" !

Attempting to fly without a visa or return ticket can, and does , end in disaster !

He's got a return ticket alright, but no Visa. He's done it before I'm told without a problem but seems like one hell of a risk to take ?

[Chicog]

I can't see the problem, whenever I used to do it, I just used to tell them I was off on the islands somewhere and couldn't get back.

[bobo42]

Couldn't he simply state that he's going overland to Laos or Cambodia, and then returning to Bangkok for the flight back? This would be a perfectly legal itinierary, but not sure what "proof" the airline would require.

[Sceptict11]

He might not be "on-loaded" !

Attempting to fly without a visa or return ticket can, and does , end in disaster !

He's got a return ticket alright, but no Visa. He's done it before I'm told without a problem but seems like one hell of a risk to take ?

There will not be a problem boarding if a return ticket within thirty days is confirmed.

Planning to deliberately overstay is another issue and could result in a lot of pain !

A single entry tourist visa is cheap and easily obtained.

[Chivas]

Couldn't he simply state that he's going overland to Laos or Cambodia, and then returning to Bangkok for the flight back? This would be a perfectly legal itinierary, but not sure what "proof" the airline would require.

Just found this Link which Point 3 confirms onward ticket within 30 days of arrival required and that rules are being more strictly applied

http://www.thailand-visa.com/thai-visa.application

[Chivas]

He might not be "on-loaded" !

Attempting to fly without a visa or return ticket can, and does , end in disaster !

He's got a return ticket alright, but no Visa. He's done it before I'm told without a problem but seems like one hell of a risk to take ?

There will not be a problem boarding if a return ticket within thirty days is confirmed.

Planning to deliberately overstay is another issue and could result in a lot of pain !

A single entry tourist visa is cheap and easily obtained.

He hasn't got a ticket to return within 30 days. As per header its a 38 day ticket on Eva

[bobo42]

Couldn't he simply state that he's going overland to Laos or Cambodia, and then returning to Bangkok for the flight back? This would be a perfectly legal itinierary, but not sure what "proof" the airline would require.

Just found this Link which Point 3 confirms onward ticket within 30 days of arrival required and that rules are being more strictly applied

http://www.thailand-visa.com/thai-visa.application

If that's the case, that an itinerary will not be proof enough, then I would just change the return ticket date. Of course this depends on the ticket and any fees that may be involved - change the return date to be within 30 days, and then change it back to your actual departure once you arrive.

[Maestro]

For the airline, the worst-case scenario would be that that on arrival at Bangkok airport immigration would deny the passenger entry into Thailand, would order the airline to fly him back to where he came from, and to pay the standard fine which I believe is 20,000. I haven't read about this ever having happened, at least not in the last ten years, and this may be the reason that most of the time airlines do not insist on proof of an air ticket out of Thailand within 30 days from arrival. Nevertheless, the risk of denied boarding exists and while apparently quite small, is impossible to calculate.

Aside from that, the fine for eight days' overstay is considerably higher than the cost of a single-entry tourist visa and this seems to indicate that money is of no concern in the present case. Therefore, if your friend likes to take the risk and spend the money, let him do it. It's no skin off your nose.

[KED]

The difficulty with the requirement of a ticket out of Thailand within 30 days is that it is inconsistantly enforced by the airlines. And I have never had Thai immigrations question me at all.

I travel often within SE Asia and have a 1 year retirement extension; however, my passport is now 100 pages thick and even I sometmes have difficulty finding the correct re-entry permit. When I check in with airlines - I am asked about an onward ticket 30% of the time.

I do think that long-haul airlines from Europe and U.S. are more consistant in requiring proof of onward travel within 30 days without a Thai visa.

My suggestion to your friend is that he either obtain a 60 day single entry visa or have an onward ticket to another SE Asia country to prevent being denied boarding.

[Chivas]

I do think that long-haul airlines from Europe and U.S. are more consistant in requiring proof of onward travel within 30 days without a Thai visa.

My suggestion to your friend is that he either obtain a 60 day single entry visa or have an onward ticket to another SE Asia country to prevent being denied boarding.

Oh he's been told, but up to him as they say. I'd be more concerned about getting picked up routinely by Plod after the expiry of the 30 day visa and the 8 days before return flight. Seems somewhat ridiculous that the Single Entry visa would cost him less than overstay.

[Tim16]

I have flown many times with Eva from Heathrow with no visa and return tickets between 40-45 days.

I have never been asked about any onward journeys. I have always travelled to Laos overland but had no proof.

[sniffdog]

Airlines can be fined for taken on passengers not carrying valid visas, so he might be not allowed on the plane.

If they ask him, tell airport staff that he will be travelling onwards to Malaysia (or Laos) and will get another 15-30 days on arrival back in Thailand.

[sniffdog]

I can't see the problem, whenever I used to do it, I just used to tell them I was off on the islands somewhere and couldn't get back.

???? off on the islands?

[Psych01]

I flew out on a return ticket once, well tried to, with Emirates. The lady at the check-in noticed my return date was longer than you are allowed, without a proper pre-bought tourist visa (60 day) from the embassy in my home country the U.K. She very kindly changed it so that my return date was within the normal 30 day waiver on entry, and on I went. Got to Thailand and no probs.

It may de pend on the airline, but they can stop you boarding.

[PGSan]

I used to regularly travel from the UK with no return or onward ticket at all.

On EVA, BA, and other European airlines there was never a problem at check-in in London.

Only twice, airlines based elsewhere insisted on seeing something showing an intention to leave Thailand

so I simply made a reservation for such a flight without making any payment: this is no problem if they tell,

the system that you intend to pay the fully flexible maximum possible fare, even though the agent knows you

will never pay for it.

[Ulic]

Worse case scenario is he will be not be allowed to board. If disallowed,give an explanation of going overland Cambodia? See if it works.

However if it does not, at that time he can buy a cheap LCC ticket out that is within the 30 days. IE Air Asia, Phuket - KLL it would not matter.

That is a throw away ticket. Or he can buy a fully refundable Eva ticket, again in the 30 day window, that he intends to cancel.

If he chooses the expensive Eva ticked just make sure it is not attached to the itinerary of his departure ticket. This can make it

non-refundable once the trip starts. A very expensive lesson. Whatever he does don't get into a pissing contest with the gate agent.

You will never win. Polite, solution oriented discussion. He will be able to get it resolved if he goes early.

[NomadJoe]

Why has no one mentioned extending the visa exempt stamp 7 days for 1900B? That will not only save money but also significantly reduce the chance of him getting arrested for overstay before he gets to the immigration counter at the airport.

[sniffdog]

There was no need to pointing him to possibilities how to extend his visa. Even if there is a possibility to extend/renew the visa by going abroad or extending it, the issue was related to leaving the UK. Airline staff may only look at the initial visa length and not to the possibilities of extending it after the 30 days.

[iamariva1957]

Eva should not give him a problem. They know the score here. I fly them all the time and do not always have a valid on-ward ticket. But It is my suggestion that he book himself a cheap flight through Air Asia to somewhere once he is here (thereby giving him an on-ward ticket) and see Angkor Wat in Cambodia or somewhere else. This will allow him to get another 30-day Visa on Arrival when he enters Thailand again afterwards....so no Over Stay penalty and he has seen something other than Thailand. There is a Visa required for Cambodia, but you can do that online (for an extra $5) which will save the time in the line there. This is just my idea. Though the Over Stay will only be 500bht per day... it can be a pain paying it at the time of departure and it will come to 4500bht (Over $100). For that he could have a great time exploring somewhere else. Seems to me a better idea and avoids any 'run ins' in Thailand at check points certainly.

[iamariva1957]

If Eva does tell him no.. which they could do (though it has never been my experience) they will ask him to sign a document stating that he does not hold the airline responsible for anything regarding visas for Thailand. This is somewhat standard. I have had to do it with China Air and Asiana as well as with United (a few years back). The airline is not immigration and so are only wanting to look after themselves if the passenger comes back and blames them for not noticing. If they do not offer, then he should ask for it and talk to a supervisor. He can simply explain that he will be traveling out of Thai within the time frame allowed and that he has not arranged a ticket as of yet. But I will stand by my first post... get him to book something within the 30-day window on Air Asia or some other to somewhere. That takes care of the issue and avoids any problems. There are check points that are set up here in Thai. You hit them especially if on a bus. An Over Stay discovered at those points will be a problem and he might be pulled from the bus. I have heard it happen to NGO types who over stay their visa.

[dogrun]

I just bought flight for my Canadian husband to BKK, we will there for 40 days w/o visa, will use the 30days tourist visa and intend to apply for extension while we are in BKK. I think the office is on Jang-wat-ta-na.

We have return flight booked and paid for.

[ubonjoe]

You do not get a tourist visa on arrival it is a visa exempt entry. The only extension you can get is 7 days. You should get a single entry tourist visa before traveling.