You *will* be asked for proof of an onward flight in Asia

[MrWorldwide]

(Mods, please feel free to move this to the appropriate forum - I chose general simply because it overlaps travel and visas IMO)

As with anything relating to visas and Immigration, I'm guessing that my statement will still cause some to reply that 'In 20+ years of travelling throughout Asia, I've never once been asked for proof of onward travel' - I can only recount my own experience and let others make their own call when travelling.

Incheon Airport, 6am, Thursday 13th November 2014

Having stood in the Asiana checkin queue for the flight to Narita for over an hour, I was still able to muster a smile when the check-in person asked for proof of onward travel. I showed her my Thai itinerary and that only furrowed her brow further. She wanted to see something that showed I would be flying out of Bangkok, to which I responded (a little harshly in retrospect) that I had an extension of stay based on retirement and, in any case, that was a matter for the Thais not Asiana. She stopped the 20 questions and processed my check-in luggage.

It was only after I'd been handed my boarding pass that 2 things occurred to my overworked brain:

- Koreans were one of the groups singled out by Thai immigration as chronic overstayers at the beginning of the current crackdown

- Asiana staff may well have been read the riot act after the airline had been forced to remove Koreans and others as a result of the crackdown

The above is pure speculation on my part, but I could understand Thai staff at Narita questioning me before I return to BKK - I just thought this was OTT for Asiana to be thinking that far ahead. In any case, Japanese Customs wanted to see proof of onward travel - I was neither scruffily dressed nor unshaven and I had a haircut 2 weeks ago. This is purely in the interests of seeing less people given a hard time at the checkin counter, and as always YMMV - safe travels.

[KhunBENQ]

I responded (a little harshly in retrospect) that I had an extension of stay based on retirement

They are simply not aware about this. Not every checkin agent has seen that before.

And I guess you had a re-entry permit (shown?), because this is the equivalent to a visa.

And of course they can ask for onward/return travel when you have no visa (as she assumed wrongly).

That happens often enough (to me too).

So this generalization is simply wrong:

in any case, that was a matter for the Thais not Asiana

[MrWorldwide]

I responded (a little harshly in retrospect) that I had an extension of stay based on retirement

They are simply not aware about this. Not every checkin agent has seen that before.

And I guess you had a re-entry permit (shown?), because this is the equivalent to a visa.

And of course they can ask for onward/return travel when you have no visa (as she assumed wrongly).

That happens often enough (to me too).

So this generalization is simply wrong:

in any case, that was a matter for the Thais not Asiana

How is it wrong ? I have a re-entry permit but is it my responsibility to explain the intricacies of Thai Immigration to every 'checkin agent' who asks what my status is in Thailand ? I was flying from iNCHEON to TOKYO on an Asiana flight, and i had proof of onward travel with Thai Airways - I just dont see how that concerns the Asiana staff. If that were the case, they must spend a very long time with business travellers verifying their status in whichever country they claim to be returning to.

Let me be clear - if the Thai Airways staff want to play 20 questions with me, fine - I just dont get why Asiana felt the need to do so.

[Cypress Hill]

Probably because they wouldn't be pleased if they had to fly you out of Thailand if you were knocked back.

Chances are they wouldn't because if you're denied entry, immigration will try to send you back to your country of origin - but your interrogator probably didn't know that

[MrWorldwide]

Probably because they wouldn't be pleased if they had to fly you out of Thailand if you were knocked back.

Chances are they wouldn't because if you're denied entry, immigration will try to send you back to your country of origin - but your interrogator probably didn't know that

But why would Asiana have to fly me out of Thailand when it's Thai Airways who will be taking my sorry carcass from Narita to Swampy ? I also question whether we've had enough first-hand reports to verify the 'country of origin' part, but that certainly isnt Korea - unless there is a new 'Big Brother' system in place to ensure that everyone cross-checks everyone (in front of a line of very unhappy people behind me), this just makes no sense - it's one of the reasons that I would be very surprised to hear that a busy airport like KL or Singapore is bothering to do these checks. So many Asians flying to-and-fro every day - it boggles the mind that they would be trying to match all of these people up to a 'flight home' .....

Rest assured that the first thing I'll be pointing to at the Thai checkin counter at Narita is my re-entry permit - we'll take it from there.

[mrtoad]

I flew out of Miami last month, took ages before they would issue my ticket, as they couldn't understand why a Brit was flying from Miami to Bangkok one way. Explaining the that I lived there and pointing at the extension of stay and re entry permit was still too confusing for them.

[Gonsalviz]

Try flying to Israel from Malaysia via BKK. Fun times.

[mitsubishi]

Try flying to Israel from Malaysia via BKK. Fun times.

I bet you were grilled over in Tel Aviv on that little deal...

[vaultdweller0013]

Probably because they wouldn't be pleased if they had to fly you out of Thailand if you were knocked back.

Chances are they wouldn't because if you're denied entry, immigration will try to send you back to your country of origin - but your interrogator probably didn't know that

But why would Asiana have to fly me out of Thailand when it's Thai Airways who will be taking my sorry carcass from Narita to Swampy ? I also question whether we've had enough first-hand reports to verify the 'country of origin' part, but that certainly isnt Korea - unless there is a new 'Big Brother' system in place to ensure that everyone cross-checks everyone (in front of a line of very unhappy people behind me), this just makes no sense - it's one of the reasons that I would be very surprised to hear that a busy airport like KL or Singapore is bothering to do these checks. So many Asians flying to-and-fro every day - it boggles the mind that they would be trying to match all of these people up to a 'flight home' .....

Rest assured that the first thing I'll be pointing to at the Thai checkin counter at Narita is my re-entry permit - we'll take it from there.

Because Asiana is the first leg of your trip so they are checking all your immigration docs up front. In their system it is one trip (on Star Alliance flights), which is why you get nice things like all your boarding passes at once and can have your luggage checked straight through to Bangkok instead of needing to pick it up in Narita and re-check with Thai. (I am assuming this is the case; I suppose you could technically have two separate itineraries one ICN to NRT and on NRT to BKK, but I think this would be unlikely, in part because it would cost a fair bit more).

[mike324]

Probably because they wouldn't be pleased if they had to fly you out of Thailand if you were knocked back.

Chances are they wouldn't because if you're denied entry, immigration will try to send you back to your country of origin - but your interrogator probably didn't know that

But why would Asiana have to fly me out of Thailand when it's Thai Airways who will be taking my sorry carcass from Narita to Swampy ? I also question whether we've had enough first-hand reports to verify the 'country of origin' part, but that certainly isnt Korea - unless there is a new 'Big Brother' system in place to ensure that everyone cross-checks everyone (in front of a line of very unhappy people behind me), this just makes no sense - it's one of the reasons that I would be very surprised to hear that a busy airport like KL or Singapore is bothering to do these checks. So many Asians flying to-and-fro every day - it boggles the mind that they would be trying to match all of these people up to a 'flight home' .....

Rest assured that the first thing I'll be pointing to at the Thai checkin counter at Narita is my re-entry permit - we'll take it from there.

Asiana are the ones who handle the check-in for Thai Airways, so they are responsible to check if people have onward ticket so they don't overstay. If they do not have onward ticket, by law the Thai Airport can fined Asiana for not doing the check. This is actually standard procedure at all airports around the world, I notice most develop asian countries ask this question, I have also see airport in europe ask before as well. Some places enforce it more than others.

There are ways around it, have a fake itinerary (they never check), book a real ticket and cancel later, or just ask them to let you sign a paper stating you will be responsible for cost of onward flight (this will take some back and forth as this will always be their last resort)

Your speculation is incorrect.

[thehelmsman]

I was catching a ship in PI with government orders. Connecting flight in Hong Kong and Phillipine Airlines wouldn't give a boarding pass for Manilla till I bought a return ticket Manilla - Hong Kong. So I bought a useless ticket so I could catch my ship.

But, never have it happen in Thailand and I've flown in with a one way ticket from many places.

[MrWorldwide]

OK - I missed the Star Alliance angle - my mistake, but she made no attempt to explain that. Note that there were zero issues with the incredibly cute Japanese Thai Airways check-in staff or Thai Immigration when I showed them my re-entry permit yesterday - they got it straight away, as I believe they should. I accept that I come across as a grumpy old man in this thread, but if you saw the size of the queues and the amount of luggage many of the Thais had with them you may understand some of my angst when I wanted nothing more than to check in a single small suitcase and be on my way. The next time a would-be hi-so (travelling in cattle .. designer labels on cheap charlie budget) grumbles about the fact that the bag with my laptop is taking up valuable space that one of her 3 (!) large items of carry-on luggage could be occupying I'm going to give her a spray. Thai turn a blind eye to flagrant breaches of the very rules designed to ensure that the plane isnt overloaded but that's a rant for another thread

(FWIW, I believe the addition of an FA uniform to any mildly attractive slim Asian woman boosts her from a 7 to an 8 on a scale of 10, but the Japanese women seem to have been born to wear the Thai uniform - 10 out of 10 for mine)

[Gonsalviz]

Try flying to Israel from Malaysia via BKK. Fun times.

I bet you were grilled over in Tel Aviv on that little deal...

The grilling took place in BKK before I was allowed to get on the airplane.