Return ticket 31 days after entry

[landslide]

I was careless, and after booking my ticket, realized that due to October having 31 days, my flight will depart 31 days after arrival. I am arriving October 16 at 10:55pm. If I delay going through immigration until after midnight, would my arrival stamp show an October 17 arrival? My departure is on November 16 at 6:40am. If this doesn't work, I will just get a visa extension for 7 days. I know that I could pay less by paying the fine of $B500 at the airport, but I would prefer to follow the rules. It was my stupid mistake, and if I changed my ticket to a departure on October 16, there is no way I could match the fare I got, much less adding in the change fee for the airline.

[wayned]

Actually it's 32 days as they count the day that you enter day 1. If you wait past midnight it would give you 32 days. The overstay of one day would not normally be charged but you would get a small stamp in your passport. It would not affect any future travel to Thailand. The 7 days at immigration costs 1900 baht.

But, if you hit an ":uppity" airline agent, he/she might not let you board the flight since your return is beyond the 30 day limit! Good luck!

[paz]

The extension of stay is 30 day, not 7. Still costs Bt 1,900. Some people on this forum likes to scaremonge with stories of "police stops going to the airport" and other nonsense.

Read below about boarding with no visa and return ticket within 30 days

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/754481-boarding-to-thailand-without-return-ticket/

[Mario2008]

If you do nbot want to overstay simply apply for a tourist visa, it only costs (slightly mor than) 1,000 baht in the local currency.

Many consulates allow you to apply by mail.

[KhunBENQ]

As already written, your real risk is being refused to board if you meet a nitpicking check-in person or the flight is overbooked allowing to kick you out for free,

(and this is not "scaremongering" but my own experience and observation)

One possibility from the armchair: book some cheap oneway onward flight during the 30 day period.

Prices down to 1290 THB e.g. wit Air Asia (U-Tapao - Kuala Lumpur).

(just untick all the "options")

With this they can't refuse you to board.

Edited July 9, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[paz]

One possibility from the armchair: book some cheap oneway onward flight during the 30 day period.

Prices down to 1290 THB e.g. wit Air Asia (U-Tapao - Kuala Lumpur).

(just untick all the "options")

With this they can't refuse you to board.

Also check my posting linked above for more free alternatives that are free.

[Paul944]

To get an extension at the immigration office will take several hours in the waiting queue and will cost you 1 day of your stay.

Depending where you are it can be easier to apply for a tourist visa valid for 60 days at a Thai consulate. In the Netherlands you have to go to Amsterdam to get one. Unfortunately they don't support mailing your passport with the money and documents anymore. They will mail the passport back to you so you only have to visit the consulate once.

This will save you the stress for if the airliner will let you board the plane without visa and the 1 day overstay stress

[el jefe]

The single entry tourist visa is certainly the easiest, least costly way of guarantying that there are no problems (other than buying a fully refundable ticket out within the first 30 days).

But my experience is that the fear mongering about airlines not allowing you in for a longer-than-30-day stay are far overblown. I'm sure it has happened but I bet there was more to each case. I've flown into Thailand without a visa and have not been asked for proof of onward travel 20 times in the last 10 years without a problem. Usually I'm entering from an Asian country but most recently I was flying in from the US for a 58 day stay. I was planning to leave for a few days in the middle but hadn't picked the dates yet. I contacted my airline and they said "Ask Immigration". I told them Immigration said "no problem but ask the airline." The airline then told me that yes, i must have an onward ticket within 30 days, so I picked my dates and bought the ticket (on another airline) for day 29. My flight from the US was on a Frequent Flier ticket in economy and economy was full. It would have been very easy for them to try to deny boarding instead of flying me for free but not only did the airline not ask for any proof of onward travel, but bumped me up to Premium Economy.

YMMV

[steve187]

do it right get a visa, why do people advise work a rounds

[MRYANG]

do it right get a visa, why do people advise work a rounds

If humans wouldn't seek work around solutions we would still be living in the stoneage.

If u want it cheap and easy: Pay the 1 day overstay at airport, 500b and 10 minutes of your life.

If u want no "problem": Go to immigration for extension - 2150b and 2 hours of your life.

If you have the time and curious about how to shoot that fly with a minigun: go to the local thai-embassy and get the tourist visa.

During no circumstances will anyone prevent you from boarding the plane unless you are a fugitive.

[paz]

During no circumstances will anyone prevent you from boarding the plane unless you are a fugitive.

Incorrect. An airline has the right to deny boarding if no visa and no outgoing ticket within 30 days.

[MRYANG]

During no circumstances will anyone prevent you from boarding the plane unless you are a fugitive.

Incorrect. An airline has the right to deny boarding if no visa and no outgoing ticket within 30 days.

Yes, and prostitution is illegal in Thailand and if caught buying sex can lead to prison for 15 years.

What do I want to say? That it is technical possible but a practical improbability. Call it a tourist friendly work around.

[paz]

What do I want to say? That it is technical possible but a practical improbability. Call it a tourist friendly work around.

It is not unlikely, it happens a lot. I was asked myself many times. You can search the forum for reports or read the thread that I linked before.

Edited July 9, 2015 by paz

[MRYANG]

Me and my friends and colleagues, private and in business in and out from Thailand with a diverse variations of airlines have never heard of a single case where this has happened.

Tell me, at what point do they ask you?

[paz]

Me and my friends and colleagues, private and in business in and out from Thailand with a diverse variations of airlines have never heard of a single case where this has happened.

Tell me, at what point do they ask you?

At check-in. Below example airline regulations:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=280649

You can find many threads where people says that it never happened to them. And even more that says it does.

[gk10002000]

Several times I have flown to Thailand on EVA with a return date later than the 30 days "visa on arrival" time frame. I expected to make a border run for another visa and that is easier for me than getting a tourist visa in advance as my trips are often literally last minute. I always buy a ticket that has a solid 6 months of usability. I have never even been asked about the return flight currently being booked more than 30 days from my arrival date. EVA usually does not charge me to change returning flights.

[steve187]

Me and my friends and colleagues, private and in business in and out from Thailand with a diverse variations of airlines have never heard of a single case where this has happened.

Tell me, at what point do they ask you?

at check in the staff can and do check for a return flight within 30 days or a visa, you must be one the yangs that advise people to fly by the seat of their pants, when a simple, cheaper legal method is available. its called a visa.

edit - instead of a return flight read '' ticket out of the country''

Edited July 9, 2015 by steve187

[landslide]

Thanks for all the replies. I am just going to bite the bullet and get a single entry tourist visa. No fuss, no mess. There is a Thai Consulate 20 minutes from my home, so the process should be easy, and no wasted time at immigration in Bangkok. Maybe the next time I book a flight I will wake up and pay attention. I was so concerned about matching up my wife's return flight and mine (she is going to Thailand 3 weeks before me, and we are returning together) I just missed it.

[BernieOnTour]

do it right get a visa, why do people advise work a rounds

If humans wouldn't seek work around solutions we would still be living in the stoneage.

If u want it cheap and easy: Pay the 1 day overstay at airport, 500b and 10 minutes of your life.

If u want no "problem": Go to immigration for extension - 2150b and 2 hours of your life.

If you have the time and curious about how to shoot that fly with a minigun: go to the local thai-embassy and get the tourist visa.

During no circumstances will anyone prevent you from boarding the plane unless you are a fugitive.

IMO not a good advice, if I remember the uproar on the forum, when they cracked down on overstayers after the change of power...

It's less of a question to get out, than to get in again.

And for sure, I prefer not to have any entry in their database, when applying for one of the more demanding visa.

[MRYANG]

do it right get a visa, why do people advise work a rounds

If humans wouldn't seek work around solutions we would still be living in the stoneage.

If u want it cheap and easy: Pay the 1 day overstay at airport, 500b and 10 minutes of your life.

If u want no "problem": Go to immigration for extension - 2150b and 2 hours of your life.

If you have the time and curious about how to shoot that fly with a minigun: go to the local thai-embassy and get the tourist visa.

During no circumstances will anyone prevent you from boarding the plane unless you are a fugitive.

IMO not a good advice, if I remember the uproar on the forum, when they cracked down on overstayers after the change of power...

It's less of a question to get out, than to get in again.

And for sure, I prefer not to have any entry in their database, when applying for one of the more demanding visa.

Which of the advices weren't good or all of them? What do you suggest?

[IMA_FARANG]

Actually it's 32 days as they count the day that you enter day 1. If you wait past midnight it would give you 32 days. The overstay of one day would not normally be charged but you would get a small stamp in your passport. It would not affect any future travel to Thailand. The 7 days at immigration costs 1900 baht.

But, if you hit an ":uppity" airline agent, he/she might not let you board the flight since your return is beyond the 30 day limit! Good luck!

--------------------------------------

In any case the rule is not a "return" ticket that is required for a 30 day visa exempt entry.

What is required is a ticket "out of Thailand"....that means a ticket that leaves Thailand .... even if only to Cambodia or Laos....just next door to Thailand.

But if you take this method, do it by airport exit not a cross border land exit.....as the airport exit immigration won't question you but land border crossings may sometimes ask you questions.

Just to add, now, since 1 August 2014 you can enter on a 30 day visa exempt entry and then before that 30 day stay expires you can get a 30 day extension at your local immigration for a 1900 Baht extension fee..... but only one extension is allowed in such a case.

Edited July 10, 2015 by IMA_FARANG

[stoneyboy]

Actually it's 32 days as they count the day that you enter day 1. If you wait past midnight it would give you 32 days. The overstay of one day would not normally be charged but you would get a small stamp in your passport. It would not affect any future travel to Thailand. The 7 days at immigration costs 1900 baht.

But, if you hit an ":uppity" airline agent, he/she might not let you board the flight since your return is beyond the 30 day limit! Good luck!

--------------------------------------

In any case the rule is not a "return" ticket that is required for a 30 day visa exempt entry.

What is required is a ticket "out of Thailand"....that means a ticket that leaves Thailand .... even if only to Cambodia or Laos....just next door to Thailand.

But if you take this method, do it by airport exit not a cross border land exit.....as the airport exit immigration won't question you but land border crossings may sometimes ask you questions.

I got stopped last Sunday at Heathrow when checking in for my flight to Bangkok via Doha with Quatar Airways as I only booked a one way ticket,I've just finished a contract working 21/21 in the UK and am unsure how long I will stay home in Thailand.

I knew this was a likely scenario before leaving but never bothered to book a ticket out in the 30 days as I'm going by car to Mukdahan in the next couple of weeks to get a visa in Savanakhet Laos.

That was not enough for them at check in.

I proceeded to leave the check in desk,book a flight from BKK to Phnom Phen leaving on the 15th of July with Air Asia £28 and return to check in no problem,they asked for the flight number and booking number.

A minor inconvenience and added cost to my inexpensive £300 ticket to BKK of which I was happy to pay.

[KhunBENQ]

I knew this was a likely scenario before leaving but never bothered to book a ticket out in the 30 days as I'm going by car to Mukdahan in the next couple of weeks to get a visa in Savanakhet Laos.

That was not enough for them at check in.

Thx for the report.

Some will never learn and repeat their "no problem" story.

[el jefe]

Actually it's 32 days as they count the day that you enter day 1. If you wait past midnight it would give you 32 days. The overstay of one day would not normally be charged but you would get a small stamp in your passport. It would not affect any future travel to Thailand. The 7 days at immigration costs 1900 baht.

But, if you hit an ":uppity" airline agent, he/she might not let you board the flight since your return is beyond the 30 day limit! Good luck!

--------------------------------------

In any case the rule is not a "return" ticket that is required for a 30 day visa exempt entry.

What is required is a ticket "out of Thailand"....that means a ticket that leaves Thailand .... even if only to Cambodia or Laos....just next door to Thailand.

But if you take this method, do it by airport exit not a cross border land exit.....as the airport exit immigration won't question you but land border crossings may sometimes ask you questions.

I got stopped last Sunday at Heathrow when checking in for my flight to Bangkok via Doha with Quatar Airways as I only booked a one way ticket,I've just finished a contract working 21/21 in the UK and am unsure how long I will stay home in Thailand.

I knew this was a likely scenario before leaving but never bothered to book a ticket out in the 30 days as I'm going by car to Mukdahan in the next couple of weeks to get a visa in Savanakhet Laos.

That was not enough for them at check in.

I proceeded to leave the check in desk,book a flight from BKK to Phnom Phen leaving on the 15th of July with Air Asia £28 and return to check in no problem,they asked for the flight number and booking number.

A minor inconvenience and added cost to my inexpensive £300 ticket to BKK of which I was happy to pay.

Maybe it was your one way ticket that raised a red flag. I flew Qatar Airways in March from Joberg to BKK via Doha. I have no Thai visa and was not asked for proof of onward travel. I've flown in on 3 different airlines already this year and not once was I asked for proof.

I'm not recommending anyone take the chance at being denied, I'm just stating that it doesn't happen frequently, especially if you have a return ticket valid within 60 days on the same airline.