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Help please!

Featured Replies

Hello all,

 

I was hoping you could help. 

 

I will be travelling around SE Asia in January and was hoping for some help on visas. 

 

My current plan is to fly into Thailand and spend around 2 weeks there, then do a border crossing into Laos and spend a week there before flying to vietnam for 2 weeks. I then plan to fly back from Vietnam to Thailand and spend another 1.5 weeks there and then fly to Cambodia for a week before returning to Bangkok to get my flight home. 

 

I hold a british passport. By my count, I will be entering Thailand 3 times, all by air most likely. 

 

From my reading and speaking to fellow travellers, I have been told that I DO NOT need to apply for a visa as I will just get a 30 day exemption each time and I will not be staying more than 90 days consecutively. 

 

Is this correct?!

 

Also, how strict are they on the proof of onward travel? I will obviously be leaving Thailand to Laos after 2 weeks but I haven't quite decided on a date. Do you think it's worth me getting a bus ticket just in case?

 

Many thanks in advance!

 

 

 

if your flight back to your home country is not within 30 days of arrival then you may be denied boarding by the airline, you could if that is the case buy a cheap throw away ticket to comply or obtain a tourist visa from your home country, they are free at the moment.

other than the boarding issue your plan is sound

Do you realise you will NOT get a free entry to Laos and will require a paid visa to go  there.?

And as someone else pointed out it is NOT immigration in Thailand that checks you for exit ticket from Thailand within 30 days, it is the airlines that may do that and not let you board the plane without showing that ticket or possible siging a waiver that relieves them of responsibility if you are not allowed to enter the country?

Southeast Asia is NOT the EU where you can just hop across borders at will.

What you are suggestung is possible but there are also potential problems in what you are planning.

In particular the as yet unproven rumor that starting in January 2017 (soon) there may be a 2 per year limit in visa exempt free entries to Thailand per year.

As I said that rumor is as yet  unproven.

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, IMA_FARANG said:

n particular the as yet unproven rumor that starting in January 2017 (soon) there may be a 2 per year limit in visa exempt free entries to Thailand per year.

As I said that rumor is as yet  unproven.

Not a rumor but it is only for entries at a border.  A long topic about it already. The only thing unknown is how it will be applied.

7 hours ago, steve187 said:

if your flight back to your home country is not within 30 days of arrival then you may be denied boarding by the airline, you could if that is the case buy a cheap throw away ticket to comply or obtain a tourist visa from your home country, they are free at the moment.

 

The most practical way of overcoming this difficulty would be for the OP to go to Laos by air (rather than overland) after 2 weeks in accordance with his plans, and purchase a suitable flight ticket prior to his departure from the UK.

 

5 hours ago, IMA_FARANG said:

Do you realise you will NOT get a free entry to Laos and will require a paid visa to go  there.?

 

According to UK government travel advice he can get a visa on arrival in Laos for around 35 USD or 1,500 THB:

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/laos/entry-requirements

Edited by OJAS

8 hours ago, steve187 said:

if your flight back to your home country is not within 30 days of arrival then you may be denied boarding by the airline, you could if that is the case buy a cheap throw away ticket to comply or obtain a tourist visa from your home country, they are free at the moment.

other than the boarding issue your plan is sound

Why must the OP fly back home? He might  be required to show that he is leaving Thailand before 30 days.

He could argue that he has a ticket Laos-Vietnam already, which implies he would be out of Thailand before

the 30 days, or he could buy an expensive ticket from Thailand to Laos, that allows cancellation and full refund.

 

34 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

Why must the OP fly back home? He might  be required to show that he is leaving Thailand before 30 days.

He could argue that he has a ticket Laos-Vietnam already, which implies he would be out of Thailand before

the 30 days, or he could buy an expensive ticket from Thailand to Laos, that allows cancellation and full refund.

 

yes bad wording in this case should read'' if you do not have a flight out of Thailand within 30 days of arrival''   

  • Author

Thanks for all of your responses. 

 

Yep, I'm fully aware that I need to get a visa for Laos, which I will do so at the border. 

 

I think I will just buy a cheap plane ticket out of Thailand that leaves within 30 days of me arriving as I would prefer to buy my bus ticket to Laos whilst I am there. That should suffice no?

 

I just wanted to clarify about this new rule they have envoked - does the 2 entries/exit apply to land crossings only yes? So if I fly in to Thailand 3 times, that should be fine?

 

Many thanks 

15 hours ago, Hp2289 said:

I think I will just buy a cheap plane ticket out of Thailand that leaves within 30 days of me arriving as I would prefer to buy my bus ticket to Laos whilst I am there. That should suffice no?

 

I just wanted to clarify about this new rule they have envoked - does the 2 entries/exit apply to land crossings only yes? So if I fly in to Thailand 3 times, that should be fine?

The ticket out within 30 days will be accepted.

The 2 entries is only at land borders.

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