Thread: Visa question

Hello guys,

I am coming to Thailand from the USA WITHOUT a 60 day tourist visa because I will also book a trip to Angeles while in Bangkok and depart before day 30 when my visa upon arrival in Thailand expires.

My question is Thai Immigration won't know that I am going to book the Angeles trip while in Bangkok and will only see my arrival day and my departure day roughly 75 days apart.

Will this be ok with immigration???

Thank you for any help,
Dumbo

Very good chance the airline will not let you board your initial US/Thai flight.

Either get a visa or book that angeles ticket before you leave.

Yes . .

Technically they shouldn't let you on, in Aust they wont. But who knows in the US.

Can I board with a flight to BKK from Oz with a one way ticket - I would have a 60 day tourist visa - just want to be flexible with return dates

With a visa you will not have a problem.

If you do not have a visa then they will not let you board the flight. It happened to me in the UK and I had to go and buy a random onwards ticket on my computer.

Flying within Asia I have never had the problem but I'd imagine from the USA it'll be the same as flying from the UK.

Either get a tourist visa or book a random onwards ticket that you wont even use, I.e. to Cambodia or Laos (Just buy whatever is the cheapest)

^ on Air Asia site print the details of the flight confirmation just before you pay anything !

Why can't the OP just leave Thailand (Laos or Malaysia) and apply for a 60 day tourist visa at the Thai consulate? His flight out doesn't really matter then as long as it is within the amount of days given to leave stated on the new tourist visa.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Why can't the OP just leave Thailand (Laos or Malaysia) and apply for a 60 day tourist visa at the Thai consulate? His flight out doesn't really matter then as long as it is within the amount of days given to leave stated on the new tourist visa.

With no visa and no outgoing flight within 30 days of arrival there is a good chance the airline will not let him board the plane in the US.

I have traveled many times between the US and Thailand. Sometimes with no visa, sometimes with a 60 day tourist visa and other times with a one year Non-Immigrant O visa. None of these times have I ever been question about my flight home. My last 16 month stint in Thailand, I did not even have a return ticket.

Maybe the US is a little more lenient than other countries in this respect, but truthfully the airlines does not know what your overall travel plans are after you arrive in BKK. I definitely would not ask the airlines anything as well since they may tell you the most conservative answer.

I would say, if you are leaving from the US, go for it.

^
I know this has been discussed before. By not having an outbound ticket, how does immigration know what your travel plans are? It may be in the regs, but then again, how often is this regulation enforced?

I guess the answer to the OP is, it may be OK, but according to some on this site, it may not.

Why not just go to the Thai consulate in LA and get a 60 day tourist visa? It can then be extended for another 30 days at any immigration office in Thailand.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Why can't the OP just leave Thailand (Laos or Malaysia) and apply for a 60 day tourist visa at the Thai consulate? His flight out doesn't really matter then as long as it is within the amount of days given to leave stated on the new tourist visa.

If thai immigration refuse to let him into the country because his itinerary says he's going to overstay.... he becomes the airlines problem to get home and its not that uncommon for the airline to face a fine for letting it happen (not sure if Thailand does this). The airlines are quite keen to avoid the hassle of having to deal with this little messes.

talk to the airline and find out what they want, you might find that they and thai immigration would be happy with a hotel booking in cambodia showing you intend to leave thailand for cambodia by land before your 30 days are up. or just get a visa.

Spend an hour on the computer and print up your own airline ticket receipt up for the return flight.

^
Oh, I like that.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Why not just go to the Thai consulate in LA and get a 60 day tourist visa? It can then be extended for another 30 days at any immigration office in Thailand.

That would be the route I would go down ,, better safe

Originally Posted by Dumbo

my arrival day and my departure day roughly 75 days apart.

How long are you gonna be staying in Cambodia ?

Book your flight there now with Air Asia or whatever, the prices will only go up

United Airlines has held me up twice for not having a return ticket. Gave me a lecture about their getting a $15,000 fine if found out. They would not let me board until I had an onward ticket.

No problem from any other airline.

This is all very strange to me. Airlines are only concerned that the passenger has the necessary visa for entry into the country of disembarkation. So providing you qualify for a visa on arrival then there is no problem as the airline has satisfied its obligations to the country in which the passenger disembarks. It shouldn't matter if you have a one-way ticket, open return or whatever (unless you are a passport holder of one of a number of countries such as in the middle east). If for example you wanted to travel to Australia without a visa then the airline would refuse you boarding because there is no qualification for visa on arrival. If the airline allows you fly to Australia without a visa then the airline would be fined. So I don't believe there is any problem with traveling to Thailand without a visa regardless of the ticket you hold. It will be up to Thai immigration to decide if they want to let you in.
I have done lots of travel to Asian countries including Thailand with various tickets on multiple airlines and never once have I been questioned about having a valid return/onward ticket. And never once has Thai immigration questioned my travel itinerary.

Originally Posted by misskit

United Airlines has held me up twice for not having a return ticket. Gave me a lecture about their getting a $15,000 fine if found out. They would not let me board until I had an onward ticket.

No problem from any other airline.

Same problem with China Eastern, but they were more reasonable than United and settled the matter by making a copy of my retirement visa.

Ironic, but there are no such things as tangible "tickets" any longer.

I remember a friend making a print out for a bus ticket leaving the country to overcome this, I think.

Think the real overall answer is if you can show money in the bank there is no problem. Immigration asks what are your plans, answer doing Asia, Lao. Cambodia etc. Arriving BKK and leaving the same way. Know many that have done it that way.
They seem to understand and want BKK to be a hub for travelers in SEA.
Jim

I think the problem is with the airlines not immigration, Jim

so that was not the overall answer