One Way ticket to BKK and No Visa (relying on exemption stamp)... HELP :(
Replies: 12 - Last Post: Nov 22, 2012 7:57 AM Last Post By: CrazyAl
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One Way ticket to BKK and No Visa (relying on exemption stamp)... HELP :(
Hello all,I've spent about 30 minuets reading through posts but can't seem to find a definite answer to my question. My situation is this: I have a one-way ticket to BKK on the 25th of November (this upcoming Sunday). I, naively, didn't allow myself enough time to apply for a Visa at my local consulate... Apparently the one in NYC takes awhile to register for. So, I will be relying on the visa exemption that I get as a United States citizen when I arrive at BKK. I'll be flying with China Eastern Airlines, which is a 3 star airline I believe (not the best).
I have two questions:
1. What paperwork should I bring to be covered in case they request proof of a return flight?
2. What neighboring country/city will allow me to register for a Thailand Visa? I understand many places offer extensions, but if I am understanding correctly I won't have a visa at all, only an exemption for 30 days. In other words, I will need to apply for a Thailand Visa before my 30 days is up. So, where can I do this, and which option would be the most effective in terms of time and money? (for example, I rather not take a 12 hour bus somewhere if I can pay $50-75 extra for a different option). I don't care where in Thailand I need to leave from.
Thank you for your time!
1
You will get a 30 day visa exemption, yes.I've never been asked, nor have I ever seen anyone get asked, for a return flight ticket. Technically if this was going to happen it would be the airline in the States before you board the plane that asked you. I've come to Thailand several times on a one way ticket with no problems, but you never know. Best to have a ticket out if you really want to be on the safe side. Just print out your itinerary to show them.
If you want to get a Thai tourist visa you can go to Penang, Malaysia, or Vientiane, Laos. I think Khota Bharu in Malaysia still does the visas too, but Penang and Laos would be more enjoyable :) It's probably cheapest to go to Malaysia, depending on where in Thailand you're leaving from. Either way it's a pretty long journey and you'll have to stay there a couple of nights at least to get the visa.
If you want to save time, but not money, you can also exit the country then fly back in for another 30 day visa exemption, or enter overland for another 15 days.
By the way, you can get the 30 day exemption extended another 7 days at any immigration office. Hope that helps!
2
. Best to have a ticket out if you really want to be on the safe side.
just to be clear - that would mean getting on the internet now and buying a flight out of Thailand that departs within 30 days of your entry date into Thailand (it doesn't have to be a 'return' to USA, just an 'onward' to somewhere other than Thailand). It doesn't matter to where, you aren't necessarily going to use it. You just might to have it in your hand to get on the plane in the USA.
3
How long do you want to stay in Thailand all together? What is your next stop?Why did you get a one-way flight from the US? From the US a one-way flight is almost the same cost as round trip on major airlines.
If you intended to visit other countries in this area local flights or even ground transportation is cheap to go from Thailand or back to Thailand.
Many tourists use round trip to Bangkok and from there fly or use bus to nearby countries. Then back to Bangkok for flight home. Possible exceptions are if you are going to be gone a long time and will end up in Australia or New Zealand. But even then keep in mind that for some airlines round-trip and one-way flights are not too far apart in price.
4
I have traveled to Thailand many times with only a 1 way ticket. I am Canadian. Both Canadians and Americans receive a FREE Visa upon arrival at AIR ports of entry for 30 days. I have never been asked to show a return ticket. Most of the time I left Thailand overland, and thus did not want to book a return air ticket. If you overstay your visa, there is a daily fee of 500B. If you plan to overstay for more than a few days, it may be cheaper to apply for a Visa Extension, which cost about 1500B for 10 days. Otherwise you can obtain a 60 day visa in most countries around Thailand. "Visa runs" to surrounding countries only allow you a 15 day visa upon arrival in Thailand overland.7
Thank you all for your time and help. PhiMeow, I initially planned on doing that. Maybe even stay in Malaysia for a few days... I thought maybe another way such as Cambodia or Laos would be cheaper, but from what I read only maybe $20-$30 USD cheaper, plus a lot of variables because of fake fees that take place. I guess you are right, Phuket to KUL would be good choice... or even from bangkok it is $40 more. I will have to see how much it cost to go from Bangkok to Phuket I suppose. Thank you all.By the way, CrazyAl, I don't know what you mean? There is nowhere that would have 2 tickets for price of one... A one-way there cost me $620 from NYC. A trip back would cost about same depending on the season. A round trip is exactly same cost as 2x one way for most part.
8
When asking visa questions, you'll never get a definite answer regarding one way tickets and no visa (relying on visa exemption) as different airlines interpret the rules differently and the girl at check in mightnt be so friendly. What you will get is advise depending on what a person has experienced or read about.9
Yes westwood, I agree. I just want to see what is likely and what isn't likely... I can't rely on it, but at least I have something to expect and prepare for. Always have back up plan! in my case, I am going 3 hours early. So then, if there is a problem, I can book a flight from BKK to KUL or phucket to KUL or whatever necessary.10
can't seem to find a definite answer to my question.Perhaps you should have looked a bit longer. That question is answered every few days.
1. What paperwork should I bring to be covered in case they request proof of a return flight?
An airline ticket of some sort.
2. What neighboring country/city will allow me to register for a Thailand Visa?
Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, China, Malaysia.
I understand many places offer extensions, but if I am understanding correctly I won't have a visa at all, only an exemption for 30 days
Any immigration office in Thailand, for 7 days.
In other words, I will need to apply for a Thailand Visa before my 30 days is up. So, where can I do this, and which option would be the most effective in terms of time and money? (for example, I rather not take a 12 hour bus somewhere if I can pay $50-75 extra for a different option).
Take a flight out and back for another 30 days.
It takes more than one day to obtain a visa.
A round trip is exactly same cost as 2x one way for most part
Must be a US airline rip off. I've always found it cheaper to obtain a round trip than a one way x 2.
#4 I have traveled to Thailand many times with only a 1 way ticket
Must have been lucky then. Many airlines are asking for proof of a return ticket within the length of stay before allowing one to board. This has been pointed out about a zillion times on this forum.
11
I'm from the UK, so don't know how the USA prices it's flights, but in my experience I'll have to agree with others and say that when I've priced a Round Trip the quote is usually only 20-25% more than a one-way ticket. Sometimes even a lesser percentage. It is not an equal 50-50 split even allowing for seasonal / day of the week variations.Anyhow, a previous poster mentioned a nominal fine for overstaying a "visa" is payable if and when leaving. And this is correct. However, if you overstay and for some reason to fall foul of the law (or are asked to show your passport to a policeman) when not in an airport or the like then you may be potentially in a World of hurt. Overstaying in Thailand is not seen as a trivial offence but a serious one with severe consequences. Search this forum for "IDC".
12
If there is a question about a particular flight to Bangkok being cheaper flying round-trip vs purchasing two one-way flights just pull up the particular airline website and enter the departure times and compare one-way vs round-trip. It's not rocket science!I have flown a lot over the past dozen plus years and always fly the same airline company. I get more bonus miles and other perks that way. For me, using major airlines, round-trip is always much cheaper than 2 one-way flights! For me, the difference is enough to purchase round-trip flights to nearby countries from Bangkok.
Pull up a website and enter your data and compare!
Edited by: CrazyAl
