Australian traveling Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
Replies: 6 - Last Post: Nov 20, 2012 11:15 PM Last Post By: westwood
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Australian traveling Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
Hi Im just trying to work out my trip and could really use some help from those of you more experienced than I.Im flying out of Australia on the 28th of March, stopping over at KL and arriving in Hanoi. My friend and I only have one way tickets at this point which we bought at a very reasonable price via airasia website. We plan to travel down the coast to before taking a boat up the Mekong Delta into Cambodia. We want to travel through Cambodia and then go on to bangkok. We were going to fly home from Bangkok around April the 11th. so about 6 weeks in total. We not sure if we should buy the return tickets in Australia or Bangkok.
Do we need to book another ticket from Siagon to cambodia as proof that we will leave, or will a ticket from Bangkok be fine if we explain that we are crossing the borders by bus to get out of Vietnam, through cambodia, and into Bangkok? If so, will we need proof of exiting cambodia when we arrive at the Cambodian border from vietnam by boat?
I thought I would be fine as ive got a decent bank balance and im obviously not looking to work in vietnam illegally but the travel companies Ive called regarding a return from bangkok to australia seem to think ill need to provide a return ticket when checking in with AirAsia in Australia to go Vietnam.
Thanks for your help!
1
No, you aren't going to need any paperwork like that for your itinerary.Malaysia will let you in for three months without a visa. For Vietnam, you should get a visa online before you go. The company in Vietnam that gets you your boat ticket into Cambodia will arrange for your Cambodian visa, and your Australian passport is enough for a 15-day visa waiver at the Thai border.
You won't have to explain anything, you won't have to show tickets or your bank-book or anything. You have to stand in line for about 10 minutes at each border and pay a little money, and get stamped in.
2
thanks for your quick response. I dont know why ive read some many bad stories about airasia forcing people to buy return tickets at check in to vietnam. i think ill give them a call to make sure. Do you think it would be cheaper to source a flight back into australia once in bangkok or should I book a return before I go?Thanks
3
If you don't have a visa and you don't have an onward ticket, airlines are often reluctant to let you board: if the destination country won't let you in, the airline has to fly you back "dead-head" (without a ticket) and then try to collect the fare from you later.But on your flight to Malaysia, you do have an onward ticket, and for the flight to Vietnam, you do have a visa, so the airline will be fine. For the Cambodia border crossing, all they want is your $25 (or whatever it is now); for the Thai border, they don't even want that.
4
Ok now I understand a lot clearer. Thanks. Do you think I should wait until I get to bangkok to book a flight back or arrange one now? For some reason its going to cost around $550 to get back (even though going to vietnam was $300) if I book now. Surely it will be cheaper in Bangkok or is it just not worth the risk? Maybe this is a topic for another thread? Let me know if so.Thanks
5
Generally it is cheaper to buy earlier than later, but $500 is a lot.You can fly Tiger Airways BKK to Perth for $250, you don't say where you live but maybe you could get a cheap internal flight.
6
Buying online, it doesnt matter where you are. It wont be any cheaper leaving it till the last minute in Bangkok. Prices will only go up the closer to departure date.Air Asia is probably going to be the cheapest option as air fares from Perth are never cheap.
Just a thought, is your flight a FLYTHRU with AA? If it is, then you should just transit in KL without going through Immigration and can have your bags checked through. One way ticket into Vietnam shouldnt be a problem as malvolio pointed out, you'll have a valid visa.
