Originally Posted by
transpac
Can you describe your journey in more detail?
Airline from xxx-BKK?
Type of transport between Thailand and Cambodia?
Type of transport between Laos and Thailand?
I think you may face some challenges as almost all airlines now verify visa requirements, and require proof of onward travel within your allotted stay period. Often proof of onward travel is an airline ticket rather than ground transport. As your stay "appears" to be greater than what you are allowed (51 > 30), you may face a problem boarding your xxx-BKK flight.
Edited to add:
I always strongly recommend and encourage friends/family/colleagues/acquaintances and even the odd FTer to get a real Tourist Visa in their home country from the Thai Embassy/Consulate if their travel plans are “unusual”. Unusual meaning anything not covered by a simple RT and any associated Visa Exemption. Even a simple, single entry Tourist Visa ($40) removes any/all “onward” travel requirements and assures boarding. This Visa can be amended/modified/extended in country so it can cover periods even greater than 30 or 60 days. (Note that a single entry Tourist Visa obtained in the U.S. covers stays up to 60 days, while some other single-entry Visas, available in other countries, may only cover stays of 30 days.
So for a simple $40 one avoids any issues, and avoids these idiotic machinations of issuing a throw-away/refundable/award tickets.
A friend arrived this week, he flew BUF-JFK (DL)-ICN-BKK on KE, returning in ~ 80 days. In the past he has been denied boarding in BUF on DL, and had to purchase an onward air ticket. This time he got a single entry/60 day Tourist Visa from the Thai Consulate in NY and had no problems boarding.
Thanks everybody for the advice.
I posted my question as an afterthought, I didn't think it would be a problem.
I thought Bangkok would be a good hub for traveling around Indochina.
But if my entire trip at risk, then I have to rethink everything, my itinerary goes out the window.
I was hoping to travel without any firm plans while respecting each countries visa length requirements eg 30 days in Vietnam and Thailand.
Possible suggested solutions
1) Refundable ticket. No - no way. I plan to be pretty much to stay off the grid for two months, - I don't want to even think about trying to hassle with getting the refund, checking the credit card, requesting a chargeback etc.
2) throwaway ticket, my budget doesn't allow that
3) air tickets along our itinerary, I guess this is one of my better options but wreaks our vacation by putting fixed dates. I wanted freedom to stay and go where I wanted to, travel by land without fixed date deadlines. It would also be more expensive to add flights eg BKK-SGN -land-HAN-BKK plus having to backtrack from Cambodia or Laos back to Bangkok for flights to Vietnam. Open jaw BKK to SGN,Han is $320, this is probably at least $200 more than doing it by bus, train.
4) $40 Thai visa, kind of a hassle, four hour drive to Thai Consulate in Chicago, and then would risk having the passports in the mail, 2 days processing and plus time for mail delivery. I guess this would be a viable option but we don't have a lot of time left.
So I am in a quandry. I am somewhat exasperated, I thought it would be easier. I guess I need to think about my options.