Originally Posted by
cbn42
Since you mentioned yourself and the other passengers, it sounds like there was a flight delay or some other circumstance that required you to wait for an extended period after clearing passport control. In that case, of course the authorities will accommodate you. OP's situation is quite different, because he unilaterally decided to back out for no apparent reason.
Did you not note that I said this was more than one time?
I've unilaterally decided to back out of travel at DEL too -- plenty of times. Even when there was an apparent reason -- family emergency -- sometimes it was much the same time to get out as when it was due to airline and/or airport and/or weather circumstances and sometimes it was way faster.
Originally Posted by cbn42
Domestic is a different matter, but I don't know of any international airports in the world where you can clear outbound passport control and then turn around and leave.
In India, domestic or international, getting back landside is rather routinely under the same restrictions save the issue with passport control.
Never been to the Schengen Zone countries' main airports and even the smaller Schengen Zone airports with service to non-Schengen Zone destinations? It's rather routine that I clear departure passport control and then change my mind and leave the airport just because I can and want to do so.
Never been to SIN? I've done it there a lot too.
Never been to BKK? I've done it there too.
All in the course of this quarter.