Thai "Visa on Arrival" : Need clarification
 

Guys,

I hold Indian passport and can get VOA for 15 days for Thailand, by filling out the form and paying the fee. I am planning a trip to BKK in December for about a week. I also want to make it Siem Riep (Angkor) in Cambodia (+ 3days). There is an "eVisa" facility run by Cambodian consular site, which I can avail before entering Cambodia. I will be holding a return ticket India-BKK-India. Everything looks fine so far.

However, my below questions remain unclarified even after searching this forum and Thaivisa.com. Please help:

1. If I enter on VOA to Thailand and say exit it at Poipet crossing, can I re-enter Thailand on the same Visa or do I need to apply for a new VOA altogether again (with fee, photo and form)? Will they process VOAs at Poipet crossing. I need to re-enter Thailand to catch my return flight back home.

2. Say, I buy a return trip from BKK to REP or PNH while in BKK on an LCC, and time it so that the return leg (REP-BKK) coincides with my Indian flight back home. Do I need to pass through Immigration again at new BKK airport to check in for my India flight (on TG) when I arrive from REP?

Please help :confused: , thanks!

If you re-enter the Kingdom by land, you'll need to get another visa, unfortunately, because you're not from one of the countries blessed with visa-free entry.

But if you fly back and don't pass through Immigration because you have a connecting international flight, then there's no visa question. You're simply in transit.

Since you also have your return ticket to India, there's also no chance the airline will refuse to carry you. At Don Muang, the transfer personnel were in the passageway just before Immigration. I imagine it's the same arrangement at Suvarnabhumi. I've never done this at BKK, but I read somewhere that they go and get your baggage off the belt for you and put it onto your connecting flight if you were not able to check your baggage through.

The only country I know which insists you pass through Immigration even if you're just transferring to another international flight is the United States. Perhaps there are others.

Thanks. Looks like its not going to be too smooth if I have some check-in luggage. Also, probably need to give ample time at BKK for connection.

Sigh... hard luck.

AFAIK, its true for INDIA also.

I would check and see if the airline you fly to Cambodia with has a baggage interconnect agreement with Thai. Most likely they do. Then all you need to do is check your baggage through.

If by "LCC" you mean AirAsia, note that a) they don't fly REP-BKK, but only PNH-BKK and b) they do not have interline agreements, which means that AFAIK you will have to clear inward immigration, claim your bags and clear customs, and then go check-in again, pay the airport tax, and clear outward immigration to board your onward flight. Of course, if you don't have any checked baggage, then you may be able to get your boarding pass at the airside transit desk, thereby avoiding going through immigration.

Note that the REP-BKK route is served by Bangkok Airways (PG), which is a very fine airline -- though not an LCC -- and which does have interline agreements, an airside transit desk at BKK (well, at Don Muang), and a simple but free-to-all lounge with drinks/snacks and internet access.

I hope this helps,
Michael

Thanks Michael. It did help.

Finally I have thought of the following.

1. Enter Thailand on VOA, spend few days at BKK.
2. Exit Thailand to Cambodia by road (thru Aranyaprathet/Poipet crossing)
3. Visit REP and catch a flight back to BKK either from REP or PNH (with no check-in luggage, which is kinda hard as I have to drop shopping plans)
4. Use Transfer desk to check-in for my homebound flight and save the stupid Visa fee and exit tax (1500 baht in total)

Hopefully above should work. Keeping my fingers crossed! I will update my experiences later when I finish my trip (in December).

Thanks everyone!

Well, your option between REP and BKK is limited to PG (Bangkok Airways), which will probably interline bags for you. For PNH, i think you are very much into TG territory, and i think buying a oneway TG for PNH-BKK, may save you a lot of hassale as well as let you have check-in bags. The oneway ticket probably would be about $150-200, i think.


good luck, and enjoy Angor Wat.