raulgogo

So the story goes like this:

• I'm going to travel to Thailand for 15 days.
• For this I'll get an on-arrival visa which is valid for 15 days.
• Leaving Thailand for 8 days to Singapore, then coming back to Thailand for a brief 4 hours between flights.

The problem is that I have separate airline companies, so the ticket is not a direct one back home to Romania with a stop in Bangkok, but a ticket Singapore - Bangkok + a ticket Bangkok - Romania.
So I basically have to pass passport control in order to get to the baggage claim, then go back to check-in and come back to the terminal.

I've called the Thai embassy in Romania but they have no idea.

Things that I could to to sort this out from what I've figured out so far:

1) Go to Bucharest and get a tourist visa (available for 60 days), then get a re-entry permit before leaving for Singapore (costly especially time-wise).

2) Go like this and hope the security officer understands the problem (I can show next flight in 4 hours) and

* lets me enter (some sort of re-entry permit or something)
* makes someone escort me to the baggage claim and back (unlikely)

3) Don't leave the terminal, get on the flight home without passing passport control, and call the airport for the baggage and try to sort it out to be brought to me by someone instead of fetching it myself (kind of scared It will become lost)

My question is does someone see another way around this? Can I contact some security department at the airport in any way such that they can offer a straightforward yes or no answer?

The Thai embassy in Romania said that it's up to the security officer, and this is what I'm reading on the internet also.

Another question is if he refuses to let me in the country and I take my flight home, can I later call the airport and somehow have my baggage delivered back to me? Would this cost anything taking into account it's my fault?

IluvSQ

What are the 2 airlines involved? It is very possible the first one can check your baggage all the way if they have interline agreements.
If not, when you check in at the transfer desk at BKK they should be able to arrange the transfer. Just show them the baggage claim check.

transpac

Yes, knowing the airlines would help, potentially.

Can you just get another VoA for your 4 hour layover? Or am I missing some detail?

I can't see Thai Immigration letting you land-side without the proper documentation, nor do I see you being able to somehow arrange baggage/check-in from air-side?

Getting a proper tourist visa, and re-entry permit seems the most practical approach, you can get the re-rentry permit at the airport when you depart BKK for SIN, it won't take long.

SK AAR

I agree. This will most likely not happen. The Thai immigration officer is definitely not going to make any exception for you regardless that you show your onward ticket and explain that it is only for 4 hours. What if you decide to skip your flight and stay in TH? - then such officer would be in trouble. Who do you expect to be prepared to collect your bag, to take it through customs and to do-recheckin for you - sorry, but not going to happen.

Your third option - abandoning your luggage at BKK and hope to get someone to send it to you in Romania later on - is not going to happen either. Do you think anyone is prepared to ship bags with unknown contents out of Thailand?

Either you travel with handlugage only or buy a Thai visa and apply for re-entry permit once in Thailand.

Depending on the carrier for your SIN-to BKK leg, you may be able to check bags to final destination at SIN regardless of being on 2 separate tickets. If you travel TG or SQ then this is very likely. Unlikely/impossible if you have purchased a ticket with a LCC like Jetstar or Scoot.

Plato90s

SK AAR is correct - abandoned luggage at customs will not be forwarded to you.

Unless the airline for your SIN-BKK is willing to inter-line, get ready to pay another 2,000bht fee for Visa On Arrival. 4 hours should be sufficient to clear immigration/customs and re-check.

eponymous_coward

Quite frankly laundry is cheap in SE Asia. It’s not THAT hard to pack for a week in carryon luggage, especially in a warm climate. That and doing some laundry in Thailand and Singapore would solve your problem- no need to check luggage or re-enter Thailand. (I will demur on the wisdom of separate tickets and a connection for a country where you can’t enter; I guess you have unshakable faith in your flights not being delayed and airlines in question.)

Plato90s

He can enter.

Presumably the OP just doesn't want to pay the Visa on Arrival fee twice.

transpac

Each Visa on Arrival would be 2,000 THB, so 4,000 THB for two arrivals.

A single-entry 60-day Tourist Visa (in Bucharest) would be 30 EUR (I think), while a single Re-Entry Permit would be 1,000 THB.

The Re-Entry Permit would "preserve" the 60-day stamp originally obtained with the first arrival, and no need for that VoA (obviously).

Avoiding two VoA "waits", along with the savings, clearly means the "real" visa w/re-entry permit might be better.

EmailKid

This.

Then again, about 10 years ago I was held in a windowless room for two hours inside SIN because the official just "did not believe" that I could get by with a backpack and personal Item for a week

One and only, haven't been to SIN since, but I continue to travel in this fashion. BKK, HKG, MNL and one time NRT, these days mostly for two weeks.

Got NO lounge time and almost missed my flight. JERKS

eponymous_coward

I've traveled one bag to SIN before (I love my MEI Voyageur- in black and done up with a Red Oxx Claw in duffel mode it looks vaguely professional ), nobody blinked an eye. Of course, this was on a SQ J redemption using UA miles...

Just back from BKK, Ko Phagnan and HKG, 10 days, all luggage fits in one carry on bag. Easy. I don't even mind doing my own laundry in places where it's more expensive like Europe. Couple of hours at a laundromat or wasting time checking and waiting for luggage? OK...

EmailKid

I am sure it was my bad luck that officer thought I hiding something. Not sure what, as it was a bag with backpack straps and a personan item. TWO hours

Jerk. It does not take that long to PACK the two bags