Arby

I have a one way ticket to Thailand on United and have heard that I may not be permitted to board the plane unless I have a proper visa (normally one can just get a 30 day stamp in Bangkok) and/or a ticket out of Thailand.

I'm a leisure raveller that normally buys non-refundable low cost tickets and have no experience with full priced refunadable tickets.

If I need a return ticket is it possible to buy one at the airport and then get a full refund credited to my credit card after I arrive in Thailand. Where at the airport can I buy a ticket as I assume I can't at a check in counter?

Thanks

Omyai

I have an office in Thailand and have been flying there frequently for 17 years. About 10 or 12 years ago, I started buying my tickets with BKK as RT origination due to substantial fare differential. When I first started the BKK as outbound, I always had another RT (BKK-SFO-BKK) in my pocket due to same concern you have. For the past 5 years, however, I have not had the extra RT ticket and have never had a problem either entering Thailand or when checking in at SFO. In recent years only hassles I have seen at immigration upon entering Thailand has been Thai immigration making certain passengers (mainly what appear to be people of middle eastern descent) prove that they have enough cash to leave the country. Funny thing is they only ask to see proof of 10,000 baht - about enough to fly to VN.

jpatokal

While you may get away with it, Thailand does theoretically have a return ticket requirement, and a clueless/intentionally nasty check-in agent could refuse to let you board without it. How are you continuing onward from Thailand?

Of course, there are some people who just take low-cost carrier e-tickets, change the dates and print 'em out. Presenting a forged document to Thai Immigration might not be wise, but if you were only to use it at check-in in another country...

stut

Why 'clueless/intentionally nasty'? That's exactly what they're supposed to be doing - not least due to the fines the airline gets if one of their passengers is deported...

...which is something you don't want to happen to you. If you're flying one-way, then get a disposable airasia.com ticket out of the country - the cheapest you can find.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

My experiences are varied. Departing Australia I have always been asked for a ticket out of Asia (any Asian country will do) before they will check you in for a flight to Thailand. This has been when flying Thai Airways, Jetstar, Qantas and British Airways. Same for me and my mom (travelling separately).

Only one time have I flown on a one way ticket from Hong kong to Thailand, and I can't remember whether I was asked for a ticket then. I have a feeling I might have been. This was travelling last year on China Airlines.

I have never been asked to show a ticket to leave Thailand by Thai immigration whether arriving from within Asia or Australia. But then I have a good record of entry/leaving now.

Welcome to Flyertalk!

Regards

lme ff

sfo

If your concerned, buy an inexpensive refundable ticket to somewhere outside of Thailand, Singapore might be good. I myself have never been asked by Thai Immigration when arriving, if I had an airline ticket for leaving Thailand.

Black Adder

Go to airasia.com and book a cheap ticket to KUL, print out the itinerary and carry it with you.

Swanhunter

Iberia at MIA required me to buy a return ticket - oddly when travelling on an open jaw (into GUA, out of CUN). A pain to have USD800 sat on my credit card for 3 weeks though IB's refund process was extremely simple.

Ocn Vw 1K

As the OP's concerns are mainly with Thai regulations and protocol, let me move this to our Travel->Thailand forum for more discussion. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TarvelBuzz.

jpatokal

In theory, yes, but for Thailand the rule is in practice pretty much a dead letter and there's no actual need for the airline to enforce it.