Return ticket a must to enter?
 

Just wondering if the customs in Thailand would give you a hard time if you have no ticket proving that you're planning on leaving the country at some point. I dont want to have to plan that far ahead. What should i do?

I've entered by plane, motorbike, foot and boat, and no-one's ever asked for anything other than my passport and visa application.

The official line these days is that in order to enter Thailand using the 30 day visa exemption, you must have proof of air travel out of Thailand within 30 days of arrival.

Immigration in Thailand have signs up with this notice, but they did not check our tickets there.

Where they did check our tickets out of Thailand was when we were checking in for our flight into Thailand. Because airlines are heavily fined for transporting passengers who are ineligible to enter, they do check very carefully that you either meet the criteria for the visa exemption or that you have a proper visa. If you can't prove eligibility for visa exemption and don't have a visa, airlines can refuse to carry you.

So, if you don't want to have an outbound ticket, then you can get a visa ahead of time and be all set. Or you can buy a cheap ticket out on Air Asia or something and throw it away.

This explains the visa exemption rules well.
http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/visa_exemption.html

Kim - so if you come other than by plane, do you still need a plane ticket out? Or can you get a visa on arrival? In 2004 I walked in across the Cambodian border and out across the Lao border, sounds like that might now be a problem?

While the rule has long been that you must have a ticket out, only recently have they started chcecking at the airport. The sign says you must show your ticket or itinerary at immigration. One out of two immigrations agents looked at our outbound tickets, the other did not.

I don't think the rule has ever been enforced at land borders.

Thanks Kathie.

Regarding asking for your return ticket - I think it will depend on your nationality.

Visa on arrival is an option for some people. Check to see if the country that issued your passport is on the visa on arrival list. US citizens are not eligible for visa on arrival.

It's not an issue really at land borders unless you get a strict immigration officer. It was definitely an issue on check in for our international flight into Thailand, and there have been reports on Lonely Planet Thorn Tree of people having to buy a cheap ticket out in order to board their flight in.

I wouldn't be so concerned about land borders or even airport immigration. It's boarding your inbound flight that may be an issue.