Thailand Visa Exiting
 

I plan on flying into Thailand and take a couple weeks to travel from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Any suggestions on what to do since I wont have a return flight out of Thailand planned? It appears I need one to get approved.

I could possibly buy a plane ticket from Ho Chi Minh city to somewhere else like Manila and Shanghai... but will that suffice for the Thai government, showing that I dont plan on staying in Thailand?

First of all, do you need a visa? What country's passport are you traveling on?

Many people leave Thailand by a different means than they get there. Do you have a ticket back to your own country?

If you are from a country that does not need a visa, you'll just need to talk with immigration officers as you enter. While in the past, I've not had them check, in Nov 2007, they asked that everyone show their plane tickets.

Are you traveling overland to HCMC? And where to from there? Think about what documentation you may have to show you are traveling onward. Do you have a VN visa for this trip in your passport?

I will be flying to BKK from Hong Kong, and backpacking/bus/etc through Cambodia to Vietnam. I know I need to secure the other visa's ahead of time...

... if I have a Vietnam Visa already, and a plane ticket leaving Vietnam, do you think that would suffice to get the Thailand Visa on arrival (I have a US Passport).

I was hoping to not have an exit time out of Vietnam strictly planned, but if it means I don't have problems in Thailand, then I will book that ahead of time.

Yes, I believe if you have a VN visa in your passport and have a flight out of VN you'll be fine. If need be, you can probably change the date of your flight home from VN. Just buy a changeable ticket.

PS, you don't actually get a Thai visa on arrival, as a US citizen, you get "visa-free entry" that is, your passport will be stamped, but it is not a visa. You need a visa (in advance) for Thailand if you are staying more than 30 days in Thailand.