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Can I fly to Thailand without a visa if I have a Laos visa as proof of onward travel?

Nov 13, 2024
a year ago
Holger **************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Just Check in at Frankfurt Airport for Bangkok ...i stay 114 days No Visa...but they accepted my valid Laos Visa AS Proof of onward travel
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The conversation details an experience where an individual successfully checked in for a flight to Bangkok from Frankfurt without a visa, using a valid Laos visa as proof of onward travel. Despite some contributors expressing concerns about potential issues with Thai immigration, others shared their own experiences of passing through immigration without problems, citing that checks can vary by airline and situation. The group discussed how different airlines handle visa checks and the importance of having some form of onward travel documentation.
Holger **************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Update

Proceed Immigration at suvanahbumi 60 day s stamped No questions
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Susan ****
I just flew Qatar Business Class Venice - Doha - Bangkok and they insisted on seeing a valid flight booking leaving Thailand and the flight number too!

Qatar and Air Asia are the worst for this. Emirates never asked in January and Thai Immigration have never asked even once!
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Luit *****************
@Susan ***
Why do you call Qatar and Air Asia bad just because they check if passengers comply with the rules?
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Susan ****
@Luit ****************
Because they don't actually check your reservation is real, so what is the point?

I always have a real onward flight. Many don't. I know of people buying fake onward tickets, free cancellation tickets, random bus tickets.

The whole thing is a pointless charade by these airlines.

Also I'm sorry but if you've paid to fly Qatar BC then you may well not have a return flight because you're flying on urgent business!
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Luit *****************
@Susan ***
There are no fake onward tickets, it are just tickets bought on your name and cancelled afterwards by the company you buy from.

The airlines are just performing checks they are required to do by Thai government.

When you as a tourist choose for not buying a visa, these rules apply.

That a lot of people try to fool Thai government by cancelling their flight tickets afterwards is not a concern of the airline.

You should not call an airline bad if they just follow the rules.

If you have time to buy a one way ticket, you also have time to buy a return ticket, so urgent bussiness is not a good excuse here.
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Susan ****
@Luit ****************
I always have a legal onward flight because my travel is planned and paid for 6 months in advance

What you don't seem to understand is that only 2 airlines do this and they don't ask everyone for an onward ticket.

I am always asked no matter what class I fly and despite having a British passport.

If everyone was asked by every airline then fine.

But they aren't.

Oddly it's usually us non white folk always asked

I know many white folk who have never been asked once.

So yeah I'm entitled to call Qatar (in particular) bad.

PS I have a British passport. I don't need to buy any visa for Thailand. I get 60 days visa on arrival.
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Luit *****************
@Susan ***
It certainly is not only 2 airlines asking for visa or onward ticket.

I already experienced it for other airlines, and that is OK.

All airlines should do it, but most only do incidentally to save time.

The British passport, your skin color and the class you fly have nothing to do with these requirements. You choose not to buy a visa, that means you decide to use the Thai visa exempt program for tourists, so you have to comply with the requirements for this program, and one of those requirements is that you have an onward ticket within the period you are allowed to stay, which is checked at chek-in desk of airline and on arrival (sometimes) at immigration.

What you get on arrival is not a visa at all, but visa exempt, you are granted to stay 60 days without visa.

And when you think Qatar is bad, what is a strange thought, nobody forces you to fly with them.
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Leo *********
@Susan ***
I agree that it’s not the business of the company if you get refused at the immigration in the arrival country.

Their job is to fly a plane. Not to care about immigration rules.
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Craig *********
@Leo ********
wrong. They must ensure you comply with the immigration rules (valid passport, visa, onward tickets etc). If not they get fined and responsible to return you home. Try boarding an international flight with your drivers license as ID.
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Susan ****
@Leo ********
Many countries do fine airlines for bringing passengers who don't have the right entry documentation. But that is in country's which check such things like the UK, USA etc.

Thailand immigration never does but I guess in theory they could check. But then if you showed the airline a fake onward ticket surely they would be fined anyway, so why don't they check??

Plus not all airlines to Thailand do this. I've flown to Thailand many times. Only Qatar have this policy, and in SE Asia only Air Asia and Vietnam Airlines have asked.
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Susan ****
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Lion *****************************
35 years and never a problem with Immigration..ofcourse i had the correct and appropriate visa each time .
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Ian **********
You can buy an onward ticket for about $14 and avoid all the hassle. It lasts for 48 hours so buy it just before you fly. There are many sites offering this service. onwardticket.com
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Holger **************
ORIGINAL POSTER
But a Guy next to me at the Check in counter had Return Ticket May 25

No Visa ,No onward Ticket ....they refused him...πŸ˜‰
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Terary **********
@Holger *************
Did he go buy a bus ticket and return to the check-in counter to get his boarding pass?
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Graham ******
@Holger *************
The "I've never been asked for proof on onward travel in XX years" bridage are going to hate reading this 555
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Graham ******
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Holger **************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Up to now i never Had any Problems with Thai Immigration officers ...Sometimes i Had onward Ticket or Railway Ticket to malaysia...they never want to See anything

And i passed Thai Airport Immigration at least 50 times
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Brandon ************
@Holger *************
You are lucky until you are not. Why try to skirt the rules?
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Brandon ************
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Bart **************
Yeah these checks are messy sometimes. They don't actually care, and probably know very well that immigrations doesn't actually check this either. But they have to check some box in their system or it won't accept your check-in. Technically the Laos visa is meaningless, and neither have airline crew discretionary rights to deviate from rules, but I can see why they do it.
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Holger **************
ORIGINAL POSTER
I think Thai officers know that Thailand /Laos Share a 600 km Land Border
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Holger **************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Steve ******
ok tomorrow morning i will know...maybe have to Tell him that there IS a valid Laos Visa in my passport
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Holger **************
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Andy *******
I hope you're as lucky with Thai immigration, it would suck to have to go back to Germany
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Ian **********
@Andy ******
Immigration rarely asks even though it is the official rule.
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Ian **********
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