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Why are Thai immigration authorities enforcing onward travel requirements more strictly now?

Thailand ImmigrationOnward TravelVisa RegulationsExpatsTravel TipsFlight Reservations
Jul 24, 2025
7 days ago
Leeann **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Just saw this posted on reddit- immigration is catching onto people "buying" departure flights on Onward lol
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion revolves around reports of increased scrutiny by Thai immigration authorities regarding onward travel tickets, with some individuals sharing experiences of being questioned or required to provide proof of departure when entering the country. Several comments suggest purchasing refundable tickets as a common workaround. Some participants believe that fraudulent tactics are becoming more detectable, while others argue that experiences shared on platforms like Reddit may not represent the common traveler’s experience. There are also mentions of alternative travel methods, such as bus tickets to neighboring countries, that fulfill immigration requirements without significant expense.
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Mike ******
The geko police are coming.
4 days ago
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Adam **********
I heard about this before my last trip (probly 20th) and they didn't even asked wasted the money
4 days ago
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Andy **********
Those fake tickets are a waste of time, I've always said, it only takes one immigration officer, to check and it will get rejected, you can buy a real ticket, to a neighbouring country for virtually the same price, it's just not worth it.
6 days ago
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Thorgal *******
I was never asked to show a return ticket, and I have visited Thailand numerous times over the years
6 days ago
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Jonathan **********
Just buy the ticket from a site that allows you to get a refund with in 24 hours and you’re fine.
6 days ago
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Chris *********
We have kids so we get special treatment. We get rushed throu the expedited line, no questions asked. They dont even ask to see our DTV, they pull it up on the PC, stamp our passports. And smile us away.
7 days ago
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Tayaout *****************
They could catch up for a long time and had done so occasionally before. These tickets are different from legitimate ones. Basically, if it gets verified, the officer can see that it's a reservation for a ticket and not a fully valid ticket yet.
7 days ago
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Graham ******
How do they get to see that? They don't have access to airline's ticket status just input the PNR to see that it is genuine much like any member of the public can.
7 days ago
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Graham ******
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Doug ********
I get a 3dollar ticket for train from udon thani to Vientiane. Was accepted when asked by Qatar airlines check-in at London Heathrow and by immigration on arrival in Bangkok.
7 days ago
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Jeremy ********
Of course because people are ignorant and post it on social media on full public display for everyone to see

If you out your dirty laundry in the middle of the street people will go through it
7 days ago
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Martino *******
Don't blindly trust Reddit. The unlukiest people on earth share their experiences here, often they are extremely rare cases. Sometimes trolls post fake stories or they didn't write all the truth.

I would add that Onward ticket is very fast to buy, a normal ticket require more time so this MAY raise suspicions...probably the guy was already suspicious because i did go so many times in Thailand and IO never asked me a return ticket.
7 days ago
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Kerry *********
@Martino ******
 by his account of events he tried to explain his lack of an onward ticket by saying that he intended to extend his stay once in-country. In other words he wasn't planning to leave and he had lied about the purpose of his trip being tourism. Sure, a lot of people do that and you never hear of if causing a problem, but it's surprises me that he would given a second chance after admitting that to an immigration officer.
7 days ago
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Kerry *********
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Cassius **********
It's not expensive to just buy an actual ticket out of the country. On Skyscanner you can just choose your destination as "Anywhere" and it will show you the cheapest tickets from Thailand. It's usually Malaysia and Vietnam and usually costs around $30. Now you have a legitimate ticket to leave the country.
7 days ago
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Andrew *******
@Cassius *********
 not $ 30 ...around $70 -$$100
5 days ago
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Tommy ********
@Cassius *********
yep
7 days ago
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Tommy ********
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Kim **********
Just entered today. Bought a cheap mostly refundable flight out. No one asked or cared including my airline
7 days ago
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Andy *******
@Kim *********
 until they do
7 days ago
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Kim **********
@Andy ******
 oh no, I know hence why I bought a real ticket
7 days ago
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Kim **********
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Bradford ******
It is on Reddit it must be true right? Out of the 30,000,000 tourists that visited Thailand, how many actually got caught? Right?
7 days ago
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Kerry *********
@Bradford *****
 Even if it's true the guy wasn't treated unfairly. He says that he lied on his arrival form about having an onward ticket, that the immigration officer wanted to see the ticket and then let him try to fix the problem by buying a ticket out of Thailand online, then instead of doing that he reserved a ticket online but didnt pay for it, the immigration officer noticed that it wasn't a real ticket and still gave him another chance to buy a real ticket.
7 days ago
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Graham ******
@Kerry ********
 He didn't lie on the TDAC, he left a non-mandatory field blank
7 days ago
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Kerry *********
@Graham *****
 either way he was given every opportunity to fix the problem, even after trying to get away with a fake ticket and explaining that he was planning to work from Thailand as software developer and not to leave after 60 days.
7 days ago
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Kerry *********
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Ryan **********
I'm a full time expat, I never travel with return tickets because I'm not going to my birth country.. but I ain't cancelling my onwards ticket, I'm actually going onwards

So that might be an issue
7 days ago
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THAI ******************************
We offer Fast Track / Prescreening which can help avoid issues like this.

This also can be done through:

********************************
7 days ago
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Steve ****
Don’t think it’s “catching on”. It’s enforcing rules more strictly. They had to know this has been going on for years.
7 days ago
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Andrew *******
@Steve ***
 yep ...I wondered when they'd start to clamp down on the fake tickets
5 days ago
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Andrew *******
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Leo *******
"I'm a software developer". That's all the IO needed to hear. Not only did they lie, they basically said yah I'm gonna be working here without the correct visa. Dumbass.
7 days ago
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Jack ****************
Ha ha go trade crypto and ruin the internet with SEO elsewhere.
7 days ago
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Richie ****************
"When I landed in Thailand, I didn’t have a return ticket. Immigration pulled me aside right away. Even though I had already filled out the arrival form online, they made me fill it out again and told me I needed proof of onward travel."

If I read things like this I know already half of the story is missing.
7 days ago
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Brandon ************
@Richie ***************
 exactly. This being his return trip after he spent 6 months in Thailand without a visa and then flew out for a day and back or something similar. There's a reason they don't include that stuff in their posts.
7 days ago
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Brandon ************
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Alan *********
I always purchase a bus ticket to malaysia £8.when asked for proof of onward travel
7 days ago
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Andy **********
@Alan ********
 I've heard some people say bus tickets don't always work, because it's just a ticket to the border, some immigration officers, want to see a flight ticket, because it actually takes you across the border and out of the country.
6 days ago
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David *******
@Andy *********
 the ticket was into Laos 🇱🇦 — to Vientiane … and I had a ticket back into Thailand 🇹🇭 at a later date. It was 12Go, as I recall, that I used to book them.
4 days ago
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Andy **********
@David ******
 Chris chop I'm not disputing you have never had a problem, I'm just stating, there have been instances when immigration officers, upon requesting onward travel they didn't accept bus tickets, perhaps it's a concern, that you could get refused entry at a land border, into the neighbouring country, and returned to Thailand, a bus into a neighbouring country, is not direct like a flight, it's separate bookings on one itinerary, I'm not sure why to be honest, just aware it could and has happened.
4 days ago
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Andy **********
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Chris ******
@Andy *********
 bus ticket works as you will have confirmed email of onward travel never had a problem yet used it board flight and entry to Thailand
5 days ago
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Chris ******
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Chris **********
@Alan ********
 damn that's a good idea
6 days ago
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Chris ******
@Alan ********
 same I just get a ticket from nong khai to Vientiane works just the same 😁
7 days ago
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David *******
@Chris *****
 i did the same…
5 days ago
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David *******
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Jimmy ****
@Alan ********
 how
7 days ago
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Danny *******
@Alan ********
 👏🏻👏🏻
7 days ago
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Richard ******
@Alan ********
 Any links for people?
7 days ago
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Chris ******
@Richard *****
 12go on Google can get bus train flight
7 days ago
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Chris ******
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Brandon ************
It's not that unusual. Embassies and immigration occasionally ask for proof of a fully paid reservation, flight or hotel, for various things. Just book a refundable ticket and be done.

Pretty obvious this person was already on thin ice to be asked for onward travel to begin with.
7 days ago
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Thomas *******
@Brandon ***********
 when I left Seattle last month without a visa, I was asked about onward travel. I explained to the lady that I would get a visa from Laos before the time was up, showed my 800k in Thai bank and a bus schedule to Laos in case that didn't work. She was fine with it. BKK IO asked the same questions and I went to the same script as before and he said ok, have a good day". I previously came in on 90-day non-o's in November and April to get my bank account all squared away. I think being prepared with answers may have helped me or I was just lucky. I'll take it either way 🙂
7 days ago
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Graham ******
@Brandon ***********
 indeed, I can't imagine they ask everyone without a departure on the TDAC to provide proof of onward travel
7 days ago
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Alicia *******
@Graham *****
 no

I just done mine

They don’t ask

No need to fill departure
7 days ago
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Erik ***********
@Alicia ******
 I just crossed the street on a red light. No fatalities, no need to heed the rules.
7 days ago
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Erik ***********
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Thai Visa Advice and Everything Else
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