Do i need a return ticket if i get a ED Visa

[whinrose]

? looking at flights now for me hub and the girls. But someone mentioned that we need a return ticket to prove we will be leaving the country, is this correct? I have no idea when i wanna come HOME. lol

[Dannie Boy]

? looking at flights now for me hub and the girls. But someone mentioned that we need a return ticket to prove we will be leaving the country, is this correct? I have no idea when i wanna come HOME. lol

I think before you mentioned that you were looking to stay about a year and most if not all airlines can provide a one-year flexible ticket so you can firm up on your return when the date is known. Single tickets are normally about 90% of the cost of a return, so even in the worst case and you end up not being able tousle the ticket, you won't have wasted much money. Not sure about an ed visa, but for normal visas a return ticket is required by the airline in case you don't get admitted, otherwise they have to repatriate you at their cost.

[whinrose]

Interesting.. thanks Dannie. I am going to attempt to get my visa and hubs visa BEFORE we leave the country but it is diuboe to get a return, $994 to go and $2000 to go and come back so its 50%.

[Dannie Boy]

Interesting.. thanks Dannie. I am going to attempt to get my visa and hubs visa BEFORE we leave the country but it is diuboe to get a return, $994 to go and $2000 to go and come back so its 50%.

Well I stand corrected if they are the prices, but in my relatively small experience of buying single tickets, they were always nearly the same price as a return.

[Korkenzieher]

The requirement for an onward or return ticket is only if you have no visa. If you get an ED Visa (or any other kind of visa), there is no such requirement.

If you are coming to Thailand with no visa (ie, getting a 30 day stamp on arrival), but intending to get an ED visa, then your best bet is to book an Air Asia flight before you leave home for a date within 30 days of your arrival here. You can book it as a return - flights companies within Asia don't seem to check visa status except as an affirmation during the online booking process. You can use the Air Asia flight to do a visa run, and / or pick up your ED Visa some place in Asia (for eg, KL.) or if it is cheap enough, simply bin it and use a different route.

[jingjoe]

if you get the multi entry 12month visa in brisbane,you can book a one way ticket with tiger airways cheap from gold coast as you know.
sorry that was scoot,part of tiger anyway $240 one way 12 hour flight
http://book.flyscoot.com/Select.aspx

[whinrose]

Air asia is $202 to KL and Scoot is via singapore, We'll prob go KL. But Yay, no need for a return booking and that makes it soo much less costly.
Thanks guys, LOVE YA WORK.

[Homer]

The requirement for an onward or return ticket is only if you have no visa. If you get an ED Visa (or any other kind of visa), there is no such requirement.

Agreed.

I've read several tales of travelers who encountered a airline clerk who thought otherwise. Staying calm and asking for a supervisor solved the problem.

[ItsmeSusan]

When I came to Thailand with a one way flight this year, I got my tourist visa at the airport.

I went to the school to ask for my ED Visa. They arranged everything with it. So I got my ED Visa. Was very easy, no needed a return ticked, no needed to go out of Thailand to change the tourist visa into an ED Visa.

[Big Boy]

ItsmeSusan, you got away with it. However, the rules are quite clear, and you should have a ticket to an onward destination outside of Thailand if you have no visa. It is the check in clerk at the departing airport who will normally check this (without an onward ticket, Thailand could refuse entry, and it would then be the airline's responsibility to repatriate you at their own cost).

[Nereus]

When I came to Thailand with a one way flight this year, I got my tourist visa at the airport.

Airports do not issue "visas". Only 30 day exemption stamps to those entitled to them, or what is termed "visa on arrival" to citizens of some countries as listed, such as India, which are more of a "visit pass" rather than a visa.

[Noz]

if you get the multi entry 12month visa in brisbane.....

Maybe worth pointing out that with the multi-entry visa you have no choice but to leave the country every 90 days. Not always convenient for everyone. Common practice is to extend a single entry visa every 90 days at local immigration with paperwork from your language school. No need to leave Thailand but you can do so without losing your visa status by purchasing a re-entry permit at local immigration to keep your current permission to stay active.

[Korkenzieher]

With ME Visas, the difference is that you don't need an exit permit. Some allow you to do 90 day reporting at the Immigration Office. That was extended to ED visas last year - but it has also become harder as a result to get ME ED visas from some consulates.

[bapak]

With ME Visas, the difference is that you don't need an exit permit. Some allow you to do 90 day reporting at the Immigration Office. That was extended to ED visas last year - but it has also become harder as a result to get ME ED visas from some consulates.

The rule is Single Entry for Ed Visa (you may be able to get a ME at some Honorary Consulates)... With a Ed Visa, Re-Entry Permit readily available at Local Immigration.. More details on Ed Visa at: http://learningcentre.co.th/edvisa.html

[Korkenzieher]

There may be a rule, but on the ground there are variations. I have had 3 ED visas now, and they have all been different. 1 ME 1 year, 1 SE 1 year, and 1 SE 90 day renewable only by the school. Schools are generally adamant that theirs was the only kind available. Hull used to willingly give ME under pretty much any circumstances - as you point out, it is an Honorary Consulate, and that is where I got the 1 year ME. However, Hull has been tightened up considerably over the last year to the extent that the last 2 times I was there there were Thais directly working the visa section, and apparently in effective charge of decision making.