This will be my first trip to Thailand, which will be the first stop on my Asian journey. This time, I’d like to leave with a one-way ticket so I can return to France from the last country I visit.
First and foremost, I’d like to confirm whether it’s possible to get a VOA (Visa on Arrival) when I land in Thailand without any prior steps? Is proof of onward travel (like a return ticket) required to get this visa?
If so, does it have to be a round-trip ticket from the country I’m arriving from, or can I use a flight or train ticket from Thailand to a neighboring country as proof of exit?
For Cambodia and Vietnam, is it also possible to get a VOA on the spot?
I’d also love any tips or important info you think might be useful about Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam—my planned destinations—especially regarding accommodation, transportation, points of interest, and, of course, any personal advice or experiences you’d like to share!
Thanks so much to everyone, and I wish you all an amazing 2025 filled with health, travel, and discoveries! !
Currently, you can stay in Thailand for 60 days (entry and exit days included) without a visa. Thai law states that you must have proof of onward travel (return or continuation) before departure. After that, you can apply for a 30-day extension on-site before the initial 60 days expire—it costs around 1,900 baht, I think. Then, you exit to a neighboring country, return for another 60 days, and can extend again for 30 days.
However, without applying for a visa extension, you’ll only be able to do one 60-day stay and wrap it up by 2025.
In any case, you must be able to show proof of onward travel for this type of stay.
As mentioned earlier, there’s a 60-day visa exemption on arrival in Thailand. You’ll need a mandatory onward ticket to another country, which may also require proof of exit.
Basically, you can’t arrive with just a one-way ticket. It’s mainly the airline that might stop you from boarding, and it’s happened before.
Personally, I’ve often been checked, but I always had an onward ticket.
For your info:
Vietnam: 45-day exemption
Malaysia: 90-day exemption
Cambodia: 30-day visa
Laos: 30-day visa
Few countries are eligible for the VOA (2000 Baht, valid for 15 days), and EU countries aren’t among them.
You’re mixing it up with the aptly named Visa Exemption, which the folks above have already explained to you.
Few countries are eligible for the VOA (2000 Bahts, valid for 15 days), and EU countries aren't among them.
You're mixing it up with the aptly named Visa Exemption, which the folks above have already explained to you.
...You're right! It's best to be precise... I think it's indeed a visa exemption and not a VOA. My bad.
As mentioned above, there's a 60-day visa exemption upon arrival in Thailand. A continuation ticket to another country is mandatory, and they may also ask for proof of departure.
Basically, you can't arrive with a one-way ticket. It's mainly the airline that can prevent you from boarding, and it's happened before.
Personally, I've often been checked, but I always had a continuation ticket.
For your info:
Vietnam: 45-day exemption
Malaysia: 90-day exemption
Cambodia: 30-day visa
Laos: 30-day visa
Thanks for your information and for confirming what I thought, as I wasn't entirely sure...
I'll try to find a refundable or cheap flight or train ticket, since I don't yet have the exact date of my departure from Thailand. 😉
Currently, you can stay for 60 days (entry and exit days included) without a visa in Thailand. Thai law states that you must have proof of onward travel (return or continuation) before departure. After that, you can apply for a 30-day extension on-site before the initial 60 days expire—it costs around 1,900 baht, I think. Then, you exit to a neighboring country, return for another 60 days, and can extend again for 30 days.
However, without applying for a visa extension, you’ll only be able to do one 60-day entry and that’s it until 2025.
In any case, you must be able to show proof of onward travel for this type of stay.
Thanks for your reply.
What do you mean by "extension"? Is it obtained under the visa exemption, or does it count as a visa?
This sentence is what’s confusing me: "However, without applying for a visa extension, you’ll only be able to do one 60-day entry and that’s it until 2025."
As for the return or onward ticket, I’ve taken note of that!
Hi there,
If you want to stay an extra 30 days after the initial 60-day visa-free period, you’ll need to apply at an immigration office in Thailand for a visa to extend your stay by 30 days. Make sure to do this well before your 60 days are up—even 2 or 3 days after arrival works, so it’s done and you don’t risk forgetting.
If you want to stay an extra 30 days after the 60-day visa exemption, you’ll need to apply at an immigration office in Thailand for a visa to extend your stay by 30 days
Not a "visa" but an extension of the Visa Exemption.
Here’s everything:
Guide | 30-Day Extension in Thailand - VisaThailande.fr
It’s called a TR visa.
However, it’s recommended to do it only one week before the end of the 60 days.
Hi, I’d like to know how long the visa exemption lasts if I leave Thailand and then re-enter via the Laotian land border... A few years ago it was 1 month, then it changed to 2 weeks—I think. What’s the rule now?
Hi,
There’s no waiting period between exiting and re-entering to get another 60 days + a 30-day extension for 1900 baht. However, without an extension visa, you won’t be able to do this again in 2025—you’ll have to get a paid, limited visa instead.
Right now, if you get a first extension and then a second one, you can return a third time with another 30-day extension, adding up to 9 months total. After that, it’s over for 2025. Three extensions cost 5700 baht (160 €).
Thanks so much for your quick reply!
Actually, I’m staying for three and a half months, so I don’t think I’ll need an extension (thanks to that half month 😄).
So I’ll have to leave the country, and if I understand correctly, I can stay another 60 days when re-entering Thailand by land border.
The issue with Thailand is that they regularly change the rules.
...If I understand correctly, we’re allowed to stay in Thailand for 2 X 60 days per year under the visa exemption rule... and beyond those 2 X 60 days annually, a visa is required?
Yes, you can no longer enter without a visa for stays longer than a year. Thailand has automated the exit process at major airports—it’s quick and efficient.
Hi there,
Check out this site full of info, including details on formalities: https://www.tourdumondiste.com/guides-voyage-par-pays
I arrived in Thailand with a one-way ticket back in late 1984. We bought tickets along the way in cities that were most convenient at the time: BKK, Hong Kong, Singapore.
We purchased our return ticket in New Delhi, over a year later, after traveling this route: Thailand, Myanmar, Hong Kong, China, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Singapore again, Malaysia, then back to Thailand, Hong Kong, China, followed by Tibet (traveling independently, backpacking) and Nepal. We flew back from Madras. Our go-to guide was the Lonely Planet on a shoestring. I remember running into Tony Wheeler on the southeast coast of the Indian peninsula.
Happy travels!!
This form hasn’t existed for a good two years now. All that’s left on the passport is the stamp showing the date and time by which you must leave the country.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
Hi there,
I left for Thailand at the beginning of January for three months. At the airline check-in, they gave me a hard time.
They told me I didn’t have a visa and that my return was in three months, so I needed either a visa or a return ticket within 60 days.
I negotiated a bit, saying that in the meantime I was going to Vietnam (before the 60 days were up), so I didn’t need a “long” visa. They weren’t really convinced, but then she looked it up online, and I don’t know what she saw, but she told me, “You’ll see at the border.” So, at least I could board—what a relief!
In the end, at Bangkok airport, the border control didn’t ask me anything. I got the standard 60-day visa stamp, and it was up to me to figure out the rest, which means:
Either take a bus to a neighboring country and come back (but you can only do this once a year),
Or extend the visa on-site at the immigration office,
Or fly to a neighboring country
I just arrived in Thailand, and they didn’t ask me for anything at all! There isn’t even an immigration form to fill out on arrival anymore!
The TM6 form was suspended starting April 2024, as airports were getting too backed up on arrivals.
From May 1, 2025, this document will be reinstated, but in practice, all travelers will have to complete this formality online.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
Hi there,
Where did you get the info about the ETA starting May 1, 2025?
I’m planning to go there in mid-May.
I just read an article saying it’ll be for everyone starting June 2025.
Even though they’ve been talking about it for months—if not years.
Everything you need to know about Thailand’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)
The minister told me this during a dinner in Bangkok.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
Okay, I was joking...
Check out toutelathailande.fr and you’ll see the article right on the first page.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
Haha, anything’s possible!
But it’ll have to be approved by the government in February. Knowing the Thais, we’ll be waiting for the official launch of this ETA. 🙂
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
Hi,
Following up on your reply, would a train ticket from Bangkok to Vietnam (before the first 60 days) work for entering Thailand?
If so, which site is best to buy it from?
...Where is a flight ticket absolutely required?
That doesn’t exist.
To my knowledge, the only bookable train leaving BKK for a neighboring country is the new Bangkok-Vientiane route. However, I’m not sure if it can serve as proof of onward travel when checking in for your flight from France.
Otherwise, for your situation, you have sites like these (which I’ve never tried but seem to have good reviews):
https://onewayfly.com/https://onwardticket.com/
From what I understand, for a fee (apparently $16), they make a real reservation for a connecting flight (which you don’t pay for) and then cancel it after your supposed entry date into the country.
Following the same principle, they also book hotels in countries where visa applications require mandatory hotel reservations.
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