Different countries for entry and exit: will Thai immigration accept it?

Good evening and best travel wishes to everyone. I’m leaving soon for a two-month road trip in Southeast Asia. Arriving in Bangkok on January 14th, returning from Ho Chi Minh City on March 13th. I don’t have an exit ticket from Thailand because I’d like to keep some flexibility in my itinerary. Do you think my return ticket from Vietnam will be enough to prove that I’ll have left Thai territory within 60 days of my entry? I hope I won’t run into any issues boarding at Roissy or at immigration once I’m in BKK. What do you think? Thanks for your help. Christine

People who worry are those who only have a one-way flight. Once you have round-trip tickets, you're not at risk.

Thanks for your reply, and sorry for the typos in my previous message—I rewrote it several times to make it clear (mission accomplished, I think! 🤪)

Hello, this should be fine with your return ticket to Vietnam. But to be fully compliant, I think you’d need a continuation ticket for Vietnam.

Hi there, and thanks for your reply! We were thinking of exploring several islands in the SOUTHEAST of THAILAND, then making our way to LANGKAWI in MALAYSIA from KOH LIPE, and from there heading to PENANG to catch a flight to SAIGON to visit southern VIETNAM. I’m not sure if a KOH LIPE-LANGKAWI boat ticket would be enough (in which case we’d unfortunately have to lock in a date)?

For THAILAND, I meant the "South-West islands," not South-East...

I can't speak for boat tickets, but I think that might be okay. The real hassle isn’t border police—it’s the airlines at departure. They’re held responsible if you get turned away at the border.

Some check, others don’t. In my experience, I’ve often been checked.

For example, last winter I had a continuation ticket to Cambodia, and Air India asked for it when I left Paris.

This year, I’m heading back in 10 days with a continuation ticket to Vietnam.

Since I started this thread, I’d like to share an update for anyone else wondering the same thing. We arrived in Thailand without any issues. We weren’t asked for an onward ticket either at boarding or upon arrival. Thanks to everyone who replied.

👍

Great, and glad to hear it, but be careful—this isn’t always the rule. Do you have a round-trip ticket with the same airline?

In Bangkok, upon arrival, immigration never asks for your return or onward ticket because the airline is responsible if you overstay your visa exemption.

Personally, I’ve been in Thailand since January 13th, heading to Vietnam in early February. I booked a return ticket from Hanoi to Bangkok before my 45-day visa exemption ends, just to be safe.

Have a great trip and enjoy yourselves—the weather’s really pleasant right now, much less hot than last year.

Hi Arnaud, These are 2 different airlines. Have a great trip too! 😊