Open ended return flights ?

[The Barbarian 0]

I'm preparing for my first visit to Thailand. As I have been made redundant from my job, I'm in no hurry to head back to the UK. As I'm sure I'll enjoy expat life in Pattaya !

 

So I have been phoning round getting prices for open-ended return tickets. The best price I've got so far is £560 with Emirates flying from Heathrow. However on lastminute.com I've seen that I could probably get a one way ticket for £270 - £300. So I was wondering if it would be a cheaper option to get a one way ticket to BKK and then try and find a good deal on flights home when I'm out there.

 

Basically my quesion is, is it cheaper to find flights in Thailand than in the UK ? Also I've got a Tourist Visa but would I have difficulties at Immigration with a one way ticket. Grateful for any advice. Thanks.

[Greg_B 306]

This seems to be right up the alley for Cheshire Tom, IM him and you'd get a good answer to your question. But try this website to see if you can get anything on that.

 

 

http://www.thaivisa.com/

[cowboy 0]

Skyauction.com almost always has tickets to thailand for sale. Once in a while the trips allow a non us departure.

 

They usually allow an open return for up to 180 days with a charge of $100 US if you want to extend the open return to 360 days. i have seen us to los tickets go as low as $400 US but usually the price is closer to $700 or $800. You might check it out to see if it meets your needs.

[cybers1b 8]

I'm preparing for my first visit to Thailand. As I have been made redundant from my job, I'm in no hurry to head back to the UK. As I'm sure I'll enjoy expat life in Pattaya !

 

So I have been phoning round getting prices for open-ended return tickets. The best price I've got so far is £560 with Emirates flying from Heathrow. However on lastminute.com I've seen that I could probably get a one way ticket for £270 - £300. So I was wondering if it would be a cheaper option to get a one way ticket to BKK and then try and find a good deal on flights home when I'm out there.

 

Basically my quesion is, is it cheaper to find flights in Thailand than in the UK ? Also I've got a Tourist Visa but would I have difficulties at Immigration with a one way ticket. Grateful for any advice. Thanks.

In some cases flights purchased in Thailand may be cheaper (especially one way fares). Basically everyone entereing the Kingdom is by law required to produce a return flight ticket within the time that his visa is valid (yes, that means that basically teh law says that if you arrive on 2 month tourist visa, your return flight must be before the exiration - not counting any extensions or visa trips).

 

on the other hand, i have never been ask for one in all the times I flew in, and i never heard of anybody else who has, maybe someone here?

[yselmike 393]

when you arrive you fill in a form for customs and passport control,one of the questions is how many days is your stay?.on a tourist visa you cant say i dont know, if you do then they might start to ask questions.about return tickets as it is they are asking for bording passes.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Barbarian,

 

FWIW. For your first trip I would try to keep things as simple as possible.

 

What you need to buy is a return ticket from UK with either 3 or 6 months validity (depending on the maximum length of your stay) and little or no charges for changing your return journey after you have completed the outward journey. You will need to specify a return date when booking but you can change that once you are in Thailand simply by phoning the airline or getting your hotel or travel agent to do it for you. This is perfectly normal practice and keeps everything above board in relation to your visa. Buying an open return or two single trips is a relatively expensive way of going about it.

 

I would advise you to use one of the better agents, West East, Trailfinders etc, so that you are speaking to an agent who has actually travelled and understands what you are asking for.

 

Feel free to PM me if you need any other info.

 

Regards,

 

Tom

[The Barbarian 0]

Thanks a lot everyone. Very useful information. Especially about visa's. I'll contact the agents suggested by Cheshire Tom and see what they can come up with.

 

Thanks,

 

The Barbarian !

[Eneukman 1]

I too have never been asked to produce my return ticket but bear in mind that when you complete your immigration card, you are asked to provide details of your return flight on it. I suspect that if that was left blank you just might be asked some awkward questions. Do what Tom is advising qnd you shouldn't have any problems.

 

By the way, whatever you do, DO NOT overstay your visa or that could lead to all sorts of complications.

 

Have fun

 

Alan

[Emil 0]

I've never been asked to show my return ticket and I leave blank the info on the departure card regarding my return flight until the day I fly home. I wouldn't think that one must have a return ticket that is within their visa, otherwise why do they allow you with relative ease to get an extension at the immigration office. Also some of the young and adventurous travelers land in Bangkok and spend a week, then head up around the Chang Mai area for awhile. After that over to Laos, then Viet Nam, over to the Angkor ruins and back to Thailand and the islands before they fly back home. All this by surface transportation and much longer than the 30 day stamp they receive when they land.

 

Emil

[Dingo 0]

It's normally all on the airlines shoulders to check if you have a ticket out of the country. They will have to pay if something happens.

One time they would not allow me to check in before I could show them a ticket out of Thailand (I had it on a separate ticket). It was in New Zealand or Australia.

BUT, I know people that have managed to talk themself out of the situation. They had a ticket out of Asia.

[torrenova 644]

All my flights originate from Bangkok these days but the problem you have is that Thailand does not really operate a yield management system for the major airlines. All prices are the same and whilst all tickets are flexible (3mth, 6mth, 12mth), the price is higher than the cheaper non flexible tickets which can be obtained in the west.

 

A classic example is British Airways (www.ba.com). The prices for originating in BKK can be double that for originating travel in LHR.

[The Barbarian 0]

Thanks to everyone for their advice. In the end I went to Trailfinders and got a six month option on the return. Glasgow to Bangkok via Dubai for £510.

 

The travel agents I spoke to told me I'd need a return rather than a one way. Though that it is the airlines responsibility to ensure this. I have spoken to people who have gone to Thailand on one-way tickets though.

 

I'm excited now, I'll arrive on Wednesday next week.

 

If I could ask one further question, which is not related to this thread... what is the legal status of amyl nitrate (poppers) in Thailand. As someone wants me to take a few bottles over... No way do I want to be breaking any Thai drug laws, so I'd be grateful for any advice !

[landy2a 0]

If you are taking poppers with you do not waste money on a return ticket, if you get caught you will not be out in time to catch your return flight. Why take the risk?????

 

 

John

[BigDUSA 71]

If your Doctor prescribed them and they are in your name. No problem bring in a supply for your own usage.

[The Barbarian 0]

Thanks for the advice guys. I will certainly not be taking amyl nitrate (poppers) to Thailand.

 

To be honest the alarm bells were ringing. This guy only went out last week and it seems a strange oversight on his part to forget them then ask me to bring some...

In the UK you can buy them over the counter at sex shops and the sort of shops that sell cannabis smoking paraphenalia. So I'd thought they might be considered quite trivial. Although the fact that they are not readily available in Thailand can only lead me to assume that they are viewed as a controlled drug. Perhaps he feels the risk of detection is so low that its not a risky proposition. Personally I won't be taking any risks of this nature.

 

Thanks