Ludicrous new Rule at the Airport for Thai Travellers and their Tickets

Wanderer

Surin Dinosaur
My wife and I travelled back from Bangkok to London on Tuesday this week via Qatar Airways, except that we very nearly didn't.
We were using the return leg of our return tickets booked in May.
At check-in my wife was told she could not fly because she did not have an already booked flight back into Thailand. And they were adamant. No discussion allowed.

This was despite us having done precisely this same thing for the last 10 years, her having a 5-year UK visa, and us showing the evidence of her many re-entry dates covering two passports.
Where this idea has come from I have no idea. I have neither heard of it, read of it, nor can find reference to it.

Needless to say there was an almighty row.
Eventually, after several layers of refusal, a senior manager with suit, white shirt and tie was summoned from an office somewhere.

He listened, confirmed that they had been told it was the rule, but couldn't confirm who by, where, when and why, other than vague comments about Covid.
To be fair, he then looked at the passports, looked at us, and realised the situation wasn't going away.

He sent the useless minion who issued the initial refusal back to an office to bring down a form. A very complicated form asking every question about my wife from the day she was born to what she was doing going to UK and why and when she expected to return. She then had to sign this form.
Apparently it absolved the airport Immigration people from any responsibility should she not return to Thailand as promised.

We were at the desk for 50 minutes. I kept going to people waiting in the queue to explain what was going on and why we would not be accepting it, no matter what.

What is important to know is that, should this happen to anyone else reading this post, then there is a secret form that your Thai wife or partner can demand to be allowed to sign and to then board the plane.

It defies belief. But this is today's Thailand. Has anyone heard or read of any similar happening, because I certainly haven't?
 
My wife and I travelled back from Bangkok to London on Tuesday this week via Qatar Airways, except that we very nearly didn't.
We were using the return leg of our return tickets booked in May.
At check-in my wife was told she could not fly because she did not have an already booked flight back into Thailand. And they were adamant. No discussion allowed.

This was despite us having done precisely this same thing for the last 10 years, her having a 5-year UK visa, and us showing the evidence of her many re-entry dates covering two passports.
Where this idea has come from I have no idea. I have neither heard of it, read of it, nor can find reference to it.

Needless to say there was an almighty row.
Eventually, after several layers of refusal, a senior manager with suit, white shirt and tie was summoned from an office somewhere.

He listened, confirmed that they had been told it was the rule, but couldn't confirm who by, where, when and why, other than vague comments about Covid.
To be fair, he then looked at the passports, looked at us, and realised the situation wasn't going away.

He sent the useless minion who issued the initial refusal back to an office to bring down a form. A very complicated form asking every question about my wife from the day she was born to what she was doing going to UK and why and when she expected to return. She then had to sign this form.
Apparently it absolved the airport Immigration people from any responsibility should she not return to Thailand as promised.

We were at the desk for 50 minutes. I kept going to people waiting in the queue to explain what was going on and why we would not be accepting it, no matter what.

What is important to know is that, should this happen to anyone else reading this post, then there is a secret form that your Thai wife or partner can demand to be allowed to sign and to then board the plane.

It defies belief. But this is today's Thailand. Has anyone heard or read of any similar happening, because I certainly haven't?
Qatar have a well earned reputation for being arseholes.
Ihave heard countless stories from mates here, who travel overseas to work about them going out of their way to make c*&ts out of themselves.
When I moved here, I was advised by QANTAS in Darwin that, because I only had a one way ticket to Thailand, Thai immigration may refuse my entry.
Easily sorted, a one way return ticket booked and away we go for $140.00.
This situation is lunacy.
 
Qatar have a well earned reputation for being arseholes.
Ihave heard countless stories from mates here, who travel overseas to work about them going out of their way to make c*&ts out of themselves.
When I moved here, I was advised by QANTAS in Darwin that, because I only had a one way ticket to Thailand, Thai immigration may refuse my entry.
Easily sorted, a one way return ticket booked and away we go for $140.00.
This situation is lunacy.

Manchester - Dubai - Bangkok, Emirates. I had the return portion of my ticket but the groundstaff were reluctant to let me fly because they didn't believe my "John Bull" extension of stay stamp in my passport. Supervisor arrives and he doesn't believe it either so he gave us boarding cards for a return flight 30 days later "If you don't need them, bin them once you're through immigration". We didn't need them, of course, but there was no charge.

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There are many cases of the reverse being true - Thai Immigration refusing entry to anyone without an onward ticket.

The airline's paranoia may stem from (what I believe is) their responsibility to repatriate anyone who is refused entry at the port of arrival.

"This is today's Thailand" ?? I am not sure that Thailand should shoulder any blame - maybe Thai staff employed by QATAR - and I am pretty sure that Wanderer will be writing the airline's head office to seek clarification on the issue he faced.


Note: I have arranged UK visas for many Thai ladies and many travel on a one-way ticket. This has caused occasional problems (not at check in but at Manchester airport) so I now furnish them with a letter explaining why they will be purchasing a return ticket at a later date. In these cases I can understand why Border Force might ask the question.
 
Was it Qatar's fault or Thai Immigration? Fair point. Thai staff employed at check-in by Qatar - yes.
The senior official who sorted it out was Thai Immigration not a Qatar employee.
But.. we already knew about that disclaimer form because my wife had had a problem a few years ago, when for some reason we travelled back separately.
That was almost certainly Thai Airways, and the problem was solved much more quickly on that occasion.
This was the same form. It is definitely a Thai Immigration form not a Qatar airways one.
It is worth knowing about it, just in case.
 
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Re-Qatar Airways. When I booked the flight it was way cheaper than anyone else comparable.
Check-in robots excepted, their people are very pleasant and helpful, particularly the flight crews, much more so than the average.

The biggest issue is that everything is very very slow indeed, and a big mess, be-it check-in, boarding, meal service, plus it is nit-pickingly incompetent, even when it comes to servicing the toilets on the planes, (which there were very few of).

For me, to use them ever again would be a last resort.
As a result I won't be bothering to write to their CEO to tell him his fortune, because I wouldn't expect anything other than abject waffle, plus I don't want a special offer on another flight.

Be interesting to see what comes to pass when the World Cup bandwagon arrives.
 
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The airline's paranoia may stem from (what I believe is) their responsibility to repatriate anyone who is refused entry at the port of arrival.
This is definitely the case. It is the airlines responsibility to take them back if a person is refused entry. Hence the requirement for an ongoing ticket.
A visa for your destination has already set that your destination will take you. On this occasion staff that don't know the regulations were encountered. This happens all the time.
My wife is a Insulin using diabetic. There is defined carry laws set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Customs at Suvanhaphumi on our trip to Australia wanted to vary that law. I was not happy, to say the least. Since I was on my way out, I let rip. I told the Supervisor on duty that he must of paid for his job, because he did not know IATA regulations and he could hardly speak English. I said it in Thai very loudly. The senior manager arrived and I was sent on my way. I probably stated the truth.
 
This is definitely the case. It is the airlines responsibility to take them back if a person is refused entry. Hence the requirement for an ongoing ticket.
A visa for your destination has already set that your destination will take you. On this occasion staff that don't know the regulations were encountered. This happens all the time.
My wife is a Insulin using diabetic. There is defined carry laws set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Customs at Suvanhaphumi on our trip to Australia wanted to vary that law. I was not happy, to say the least. Since I was on my way out, I let rip. I told the Supervisor on duty that he must of paid for his job, because he did not know IATA regulations and he could hardly speak English. I said it in Thai very loudly. The senior manager arrived and I was sent on my way. I probably stated the truth.


The only proviso to the above is that a visa does not guarantee entry to a country. It is issued on the basis that an entry clearance officer considers that the application satisfies the criteria for entry. An Immigration officer at the point of entry makes the final decision to allow, or deny, entry.
 
The only proviso to the above is that a visa does not guarantee entry to a country. It is issued on the basis that an entry clearance officer considers that the application satisfies the criteria for entry. An Immigration officer at the point of entry makes the final decision to allow, or deny, entry.
I thought I was the smart arse around here. 555. I was hopping you would not mention that. It can be assumed though with a visa you will be allowed entry. Its only if you have fraudulently obtained your visa that you would be denied entry. eg lying on the declaration.

PS I thought when I wrote my reply should I put in a proviso for that? Nah @CO-CO won't throw that point out. Bugger!
 
Re-Qatar Airways. When I booked the flight it was way cheaper than anyone else comparable.
Check-in robots excepted, their people are very pleasant and helpful, particularly the flight crews, much more so than the average.

The biggest issue is that everything is very very slow indeed, and a big mess, be-it check-in, boarding, meal service, plus it is nit-pickingly incompetent, even when it comes to servicing the toilets on the planes, (which there were very few of).

For me, to use them ever again would be a last resort.
As a result I won't be bothering to write to their CEO to tell him his fortune, because I wouldn't expect anything other than abject waffle, plus I don't want a special offer on another flight.

Be interesting to see what comes to pass when the World Cup bandwagon arrives.

I'm sure their CEO would take your recommendations to heart.

Skytrax (whoever they are) has ranked Qatar Airways the Top Airline for 2021.
Most interesting.
 
Wanderer- Qatar Airlines is my least favourite carrier & wouldn t book with them anymore if I was going to UK.
Years ago I started booking a retn ticket ie BKK,Ldn/BKK instead of Ldn/BKK/Ldn
So I m at Heathrow on my retn leg with a Thai re-entry in my PP & the check in staff said I couldn t travel as I didn t have a onward ticket booking for leaving Thai.
The Supervisor appeared and stated they had a passenger yesterday who Immigration wouldn t let in.
Qatar made me sign a form to say if BKK wouldn t let me in,I would pay for a flight to where ever.
No problems with entry when I arrived in BKK.
Had another flight with Qatar which was definitely the worse flight I ever had in all my years of travelling
 
Owned by QATAR, no doubt.

Possibly one day. Now they're just busy purchasing European and UK fútból clubs along with other Gulf States.

(I understand Qatar might purchase Leeds United...though I haven't fact-checked.)
Barcelona FC will have Qatar Airways emboldened on their jerseys.
 
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