BKK: If denied entry, can you fly to a nearby country instead of originating country?

[BritTim]

5 hours ago, Kaopad999 said:

But are there any flights from the west to Laos? or would you fly to bkk and then to laos?

Best is to fly to Kuala Lumpur (lots of flights) and then get a separate flight to Vientiane. Surprisingly, this is usually cheaper than trying to get a combined ticket from the West to Vientiane.

[ThomasThBKK]

2 hours ago, Salerno said:

If you say so. Guess I'm just lucky as have never ... and I mean never ... uploaded a copy of my passport to an airline booking site. But carry on digging.

correct...

 

Also with an App like KIWI you can save all information in your profile including CC details and literally book a flight with 3 or 4 swipes...:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skypicker.main&hl=en

[Russell17au]

10 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

correct...

 

Also with an App like KIWI you can save all information in your profile including CC details and literally book a flight with 3 or 4 swipes...:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skypicker.main&hl=en

Where is your passport? Remember that you are a "Denied Entry". The FACTS are that when you are denied entry your passport is held by immigration until you are escorted to the departing aircraft and it is handed to the flight crew. So you cannot scan the passport to use to get a visa for another country and you do not have your passport to be able to present to the airline at the check-in desk because the check-in is inside the country that you have been denied entry to and you are being held in a holding cell until it is time to be escorted to the aircraft to return to your departure point which is the last stamp in your passport before your denied entry stamp and that is the only place you are allowed to go to. Even Thailand will not go against the international agreement. Go ahead and try and get a visa for another country whilst your passport is being held by an immigration department of another country and go ahead and book a flight and try and get to the check-in desk which is in the country that you are denied entry to and get your flight whilst you are in a holding cell and you do not have access to your passport because it is being held by immigration. Even your smart phones and your apps will not work to get you onboard any other airline or any other destination because you do not have a passport, your passport is being held by immigration for your return to your previous point of departure.

[Salerno]

[Russell17au]

deleted

Edited February 17, 2020 by Russell17au

[donnacha]

Bangkok can no longer fulfill the role of regional air hub.

Regardless of the reasons for the current bias against Westerners, the practical reality is that even Westerners with valid visas are frequently being denied entry at both DMK and BKK. The risk is low but high enough to make it unwise to get a long distance flight to either airport.

For about three years, I have been suggesting that Westerners visiting Thailand should fly into one of the more professional regional hubs - such as Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, or Singapore - and catch a connecting flight to their destination in Thailand. If you do get stopped in Bangkok, you will at least only have to buy a relatively cheap last-minute ticket back to your last point of departure.

Your best bet is to skip Bangkok entirely. For example, you can fly directly to Chiang Mai from almost every other major city in the region, or even Qatar.

Hopefully attitudes will change after the junta falls but, for now, avoiding direct long distance flights into Bangkok is the smart play.

[Russell17au]

15 minutes ago, donnacha said:

Bangkok can no longer fulfill the role of regional air hub.

Regardless of the reasons for the current bias against Westerners, the practical reality is that even Westerners with valid visas are frequently being denied entry at both DMK and BKK. The risk is low but high enough to make it unwise to get a long distance flight to either airport.

For about three years, I have been suggesting that Westerners visiting Thailand should fly into one of the more professional regional hubs - such as Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, or Singapore - and catch a connecting flight to their destination in Thailand. If you do get stopped in Bangkok, you will at least only have to buy a relatively cheap last-minute ticket back to your last point of departure.

Your best bet is to skip Bangkok entirely. For example, you can fly directly to Chiang Mai from almost every other major city in the region, or even Qatar.

Hopefully attitudes will change after the junta falls but, for now, avoiding direct long distance flights into Bangkok is the smart play.

You have 4 international airports on the Thai Mainland beside BKK and DMK to choose from as listed above there is Chiang Mai there is also Phuket, Chiang Rai and Hat Yai so check to see what international airlines fly into those airports and book on the shortest flight even if it means that you stay a couple of days before you fly in and you also have Samui to use as well.

Edited February 17, 2020 by Russell17au

[BritTim]

3 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

You have 4 international airports on the Thai Mainland beside BKK and DMK to choose from as listed above there is Chiang Mai there is also Phuket, Chiang Rai and Hat Yai so check to see what international airlines fly into those airports and book on the shortest flight even if it means that you stay a couple of days before you fly in

There are a lot more than the ones you list. However, Phuket (and Krabi) involve the same risks as the Bangkok airports.

[donnacha]

8 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

there is also Phuket, Chiang Rai and Hat Yai so check to see what international airlines fly into those airports and book on the shortest flight even if it means that you stay a couple of days before you fly in

Phuket is reportedly dicey, possibly not as bad as Bangkok but not a sure shot either.

Chiang Rai and Hat Rai don't have quite as many International routes and, in my experience, are a bit more expensive but, sure, if you can find a good flight in, and then a reasonably cheap flight or train on to your final destination within Thailand, why not.

What I can say is that I've never had a problem myself, or seen anyone else having a problem, during my 60 or so flights into CNX. Fast, friendly Hello and stamp every time.

 

Edited February 17, 2020 by donnacha

[Russell17au]

10 minutes ago, BritTim said:

There are a lot more than the ones you list. However, Phuket (and Krabi) involve the same risks as the Bangkok airports.

I know that there used to be more but now there are only those listed as international. Udon Thani used to be an international where a lot of Chinese used to come in but I think that they have closed the international part and Khon Kaen has not opened its new part yet and has not become an international airport at this stage

[Russell17au]

13 minutes ago, donnacha said:

Phuket is reportedly dicey, possibly not as bad as Bangkok but not a sure shot either.

Chiang Rai and Hat Rai don't have quite as many International routes and, in my experience, are a bit more expensive but, sure, if you can find a good flight in, and then a reasonably cheap flight or train on to your final destination within Thailand, why not.

What I can say is that I've never had a problem myself, or seen anyone else having a problem, during my 60 or so flights into CNX. Fast, friendly Hello and stamp every time.

 

I have never had any problems either with BKK or DMK and I used to use both of them a lot

[donnacha]

10 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

I have never had any problems either with BKK or DMK and I used to use both of them a lot

You might be missing the point of this thread. We are not focusing on our individual, personal experiences, but on the experiences of hundreds of other members of this forum, which we are aware of thanks to their consistent and credible reports.

Even if it is only a 1% risk, the expense, stress, and disruption of being denied entry is sufficient to justify taking measures to avoid it. If a furious female IO is shouting at you, it won't matter how few problems you have had in the past. Any smugness you feel now will evaporate once you are sitting in a detention room, searching for flights on your phone and trying to avoid thinking about that brown stain on the wall.

 

[Hal65]

Very informative thread, thanks to everyone who has contributed thus far. I am starting from JFK in New York City and have plugged the various flights mentioned here into Google Flights. I think this is the cheapest route to get to Utapao that is still fast and safe:

 

1. JFK to KUL

2. KUL to CNX (Chiang Mai)

3. CNX to UTP

 

I'll look into those other mentioned Thai International airports too in case there's another option that receives KUL flights and departs to UTP.

 

 

What i like about this route is that I think the Malaysian visa is fairly low hassle for an American, is that correct? Speaking to a friend, he says I won't have to do anything. I'm not much of a flyer, I suspect I'll still need to fill a form and pay around $30 to get a visa on arrival (to wait for the flight to CNX which is likely a separate ticket).

 

[Russell17au]

10 minutes ago, donnacha said:

You might be missing the point of this thread. We are not focusing on our individual, personal experiences, but on the experiences of hundreds of other members of this forum, which we are aware of thanks to their consistent and credible reports.

Even if it is only a 1% risk, the expense, stress, and disruption of being denied entry is sufficient to justify taking measures to avoid it. If a furious female IO is shouting at you, it won't matter how few problems you have had in the past. Any smugness you feel now will evaporate once you are sitting in a detention room, searching for flights on your phone and trying to avoid thinking about that brown stain on the wall.

 

If you want to be that way there is no sure shot even with the land crossings and if you are singled out and denied entry you will not be sitting in a detention cell searching for flights because you will be sitting in a holding cell waiting for the escorting officer to come and escort you to the plane from the same airline that brought you into Thailand and hand you over to them to return you from where you came and the escorting officer will had the cabin crew your passport. You do not get a choice.

[donnacha]

9 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

the escorting officer to come and escort you to the plane from the same airline that brought you into Thailand and hand you over to them to return you from where you came and the escorting officer will had the cabin crew your passport. You do not get a choice.

That is simply not true. We know, from hundreds of first-hand reports on this forum, that the IO's have the discretion to allow you to fly elsewhere. I would not want to depend on their munificence, but they evidently allow it more often than not.

I read your earlier posts. I have no idea where you are getting your information from, and I genuinely don't want to get into an argument about it, but your whole understanding of what happens in those circumstances is way, way off.

You are free to write whatever you want but, please understand, when other members contradict you it is not meant as an attack upon you. They simply want to prevent other members getting into trouble by presuming that what you are saying has any basis in reality.

And, please, invest some time into learning how to break up your sentences.


 

[BritManToo]

24 minutes ago, Hal65 said:

What i like about this route is that I think the Malaysian visa is fairly low hassle for an American, is that correct? Speaking to a friend, he says I won't have to do anything. I'm not much of a flyer, I suspect I'll still need to fill a form and pay around $30 to get a visa on arrival (to wait for the flight to CNX which is likely a separate ticket).

KUL gives you 90 days entry free on arrival.

No forms to fill out, no money to pay.

[donnacha]

16 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

KUL gives you 90 days entry free on arrival.

No forms to fill out, no money to pay.

And zero "you come too many times" nonsense.

Just imagine how useful that would be for other S.E. Asian countries hoping to boost their tourist industries in the face of a rising currency and a fatal pandemic. Not thinking of any country in particular, of course.

 

Edited February 17, 2020 by donnacha

[lust]

Fly to Phnom Penh, then fly to Bangkok.

[Hal65]

Looks like Kuala Lumpur has a direct route to Utapao / Pattaya, which is rare:

 

12:45 – 13:45 | AirAsia | 2h 0m | KUL–UTP | Non-stop | $27

 

I know Utapao doesn't even get the traffic of CNX in Chiang Mai. Does anyone know if it's safe, in terms of immigration officers that don't try to hassle you? I would assume it should be if the number of flights is fairly low.

Edited February 17, 2020 by Hal65

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, Hal65 said:

Looks like Kuala Lumpur has a direct route to Utapao / Pattaya, which is rare:

 

12:45 – 13:45 | AirAsia | 2h 0m | KUL–UTP | Non-stop | $27

 

I know Utapao doesn't even get the traffic of CNX in Chiang Mai. Does anyone know if it's safe, in terms of immigration officers that don't try to hassle you? I would assume it should be if the number of flights is fairly low.

Fella recently flew from HCMC to U-Tapao.

Had very extensive history and a void visa stamp from Saigon consulate. He had no problem visa exempt entry. Would not of had any chance at DMK. 

 

Another guy also stuck in Saigon with void stamp had no problem visa exempt into CNX. Recent threads.

Edited February 17, 2020 by DrJack54

[BritTim]

32 minutes ago, Hal65 said:

Looks like Kuala Lumpur has a direct route to Utapao / Pattaya, which is rare:

 

12:45 – 13:45 | AirAsia | 2h 0m | KUL–UTP | Non-stop | $27

 

I know Utapao doesn't even get the traffic of CNX in Chiang Mai. Does anyone know if it's safe, in terms of immigration officers that don't try to hassle you? I would assume it should be if the number of flights is fairly low.

While this is subject to change without notice, historically U-Tapao has been an excellent airport to enter through.

[Sweet Swede]

I have lived in Thailand sine 1995 travelling to and from work initially using 30 day entry visa approximately 9-10 times a year. However in 2006 they changed the rules for use of 30 day visa so before I went to work I went to the Embassy in Stockholm because it said on the website that you shall apply in your country of origin. I did so and was denied although I had all documentation according to the Embassy website. However my letter of income (with an income 7 x higher than requirement) that was stamped and signed by the personnel director himself, was not good enough for the embassy worker that insisted that I needed a confirmation from my bank that did not have any idea of my income. I did not have time to get anything from the bank in Norway as I had to travel to work so I just gave up. In January 2006 I applied for the exactly the same Visa in Singapore and got it with no questions asked. I just want to emphasize with this that there is no consistence in what you can experience at a Thai immigration counter or at an Embassy. You just have to hope it is your lucky day.

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, Russell17au said:

I know that there used to be more but now there are only those listed as international. Udon Thani used to be an international where a lot of Chinese used to come in but I think that they have closed the international part and Khon Kaen has not opened its new part yet and has not become an international airport at this stage

A partial list of airports with international flights includes Samui, Krabi, Hua Hin, U-Tapao and Surat Thani.

[Thainess]

What makes you think you would be denied entry? Will you be wearing a red "Make America Great Again" cap when you get off the plane?

[ChristianPFC]

Even if this is only the worst case scenario:

Having to take a flight back where you came from, with the airline that brought you? That's insane!

 

There are several issues: some airlines / destinations don't have flights every day, you might have to wait days to get a flight to that destination with that airline.

 

I once flew from Yangon to Bangkok. If they send me back to Yangon, I would arrive without visa (no visa on arrival) and be denied entry. That could end in a ping-pong Yangon-Bangkok until my money runs out or I die.

 

I once flew from Saigon to Bangkok. 14 days visa-free entry for Germans to Vietnam (and I will make more use of that in the future, given the situation with Thai immigration),  however there has to be gap of 30 days before I can get the next 14 days visa-free entry.

 

I planned to fly to Kunming and continue to Taiwan (144 visa-free transit for German) and cancelled that due to Coronavirus. If I came to Thailand from Kunming, and they sent me back there, Kunming would refuse me entry because I don't have a flight out within 144 hours and no hotel booking (one of the requirement).

 

How often has this actually happened, that people had to return to the place of boarding by the airline that brought them, and how many just had to take any flight out of Thailand?

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, ChristianPFC said:

Even if this is only the worst case scenario:

Having to take a flight back where you came from, with the airline that brought you? That's insane!

 

There are several issues: some airlines / destinations don't have flights every day, you might have to wait days to get a flight to that destination with that airline.

 

I once flew from Yangon to Bangkok. If they send me back to Yangon, I would arrive without visa (no visa on arrival) and be denied entry. That could end in a ping-pong Yangon-Bangkok until my money runs out or I die.

 

I once flew from Saigon to Bangkok. 14 days visa-free entry for Germans to Vietnam (and I will make more use of that in the future, given the situation with Thai immigration),  however there has to be gap of 30 days before I can get the next 14 days visa-free entry.

 

I planned to fly to Kunming and continue to Taiwan (144 visa-free transit for German) and cancelled that due to Coronavirus. If I came to Thailand from Kunming, and they sent me back there, Kunming would refuse me entry because I don't have a flight out within 144 hours and no hotel booking (one of the requirement).

 

How often has this actually happened, that people had to return to the place of boarding by the airline that brought them, and how many just had to take any flight out of Thailand?

99% will be back to where you embarked.

A thread few months back. UK passport holder flew HCMC (they also 15 day VE)

Denied entry at DMK. Returned to Saigon.

Denied entry as no multi entry visa.

Then flew to UK.

That is just example. 

Policy is returned to where you embarked.

As for your comment re airline might not have return flight that day?

The holding rooms have bed. Think they charge 800baht/day. Not sure re amount.

Edited February 17, 2020 by DrJack54

[rabang]

1 hour ago, ChristianPFC said:

Even if this is only the worst case scenario:

Having to take a flight back where you came from, with the airline that brought you? That's insane!

 

There are several issues: some airlines / destinations don't have flights every day, you might have to wait days to get a flight to that destination with that airline.

 

I once flew from Yangon to Bangkok. If they send me back to Yangon, I would arrive without visa (no visa on arrival) and be denied entry. That could end in a ping-pong Yangon-Bangkok until my money runs out or I die.

 

I once flew from Saigon to Bangkok. 14 days visa-free entry for Germans to Vietnam (and I will make more use of that in the future, given the situation with Thai immigration),  however there has to be gap of 30 days before I can get the next 14 days visa-free entry.

 

I planned to fly to Kunming and continue to Taiwan (144 visa-free transit for German) and cancelled that due to Coronavirus. If I came to Thailand from Kunming, and they sent me back there, Kunming would refuse me entry because I don't have a flight out within 144 hours and no hotel booking (one of the requirement).

 

How often has this actually happened, that people had to return to the place of boarding by the airline that brought them, and how many just had to take any flight out of Thailand?

 

 

This is why I would avoid flying from countries that I can't access without a visa if I am denied entry. Next time I will go to Vietnam I will probably return via Malaysia or Singapore to Thailand due to this 30 day gap requirement.

[treetops]

5 hours ago, Russell17au said:

I know that there used to be more but now there are only those listed as international. Udon Thani used to be an international where a lot of Chinese used to come in but I think that they have closed the international part and Khon Kaen has not opened its new part yet and has not become an international airport at this stage

It's no wonder your posts get shot down when they are repeatedly inaccurate.  KUL-HHQ (Hua Hin) and SGN-UTP would be two other routes.

 

Your first post in this thread has been torn apart already so need for me to repeat those posts, but I was shaking my head when I read it at the amount of misinformation it contained.

 

[AlexCanada]

10 hours ago, BritTim said:

While this is subject to change without notice, historically U-Tapao has been an excellent airport to enter through.

Which other countries fly directly in to UTP?  Since I go to Pattaya that would be useful information for me.  Would save me 1000 cab fare from BKK and 1700 from DMK.

[Hal65]

2 minutes ago, AlexCanada said:

Which other countries fly directly in to UTP?  Since I go to Pattaya that would be useful information for me.  Would save me 1000 cab fare from BKK and 1700 from DMK.

Google shows you if you do it in reverse (Utapao as the origin) and leave the destination blank: https://www.google.com/travel/explore?tfs=CBkQAxobEgoyMDIwLTAzLTA0ag0IAhIJL20vMDM0X3FtGhsSCjIwMjAtMDMtMDhyDQgCEgkvbS8wMzRfcW1AAUgBUgNVU0RwAQ&curr=USD&gl=th&hl=en&authuser=0&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com

 

Click on each city in the map and look for nonstop flights. I think KL is the only international one.