Don't lose your boarding pass

[Big Boy]

Having recently arrived in Thailand, I thought that I would warn people about the clampdown at immigration last Thursday. To enter the country, they were insisting that you presented both your boarding pass and your return ticket. If either were not available you were sent somewhere (no idea where, but nobody came back).

We were fortunate. There were 3 of us (me, my wife and my son). My son didn't have his boarding pass (left on the plane); but my wife was able to talk our way in.

Be assured, they were not accepting excuses. In the time we were queuing, dozens of people were refused entry and sent somewhere to obtain evidence of the flight they had just arrived on.

You have been warned.

[SHADOW]

I came in last week and was asked for my boarding pass, didn't have it they never asked for my ticket. No smiles as usual and only three hours from the plane to the car park.

[Jaime]

Good advice BB - I don't really have a problem with this - technically you shouldn't enter on a one way ticket without a pre-arranged visa so the check for the return ticket is valid. However, the airlines need to get a grip of the boarding card thing asap and start advising their passengers once they are on the plane not to dump their boarding passes.

[Condoking]

and your return ticket.

As the airline industry is moving to a compulsory ticketless system, i.e. no flight tickets issued, this will be a challenge. I am flying 3 or 4 times a month and for at least a year I have only had tickets for flights within Africa where computerised systems do not exist, the rest simply present my passport at check in. Will find out when I return to LOS next week.

[Pagey]

I flew with Etihad 3 weeks ago and had an E ticket which is the way most airlines are going which basically looks like an email and I was asked to produce this when entering.

[BaaBaa.]

had an E ticket which basically looks like an email

[Vital Spark]

Big Boy, I hear what you say, but the boarding pass thing seems a bit hit and miss. I'd already read about this 'important' piece of cardboard when we returned from a trip to Australia last April. I dutifully kept this tiny piece of cardboard and presented it to the immigration man on entry at Suvanabhumi. The non-smiling, surly, officer (I use that term loosely) didn't want to see it. He waved me, and it, off with a flick of his hand.

I suggest popping it inside your passport (just in case), smile at the nice man, give him a wai, say 'kop koon kar', and disappear the other side of his little ivory tower as quick as poss.

V.S.

P.S. The Aussies know how to do the serious stuff with a smile - and I think I was called 'mate' - which was nice...

[PeteC]

One major reason, if not the only one, everyone is seeing mean looking immigration officers is because they all live near Don Muang in houses they can't or won't sell and have to travel to and from S'boom each day.

Most don't own cars, only motorcycles, and if the Gov., hasn't arranged busing or travel expenses for them, they're on their own at no small expense, as well as an extra 2-3 commute hours added to their work day. Pete

[JimmyGreaves]

This happened to me once a couple of years ago when I came in from the philipines. Left it on the plane and therefor took an eternity to pass immigration.

[Pagey]

Baa Baa

I don't think the correct term for my ticket is e ticket. It was not booked on line but at a travel agent. It is what most airlines are using instead of the multi carbon copy 'ticket'.

[STEVE G]

Its an electronic ticket, basically a number that identifies the booking combined with a printout of the Warsaw convention and other small print that nobody has ever read.

[Winkie]

Yup, that's an eticket, same as my travel agent issues to me (sometimes via delviery boy, others by email).

Never actually needed it to check in, Passport has been sufficient. cannot remember being asked to produce it or any other form of ID except Passport

Winkie

[BaaBaa.]

Baa Baa

I don't think the correct term for my ticket is e ticket. It was not booked on line but at a travel agent. It is what most airlines are using instead of the multi carbon copy 'ticket'.

Yeah sorry, just found it funny "looks like an email"

When it usually is an email.

As winkie says, you dont actually need it, though I do take it for reference.

[Big Boy]

and your return ticket.

As the airline industry is moving to a compulsory ticketless system, i.e. no flight tickets issued, this will be a challenge. I am flying 3 or 4 times a month and for at least a year I have only had tickets for flights within Africa where computerised systems do not exist, the rest simply present my passport at check in. Will find out when I return to LOS next week.

Condoking,
I think you'll find that they'll accept an e-mailed confirmation of an e-ticket.

[Big Boy]

Big Boy, I hear what you say, but the boarding pass thing seems a bit hit and miss. I'd already read about this 'important' piece of cardboard when we returned from a trip to Australia last April. I dutifully kept this tiny piece of cardboard and presented it to the immigration man on entry at Suvanabhumi. The non-smiling, surly, officer (I use that term loosely) didn't want to see it. He waved me, and it, off with a flick of his hand.

I suggest popping it inside your passport (just in case), smile at the nice man, give him a wai, say 'kop koon kar', and disappear the other side of his little ivory tower as quick as poss.

V.S.

P.S. The Aussies know how to do the serious stuff with a smile - and I think I was called 'mate' - which was nice...

The question is, would he have waved you through if you never presented it up front.

I don't know if the purge was a one-off, but it was certainly causing some major disruption. There were several lengthy discussions (arguments) whenever somebody never had their boarding card. Those people whe were arguing never won their argument.