Damaged passport photo page. How strict is Thai immigration on damaged passports?

[somtamlao]

So I have got a flight booked to Thailand for August 2nd. I sent the passport to the Thai consulate in my country yesterday to get a tourist visa, and to my surprise, they called me up today and told me I'd be taking a huge risk because the bio-information/photo page on it is cracked slightly at the top. I have previously traveled to Thailand without an issue on what is a well-worn passport, but I'm not 100% sure if the cracked photo page was apparent on my last visit. 

 

The cost to renew quickly is quite high, however, the cost of denied entry to the country would be worse. What I'm wondering is how strict are Thai immigration on stuff like this? Is it worth the risk? 

[scorecard]

How long is a piece of string?

[ubonjoe]

They are not normally all that strict if the damage is small.

Without seeing it I cannot really say whether you will have a problem or not.

[somtamlao]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

They are not normally all that strict if the damage is small.

Without seeing it I cannot really say whether you will have a problem or not.

Yeah, I understand. All the details are still legible, it's just there's damage to the actual bio-information page on the top corner. It's just a small crack in the page but tough to know whether that will prevent entry to the country. 

[overherebc]

9 minutes ago, scorecard said:

How long is a piece of string?

Twice the length it would be if it was half the length.

To the OP.

If you're worried get a new passport.

Forget the cost, consider the hassle.

[elviajero]

Based on the consulates warning you shouldn’t take the risk and should get a new passport. 

[FritsSikkink]

get a new passport

[Naroge]

It's obvious that if the Consulate did already warn you it would be unwise to not heed such warning. Remember that each Immigration Officer has wide power to deny entry if in his opinion not all is fine, so you take a very big risk travelling with present PP.

[alanrchase]

The cost to renew quickly? I got a new passport in 10 days applying in Bangkok. If you are in UK you should be able to beat that time.

[BEVUP]

Maybe sounds like Auss, if your stating the high cost

 

I had a passport that was wearing on the spine. It started to tear from both ends but wasn't quite 1 cm in length.

Got a warning (documented letter ) entering Auss & asked if I could put tape on it - said no " that would be damaging the Passport " 

 

[wgdanson]

33 minutes ago, alanrchase said:

The cost to renew quickly? I got a new passport in 10 days applying in Bangkok. If you are in UK you should be able to beat that time.

23 HOURS, from giving papers in at Liverpool to the new one arriving by post.

[The Fat Controller]

The check in agents may also have a concern about a damaged passport and could refer it to the authorities at your departure point.

Suggest you replace it asap as you have been warned.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Naroge said:

It's obvious that if the Consulate did already warn you it would be unwise to not heed such warning. Remember that each Immigration Officer has wide power to deny entry if in his opinion not all is fine, so you take a very big risk travelling with present PP.

Yes, particularly with Thai immigration.

[stud858]

I had a water damage passport that was rejected by one chap.  He said get a new passport.  I went to another immigration office and it was accepted.  I soon after go a new passport when back at home country.  There will always be some stick in the mud that wants to ruin the day of someone else. 

 

If all information is legible I'd go with it,  but be prepared to have hassle. I'm a mild risk taker.  I get off on the fast beat of my heart

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

Yes, particularly with Thai immigration.

I don't see any reaction here.

[Nong Khai Man]

3 hours ago, alanrchase said:

The cost to renew quickly? I got a new passport in 10 days applying in Bangkok. If you are in UK you should be able to beat that time.

You can get a NEW Passport in the U.K On the SAME Day ( About 6 Hours ) if you go directly to the Liverpool Passport Office.....Make an appointment FIRST....

[Lokie]

Your advised by a govt body that your bio page is cracked and my be an issue? And now you ask on TVF for opinion?? 

 

Are you really daft enough to still put a VISA on a damaged pp and then travel on it hoping you don't get a pull... Not just Thailand, all countries immigration scrutinise passports, uneven pages or the feel in the hand (signs of tampering etc Forgery) Cracked bio pages? see why they are keen on passports being in Mint condition -

 

New Passport, done.

[Mister T]

19 hours ago, somtamlao said:

that will prevent entry to the country.

If you are in Aus, you may have a problem leaving. August last year my passport could not be read by the e passport reader at Brisbane airport. I spent a half hour convincing the over zealous boss man that it was really me. He eventually relented after seeing all my marriage extensions and my work permit, told me to get a new one as soon as I was back in Thailand.

[Thailand J]

The passport is not going to heal itself.

[overherebc]

20 hours ago, overherebc said:

Twice the length it would be if it was half the length.

To the OP.

If you're worried get a new passport.

Forget the cost, consider the hassle.

Should that be half the length it would be if it was twice the length ???

Still on the bottle of single malt I opened when all the kids were out and safe.

Hic.

[007 RED]

23 hours ago, somtamlao said:

Yeah, I understand. All the details are still legible, it's just there's damage to the actual bio-information page on the top corner. It's just a small crack in the page but tough to know whether that will prevent entry to the country. 

OP…. You indicated in your original post that the Thai Consulate contacted you and advised that you to get a new passport because the photo page was slightly cracked in the top corner.  Did they still issue you with a visa?

 

FYI – When the Immigration Officer scans your passport, the scanner (through an Optical Character Reader) reads the information contained within the <<<< >>>> at the bottom of the photo page.  Parts of that information are then used to provide a ‘Public Key’ which ‘unlocks’ the encrypted information held on the ‘chip’ that is embedded within the passport.

 

The information held on the ‘chip’ is currently identical to that contained on the photo page of the passport, including the photo of the holder.  It is the information from the ‘chip’ that is then displayed on the Immigrations Officer screen (not the initial scanned information between <<<< >>>>) so they can easily validate the identity of the passport holder.

 

If your passport has a small crack in the top corner, and the other information on the photo page is legible, as you have indicated, then I doubt that it will give rise to you being denied entry, even by a Thai Immigration Officer.  However, they may well do a double check. 

 

The reason why the ‘chip’ was originally introduced (way back in mid-2005) was to make it more difficult to forge or alter a passport because of the encryption, and easier for boarder control authorities to detect forgeries and alterations.

 

As I've mentioned above, the information currently held on the 'chip' is identical to that contained on the photo page.  The UN under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Authority which dictates the form of Machine Readable Travel Documents (passports etc) has only very recently approved the inclusion of fingerprints and iris scan information onto the passport 'chip'.  However, inclusion of these additional biometrics is not mandatory and individual passport issuing authorities will have discretion to include them or not in future passports.

[persimmon]

A few years ago my passport was nibbled by some kind of rodent.I stuck it back together with tape,but when I went to do an extention at Jomtien they refused to accept it,so I had to go to the UK Embassy in BKK and order a new one .10 days later they called to say it was ready,when I turned up they said sorry ,we made a mistake ,we don`t have it - what a waste of a day.Got it a few days after that,but by that time I had overstayed my visa a few days ,so a fine was payable,

[gk10002000]

I put mine through the washing machine once.  yes it looked a bit weathered but It was completely readable, magnetic stripe worked fine.  The guy at the US Post Office where I went to order a new one said he agreed it was readable and usable, but warned that it most certainly would not be accepted by most airlines.  That was enough of a warning and is why I had scheduled an appointment for a replacement.  No guarantees what a foreign immigration official would accept.