Family stranded in Thailand over son’s passport issues

By KIERAN MURRAY 

 

Kenny, Max and Aew (CORR) Orr stranded in Thailand

 

A family has been left in limbo in Thailand after airport authorities refused to accept their 13-year-old son’s British passport.

 

Kenny Orr, 64, flew out to Thailand with wife Aew, 51, and son Max for a family holiday in his wife’s native country.

 

After four weeks in Asia the family returned to Bangkok Airport on July 26 where they were due to begin their journey back to Scotland.

 

When checking in they were stopped by airport staff who recognised Max’s Thai passport had expired during their stay.

Full story: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/family-stranded-in-thailand-over-son-s-passport-issues-1-4777948

 

-- Edinburgh News 2018-2018-08-03

How can things like this not be easily rectified. 

1 minute ago, BobbyL said:

How can things like this not be easily rectified. 

T.I.T ??????

Never a smart move to not know when your passport is about to expire.

Had it not been a Thai passport he would have needed 6 months validity to get in.

I sympathise with their predicament, but you have to say, they do only have themselves to blame, though I hope the authorities can speed things up, for what is after all not a complicated thing to do.

I would have kept quiet.  It is clearly their own fault. 

YOPA (Your own personal admin!)

Insanity... 

someone at th airport has created a complex issue out of a simple situation. 

 

A Thai passport is a quick renewal with the correct documents at hand. Unfortunately, it is this which is taking time.

 

I guess it always pays to have at least 6 month remaining, but this is a situation where common sense has been knee-capped by bureaucratic tosh... it must be an extremely trying situation for the father.

 

That said, I’m not sure he needed to overstay, he could have applied for an extension, or made a quick border run. He now risks being locked up for overstay unless he has special permission to remain.

 

 

23 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Never a smart move to not know when your passport is about to expire.

Had it not been a Thai passport he would have needed 6 months validity to get in.

I sympathise with their predicament, but you have to say, they do only have themselves to blame, though I hope the authorities can speed things up, for what is after all not a complicated thing to do.

No, for UK residents passport validity for duration of stay is required.

Blaming everybody but themselves.

It was silly not know them selfs u come in a thai passport you have to level on one.to blam the thais for your own mess is a bit much.i am scottish i live here work in scotland i would never let my son use a diff passport.use one or other mate.

Quote

“It’s total bureaucracy. When we entered Thailand we should have been warned about the passport expiring...

 

A Thai citizen entering Thailand would have access to facilities to renew their passport before they leave Thailand again.

 

Was the son's Thai passport issued in London? normally the Thai passport office is very 'online' and only require the minimum of document, ID card ,which the boy doesn't seem to have, or original Birth Certificate. Was there an issue where the passport office doesn't accept UK birth certificate? Why do they have to involve the process of obtaining a Thai ID card in this case which of course will be complicated

9 minutes ago, stevenl said:

No, for UK residents passport validity for duration of stay is required.

That is what the first post said. He got in because he showed the Thai passport, where expiry after entry was not an issue. Any foreign passport about to expire and he wouldn't have got in in the first place. Same thing all around the world, so nothing unusual about the immigration reaction. You can't exit a country on a foreign passport if you don't have an entry stamp in it.

I hope they manage to get a new one and be on their way soon, but this is their fault for not bothering to check the expiration.

Aha, a “Mai dai” situation. Once the words have been said they can never be un-said. And of course the FCO does its usual hand-wash. Need help? Don’t call us.

Check the calendar and you will see that this disaster at the airport happened on the first day of the 4-day weekend. So it was July 31 at the earliest that they could go to the Thai passport office and learn that they would not renew the passport without a Thai ID. I believe that rule applies to everyone, and it especially makes sense for a passport first issued overseas.  

40 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Never a smart move to not know when your passport is about to expire.

Had it not been a Thai passport he would have needed 6 months validity to get in.

I sympathise with their predicament, but you have to say, they do only have themselves to blame, though I hope the authorities can speed things up, for what is after all not a complicated thing to do.

TIT !!!!??

5 minutes ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

That is what the first post said. He got in because he showed the Thai passport, where expiry after entry was not an issue. Any foreign passport about to expire and he wouldn't have got in in the first place. Same thing all around the world, so nothing unusual about the immigration reaction. You can't exit a country on a foreign passport if you don't have an entry stamp in it.

I hope they manage to get a new one and be on their way soon, but this is their fault for not bothering to check the expiration.

I was reacting to somebody, a moderator!!, claiming 6 months validity would have been required for a UK passport. Which is simply not true.

4 minutes ago, stevenl said:

I was reacting to somebody, a moderator!!, claiming 6 months validity would have been required for a UK passport. Which is simply not true.

Really? You sure about that? You might want to check again.

Passport validity

Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into Thailand. Entry to Thailand is normally refused if you have a passport which is damaged or has pages missing.

If you’re a dual national you must make sure that when you depart Thailand you have a valid passport of the nationality used to enter, otherwise you may have difficulty in leaving.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/entry-requirements

Now a few years ago me and my Thai wife were going to KL in the check in line we noticed her passport only had two months left Air Asia took great pride in telling her she couldn't travel, then produced her UK passport and was allowed to go. My wife hadn't used the UK one to enter Thailand same as this lad so how was she allowed and he wasn't.

Sent from my SM-P901 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

16 minutes ago, digbeth said:

“It’s total bureaucracy. When we entered Thailand we should have been warned about the passport expiring...

Perhaps they should have brought a tour guide?

 

1 minute ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

Really? You sure about that? You might want to check again.

Passport validity

Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into Thailand. Entry to Thailand is normally refused if you have a passport which is damaged or has pages missing.

If you’re a dual national you must make sure that when you depart Thailand you have a valid passport of the nationality used to enter, otherwise you may have difficulty in leaving.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/entry-requirements

Incorrect, see frequent posts about this on TV forum. It is correct for visa entry, not for visa exempt. See IATA requirements.

2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

I was reacting to somebody, a moderator!!, claiming 6 months validity would have been required for a UK passport. Which is simply not true.

I know things aren't properly enforced in Thailand, but these are quotes from both the UK and Thai Gvts about passport validity for entry to Thailand:

 

From the UK Gvt website:

Passport validity

Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into Thailand.

 

Or, from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

 

1. REQUIREMENT
	This type of visa is issued to applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom for tourism purposes .
	2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
	- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months   - Visa application form completely filled out   - Recent( 4 x 6 cm.) photograph of the applicant   - Evidence of travel from Thailand (air ticket paid in full)

Every day, in international airports all over the world, people are denied entry or exit because of expired passports or expired visas.  Stuff happens, people make mistakes.  Hardly news and hardly worth denigrating someone over.

“The Craigmount High School pupil, who has dual 
citizenship, then handed over his valid British passport but staff wouldn’t budge due to him not entering the country with that document.”

 

Why didn’t they use that passport to enter the country?

6 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

I know things aren't properly enforced in Thailand, but these are quotes from both the UK and Thai Gvts about passport validity for entry to Thailand:

 

From the UK Gvt website:

Passport validity

Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into Thailand.

 

Or, from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

 

1. REQUIREMENT
	This type of visa is issued to applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom for tourism purposes .
	2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
	- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months   - Visa application form completely filled out   - Recent( 4 x 6 cm.) photograph of the applicant   - Evidence of travel from Thailand (air ticket paid in full)

All incorrect.

 

You're on Thai Visa forum, check the forum for correct information on this.

 

As mentioned, Visa exempt passport validity for duration of stay is required, for visa application 6 months.

 

And I see the moderator that gave the incorrect information liked your post with incorrect information. he should enquire with the authorities on the visa section and correct his misinformation.

You gotta love it when the guy comes out with stuff like “they should of told us when we entered” No, how about you check your documents before you leave and stop passing the buck. Next thing I wouldn’t be surprised to see a funding webpage raised for his supposed extra £2,000 he has had to pay out for his stupidity.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

Proper preparations would have avoided all this.

4 minutes ago, stevenl said:

All incorrect.

 

You're on Thai Visa forum, check the forum for correct information on this.

 

As mentioned, Visa exempt passport validity for duration of stay is required, for visa application 6 months.

 

And I see the moderator that gave the incorrect information liked your post with incorrect information. he should enquire with the authorities on the visa section and correct his misinformation.

Someone on TV obviously need to contact the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and tell 'em that they've got their passport validity-sh*t all wrong!!?

 

(6 months validity it is, according to both the Thai & British Gvts, that's the letter of the law, the Thai's are obviously not good at enforcing it).

4 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

Someone on TV obviously need to contact the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and tell 'em that they've got their passport validity-sh*t all wrong!!?

 

(6 months validity it is, according to both the Thai & British Gvts, that's the letter of the law, the Thai's are obviously not good at enforcing it).

Again, not correct.

 

Darksidedog should check with experts on visa section and post here.

 

 

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

Again, not correct.

 

Darksidedog should check with experts on visa section and post here.

 

 

It was done the other day. Ubon Joe says duration of stay. I wouldn’t disagree with him. 

There were a bit stupid.

But Thailand, were and are just being mean and nasty.

Well done idiots,  hope it gets on the uk tv soon.