Thai wife has cancer & wants to get home to family. Thai passport expired, can't get covid insurance to use US passport. Help?

[ding]

Is there a way my Thai wife with US passport to get into Thailand to be with family & friends after being diagnose with cancer?

 

Problem 1: Her Thai passport is expired (covid prevented us returning to get it renewed)

Problem 2: She was diagnosed with cancer recently and probably can't get covid insurance to use her US passport with Test-n-go.

Problem 3: With cancer it's too risky to fly to LA and renew her Thai passport.

 

Any help?

The Thai embassies' phone systems are broken in the US -  full voicemail box and 'bad number' tone for "Thais in distress line" when clicking on that option.

[johndudorn]

Your wife can arrive in Thailand with an expired Thai passport.. She is a Thai citizen therefore can not be turned away.. I traveled with my Thai (adult) daughter with expired passport. The Thai immigration did take her to verify her status, took about 30 minuets but was released into Thailand to get a passport... Hope your wife gets better...

 

   

Edited February 16, 2022 by johndudorn

[ding]

31 minutes ago, johndudorn said:

Your wife can arrive in Thailand with an expired Thai passport.. She is a Thai citizen therefore can not be turned away.. 

 

   

That was good to read. I couldn't find that anywhere online.

 

Glad your daughter had no problem. Thanks for the kind wishes.

[ChipButty]

My question is would they let her board with an expired passport? 

[ChipButty]

I dont see the problem with flying cancer is not contagious 

[ezzra]

Simple question, have you tried the Thai consulate in your area? i'm sure they will help in such situation... if all fail just come to Thailand and deal with the situation when you arrive, your wife health is more important than any bureaucracy...

[ding]

15 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I dont see the problem with flying cancer is not contagious 

Agreed. She does have a current Thai ID card that doesn't expire for another year.

I just worry about a Thailand Pass agent or customs official at Suvarnabhumi.  

Edited February 16, 2022 by ding

[sirineou]

My wife came to Thailand with an expired passport last may.

Call the Thai embassy that serves your area , and have them issue you an emergency travel document. I t was not difficult to do.

Once we were in Thailand, we had her passport renewed here. 

 

Best wishes to your wife, for a complete a quick recovery .

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by sirineou

[ding]

10 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Simple question, have you tried the Thai consulate in your area? i'm sure they will help in such situation... if all fail just come to Thailand and deal with the situation when you arrive, your wife health is more important than any bureaucracy...

Seems 100% reasonable BUT! The nearest US one is in LA and we're in Seattle, 1,200 Miles away.

There's no way to even leave a message (full inbox), let alone get a person to help her.

 

There's one in Canada but the border crossing requires a rapid antigen test from a hospital - but that may be possible.

[bbko]

The Thai Embassy in LA doesn't have mail in service to renew a Thai passport?

[ubonjoe]

At this time it is not possible to enter with a expired Thai passport due to the requirements for entry due to covid 19 such as the Thailand Pass.

She get a emergency travel document to enter Thailand from the Thai embassy in DC or one of the 3 official consulates.

Info is here in Thai. https://thaiembdc.org/th/passport/

 

Edit: Just found and read the page for a emergency travel document. They are doing them by mail now. See: https://thaiembdc.org/th/passport/emergencytravel/

 

 

[flexomike]

29 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

My question is would they let her board with an expired passport? 

You just show the US passport when you leave the US and the Thai passport when you arrive in Thailand

 

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, bbko said:

The Thai Embassy in LA doesn't have mail in service to renew a Thai passport?

It is not possible to get a Thai passport my mail. The photo for is done digitally meaning a person has to be present.

[ChipButty]

Stay strong dont panic, My wife was diagnosed with cancer 6 years ago yep it's a blow to start with but we dealt with it, infact I was gutted why her.....? What I will tell you the treatment and her operation was first class here in Thailand,

We laugh about this now, she had an appointment with the doctor January 1st the doctor confirmed it was cancer, I said to the doctor "Happy New Year to You" 

[sirineou]

1 minute ago, ding said:

Seems 100% reasonable BUT! The nearest US one is in LA and we're in Seattle, 1,200 Miles away.

There's no way to even leave a message (full inbox), let alone get a person to help her.

 

There's one in Canada but the border crossing requires a rapid antigen test from a hospital - but that may be possible.

Keep calling your embassy branch, perhaps you will get lucky. 

Also call the Washington DC branch  , maybe you will have better luck , If they answer play stupid and pretend you did not know you had to call a different place, Explain the situation and beg them to help you. If they can help you , I am sure they can contact some one in the LA branch, give them your number, and they can call you. 

As I said they issued us an emergency travel document, It was a one page docunent that we showed every time someone mentioned that her passport was expired. 

[peter zwart]

Sorry, i dont have any useful info but want to wish you and the Miss all the best.

[ChipButty]

4 minutes ago, peter zwart said:

Sorry, i dont have any useful info but want to wish you and the Miss all the best.

Very thoughtful,

[ding]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

My question is would they let her board with an expired passport? 

She has a US passport with 9 years left. I think the Thai Emergency Passport is the way to go and she would use that. It's free but expires in 30 days and takes 7-10 days to process.

 

Also, it's not expensive to try to get her Test&Go covid insurance and see if they reject her for cancer. They wouldn't have to pay anything on the cancer, so who knows... They don't say online, just require disclosure.

Edited February 17, 2022 by ding

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, ding said:

She has a US passport with 9 years left. I think the Thai Emergency Passport is the way to go and she would use that. It's free but expires in 30 days and takes 7-10 days to process.

Have you read my earlier post.

 

54 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

She can get a emergency travel document to enter Thailand from the Thai embassy in DC or one of the 3 official consulates.

Info is here in Thai. https://thaiembdc.org/th/passport/

 

Edit: Just found and read the page for a emergency travel document. They are doing them by mail now. See: https://thaiembdc.org/th/passport/emergencytravel/

 

It expiring means nothing after she is in the country. After entering she can get a new passport and it takes at most a week to get after doing the application or within 24 hours at certain passport offices.

[ding]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

At this time it is not possible to enter with a expired Thai passport due to the requirements for entry due to covid 19 such as the Thailand Pass.

She get a emergency travel document to enter Thailand from the Thai embassy in DC or one of the 3 official consulates.

Info is here in Thai. https://thaiembdc.org/th/passport/

 

Edit: Just found and read the page for a emergency travel document. They are doing them by mail now. See: https://thaiembdc.org/th/passport/emergencytravel/

 

 

Thanks ubonjoe, as always! We're filling out the Emergency Passport now. I was reading when you replied... you're fast! Her Thai passport expires before we leave.

 

The Emergency Passport expires in 30 days so need to wait until April 2, we arrive May 1. But it takes 7-10 days to process and then return mail time. We need to send pictures, notary signed application, actual Thai passport and 3 copies of multiple documents.  But it's free.

Edited February 17, 2022 by ding

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, ding said:

So it's not all online according to the man at the LA Embassy just now.

I know it has to be done by mail. I read the page on the embassy website I posted a link to.

It is a official Thai consulate in LA the only embassy is in Washington DC.

[mtls2005]

3 hours ago, ding said:

Problem 2: She was diagnosed with cancer recently and probably can't get covid insurance to use her US passport with Test-n-go.

 

"Probably"?

 

I haven't stepped through the Insurance purchase, does it ask about existing or pre-conditions? Do some mean insurance cannot be purchased?

 

Assume she is healthy enough for travel, I would just use the U.S. passport, and Thaipass/Test&Go.

 

Her U.S. passport hopefully has not also expired.

[ChipButty]

23 minutes ago, ding said:

She has a US passport with 9 years left. I think the Thai Emergency Passport is the way to go and she would use that. It's free but expires in 30 days and takes 7-10 days to process.

 

Also, it's not expensive to try to get her Test&Go covid insurance and see if they reject her for cancer. They wouldn't have to pay anything on the cancer, so who knows... They don't say online, just require disclosure.

If it's any help my wife has covid insurance no problem

[ding]

7 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

If it's any help my wife has covid insurance no problem

So your wife got covid insurance with cancer? Which company? AXA requires disclosure but doesn't say if it disqualifies her.

[ding]

10 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

"Probably"?

 

I haven't stepped through the Insurance purchase, does it ask about existing or pre-conditions? Do some mean insurance cannot be purchased?

 

Assume she is healthy enough for travel, I would just use the U.S. passport, and Thaipass/Test&Go.

 

Her U.S. passport hopefully has not also expired.

 

 

 

 

She has 9 years on her US passport.

AXA insurance requires disclosure of cancer but doesn't say if that disqualifies her. I haven't completed that, want to wait for experienced people here to advise us first.

Edited February 17, 2022 by ding

[gamb00ler]

We moved to CM from US in late Sep '20.  My Thai wife's PP had expired.  LA Consulate said she needed to get a Certificate of Identity that would allow her to enter Thailand.

 

I have made a note that the extension number for the PP section at LA Consulate is 227.  That may speed up your access to the correct section.

[ubonjoe]

22 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Assume she is healthy enough for travel, I would just use the U.S. passport, and Thaipass/Test&Go.

I suggest you read my posts.

Entering on her US passport will only create more problems than it is worth. She would get a 30 day visa exempt entry and then to stay longer she would have to apply for a one year extension as a returning Thai national. When Thai's enter with foreign passport they have to meet all the immigration requirements.

I think his problem is resolved since she can get a emergency travel document by mail that will allow her to enter as a Thai.

[ding]

14 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

LA Consulate said she needed to get a Certificate of Identity that would allow her to enter Thailand.

I hadn't heard of the "certificate of identity". She has a valid Thai ID card if that's what they said in 2020 to you.

My wife finally talked to the LA Consulate and he only said she needed an Emergency Passport. Nothing about a "Certificate of Identity" or Thai ID card.

 

She needs the Thailand Pass with covid insurance to use her US passport. Not sure what to disclose on the covid insurance form online - we don't want them to pay for anything just for her to get in with a Thailand Pass Test&Go.

[ding]

10 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

She would get a 30 day visa exempt entry and then to stay longer she would have to apply for a one year extension as a returning Thai national. When Thai's enter with foreign passport they have to meet all the immigration requirements.

Thanks so much ubonjoe. I didn't know all that about her using a US pasport.

 

Your link is in Thai and she's slowly chipping away but I can't help.

 

The Emergency Passport application is a fillable PDF in Thai, and she's slowly chipping away at that too, between her cancer protocol she does.

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, ding said:

Your link is in Thai and she's slowly chipping away but I can't help.

Use Google translate on it. For forms in Thai that is different problem and only the Google translate app is possible by using the camera and it is not that good.

If you change the website to English you cannot find the same info on the website that is available in Thai only.

Here is screen grab of the info in English (translated forms Thai) from the embassy website.