Can my Thai girlfriend fly back to Thailand with a passport that expires in 5 months?

[Sydebolle]

5 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Not quite so simple in that case. An expired passport is not a valid travel document. Nor is an ID card.

Before agreeing to uplift, the airline will have to be satisfied the document is acceptable by the destination country. This may involve contacting Immigration at the arrival port. 

Airlines can cop substantial fines for transporting people with unacceptable documentation.

The carriers care only about one thing; does the passenger get off the plane at the end of the journey. If this is not allowed as the passenger has no valid document to enter the destination country, then the carrier has to repatriate the passenger on the first available flight back to the boarding point. 

a) in this case the passport remains valid for another five months, i.e. is not expired yet
b) the passenger cannot stay in a country with an expired document hence that point is obsolete 
c) the admission of a person with expired documentation back into his home country is a Geneva convention decision which was introduced after WW2 

In closing, I don't know, what the passenger's thoughts are. I - for one - would get the passport renewed, even a slow bureaucracy should be able to cough up a new travel document in five months ......... 

[Old Croc]

21 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

The carriers care only about one thing; does the passenger get off the plane at the end of the journey. If this is not allowed as the passenger has no valid document to enter the destination country, then the carrier has to repatriate the passenger on the first available flight back to the boarding point. 

a) in this case the passport remains valid for another five months, i.e. is not expired yet
b) the passenger cannot stay in a country with an expired document hence that point is obsolete 
c) the admission of a person with expired documentation back into his home country is a Geneva convention decision which was introduced after WW2 

In closing, I don't know, what the passenger's thoughts are. I - for one - would get the passport renewed, even a slow bureaucracy should be able to cough up a new travel document in five months ......... 

The carrier has several things of concern, the cost of returning a pax to embarkation port if they don't have funds to pay for their return ticket, and, as mentioned, possible fines.

The Geneva Convention doesn't apply, but IATA guidelines on inadmissible passengers do.

IATA - Understanding the Issue of Inadmissible Passengers (INADs) and Their Impact on Travel

 

To the OP, there are no problems with her returning home with a still valid PP. Renew in home country before further travel. The six-month validity some countries ask applies only to non-citizens of that country. Common sense.

I have extensive relevant knowledge and experience of these matters from my working life. On occasion, I have even issued special IATA travel docs for such removals when an inadmissible pax has lost his passport, for example, down a toilet.

[Ajarnbrian]

Assuming you’re flying direct from Melbourne or Sydney to Thailand on Jetstar, should be fine. Going via another country (where 6 months min remaining on PP rule applies) probably no.

[Ajarnbrian]

My wife’s Thai passport expired during Covid. To return from Australia to Thailand she got a Certificate from Thai Embassy Canberra and had to buy direct flight to Thailand to renew there. Flight back to Thailand no problem with that Cert and Thai passport renewal smooth and received next day (compared to Australia 6 weeks).

[Old Croc]

10 minutes ago, Ajarnbrian said:

Assuming you’re flying direct from Melbourne or Sydney to Thailand on Jetstar, should be fine. Going via another country (where 6 months min remaining on PP rule applies) probably no.

No problem if staying in the transit lounge during a short stopover, but if landing, i.e. going though Immigration, it could be difficult.

[Old Croc]

6 minutes ago, Ajarnbrian said:

My wife’s Thai passport expired during Covid. To return from Australia to Thailand she got a Certificate from Thai Embassy Canberra and had to buy direct flight to Thailand to renew there. Flight back to Thailand no problem with that Cert and Thai passport renewal smooth and received next day (compared to Australia 6 weeks).

Australian passports are among world leaders with security features which explains some of the delays and high costs.  

I renewed my Australian Passport at Phuket in 2020 (covid). I received the new one in fourteen days!

You can be lucky I guess.

[arithai12]

23 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, as others have stated she has no issue.

Be aware that with Jetstar sometimes you need to request a senior staff member if there is an issue at check in.

The 6 month rule even for non Thai does not apply for Thailand. 

It's an airline thing. 

In any event she is Thai.  No problem.

 

BTW my thai gf had to renew her pp recently. 

She went to the office that deals with that here in Bangkok.  

The new pp arrived NEXT day ems ...I kid you not. 

I know it's outside OP question, but my embassy (EU country) issues new passport (renewal) the same day. What's strange?

[DrJack54]

24 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

I know it's outside OP question, but my embassy (EU country) issues new passport (renewal) the same day. What's strange?

Strange as AU along with others were taking up to 6 weeks .

I just renewed my AU PP.

3 weeks. 

Don't be shy. Which country.

Never heard of same day pp renewal.