British yoga teacher stranded in Bangkok airport over passport tear

[webfact]

 

A British yoga teacher was stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport after being barred from boarding her flight home due to a slight tear in her passport.

 

The British woman, 27 year old Rosie Viscomi, had planned to fly back to London from Bangkok last Thursday, July 4. However, she was prevented from boarding her £370 (approximately 17,000 baht) multi-stop flight, which included stops in India and Turkey, after airline officials objected to a 1-centimetre rip on the photo page of her passport. This unfortunate turn of events left Rosie crying at Suvarnabhumi Airport as IndiGo Airlines staff refused her passage.

 

The dance and yoga teacher from Norfolk had been on the Thai island of Koh Pha Ngan since April, after completing her yoga qualification in India.

 

During her stay, she engaged in voluntary work and deepened her yoga knowledge before deciding to return home. Despite having reportedly extended her visa just days prior, Viscomi was informed at the airport that her visa had expired, rendering her stay illegal.

Frantic and fearing arrest, the British traveller spent the last few days liaising with Thai immigration and the British Embassy to arrange her safe return, which has already cost her hundreds of pounds.

“When I went for my flight on Thursday, they said ‘You’re not going anywhere with that,’ referring to a small rip in my passport.

 

“They told me India won’t let me in and I need to book a direct flight from Bangkok to London. I missed my £370 flight and had to apply for emergency documents. I don’t have any money left.”

 

Viscomi, who had previously travelled to America and Jamaica without issues, was shocked by the sudden enforcement.

 

“I didn’t know if they were going to arrest me because I didn’t have the correct stamp. I was at immigration just crying, and everyone kept saying there was nothing they could do. I thought I had all the right visa documents. I just want to go home.”

 

The yoga teacher’s family has stepped in to help with the financial burden. Viscomi’s sister has set up a fundraising page, which has raised £280 of the £1,000 target so far.

 

Meanwhile, Viscomi has managed to secure a new flight and emergency travel documents, hoping to return to England on July 9. IndiGo Airlines has been contacted for comment, reported The Mirror UK.

 

by Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Photo courtesy of Kennedy News and Media

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-07-10

 

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[Wuvu2]

IndiGo Airlines is a must-miss. I've never experienced a more impolite and aggressive airline staff or crew. Truly not at an international standard of customer care. 

[proton]

This seems to get reported quite often, one airline will refuse and another sees no problem. Usually the damage is almost invisible

[SAFETY FIRST]

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

“They told me India won’t let me in and I need to book a direct flight from Bangkok to London

This unfortunate turn of events left Rosie crying 

Yep, if she arrives in India and refused entry the airline must return her to Bangkok. 

 

No need for the tears, it's her own fault. 

 

Edited July 10 by SAFETY FIRST

[Dr. Zorg]

15 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

 

No need for the tears, it's her own fault. 

 

To top it all, now the whole world must "chip-in" to go-fund me.

[thaibeachlovers]

I wonder if it was ripped on arrival?

 

I've heard of several reasons for not allowing someone to board, but a small rip, seriously? IMO there is something missing from this story.

 

Perhaps the main takeaway from this is if you are skint, don't go on holidays to foreign countries.

[Gottfrid]

I actually don´t get this. She had a ticket home to London, with multiple stops in India and Turkey. But isn´t this just stops and change of planes as usual? In that case she will not enter, nor have any need to enter the countries as she will remain at the airport. Am I missing something, or has it changed. To me the excuse that she can´t board because she will be refused entry in India is just garabge as she will never enter the country.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

During her stay, she engaged in voluntary work

Did she have a work permit? If not that is very naughty of her.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

I actually don´t get this. She had a ticket home to London, with multiple stops in India and Turkey. But isn´t this just stops and change of planes as usual? In that case she will not enter, nor have any need to enter the countries as she will remain at the airport. Am I missing something, or has it changed. To me the excuse that she can´t board because she will be refused entry in India is just garabge as she will never enter the country.

Not correct IMO. Isn't it a fact that if one lands at Swampy but has an onward flight from Don Muang one has to enter Thailand. Such may be the case in India, or she had an overnight stay requiring her to leave the air side of the airport, just as I had to in Sri Lanka.

[brianthainess]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Not correct IMO. Isn't it a fact that if one lands at Swampy but has an onward flight from Don Muang one has to enter Thailand. Such may be the case in India, or she had an overnight stay requiring her to leave the air side of the airport, just as I had to in Sri Lanka.

Agree I have had 'connecting' flights before and still had to go around through immigration, India and Bruni. 

[foreverlomsak]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Not correct IMO. Isn't it a fact that if one lands at Swampy but has an onward flight from Don Muang one has to enter Thailand. Such may be the case in India, or she had an overnight stay requiring her to leave the air side of the airport, just as I had to in Sri Lanka.

In the past I've even had to pass through passport control to get from the arrival gate to the departure lounge on some split flights (presumably due to domestic and international flights arriving at adjacent gates at the same time)

[steven100]

seems her yoga didn't ward off those evil spirits enough ....   she needs more peace and harmony and offer some beer to the gods.  

[Nick Carter icp]

17 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

I actually don´t get this. She had a ticket home to London, with multiple stops in India and Turkey. But isn´t this just stops and change of planes as usual? In that case she will not enter, nor have any need to enter the countries as she will remain at the airport. Am I missing something, or has it changed. To me the excuse that she can´t board because she will be refused entry in India is just garabge as she will never enter the country.

 

   Sounds like it was one of those cheap tickets where you have to collect your luggage and go thorough immigration at each stop 

[Gottfrid]

9 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Not correct IMO. Isn't it a fact that if one lands at Swampy but has an onward flight from Don Muang one has to enter Thailand. Such may be the case in India, or she had an overnight stay requiring her to leave the air side of the airport, just as I had to in Sri Lanka.

 

5 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Agree I have had 'connecting' flights before and still had to go around through immigration, India and Bruni. 

 

Okay guys, then I am badly updated. Normally I fly direct. It was a while ago now since I had connecting flights. Never had to go through any immigration in Dubai, Tashkent nor Frankfurt. However, maybe over 10 year since I had anything else than direct. 🙂 

[Gottfrid]

1 minute ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Sounds like it was one of those cheap tickets where you have to collect your luggage and go thorough immigration at each stop 

Ok, they have such. I never even knew it existed.

[Nick Carter icp]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“They told me India won’t let me in and I need to book a direct flight from Bangkok to London.

 

   She would have needed a visa to get into India and that a likely reason why she wasn't allowed to board the flight .

   Same thing happened to a woman on my flight from BKK , she had to change flights in India but didn't have an India visa so she wasn't allowed to board the flight 

[brianthainess]

Funny thing in Delhi airport they picked up on a metal object in my carry on, it was a blues harmonica, the woman said can you play it, so I came up with ' I've got the Deli airport Blues ' made up on the spot, to a lot of amusement all round. true story.  

[Sheryl]

It is certainly possible to change flights in India (at New Delhi anyway) without an Indian visa. As in most international airports there is a "Transfer" line that you follow. I've done it twice this year.

 

However  India being India, while you do not go through Immigration or need an Indian visa ,  you do have to go through a byzantine labyrinth in which you must present your passport and boarding passes several times to get into the departure area. And  India being India,   they might well kick up a fuss about a small tear.

[digbeth]

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

It is certainly possible to change flights in India (at New Delhi anyway) without an Indian visa. As in most international airports yhere is a "Transfer" line that you follow. I've done it twice this year.

 

However  India being India, while you do not go through Immigration or need an Indian visa ,  you do have to go through a byzantine labyrinth in which you must present your passport and boarding passes several times to get into the departure area. And  India being India,   they might well kick up a fuss about a small tear.

 

would the transfer gate be available only for connecting flights that your luggage can be booked through. not sure if such facility is available to low cost airlines, I don't think it's even available to transfer luggage between low cost flight even if it's on the same airline even, say you connect at Bangkok, you have to collect your bag and check in again

[Liverpool Lou]

44 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I've heard of several reasons for not allowing someone to board, but a small rip, seriously? IMO there is something missing from this story.

https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport/replace#:~:text=If your passport is damaged,read any of your details

"If your passport is damaged you must replace it. You may not be able to travel with it.

HM Passport Office will consider your passport damaged if:

 

• any of the pages are ripped, cut or missing..."

Edited July 10 by Liverpool Lou

[zyphodb]

43 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

I actually don´t get this. She had a ticket home to London, with multiple stops in India and Turkey. But isn´t this just stops and change of planes as usual? In that case she will not enter, nor have any need to enter the countries as she will remain at the airport. Am I missing something, or has it changed. To me the excuse that she can´t board because she will be refused entry in India is just garabge as she will never enter the country.

the last time I was in transit in Mumbai, they had 3 passport checks, paranoid or what???

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Viscomi was informed at the airport that her visa had expired, rendering her stay illegal.

Appears she was on overstay, also.

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

During her stay, she ... deepened her yoga knowledge before deciding to return home.

She'd have been better off deepening her international travel requirements and visa extensions knowledge before whinging at Immigration.

[Gottfrid]

18 minutes ago, zyphodb said:

the last time I was in transit in Mumbai, they had 3 passport checks, paranoid or what???

Just a tad 😉 

[Aviatorhi]

2 hours ago, Wuvu2 said:

IndiGo Airlines is a must-miss. I've never experienced a more impolite and aggressive airline staff or crew. Truly not at an international standard of customer care. 

So business as usual on the subcontinent.

[Scottie12]

Go Fund Me, I don't think so.

[renaissanc]

She didn't know about this beforehand, but if you have a tear like that one, get it glued very, very carefully with a drop or two of glue and then ironed flat so it doesn't show. 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The yoga teacher’s family has stepped in to help with the financial burden. Viscomi’s sister has set up a fundraising page, which has raised £280 of the £1,000 target so far.

Help from strangers not the family?

[john donson]

the way immigration or banks handle our passports to check and recheck... imagine this tear happened at the airport, their fault, missing your flights...

[SbuxPlease]

1. Bonkers. 1cm tear? Every last dirty paw at immigration wants to rifle through your passport, damage is possible at all times. This airline is being really dumb and so would any further immigration if they also refused when her booked destination is her home country.

 

2. Why do people engage in international travel with less than 1000£ in reserve? Also bonkers.