British yoga teacher stranded in Bangkok airport over passport tear

[CNXBKKMAN]

2 hours 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.

 

I am speculating here not knowing the full details but this is not a regular Air India BKK India UK ticket or Turkish Airlines BKK Istanbul UK where your bags are checked through and you are ust transferring onto the next connecting flight. These would be legit methods of getting back.  With the destination being the UK and her being a full UK citizen UK, the rip should cause no problem. The UK won't refuse her entry even with a damaged passport.

 

The ticket she seems to have booked is one shown on Skyscanner or Google Flights. Its normally the "cheapest" option but for 99.9% off people should never be booked. It should be shown with that warning too!  Its a bunch of unconnected low cost airlines. So indigo to India. Then possibly indigo or another Indian airline to Abu Dhabi, Shariah, Dubai etc. Then probably Pegasus to possibly the UK via Istanbul. It might not go to the UK,  some of them go Budapest or Milan etc then its Wizz Air or Easyjet from there. 

 

I believe she had one of these type of tickets. You may need a visa for India? You may need to change airport somewhere on the route. You may be allowed a piece hang luggage on one at 10kg, but 5kg on another and none the next one( a nightmare of grief and on the spot payments)  If you add a suitcase to every sector this <deleted>ty set of flights becomes more expensive than a regular flight like Thai Airways one way direct to London 18000 baht ish. The online booking sites that offer these daft combination of flights should never be booked with ever. I think she had one these joke tickets and its right you can't travel anywhere on a damaged passport with exception of your own country pretty much. 

[Pouatchee]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

I need to book a direct flight from Bangkok to London.

 

just do what they say and stop beatching. there are rules concerning the condition a passport must be in in order to travel. she just wants to get her way.

 

immi actually tore my passport with their stupid habit of using staples to attach documents. i had to use a toothpick and latex glue to fix it. no one ever noticed.

[In Full Agreement]

1 hour ago, Powder said:

really unbelievable, like a child, unprepared and acting like "i thought like this and that".

And the family help her, not really, with crowdfunding. Its weird, most of the time its a Brit. Do they leave their brain at home when going for a holiday. And they act that its normal that crowdfunding is the best thing to do.

This girl lived for a long time under a rock. 

 

 

 

I may be in the minority on this but I wonder if you're being  a bit overly harsh on the young lady?

 

[Celsius]

1 hour ago, Mugi said:

Yoga teacher mai mee dang.

Go fund me, pleeeese. Me stupid nitnoi.

 

You learn this at the bar?

[SAFETY FIRST]

13 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Accidents do happen, and sometimes they are beyond our control, who knows what happened to her passport? Have you never had an incident with a passport, have you never made a mistake in your lifetime? Do you have no compassion for someone who has? 

My work involves me travelling internationally EVERY month. 

 

My passport is one of the most important documents I have.

 

Accidents do happen, for her to mismanage this situation shows her Incompetence. 

 

I now know why she's self employed, she'd never be on my team in the workplace. 

 

[AnotherOneHere]

3 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

My work involves me travelling internationally EVERY month. 

 

My passport is one of the most important documents I have.

 

Accidents do happen, for her to mismanage this situation shows her Incompetence. 

 

I now know why she's self employed, she'd never be on my team in the workplace. 

 

 

LOL, are you actually proud of being an employee? 😆

[cnx101]

Unbelievable scumbag airline, probably over booked and trying to get rid of some passengers like Vietjet do, and they do that as I’ve got a friend works for them and he’s told me of what they do to save giving compensation 

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

flight, which included stops in India and Turkey,

Can't she simply rebook with no stops, just transit within the two airports and not enter India nor Turkey going through immigration?

[it is what it is]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

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

 

do you know what yoga is? maybe find out before commenting.

[Randy99]

3 hours ago, proton said:

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

[charleskerins]

3 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

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. 

 

You gotta lotta likes for your callous post ,how exactly is it her fault?

[Robbie2618]

I replaced my passport last year also because it had a small 4 mm tear in the photo page. Never had an issue as i don't think it was ever noticed but all it takes is one person to see it and then the show kicks off, it bothered me as I have heard of passports being denied because of tears. The airline staff did as there instructed, if IndiGo allowed her on the flight and India immigration denied entry the cost is on the airline to return her to Thailand. Also if an airline gets to many rejections of passengers due to paperwork that shouldn't have been allowed, then they get fined. So, as cold as it may seem she has to either get a new passport or book a direct flight, or book on another airline and try again and hope they don't notice. Its not polite to talk about people's finances but it seems she doesn't even have an emergency fund even though she has traveled to several countries, not really the best plan. And for the sister to open a gofund me for such a small amount? It seems the whole fam that has bad financial planning if that's what is

needed to help her. 

[richard_smith237]

 

3 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

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

 

3 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Another Brit, not a criminal this time but stupid as well.😂

 

Some of the comments on this thread are dripping with self-righteous sanctimony, along with the predictable Brit-bashing.

 

This was a mere 1cm tear. I've experienced a similar issue with a 0.5cm tear and thought nothing of it.

Neither immigration nor check-in staff noticed the damage, and the passport was used without issue. I only noticed the tear when renewing the passport, so it's unclear how long it had been there.

 

Anyone preventing travel over such a trivial matter is being a pedantic jobsworth. Those defending this decision instead of questioning its absurdity are doing so from a place of vulgar superiority.

 

I travel frequently, and despite keeping my passport in a wallet, it inevitably shows wear and tear.

 

Who routinely inspects their passport for minor damage? The only times I scrutinise my passport are during check-in and at immigration. I doubt many would notice a small tear until it's too late—except, of course, for the lying, sanctimonious individuals who claim this could never happen to them.

 

 

[Randy99]

My pp got soaked and the ink stamps ran plus some water got under the plastic film on the identity page which blurred the photo.  Canadian embassy in Bkk said it was fine.  I had it replaced regardless.

[Kinok Farang]

Poor girl was left crying.

Maybe taking up something like yoga for instance would help calm her down.

[Chetzee]

33 minutes ago, oslooskar said:

Civil servants instinctively throw their weight around in order to convince the public that they're needed.

Indian airports and airlines are extremely security conscious .... and not with out good reason .....    As someone who has experienced a hijack at the hands of terrorist I welcome it ..... if the odd yogi waif and stray gets caught up in that then so be it !  

[Jiggo]

Had a slight problem myself with VietJet a jobsworth pulled me at check-in as slight damage on the next of kin page and they will have to contact my arrival immigration.

I explained that it was Thailand Immigration that caused the damage do to all the staples they stick in it.

Ended up being tracked though the Airport including a visit to the Immigration desk.

No problem on the return journey 

[Leadidge]

What’s her own fault? 
An irrelevant tear in her passport or the fact that they’re being cnuts because they can? 

[Jimjim1]

3 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Another Brit, not a criminal this time but stupid as well.😂

Why stupid?

Are you another one of the many in here who prefers verbal diarrhea to a more common sense attitude, do you ever try to think in a more open minded way?

 

There are many reasons why her PP was torn, an over zealous heavy handed immigration officer or hotel receptionist who we all have to give our PPs to, to register our stay could have torn it but will they tell you, of course not, they just give it back and if you notice it and you comment they will deny doing it, so who is really the stupid one? I don’t think it was her.

 

I had a credit card badly damaged by a ladyboy receptionist who could not get my card into its machine so it forced the card in and scratched the panel on the back leaving me all but stranded 10,000ks from home with a useless card, luckily I was near the end of my stay and had enough cash to settle my bills, but had I not had this cash I dread to think what may have happened to me given the intransigence of the Thai police who would definitely have sided with the lying ladyboy.

 

So don’t be so quick to condemn people as stupid when it could so easily have not been her fault.

 

Think about who of us regularly check our PPs the moment we get it back, and who of us on noticing damage would comment upon it knowing that there is every chance we will be arrested for doing so.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

4 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. 

 

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Help from strangers not the family?

Absolute pettiness and appalling a 1 cm tear..

 

[Leadidge]

34 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

My work involves me travelling internationally EVERY month. 

 

My passport is one of the most important documents I have.

 

Accidents do happen, for her to mismanage this situation shows her Incompetence. 

 

I now know why she's self employed, she'd never be on my team in the workplace. 

 

What’s her own fault? 
An irrelevant tear in her passport or the fact that they’re being cnuts because they can? 
Mismanage? How the fukc would she know they wouldn’t allow a tiny tear in her passport? Perhaps it’s her first time travelling, perhaps it’s never been an issue before (as it shouldn’t!) 

I doubt she’d want to work with someone as judgemental as you anyway! FFS!

[Sheryl]

33 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Can't she simply rebook with no stops, just transit within the two airports and not enter India nor Turkey going through immigration?

 

Indeed she can, and likely will have to do exactly this.

 

But will likely lose the cost of the first ticket(s) entirely, then have added cost of a more expensive ticket.

 

For which she may not have the funds offhand.  Yoga teaching is not particularly lucrative for most people.

 

 

[dallen52]

Suppose all the staple holes in the passport inflicted by Thai immigration don't count?

When they affix receipts and proof of residency papers.

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, arick said:

It gets pretty sad that your family can't even get together a few hundred dollars. Maybe next time you shouldn't be traveling unless you have a backup.

One way ticket direct Bangkok - UK at this time of year (peak travel) is more than a few hundred dollars. Closer to a thousand.

[SAFETY FIRST]

43 minutes ago, AnotherOneHere said:

 

LOL, are you actually proud of being an employee? 😆

Weird reply. 

 

$20000 US a month, what's not to be proud of. 

 

I work on an offshore drilling rig. 

 

Give us all a laugh, Let's hear about your place of employment.

 

[ryandb]

1 hour ago, Dave0206 said:

Most of us on here can afford a uck up like this NOW but the girl was very unlucky. I'm sure at some time in our lives ( I'm talking for me) if I had been refused my flight after thinking I was free to spend my last baht it would have been a worrying time . So I'm not going to get on her case she was unlucky and feel many of us or our children could end up in same position difference is as we get older we start worrying what if so we plan for worst scenarios 

 

Very true, I'm guessing she tried to make it work over here and ran out of funds/time to find a way to support herself and waited until the last moment (just enough left to book the flight) before they opted to do the sensible thing and return back home. It's a learning experience, I'm guessing she will be back but will be planning it and having more emergency funds in future.

[SAFETY FIRST]

33 minutes ago, charleskerins said:

You gotta lotta likes for your callous post ,how exactly is it her fault?

Omg, are you an adult that has a passport? 

 

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, digbeth said:

 

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

 

Yes, the transfer option is only possible if your luggage is checker through.

 

But even if it was, from my experienced transiting in India, could well be hassled over a small tear in passport.

 

I was held up for a good 30 minutes because my connecting flight was 10 hours later. As it happens, I had booked into the transit hotel within the airport, but really, up to me if I wanted to spend  the 10 hours in the departure area, which has plenty of seats, restaurants etc. Yet this was flagged, I was pulled aside, had to wait for a senior IO to come over etc etc.  A small tear in the passport would surely be a huge problem there, even transiting.

 

But agree, she likely ha d a low budget set of tickets where she'd have to clear immigration and get her bags and check back in at each stage. Which the airline/ticketer may nto have told her.

[SAFETY FIRST]

32 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

 

 

Some of the comments on this thread are dripping with self-righteous sanctimony, along with the predictable Brit-bashing.

 

This was a mere 1cm tear. I've experienced a similar issue with a 0.5cm tear and thought nothing of it.

Neither immigration nor check-in staff noticed the damage, and the passport was used without issue. I only noticed the tear when renewing the passport, so it's unclear how long it had been there.

 

Anyone preventing travel over such a trivial matter is being a pedantic jobsworth. Those defending this decision instead of questioning its absurdity are doing so from a place of vulgar superiority.

 

I travel frequently, and despite keeping my passport in a wallet, it inevitably shows wear and tear.

 

Who routinely inspects their passport for minor damage? The only times I scrutinise my passport are during check-in and at immigration. I doubt many would notice a small tear until it's too late—except, of course, for the lying, sanctimonious individuals who claim this could never happen to them.

 

 

You do understand that we all have opinions. 

[ryandb]

2 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Weird reply. 

 

$20000 US a month, what's not to be proud of. 

 

I work on an offshore drilling rig. 

 

Give us all a laugh, Let's hear about your place of employment.

 

 

Good for you, my stepdad does Sea defense work 3 months on 3 months off and the money is insane, I run my own business but sometimes wish I'd have followed him into it, less stress (but hard work when out there) and the work is always out there