British yoga teacher stranded in Bangkok airport over passport tear

[still kicking]

8 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.  

Yoga is not a religion.

[Mr Meeseeks]

Just now, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   I first went to Thailand when I was 19 years old 

 

Sure pal. 👍

[Nick Carter icp]

7 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

Sure pal. 👍

 

   Its was quite common to go back packing in Thailand back then at that age , I was overlanding it to Australia 

[Gottfrid]

17 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I disagree.

 

I have 2 Australian passports (1 concurrent).

 

I travel internationally once a month, my passports get sent away to different countries for visas etc so I can enter the next country legally.

 

At times I've filled 64 page passports before they expire. 

 

I have never, ever had a damaged or a little bit broke or torn or marked passport.

 

Maybe that´s because you take good care of them and always fill them before they expire. That´s not what all people do. I am not saying she is right. Just exploring possibilities.

[Gottfrid]

19 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Here :

 

 

"There's been no issues with travelling until now. I had a tear already on my passport when I came here, I'm not sure if it's got any bigger, it's not that bad.

"It's like a centimetre on the main page where my picture is. I went to America and Jamaica with it and it was fine.

 

 

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24441910.british-passport-warning-woman-barred-flight-home/?ref=rss

Ok, didn´t read that URL. Thanks! Then she is definitely in the wrong. However, she probably bought a crap ticket, as you usually be in transit with a ticket the whole way home.

[SAFETY FIRST]

Just now, Gottfrid said:

Maybe that´s because you take good care of them and always fill them before they expire. That´s not what all people do. I am not saying she is right. Just exploring possibilities.

I understand but your passport is an important document, it must be protected. 

 

 

[Gottfrid]

5 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I understand but your passport is an important document, it must be protected. 

 

 

Sure, I can not tell you, you are wrong. Of course it must be protected. You are right, but many people just miss it or are too lazy to care. Sure. They could be a little bit more understanding, but they are not. So, you are still right. 🙂 ❤️

[SAFETY FIRST]

1 minute ago, Gottfrid said:

Sure, I can not tell you, you are wrong. Of course it must be protected. You are right, but many people just miss it or are too lazy to care. Sure. They could be a little bit more understanding, but they are not. So, you are still right. 🙂 ❤️

Yes, some people are a little careless. 

 

[Nick Carter icp]

14 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Ok, didn´t read that URL. Thanks! Then she is definitely in the wrong. However, she probably bought a crap ticket, as you usually be in transit with a ticket the whole way home.

 

   Looks like she bought this ticket .

Separate tickets , which meant that she would have to depart air side in India to check in for her next flight

 

https://www.google.com/travel/flights/booking?tfs=CBwQAhqMARIKMjAyNC0wNy0yNiIgCgNMR1cSCjIwMjQtMDctMjYaA0lTVCoCVzkyBDU3MjkiHgoDSVNUEgoyMDI0LTA3LTI3GgNCT00qAjZFMgIxOCIgCgNCT00SCjIwMjQtMDctMjgaA0JLSyoCNkUyBDEwNTFqDAgCEggvbS8wNGpwbHIMCAISCC9tLzBmbjJnGowBEgoyMDI0LTA3LTMwIiAKA0JLSxIKMjAyNC0wNy0zMBoDQk9NKgI2RTIEMTA1MiIeCgNCT00SCjIwMjQtMDctMzEaA0lTVCoCNkUyAjE3IiAKA0lTVBIKMjAyNC0wNy0zMRoDTEdXKgJXOTIENTc3MmoMCAISCC9tLzBmbjJncgwIAhIIL20vMDRqcGxAAUgBcAGCAQsI____________AZgBAQ&tfu=CnxDalJJVW5Gd1FtY3hVVkpLVFZWQlIzQldha0ZDUnkwdExTMHRMUzB0TFhkbGNISXhNa0ZCUVVGQlIyRlBhbUpWUkVSWFFUWkJFaEkyUlRFd05USjhOa1V4TjN4WE9UVTNOeklhQ3dqUXFnVVFBaG9EUjBKUU9CeHdvT29HEgIIACIGCgExEgEw&hl=en&gl=uk&curr=GBP

 

[Gottfrid]

6 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Looks like she bought this ticket .

Separate tickets , which meant that she would have to depart air side in India to check in for her next flight

 

https://www.google.com/travel/flights/booking?tfs=CBwQAhqMARIKMjAyNC0wNy0yNiIgCgNMR1cSCjIwMjQtMDctMjYaA0lTVCoCVzkyBDU3MjkiHgoDSVNUEgoyMDI0LTA3LTI3GgNCT00qAjZFMgIxOCIgCgNCT00SCjIwMjQtMDctMjgaA0JLSyoCNkUyBDEwNTFqDAgCEggvbS8wNGpwbHIMCAISCC9tLzBmbjJnGowBEgoyMDI0LTA3LTMwIiAKA0JLSxIKMjAyNC0wNy0zMBoDQk9NKgI2RTIEMTA1MiIeCgNCT00SCjIwMjQtMDctMzEaA0lTVCoCNkUyAjE3IiAKA0lTVBIKMjAyNC0wNy0zMRoDTEdXKgJXOTIENTc3MmoMCAISCC9tLzBmbjJncgwIAhIIL20vMDRqcGxAAUgBcAGCAQsI____________AZgBAQ&tfu=CnxDalJJVW5Gd1FtY3hVVkpLVFZWQlIzQldha0ZDUnkwdExTMHRMUzB0TFhkbGNISXhNa0ZCUVVGQlIyRlBhbUpWUkVSWFFUWkJFaEkyUlRFd05USjhOa1V4TjN4WE9UVTNOeklhQ3dqUXFnVVFBaG9EUjBKUU9CeHdvT29HEgIIACIGCgExEgEw&hl=en&gl=uk&curr=GBP

 

That really sucks!

People with that kind of economy should save one trip and stay home.

[Nick Carter icp]

12 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

That really sucks!

People with that kind of economy should save one trip and stay home.

 

   Quite often when you try to get the very cheapest option, you end up paying more 

[Gottfrid]

3 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Quite often when you try to get the very cheapest option, you end up paying more 

right! Never tried it. 😉 

[paulikens]

During her stay, she engaged in voluntary work... . "I missed my £370 flight and had to apply for emergency documents. I don’t have any money left.”    Maybe she should have engaged in paid work then.   

[frank83628]

8 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

In addition to the damaged passport she had over-stayed her visa, had engaged in a restricted activity, and apparently has no money. Not exactly a well-organised individual.

typical go-fund-me person

[paulikens]

During her stay, she engaged in voluntary work... . "I missed my £370 flight and had to apply for emergency documents. I don’t have any money left.”    Maybe she should have engaged in paid work then.   

[fleccer]

Well according  what I see this passport  seems to be a bit neglected

[Nick Carter icp]

50 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

right! Never tried it. 😉 

 

  You can see other people tying to do things on the cheap and then ending up paying more , like the person in this story

[Gottfrid]

4 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

  You can see other people tying to do things on the cheap and then ending up paying more , like the person in this story

You are right, but I would never take that risk. Also, it´s stupid to travel if you do not have enough money for comfort.

[Jimjim1]

4 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

I think you missed a lot or all of this story. Read again.

She's just a stupid girl, not even able to take care of her passport. "Yoga teacher" says it all.

I don’t think I have missed anything but I will leave you to your jaded, crass and ongoing remarks.

It was a very small tear on a page in her PP which did not deserve the action that was taken against her or some of the unfeeling remarks levelled at her herein.

[Nick Carter icp]

1 minute ago, Jimjim1 said:

I don’t think I have missed anything but I will leave you to your jaded, crass and ongoing remarks.

It was a very small tear on a page in her PP which did not deserve the action that was taken against her or some of the unfeeling remarks levelled at her herein.

 

   It wasn't just a tear in her passport .

She had overstayed in Thailand and didn't seem to have money for the overstay fine , and also she didn't have a visa to enter into India and so couldn't get on the flight 

[witsawakorn]

10 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

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.

Note that it said a rip on the photo page. Maybe concern about the photo being tampered with. We don’t know that she wasn’t intending to enter the countries that she was traveling through especially as she had spent time in India before. Much more to this story than meets the eye I think. She would have checked in before clearing immigration surely so the airline would only see her passport again at the gate where they only do a quick check in my experience. Why are they trying to raise £1000 anyway?

[Evil Penevil]

The Murdoch tabloids in the U.K. and U.S. picked up this story.  According to the New York Post, "The beleaguered yogi said she finally managed to fly home from Thailand on July 9, Kennedy [News] reported."

 

3 hours ago, witsawakorn said:

Much more to this story than meets the eye I think.

 

I agree.  I believe her hassles probably had more to do with her lack of funds and visa overstay than a small tear on her passport.

 

Anyway- a suggestion if any of you are ever faced with traveling with a damaged passport: notify the airline before you go to the airport.  I once had a passport badly damaged two days before I was to return to the U.S. from Thailand.  I visited the U.S. Consulate in Bangkok and was given an emergency travel document to use along with the damaged passport.  I also went to the Bangkok office of the airline with which I was flying, explained the situation to them and showed them my passport and travel document.  After several hours of checking my ticket and documents and communicating with the head office, I was given a letter to show check-in and gate personnel in Bangkok and Hong Kong that said I was allowed to board the flights on which I was booked.   I had no delays in gettng back to the U.S.

[FritsSikkink]

12 hours ago, charleskerins said:

that's what they do on here     probably why they are in Thailand  rejected at home.

Did she have a work permit and appropriate visa for her voluntary work?

[Zack61]

I had a similar experience about 10 years ago. They questioned a similar thing where the binding on my passport had started to let go on the photo page. Separation was less than a centimetre. 
After much pleading they allowed my wife and I to pass through. On attempting to board the flight one of their staff pulled us aside and handed us an envelope full of Thai baht equivalent to the exact amount we had paid for our tickets and told us they wouldn’t be allowing us to fly because they may be subjected to a large fine by Indian immigration on arrival in India. My wife was offered the option of traveling alone if she wished. What a shambles. We then had to cough up for a return flight to Chiang Mai where we were living at that time. 

[steven100]

17 hours ago, Scottie12 said:

Go Fund Me, I don't think so.

just 20 baht   ?

[Dexxter]

17 hours ago, Scottie12 said:

Go Fund Me, I don't think so.

Every one of these sob stories ends with a go-fund-me request.

[newbee2022]

9 hours ago, Jimjim1 said:

I don’t think I have missed anything but I will leave you to your jaded, crass and ongoing remarks.

It was a very small tear on a page in her PP which did not deserve the action that was taken against her or some of the unfeeling remarks levelled at her herein.

Obviously you have been there and saw the tear, which happened just in that moment. Sorry, I didn't know that. 🙏

[SAFETY FIRST]

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Can you tell 100% that your passport does not have any damage or a tear in it ? 

I'm 100% sure if any of my passports (original and concurrent) had a tear, I would know about it. 

 

At times my passports are sent away to different countries for visas etc, I have never had a passport with a tear or torn...never. 

 

I fill a 64 page passport in less than 10 years, my passports get a lot of use, they are seen and handled by many people. 

 

 

 

[tingtong]

Somewhat tragicomic, that the freshly minted yoga teacher gal travelling the world with no work and income, and when needed between her, her parents and her sister they unable to raise a mere 1000£ for an emergency.

 

Can only hope she learn a life lesson.

[JimTripper]

It's a rogue airline employee. Just as concerning are simpleton clerks checking visas at the airline desk. They don't know the rules and are not trained in immigration matters.