Picture courtesy of The Mirror UK

 

A British groom was prevented from boarding his flight to Thailand for his honeymoon after airline staff flagged damage on his passport. Josh Reekie, 31, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was due to travel with his wife Eden on a £2,400, honeymoon but was refused boarding by Etihad Airways at Manchester Airport.

 

The airline cited water damage on a 2019 Thailand entry stamp as the reason, despite Reekie having used the same passport on 12 previous trips without issue. “It felt surreal walking into an airport and then being told to leave without flying. We were so stressed after spending all that money,” Reekie said.

 

Eden’s passport was valid and the couple had booked a two-week TUI package to Phuket. After the boarding denial, TUI cancelled their accommodation and return flight, forcing the couple to make alternative last-minute travel arrangements to Cyprus.

 

Reekie obtained a new passport within two days but continues to seek refunds from both Etihad Airways and TUI. He criticised the airline for showing little empathy, saying passengers save all year for trips and deserve a second opinion.

 

Etihad confirmed the refusal, stating the passenger’s passport did not meet entry requirements due to visible water damage. The airline noted consultation with Thai immigration authorities and emphasised that British passports must be machine-readable and fully intact, including no water damage, torn pages, delamination, or illegible details.

 

The Daily Mirror reported that Reekie is pursuing compensation and advised other travellers to check their passports carefully before flying to avoid similar issues.

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• A British groom was barred from flying to Thailand due to water damage on a passport stamp.

• TUI cancelled the couple’s accommodation and return flight, forcing last-minute alternative travel.

• Etihad Airways confirmed the refusal, citing Thai immigration rules on passport integrity.

 

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 Adapted  by  Asean  Now from Mirror 2025-11-23

 

 

Sounds a bit over the top by the airline.

Not nice.

But but but Ethiat just voted one of the top airlines 

Feel sorry for them both. Airlines these days seem to take delight in enforcing petty rules to the letter. Discretion doesn't come into it.

Looks like minimal damage to a previous stamp. If this was all it was this is insane. Bit harsh to blame the airline as they were only adhering to the rules set down by Thai Immigration. The situation could have been worse if Etihad wasn't as over zealous, allowed them to board and they were denied entry into Thailand upon arrival.

2 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

 

A British groom was prevented from boarding his flight to Thailand for his honeymoon after airline staff flagged damage on his passport

Probably saved his marriage 

 

Bit ott but any sort of damage nowadays, even a slight tear to a blank page, and it can invalidate a passport. Not really down to the airline (they already checked with Thai imm), since if he was refused entry into Thailand, they’d have to fly him back. He should go after his insurers but could be sticky. 
 

I’m really careful with mine now. Had a mild panic attack when it almost hit scrunched up in a pocket recently.  Have also noted that immigration don’t staple TM30s and reports anymore. So easy to tear a page when taking them out.  

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

the couple to make alternative last-minute travel arrangements to Cyprus.

 

Thy''ll not miss much compared to Phuket.

If the story is it is ... i feel there are way too many jobsworth airline assistant workers in the Uk at the moment

In this digital era, we shouldn't even be dealing with paper passports.....go all digital and let us carry just a simple credit card size passport with an embedded digital chip inside.

19 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

In this digital era, we shouldn't even be dealing with paper passports.....go all digital and let us carry just a simple credit card size passport with an embedded digital chip inside.

Why not a phone app?

They flag a water damaged stamp yet people get through on fake passports or passports that aren't theirs.

1 hour ago, lordgrinz said:

In this digital era, we shouldn't even be dealing with paper passports.....go all digital and let us carry just a simple credit card size passport with an embedded digital chip inside.

I recently renewed my US passport and for an extra $30 I got a credit card size passport besides regular. Of course not told when applying, but disclaimer on back says valid for domestic travel (since when is passport required for domestic US flights? I know, just wait...), international land and sea travel US, Canada, Mexico and couple Caribbean spots but not international flights.... don't know if chip, but has bar code and some other fancy antifaking bits. I guess it is a start...

Quite a few years back I was travelling out of Thailand. Immigration pulled me up and grilled me over water damaged Thai stamps. I argued that it rains in Thailand & I could help it. After 10 min they made me sign another entry card and let me out. D/heads.

8 minutes ago, Bagwain said:

Quite a few years back I was travelling out of Thailand. Immigration pulled me up and grilled me over water damaged Thai stamps. I argued that it rains in Thailand & I could help it. After 10 min they made me sign another entry card and let me out. D/heads.

If you could 'help it', the water damage, why did you not?

4 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

If the story is it is ... i feel there are way too many jobsworth airline assistant workers in the Uk at the moment

If you check in online and have no baggage, do you need to be checked by the Staff. Don't you put your Passport into a machine, and have your fingers scanned.

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

3 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

In this digital era, we shouldn't even be dealing with paper passports.....go all digital and let us carry just a simple credit card size passport with an embedded digital chip inside.

Why not a phone app?

 

Because the 'anti-digitial' brigade will cry about an invasion of their rights - they don't want a to carry phone as that can track them !!!...

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Why not a phone app?

Not everyone has a phone.

4 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

In this digital era, we shouldn't even be dealing with paper passports.....go all digital and let us carry just a simple credit card size passport with an embedded digital chip inside.

Embed the chip on the person at birth. 

6 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Bit ott but any sort of damage nowadays, even a slight tear to a blank page, and it can invalidate a passport. Not really down to the airline (they already checked with Thai imm), since if he was refused entry into Thailand, they’d have to fly him back. He should go after his insurers but could be sticky. 
 

I’m really careful with mine now. Had a mild panic attack when it almost hit scrunched up in a pocket recently.  Have also noted that immigration don’t staple TM30s and reports anymore. So easy to tear a page when taking them out.  

 

kind of - but the news I've seen over the past year or who would point to 'jobsworths' overdoing things and just being nasty while hanging onto a technicality - the damage in these passports is so minimal the likelihood of it being picked up at the destination is minimal.

 

All the airline needs to do is have the passenger sign a waver that they'll not hold the airline accountable for return fare if they are rejected entry.

 

This is exactly the same type of waver that my Wife signed when we flew to Japan and she had less than 6 months validity on her passport.

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Because the 'anti-digitial' brigade will cry about an invasion of their rights - they don't want a to carry phone as that can track them !!!...

 

 

Then, like anti-vaxers, they have to live with the consequences................and not whine about it.

9 minutes ago, Will Iam Not said:

4 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

If the story is it is ... i feel there are way too many jobsworth airline assistant workers in the Uk at the moment

If you check in online and have no baggage, do you need to be checked by the Staff. Don't you put your Passport into a machine, and have your fingers scanned.

 

Thats a valid point - so many of my 'check-ins' now have been 'primarily' without human interaction.

 

i.e. Check-in online - use the Machine to print baggage tags - self check-in your bags

 

But...  With visa requirements, there is still usually a member of staff on hand to check visa validity.

 

Was this option available to the lad ? - could he have walked away and then tried the online check-in (by that time, is online check-in not closed ?)

 

This does smell of overzealous nasty jobworths getting a kick out of their tiny bit of power.

 

 

Dumbo, why take the risk

3 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

Then, like anti-vaxers, they have to live with the consequences................and not whine about it.

 

A phone app is not the answer IMO - it could be optional and there's no reason for it not to be.

 

But a 'Card' (with a chip) is the most logical way forwards.

 

Both would be ideal (phone and card) - lose one, the other is backup.

5 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Dumbo, why take the risk

 

Dumbo ??   what risk was he taking ? he's used the passport without issue on 12 previous trips...

& the water damaged Thailand Entry stamp was from 6 years ago !!

 

Heck - many of my stamps look like this with the amount of travel I do - some imperfect, smudged etc

 

Looking at the photo - stopping him from travelling due to that stamp is outrageous.

 

 

10 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

despite Reekie having used the same passport on 12 previous trips without issue.

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Dumbo ??   what risk was he taking ? he's used the passport without issue on 12 previous trips...

& the water damaged Thailand Entry stamp was from 6 years ago !!

 

Heck - many of my stamps look like this with the amount of travel I do - some imperfect, smudged etc

 

Looking at the photo - stopping him from travelling due to that stamp is outrageous.

 

 

The fact he was prevented boarding shows there was a risk.

 

Anything wrong with a passport that could prevent a trip replace it, some dumbos don't even realise they have less than 6 months left

13 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

The fact he was prevented boarding shows there was a risk.

 

Anything wrong with a passport that could prevent a trip replace it, some dumbos don't even realise they have less than 6 months left

 

No - the fact that he was prevented boarding for this shows the member of airline staff was a nasty piece of work.

 

A risk of what exactly ????  - being prevented entry to Thailand ???

 

As I wrote - they just needed to have him sign a waver - We've done the same in the past with passport validity - and yes - Wife didn't realise she only had 4 months remaining and I never checked - it wasn't an issue because the staff at the check-in counter had a helpful attitude rather than a nasty one.

 

And... do you really think Thailand Immigration would have flagged a 'water stained' entry stamp from 6 years ago ????  - the details are still legible. 

 

 

This was just a massive over reaction by a member of airline staff being a proper tw@t !!... 

 

 

 

It's a cheap way for the airlines to eliminate pax when overbooking.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

A phone app is not the answer IMO - it could be optional and there's no reason for it not to be.

 

But a 'Card' (with a chip) is the most logical way forwards.

 

Both would be ideal (phone and card) - lose one, the other is backup.

 

That sounds perfectly reasonable..….so no chance of it happening in Thailand.

1 minute ago, hotandsticky said:

That sounds perfectly reasonable..….so no chance of it happening in Thailand.

 

Its unfair to 'pin' that on Thailand.

 

It would take a universal world wide adoption for something like that to ever work.

 

Shifting from the 'established passports' would involve a huge amount of cooperation and legal frame-working.

 

When the passports are Biometric already - there's really no need or incentive for governments to go through the work and cost of making that more convenient for the passport holder.