Hi All

My Thai BFs passport is due to expire in Sept this year

The passport was issued in Sept 2003 so unlike most farang passports has only 5 years validity

Is it possible to get the validity of the passport extended to 10 years?

The reason i ask is that he is due to come back to Ireland in August this year, we would have to apply for the visa in April, but by the time he goes home the passport would have expired... therefore we need to apply for a new passport now - if they won't extend...

Will they even issue a new passport before the current one expires in Sept?

Thanks in Advance!

It does amuse me that your b/f is in Thailand where a quick call to a passport office would give him all the answers in his own language but you are asking a bunch of foreigners how he should go about it.

Anyway

If his passport is not a biometric passport it can be extended but I think only until 2010 (not the full five years any more) as Thailand is phasing in Biometric passports.

If it is a biometric passport it cannot be extended.

In most instances his passport must be valid for 6 months beyond his expected departure from a country to be given a visa.

A new Thai passport is issued in about 3 days in Bangkok or about a week if application is made up country and can be done anytime. He (not we !) doesn't have to wait until it expires.

If his passport is not a biometric passport it can be extended but I think only until 2010 (not the full five years any more) as Thailand is phasing in Biometric passports.

A non-biometric passport may be extended by a Royal Thai Embassy outside of Thailand. However, it is unlikely that the MFA will extend it inside Thailand.