Going Back To Thailand With Expired Passport

[jaloochapurr]

My wife's brother has been murdered in thailand.

She has to go back now.

She has flight from Florida to LAX, then to singapore and then to BKK.

But when she looked at passport she found out her's is EXPIRED.

Will they let her leave USA?

If not can she go to Consulate in LA and get some in her passport that will allow her to leave?

She has to get back as soon as possible.

Please give advice.

[Zpete]

No hope, never get through passport control without travel documents.

Contacy Thai Embassy, Immjgration in US, get a fast emergency, renewal.

[jaloochapurr]

No hope, never get through passport control without travel documents.

Contacy Thai Embassy, Immjgration in US, get a fast emergency, renewal.

PASSPORT CONTROL WHERE?

When you leave USA, there is no passport check.

[patklang]

Even Thaialnd wont allow you to stay,i think you need at least 6 months in your passport.

[DP25]

No hope, never get through passport control without travel documents.

Contacy Thai Embassy, Immjgration in US, get a fast emergency, renewal.

PASSPORT CONTROL WHERE?

When you leave USA, there is no passport check.

The airline isn't going to let you on without a passport.

[jaloochapurr]

She has passport,Thai one. Just is expired thai one.

[Zpete]

No hope, never get through passport control without travel documents.

Contacy Thai Embassy, Immjgration in US, get a fast emergency, renewal.

PASSPORT CONTROL WHERE?

When you leave USA, there is no passport check.

Passport control at airport, before you go airside.

You will not be able to check in without one.

[Livinginexile]

She has passport,Thai one. Just is expired thai one.

Mate she has to have a current passport to get out of the USA, she would not even get past checkin, never mind customs!

lI am assuming she has a resident visa too right? then she will need to take her new passport to US immigration for a new visa stamp. For one she would not be able to travel back to the US.

All up, even fast tracked, at least 2 weeks.

[coventry]

If she is Thai then surely Thailand cannot refuse her entry, passport or not. Unless she's renounced her nationality and became a US citizen.

[jaloochapurr]

That is right, she is Thai citizen. They will let her into Thailand.

This is the airlines only thing, if a person is not alowed into they must ship them back at airlines cost.

she is also a holder of permanent resident card so has nothing to do with visa or immigration at USA.

But worst case, they will not let on plane for Thailand, she has to saty the night in LA, then first thing do to consulate. They must have some sort of emergency way to solve this and help her get on the next flight. That is why they are there to help Thai people in USA>

[jaloochapurr]

She has passport,Thai one. Just is expired thai one.

Mate she has to have a current passport to get out of the USA, she would not even get past checkin, never mind customs!

lI am assuming she has a resident visa too right? then she will need to take her new passport to US immigration for a new visa stamp. For one she would not be able to travel back to the US.

All up, even fast tracked, at least 2 weeks.

She has permanent residency in USA, so no problem with coming back, just must renew her passport in Thailand.

[surface]

That is why they are there to help Thai people in USA

Unfortunately for you and your wife that is not the main reason they are there. Better you realize that now as it will only help you when dealing with them.

[WeeGB]

Firstly, sorry to read about your wife's brother. It must be very distressing for the poor lady trying to sort out her documents, with such an awful tragedy on her mind.

In view of the circumstances, I would ask the Thai consul/ Embassy if her passport can be extended, which involves pasting a new page on to her passport, and them stamping it as valid. This can be done to extend from five years to ten years, my wife has done it at BangNa, so surely in this situation a solution can be found.

Good luck.

[Old Croc]

It is possible for people to travel without a current passport, but it is very difficult to organise.

If you are on a direct flight to your country of origin (no stopovers) and the airline receives an assurance from the destination country that entry will be allowed (cable from appropriate authority), and local Immigration on departure agrees, travel is possible. It requires a number of people prepared to go out of their way to expedite. It may not happen for a funeral.

Better to get your local embassy to grant an emergency travel document (or extension of current PP).

Anyone living outside their own country should always ensure their passport is current, particularly if you are likely to wish sudden travel for funerals, etc. If you find you can't travel under these circumstances there is only one person to blame and that is not any airline staff nor Immigration officials.

Edited March 29, 2009 by Old Croc

[brianw]

Slightly different view . My wife departed the U K on her British passport and entered Thailand on her Thai passport( if any problems at home would not need to get a Visa etc) wwhat she did not realise was and it was not picked up by the Thai immigration officers at Bangkok aireport The Passport was out of date. When she tried to leave the country to travel back to the Uk Immigration would not let her leave even on her U K passport. It took her about 2 weeks to get a new Thai passport. A LESSON WAS LEARNT

[jaloochapurr]

Thanks to all for the advice.

Airport in Orlando checked her all the way through.Boarding pass to LAX and one to Hong Kong.

She said that she had a permanent residency card and that allowed her to travel.

Homeland security told me, yes she could leave on expires passport and yes if she had green card could come back the same way.

So she is on the way, let hope she does not have any problem when she has to show her passport at LAX when departs. The ticket agent told her not to use her passport for any kind of ID while still in USA.

She will get new passport in Thailand and yes we will make sure all our documents are kept up to date in the future.

So all can do now is wish her well and hopes she does get out of the USA without anyone else giving her or asking her anything else.

[snuggzzz]

I and no doubt many others on TV will offer her all our very best wishes for a successful trip under such tragic circumstances..!!

[jaloochapurr]

Her brother never went out to the bar.

Just this one time in Langu in Satun he did go out with friends. Something happened and he was stabbed by a drunk guy. He died soon after.

This was a good guy,really, He lost his wife 3 years ago due to a blood vessel popping in her brain. He has a 10 year old boy who just got over his Mother and now has to deal with the loss of his father.

A real hard working guy, always worked his rubber trees and made a good living,even buying many more plots of land. Now is dead because of some reason.

So what about the son? My wife really does love him, but hard for her to adopt and bring him to USA. She does not have citizenship yet, soon maybe.

She talks that we may be going back to Satun sooner than later to live. Something I really would have to get use to,but if the wife goes,so do I.

So Thanks again too all who gave advice to this posting and please keep her in our minds as she travels to deal with all this. Her name Is Waree.

Thanks.

My house is empty and I miss her so much already.

[Carmine6]

No hope, never get through passport control without travel documents.

Contacy Thai Embassy, Immjgration in US, get a fast emergency, renewal.

PASSPORT CONTROL WHERE?

When you leave USA, there is no passport check.

Passport control at airport, before you go airside.

You will not be able to check in without one.

At LAX and other US airports there is no passport control when exiting. The airline is the screen.

If I fly international on United out of LAX, it leaves from the same terminal as all the other United flights. Theoretically, if I fly with no check-in luggage I could use my California driver license as ID all the way until I get to the gate agent to board the plane.

To the OP, I'm glad your wife made it without having to wait for a new or extended passport.