How Many Months Do We Need On Childs Passport?

[BlueSmurf]

We are leaving for the Uk in August that is my Thai wife son and myself. When we go my childs passport(Thai) will have only 5 months left on it.He has a British passport which still has over 4 years left on it. So as usual we go out on his Thai passport and in to the UK on his British one. The tickets are booked and we used for I.D. purposes my sons British passport.My understanding is that when anyone travelling abroad the country of destination requires at least 6 months validity left on their passport.My thoughts would be that as we will be back before his Thai passport expires then we do not need to renew his Thai passport till we return. However my wife has just phoned the Thai passport Ministry in Bangkok and they say we have to renew his passport before we go..Seems wrong to me and a waste of another trip from up north down to Bangkok Also can we renew his passport when it has more than 6 months on it? seem to remember seeing that you can't which will also make it tight time wise to do the renewal...Have tried phoning imergration at swampy but get no reply..Anyone know how I can double check this? never simple here!lol

[Neeranam]

One of my daughters Thai passport had 4 months left and we couldn't get into Laos.

Get a new one on your way to the airport.

[BlueSmurf]

One of my daughter's thai passport had 4 months left and we couldn't get into Laos.

Thanks but we are going into the Uk and he has a British passport.........

[citizen33]

One of my daughters Thai passport had 4 months left and we couldn't get into Laos.

Get a new one on your way to the airport.

I'd agree that safety first is the best policy, but I did this in reverse last December. That is to say we travelled to Thailand with a Thai child passport with more than six months remaining and a UK child passport with only 5 months remaining. The airline did question the UK passport on the outward trip but let us board when they saw the Thai one. Returning to the UK with less than 6 months passport validity was no problem.

[BlueSmurf]

One of my daughters Thai passport had 4 months left and we couldn't get into Laos.

Get a new one on your way to the airport.

I'd agree that safety first is the best policy, but I did this in reverse last December. That is to say we travelled to Thailand with a Thai child passport with more than six months remaining and a UK child passport with only 5 months remaining. The airline did question the UK passport on the outward trip but let us board when they saw the Thai one. Returning to the UK with less than 6 months passport validity was no problem.

Its imergration that is a concern on the way out..still not sure as the passport has more than 6 months at the moment whether we can renew...same as you I thought it was only a country that we are going to would worry but this is thailand

have just phoned the passport office and cannot do on the way as they say it will take 3 days..Seems such a waste of time and money but to be sure is best..

[samran]

where are you based 'up north'. Can easily get a new Thai PP at many major cities up north I believe, instead of heading to BKK.

[BlueSmurf]

where are you based 'up north'. Can easily get a new Thai PP at many major cities up north I believe, instead of heading to BKK.

Good point will try chiang mai Thanks..

[samran]

where are you based 'up north'. Can easily get a new Thai PP at many major cities up north I believe, instead of heading to BKK.

Good point will try chiang mai Thanks..

can definetly do it in Chiang Mai.

Will take 30 mins to do, and three days to process it. They'll send it to your home via post for 30 baht.

With the new e-passports, it is a very efficient service, more efficient than most, if not all, passport offices in the West. Hard to believe, but it is the truth....

[citizen33]

where are you based 'up north'. Can easily get a new Thai PP at many major cities up north I believe, instead of heading to BKK.

Good point will try chiang mai Thanks..

can definetly do it in Chiang Mai.

Will take 30 mins to do, and three days to process it. They'll send it to your home via post for 30 baht.

With the new e-passports, it is a very efficient service, more efficient than most, if not all, passport offices in the West. Hard to believe, but it is the truth....

I think this may have changed since the new-style passports were introduced. We renewed my son's child passport at Khon Kaen but I think the passport office had to send this on to Bangkok and it was then posted back to our address - this took several days with the weekend in between.

[samran]

where are you based 'up north'. Can easily get a new Thai PP at many major cities up north I believe, instead of heading to BKK.

Good point will try chiang mai Thanks..

can definetly do it in Chiang Mai.

Will take 30 mins to do, and three days to process it. They'll send it to your home via post for 30 baht.

With the new e-passports, it is a very efficient service, more efficient than most, if not all, passport offices in the West. Hard to believe, but it is the truth....

I think this may have changed since the new-style passports were introduced. We renewed my son's child passport at Khon Kaen but I think the passport office had to send this on to Bangkok and it was then posted back to our address - this took several days with the weekend in between.

did a new passport for my daughter about a month ago, in BKK however. You are probably right in that they send the info to BKK for processing, but it all should be elctronically sent anyway, keeping the wait relatively short, even up country. My sister did her in London of all places last year at the Thai embassy there, and it was a 2-3 week wait all up...

So the OP should probably add a week to his calculations following application in Chiang Mai would be my best guess..