I hope I am posting to the right forum. If not, please forgive me and let me know which forum I should use.

I am a Thai citizen but I live in the U.S. for many years. My current Thai poassport is going to expire on June 8, 2013 (next year). I am planning to visit Thailand this year, so I am planning to renew my Thai passport as well. I know that a passport must be valid at least 6 months when you travel, but when I asked my friend to contact an office in Thailand, they told him that I could not renew my Thai passport unless it is 6 months or less before it expires. That does not seem to make sense to me because by the time it is less than 6 months, I can't use it to travel to Thailand. Does anyone know what is the earliest date that I can renew my passport. Let's say that I travel to Thailand in October of this year, will I be able to renew it while I am there since it is still 8 months left before it expires?

Thanks,

RJ

I do not believe there is any such rule as people have to renew at all kinds of times with damage/all pages used/and other such issues. In any case you can travel to Thailand on an expired passport and nobody needs six months for travel here (just to obtain visa perhaps). You can also obtain replacement passport in the US if required. Below is contact information for MFA department who issue passports.

Should you have further questions, please contact the Department of Consular Affairs located at 123 Chaengwattana Road, Laksi, Bangkok 10210 or alternatively, you can reach us at Tel: 0-2981-7171 or 0-2981-7276-7 Fax: 0-2981-7256 or by e-mail at [email protected]

As Lop said, as a Thai citizen travelling to Thailand the 6 month rule doesn't apply. You can enter with 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 months left, even enter on an expired passport, so long as you are still a Thai citizen.

On a side note: To get a new passport in Thailand you must be on a household registration book.

Thank you for answering my question. I am not planning to come to Thailand just to renew my passport, but I come to visit my family and relatives in October, so it will be helpful if I can just renew my passport there. I am sure I can go to a consulate to renew it in the U.S. Unfortunately, one is not that close to me so I will have to take off from work to go there. Since I will be in Thailand in October, I just want to know if I can renew there. I am still listed as a member of a household in Thailand so that is not a problem. When I asked my friend to call someone at MFA, he told me that someone told him that my passport must be valid less than 6 months in order to renew. My citizen ID card is still valid anyway. I guess I will have to call the number that lopburi3 suggested unless someone else knows for sure what the rule is. Thanks again.

I would try email as believe they may actually answer with a vetted response. They ask/require Thai to renew with less than six months remaining so logic would say you have to allow doing earlier so believe there was a misunderstanding on that phone call. Below is from MFA web site.

If a Passport will expire in less than 6 months, the traveler must apply for a new e-Passport.

I just made a call to the MFA in Bangkok (I dialed +6629817171 first but no answer so I tried +6629817172). After selecting a few options to route to the passport department, the person told me that I could renew my passport any time. I could even do it today or I could wait until the last day before it expires. He said that there was no rule to say when someone could renew a Thai passport. I definitely asked him different ways a few times to make sure that he heard what I said and he replied with the same answer. I hope that this is the right answer.

I am sure it is the correct answer. The previous answer was when a person needs to replace there passport which would be within six months of expiration.

I just made a call to the MFA in Bangkok (I dialed +6629817171 first but no answer so I tried +6629817172). After selecting a few options to route to the passport department, the person told me that I could renew my passport any time. I could even do it today or I could wait until the last day before it expires. He said that there was no rule to say when someone could renew a Thai passport. I definitely asked him different ways a few times to make sure that he heard what I said and he replied with the same answer. I hope that this is the right answer.

You've also just reminded me of a story which confirms this in practice. A female co-worker changes her passport often when she gets sick of her passport photo.

Fortunately Thai passports only cost 1000 baht.

*bump* Anyone renew a Thai passport in the US recently? Back in the day (like 20 years ago) it could be done by mail. Does it need to be done in person (in LA, Chicago, or DC) nowadays?

edit:.......... nevermind, and the answer is YES, it has to be done in person.

Edited March 4, 201313 yr by Heng

Passports have to renewed in person due to digital photo and bio-metric data requirements.

Just an update for Renewing a Thai passport in Surat Thani, Thailand. 

 

My partner (Thai, male) and I went to Surat to renew the same. It took simply one hour, a few forms, and 1000THB and told it will arrive in the post in Koh Samui within 7-10days. 

 

Simple as that! The forms are in Thai, and arent available in English we were told. 

This link is useful if you are in the USA and need to renew your Thai passport. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/can-renew-thai-passport-usa-106183.html