Is 6 month passport validity currently being enforced?

[willbartholomew]

cardinalblue, I would do what you suggest if I could. As my previous post stated I am leaving on July 13th so the US Consulate could not guarantee I would receive my new passport in time to still go to immigration for the transfer of the visa and re-entry stamp. Not worth the risk.

[terminatorchiangmai]

Get a re-entree visa and you will be fine.

I had the same problem 4 years ago, no problems what so ever with the re-entree visa and when i came back in BKK i made my new passport.

Edited July 4, 2014 by terminatorchiangmai

[kovaltech]

So to the OP, answering your question, yes the 6 month passport validity is being enforced.

To the discussion weather or not , or which website is correct or having wrong information...

1: submit your question to "ask a lawyer"

2: ask your embassy

3: ask Thai immigration for a clear statement.

as far as i am concerned; the information provided by the official website from Thailand, be it Embassy or Immigration, that information is to be considered the correct information...

To those who love to claim the opposite... go to point 1.2.3 and 4 take your risk, but by all means, don't give other people advice without a notice to check with immigration or embassy...

[paz]

So to the OP, answering your question, yes the 6 month passport validity is being enforced.

To the discussion weather or not , or which website is correct or having wrong information...

1: submit your question to "ask a lawyer"

2: ask your embassy

3: ask Thai immigration for a clear statement.

as far as i am concerned; the information provided by the official website from Thailand, be it Embassy or Immigration, that information is to be considered the correct information...

To those who love to claim the opposite... go to point 1.2.3 and 4 take your risk, but by all means, don't give other people advice without a notice to check with immigration or embassy...

Actually it is you that should refrain from providing incorrect advice.

Official Thailand Ministry for Foreign Affairs:

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15405-General-information.html

-- No such rule

Official Thailand Immigration website, on none of their pages:

http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php

-- No such rule.

Or prove otherwise.

[arunsakda]

The airline should have checked the regulations, as quoted in post 24. They don't have a leg to stand on to deny you boarding and cost them serious money.

Regarding your question:

You would need to keep the old passport, with the extension pages still intact. At Thai immigration you would show both old and new passport and they will stamp you in on the new passport based on your re-entry permit in the old passport and tell you to visit your immigration office to have the details properly transferred to the new passport.

Good luck with suing any US airline to get your "serious money" back after you are delayed and have to pay for hotel and another ticket. These gate agents are not educated and only go by what is written in the airlines computer system, under threat of TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT, whether or not it is correct. You are missing my point here. OP- Save yourself some grief, get a new passport.

arunsakda- OUT

"These gate agents are not educated and only go by what is written in the airlines computer system, under threat of TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT, whether or not it is correct."

That given link ( http://www.staralliance.com/en/services/visa-and-health/) is airlines computer system, they paid it to be updated with latest info

It's called timaticweb

http://www.iata.org/publications/Pages/timaticweb-travel-requirements.aspx

I'm famiiar with timaticweb. Don't have access to it now but I was able to research on our system. The first thing it says on the visa section is "All information contained in this document superscedes timaticweb".

I am convinved the actual Thai regulation for US passport is "valid for period of intended stay" based on everything I checked today.

That being said I have Never been asked to show onward ticket or suitable funds byThai immigration, but that has been the regulation for years. The only time I had a problem with it was in Nagoya with an agent there demanding my onward ticket. I dont like putting myself at the mercy of a jobsworth when I'm all packed up and ready to travel.

Edited July 4, 2014 by arunsakda

[willbartholomew]

Just to try and clear things up hopefully for the last time. I actually went to CM Immigration and was told that I would be able to enter Thailand as long as my passport, visa, and re-entry permit were valid even if it is less than 6 months so the problem is not with immigration. The problem is with the airline. I called Korean Air in Chicago where I depart from and they said I would not be able to board the plane with a passport valid for less than 6 months. I am assuming the reason for this is that some countries allow entry with passports valid for less than 6 months and some don't. The important thing here is that it is the airline's policy and not immigration. Bottom line is that it doesn't matter what immigration says because if you can't get on the plane you'll never see Thai Immigration. I will be getting a new passport in the US before returning to Thailand.

[Strangebrew]

Dude go to embassy and renew passport simple.