Passport validity requirement

[tokachinter]

Good morning, I am an Australian passport holder who visits Thailand for stays of one to two weeks on Visa Exempt entries, several times a year. I am heading there next Thursday. My travel agent just informed me that my passport expires in 5 and a half months' time. Thai Immigration state that one's passport should have a minimum of 6 months' validity. Has anyone first hand knowledge of this enforcement at Suvarnabhumi?

[Mario2008]

The passport must be valid for the intended duration of stay, so it will not be a problem.

(For some other, non-western, countries the passport must have a validity of 6 months or more).

[ubonjoe]

Have your travel agent to go to this website and enter the relevant info http://www.staralliance.com/en/services/visa-and-health/

and they will see info from a IATA database that states you only need a passport with validity for your length of stay.

[tokachinter]

Thanks for the info, people. I had already checked on the IATA website, which, as ubonjoe says, has only that one passport validity requirement if you are the holder of a normal passport. However, the Thai Embassy, Sydney website does state the following:

- Please make sure that you are in possession of a passport valid for at least 6 months.

Anyway, as I am not able to obtain a priority issue new passport, I will have to chance it. I posted this hoping not to hear from anyone who was refused entry in similar circumstances! I have a return air ticket for 10 days after I arrive and plenty of stamps in my passport to show I have never stayed in the Kingdom longer than three weeks on any visit.

[Mario2008]

The embassy website is out of date regarding this. the rule changed a few years ago.

But many Thai embassies will not issue a visa unless you have at least 6 month validity, while immigration does not require it. It could also be a warning against not getting a visa.