Is it true 6 month valid passport for Thai`s to leave?

[Felt 35]

Is it really the case that a Thai citizen must have 6months validity left in passport "to leave their own country" for a couple of weeks even if the travel destination not demand more than 3months validity for their passport when enter?

[slipperylobster]

I read your post and understand the question....

I do not yet see anything online that requires six month validity on a Thai passport....unless the destination country has such a rule. Why not simply renew it...as she may always need a passport?

However...I tend to believe it.

I was curious and did some additional checking..and found the following..which may be of interest to others. (and myself)

Requirements for travel are easily checked online.

Many countries require travelers to have six months left on their passports before entry.

It is quite common....

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/1415/21483-Frequentl

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Thai_citizens

http://www.ehow.com/about_5498635_countries-6-months-passport-validity_.html

So, regardless if a passport it is not expired....it can be "effectively invalid for travel" due to (six month rule) requirements put down by the country you wish to visit.

Goes true for any nationality/passport for the countries listed. You may get stopped before boarding..even if you manage to get tickets.

Edited April 30, 2015 by slipperylobster

[Felt 35]

When I agree in always have your passport valid and with correct visa for the country one want to visit the extended hands (passport offices) of Mfa clearly not know that there are many countries which not practise six month but instead three month. The person travelling here had both a valid passport and visa for the destination but believing the passport office had knowledge together with their authoritarian all same general and dictatorial approach and even told the person can not go through pass control in home country.

[NanLaew]

In the OP's case with 6-months remaining on the passport and 3-month stipulation by the country being visited, if the planned short-term visit is by air, the biggest challenge will probably come from an airline check-in clerk. If the traveler can refer the check-in staff specifically to the rules and regulations that apply to this specific visit, it may avoid an erroneous and arbitrary application of the 6-month 'general guide' to their trip.

[Felt 35]

The person travelling have (had) a Schengen visa valid to middle of August and the passport is valid to middle of November. The country to visit and Embassy in Bangkok would never issue a visa valid until 3 months before the passport expire If they was aware of "special" Thai immigration/ passport regulations for their own people over steering the regulations in the country their citizens want to visit

[Mario2008]

Schengen requires a passport that is valid till 3 months AFTER the intended duration of stay. So it would depend on the duration of the stay in the Schengen area and the exact date the passport would expire.

[Felt 35]

12 days so passport still valid 5 months when leave Schengen / arrive Thailand.

[ubonjoe]

There is no rule that says a Thai must have 6 months left on their passport to leave the country. The only problem is what the country they are traveling to requires.

To check passport validity for all countries enter the needed info here: Http://www.staralliance.com/en/services/visa-and-health/

[KCPhuket]

There is no rule that says a Thai must have 6 months left on their passport to leave the country. The only problem is what the country they are traveling to requires.

To check passport validity for all countries enter the needed info here: Http://www.staralliance.com/en/services/visa-and-health/

There may be no rule but Phuket office told us this morning must have 6 months on Thai passport to leave Thailand. They did not ask us our destination. We will be back in Thailand seven weeks before the passport expires. So, we got a new one coming...why take the chance? They should issue a passport for 5 years and 6 months if they want to play that way.

[IMA_FARANG]

I am not sure about Thai passports.

But 2 months ago I took a trip to Malaysia and the airline ticket agent pointed out to me that my U.S. passport had only 7 months before it expired.

He told me that was no problem, but that Malaysia required me to have 6 months validity when I arrived in Malaysia.

Since I had 7 months it was o.k., but he just wanted to point out that I was close to the 6 month limit.

I now have a new U.S. passport valid for 10 years from May 2015, so no worry now.

[richard_smith237]

There is no rule that says a Thai must have 6 months left on their passport to leave the country. The only problem is what the country they are traveling to requires.

To check passport validity for all countries enter the needed info here: Http://www.staralliance.com/en/services/visa-and-health/

I can confirm this...

This year my Wife (and I) travelled to Japan with 1 month remaining on her visa. She had to sign an affidavit with Thai Airlines that she would not hold them responsible in anyway if Immigration in Japan were to refuse her entry for Passport Validity reasons. Upon arrival in Tokyo the Immigration officer either didn't notice or saw that our intended stay (14 days) was within her Passport Validity (1 Month remaining).

We were also told that had our destination been Singapore they would have refused us travel as Singapore is widely known for being extremely stringent of their 6 month Passport Validity requirement.

Thus: As I understand it there is no such rule regarding the remaining duration of a Thai Passport to depart the Kingdom, however, entrance into another country solely depends on their policy and how strictly it is enforced.

[rwdrwdrwd]

We flew to the UK for a month last year, wife had 4 months validity on departure (which is fine from UKs perspective, I checked) no questions were asked when leaving Thailand - could just have been lucky.

Edited June 26, 2015 by rwdrwdrwd