My friend is Italian who plan to visit Thailand next week on Sep. 20-26 ,2006.

His concern is that he has mix info about the immigration. His travel agant said his passport was ok since the immigration needed only 3 months. But the immigration website said it needed at lease 6 months of a valid passport. His passport will be expired in Feb next year so it is still valid for another 5 months. His question is:

Can he get in to Thailand ? Is the rule strictly applied at this time? Or it depends on the Official discretion at the airport ? He has been in Thailand several times in the last 2 years for a week at a time. HE has no problem whatsover with the law.

Does anyone has first hand experience with getting in to Thailand with passport valid less than 6 months ?????

Thanks in advance !

As you rightly state the official rule is 6 months validity required............whether they would accept 5 months is another matter.............if it was me i would apply for a new passport just to be on the safe side.

I have just had a similar predicament........next week i am going to Singapore with my Thai girlfriend she had 5 months validity left and Singapore require 6 months.............i sent her to Bangkok to renew her passport last week.

Hopefully your friend will have time to sort things out.

Also how he intends to stay here may need a visa run (multi entry tourist) and at that point he is even closer to the end of the passport validity.

Get a fresh one..Its simple.

It should not be a problem. Thailand has long ignored the six month validity of passport rule for most and current IATA guidance to airlines is below:

Visa not required for a touristic stay:

- of a max. 30 days, if passport is valid 30 days or more; or

- if passport is valid less than 30 days, up to the expiry date

of passport.