I recently applied for a new passport from the US embassy in Bangkok. My old one was due to expire in five months and I'll be flying to Singapore in mid-October. The airline would not let me fly with less than six months on my passport.

The embassy said it will take two weeks for the new passport to arrive, two days before I am due to fly.

The trouble is that my visa stamp - a one-month extension of a 60-day tourist visa - will expire 10 days before my new passport arrives.

I have my old passport. The question is whether I should risk trying to cross into Laos to get a new stamp. Is there any risk I will not be allowed back in?

To recap: my visa will expire 10 days before my new passport arrives and I can leave the country. Should I try to get a new stamp with my old passport, which will expire in five months?

Any advice would be appreciated!

I'd go back and ask that nice Thai lady that used to work behind the counter at consular affairs office (middle aged; she was there a year ago). She may give you some nice business letter to take to Suan Phlu, on embassy stationery. Then again, she was amazed when Suan Phlu didn't do what she asked, for me! It's worth a try.

Interesting timing. You must have very recently applied for new one since if your entry stamp expires 10 days before the 14 days it takes to get the new one, leaving only 4 days difference. Sounds like you need to do something like today.

There is a chance that Thailand will not let you in on a 30 day visa exempt stamp since you have less then 6 months on the passport. I suspect, you will need to get another tourist visa.

I would go to Suan Plu Immigration and plead for a 10 day extension and then leave the day you get the new passport. A letter from US consulate saying you have applied and are waiting for new passport might help. I would be fascinated to see if Faith (as the nice Thai lady would not be authorized to do this) will go along with this.

TH

The IATA visa database is what those airline clerks check when they check immigration requirements against your passport. Whether it's always right is another matter, but since airlines do use it it has some de facto authority.

You can access it through this page on Delta's website:

Visa Database

If you search the database, you'll see it indeed shows Americans must have at least 6 months on their passports to enter Singapore without a visa, but to enter Thailand there's no such requirement: "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."

The IATA visa database is what those airline clerks check when they check immigration requirements against your passport. Whether it's always right is another matter, but since airlines do use it it has some de facto authority.

You can access it through this page on Delta's website:

Visa Database

If you search the database, you'll see it indeed shows Americans must have at least 6 months on their passports to enter Singapore without a visa, but to enter Thailand there's no such requirement: "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."

That is Deltas interpretation only. Thai rules say 6 months validity but usually Immigration is pretty laid back about permitting entry with less validity.