thai pp holder visiting vietnam. 6 month pp validty?

[jacksam]

This is part info to members and part question. Currently in Vietnam with my Thai partner. She had lot of hassel boarding AA flight from bangkok. The staff insisted she required 6 months validity on her pp (it expires in 4). I insisted if rejected at immigration I would pay for her to flight back. (note she had return flight as was staying only one week). Thankfully was allowed to board plane. All good at immigration. So my question ... Was she lucky or is the 6 month validity rule not required for Vietnam.

A second question about same thing. Can someone confirm no 6 month validity rule to enter AU. We go there end of month for month stay. Google search states for AU pp validity only needs to cover length of stay. However concerned about airline after recent experience.

[ubonjoe]

She was not lucky Air Asia was wrong but for them it is written in their terms and conditions that 6 months is needed which causes the problem.

From the IATA timatic site. https://www.klm.com/travel/kz_en/prepare_for_travel/travel_planning/travel_clinic/timatic.htm

 

Quote

National Thailand (TH)          /Embarkation Thailand (TH)
Destination Viet Nam (VN)       


 Viet Nam (VN)



Passport required.
- Passports and other documents accepted for entry must be
  valid for a minimum of 30 days beyond the period of intended
  stay. 
- When holding a visa for entry into Viet Nam, passports must
  be valid at least 1 month after the expiry date of the visa.
  

Visa required, except for Nationals of Thailand for a maximum

stay of 30 days. 

You can check for Australia by entering the info on the same site.

For Australia the visa application might require 6 months.

[jacksam]

Thanks Ubon. As usual precise definitive information from you.

[NanLaew]

Precise and accurate information but one may still have to run the gauntlet of ill-informed check-in staff, their supervisors and sometimes immigration staff. For the time and cost involved, it would probably be easier to get a new passport. Assuming the current passport has the Australian visa in it and I understand it is acceptable to travel with both passports (the new one supporting the old one that has the valid AU visa) it is probably best to renew it after the trip down under.

[jacksam]

Nanlaew good point. I was reluctant to get new passport for her as visa for AU is not stamped or entered into pp. Just connected to database. As you point out she can travel with both. Probably good idea. Pity airlines are not up with actual requirements. 

[Deepinthailand]

Have had this problem before. However airlines have there own set rules I chose same as you and they have a strict 6 month policy on passports validate.  Nothing to do with immigration airline rules. Yes you was lucky they let her travel we weren't but they were good enough to rebook our flights for two days hence to give us time to get her a new passport which as you know is done very quickly here. Now I always check with airlines on there passport rules.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, jacksam said:

Nanlaew good point. I was reluctant to get new passport for her as visa for AU is not stamped or entered into pp. Just connected to database. As you point out she can travel with both. Probably good idea. Pity airlines are not up with actual requirements. 

 

That's right, the Australian visa is all electronic these days. If you have time, maybe a quick check with either an Australian Embassy or online to see if the linkage of an as yet unused visa to a separate, new passport is possible or opens a can of worms.

 

Good luck!

[sometimewoodworker]

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

She was not lucky Air Asia was wrong but for them it is written in their terms and conditions that 6 months is needed which causes the problem.

From the IATA timatic site. 

 

Actually Air Asia was not wrong as they were not saying that "that nationality needs 6 months to enter that country. 

 

I have checked and they Require that there is 6 months or more on a passport for all nationalities for all countries. (An exception maybe someone traveling to their own country, though they refused to sell a ticket to a Thai who wanted to fly to Thailand with an expired passport from Japan)

 

They have their own rules that are independent of the requirements of the country that you are traveling to. So they were correct in asking to see 6 months on the passport. 

 

They also require that you have an onward ticket if traveling to Thailand without a visa, despite the fact that very few people are ever refused entry without one.

 

You maybe able to persuade them to make an exception, but it is totally up to them and they can and usually do insist on following their rules

 

It is easy to understand why they are restrictive as then they don't have to know all the details for each nationality traveling to each country.

 

That is part of flying with a LCC. If you don't like it then pay for a traditional airline.

 

dont expect to both have your cake and eat it.

Edited September 1, 2016 by sometimewoodworker

[jacksam]

Thanks for such an informative post. Not. I do not think the fact that AA is a LCAC comes into it. When I fly back to bkk I will talk to AA support and report back about her future trip to Australia and also problem re boarding flight to Vietnam. If they suggest they have blanket rule re 6 month validity then fine. Will get her new passport. Perhaps they will just state that this is just a standard warning given AA policy then fine. Will fly without new pp. 

I'm thinking its a standard warning. I or she did not have to sign anything for her to board flight to Vietnam. Thinking same will be to AU. 

 

Edited September 1, 2016 by jacksam

[MyFriend You]

8 hours ago, jacksam said:

Thanks Ubon. As usual precise definitive information from you.

as noted she needed 6 months validity for a 'visa'  but as an Asean subject, she can visit Vietnam for a monh w/o a visa.

[Deepinthailand]

7 hours ago, TunnelRat69 said:

as noted she needed 6 months validity for a 'visa'  but as an Asean subject, she can visit Vietnam for a monh w/o a visa.

 Belive this was about airline and how long left on passport not about visa. Have had this problem before. However airlines have there own set rules I chose same as you and they have a strict 6 month policy on passports validate.  Nothing to do with immigration airline rules. Yes you was lucky they let her travel we weren't but they were good enough to rebook our flights for two days hence to give us time to get her a new passport which as you know is done very quickly here. Now I always check with airlines on there passport rules.

It is AA rules as a lot of airlines now do 6 months left on passport some ask for a year.

Edited September 2, 2016 by Deepinthailand

[louse1953]

15 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

 

Actually Air Asia was not wrong as they were not saying that "that nationality needs 6 months to enter that country. 

 

I have checked and they Require that there is 6 months or more on a passport for all nationalities for all countries. (An exception maybe someone traveling to their own country, though they refused to sell a ticket to a Thai who wanted to fly to Thailand with an expired passport from Japan)

 

They have their own rules that are independent of the requirements of the country that you are traveling to. So they were correct in asking to see 6 months on the passport. 

 

They also require that you have an onward ticket if traveling to Thailand without a visa, despite the fact that very few people are ever refused entry without one.

 

You maybe able to persuade them to make an exception, but it is totally up to them and they can and usually do insist on following their rules

 

It is easy to understand why they are restrictive as then they don't have to know all the details for each nationality traveling to each country.

 

That is part of flying with a LCC. If you don't like it then pay for a traditional airline.

 

dont expect to both have your cake and eat it.

All airlines,not just lcc.

[louse1953]

4 hours ago, Deepinthailand said:

 Belive this was about airline and how long left on passport not about visa. Have had this problem before. However airlines have there own set rules I chose same as you and they have a strict 6 month policy on passports validate.  Nothing to do with immigration airline rules. Yes you was lucky they let her travel we weren't but they were good enough to rebook our flights for two days hence to give us time to get her a new passport which as you know is done very quickly here. Now I always check with airlines on there passport rules.

It is AA rules as a lot of airlines now do 6 months left on passport some ask for a year.

So what is the use of Thai 5 year pp if can only use for 4.These airlines need a reality check.

[louse1953]

I'd be a bit worried about getting knocked back in Oz with so little time on passport.Aust immigration can play hard ball.

[jacksam]

There will not be a problem with AU immigration. They do not required 6 months validity. The concern is with the airline. I intend to clarify with AA my concerns about her traveling to AU shortly on her current passport.

[Deepinthailand]

1 hour ago, jacksam said:

There will not be a problem with AU immigration. They do not required 6 months validity. The concern is with them airline. I intend to clarify with AA my concerns about her traveling to AU shortly on her current 

1 hour ago, jacksam said:

There will not be a problem with AU immigration. They do not required 6 months validity. The concern is with the airline. I intend to clarify with AA my concerns about her traveling to AU shortly on her current passport.

From there website terms and conditions.

International Routes: All passengers traveling on international routes must possess valid passports with at least six (6) months’ validity and the applicable valid visas. Such passengers shall posses a return on an onward journey ticket. I

I would invest in a new passport for her