I might have a little problem. With single-entry tourist visa in my passport, I need to postpone my flight to Thailand and just realized my passport expires in 5,5 months after arriving. Is this a problem or is that 6 month rule only checked when applying visa?

Passport Validity. Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into Thailand. Entry to Thailand is normally refused if you have a passport which is damaged or has pages missing.

    

                I would not go for it if I were you. Renew your passport, change your flight date even when it's  not free.

 

          

It only applies when applying for the visa. As long as your passport is valid for at least 60 days you'll have no problem and will be given permission to stay for the full 60 days.

Edited October 5, 20169 yr by elviajero

UK government says 6 months required - https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/entry-requirements

 and from a Thai embassy web site in Canada -   please make sure that you are in possession of a passport valid for at least 6 months

Edited October 5, 20169 yr by steve187

That is what I meant. Rules are rules but practice may be different. Have anyone been in same situation and got rejected on border?

What's the point of having an expiry date on a passport if it is unusable 6 months before expiration ?

27 minutes ago, nilster said:

That is what I meant. Rules are rules but practice may be different. Have anyone been in same situation and got rejected on border?

 

There seems to be mixed reports about the 6 month rule being applied to Thailand with one person saying they were denied boarding

 

https://www.google.co.th/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=passport+6+months+validity+rule+thailand

 

Personally I would not risk it, however as they say up to you

Officially, you only need a passport valid for the duration of your planned stay. (In this respect, Thailand differs from most other countries.) There are a few caveats to this. First, and most important, if your flight to Thailand transits through another country, it is quite likely that the intermediate stop is not permitted with a passport that will shortly expire. If so, the airline will correctly deny check in. That aside, although the IATA site used by airlines does correctly state the rules, many other sources do not. Further, because Thailand's rules on this are unusual, even airline supervisors may be unaware of them unless you politely ask them to check the relevant IATA page.

Via a link From the UK Embassy website.

No idea if it applies to other Nationalities.

 

How long must my passport be valid for international travel?
Most countries require that a passport be valid for at least six months beyond the completion of a trip. If your passport expires sooner than that, you must apply to renew your passport.  Go to Visas to determine how long a passport must be valid for each specific country of travel. In the event that your passport is set to expire go to Renew Passport and get started.

Edited October 5, 20169 yr by Ronuk

http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/55

 

States 6 months on entry for a visa exempt entry and 6 months on the date of applying for a visa.

 

1 hour ago, nilster said:

That is what I meant. Rules are rules but practice may be different. Have anyone been in same situation and got rejected on border?

You will have no problem from Thai Immigration entering the country using a SETV and with 5.5 months left on your passport. 

 

If you want absolute peace of mind you should contact the airline you're flying with to make sure they understand Thailands rules on passport validity.

2 minutes ago, elviajero said:

 

You will have no problem from Thai Immigration entering the country using a SETV and with 5.5 months left on your passport. 

 

If you want absolute peace of mind you should contact the airline you're flying with to make sure they understand Thailands rules on passport validity.

It appears to be an immigration rule and nothing to do with the Airline.

Why do all the Thai Embassies state 6 months?

3 hours ago, Ronuk said:

It appears to be an immigration rule and nothing to do with the Airline.

Why do all the Thai Embassies state 6 months?

Yes it is entirely up to each countries immigration policy, but as the airlines are responsible for taking back anyone that is denied entry for having an invalid passport they need to know and enforce the rules. 

 

The Embassy/Consulate websites often have wrong or outdated information. I believe that the standard rule is 6 months, but that rule was relaxed for certain nationalities some time ago.

12 hours ago, nilster said:

That is what I meant. Rules are rules but practice may be different. Have anyone been in same situation and got rejected on border?

Why not just follow the rules? Should be easy and quick to renew your passport?

9 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

Why not just follow the rules? Should be easy and quick to renew your passport?

That depends upon the country. Some are not that easy or quick. To make it quick in many countries requires paying extra.

Info that the airline can see for passport validity from the IATA can be found here by entering the required info. https://www.klm.com/travel/kz_en/prepare_for_travel/travel_planning/travel_clinic/visaform.htm

13 hours ago, nilster said:

That is what I meant. Rules are rules but practice may be different. Have anyone been in same situation and got rejected on border?

Why the six months validity passport rule?

It is not a requirement of the U.S. government. The six month validity passport rule is a requirement of other countries accepting foreign travelers. The six month passport validity rule is enforced because nations do not want to risk having travelers and tourists overstaying their passport validity. Six months is now the standard validity requirement for many countries. Most visitors to the United States are also now required to have six months validity of their passports.

Edited October 6, 20169 yr by killbill
replied to wrong post

New passport and visa takes time and money. So if it doesn't make any difference do you have or not 6 months left in passport when travelling to Thailand I just go there with my old passport . I will still have three months left in it when coming back to my country. 

"Applying by mail:- Please send an application at least 3 weeks in advance.Application will be processed in 2 weeks. We do not have a telephone answering service for your visa status. If you would like to collect passport by yourself, please inform in written."

 

Is this same 6 month rule when arriving without visa (30 day stamp)? 

59 minutes ago, nilster said:

New passport and visa takes time and money. So if it doesn't make any difference do you have or not 6 months left in passport when travelling to Thailand I just go there with my old passport . I will still have three months left in it when coming back to my country. 

"Applying by mail:- Please send an application at least 3 weeks in advance.Application will be processed in 2 weeks. We do not have a telephone answering service for your visa status. If you would like to collect passport by yourself, please inform in written."

 

Is this same 6 month rule when arriving without visa (30 day stamp)? 

 

Whether arriving visa exempt or with a tourist visa, the rules for Thailand are the same: you need a passport valid for the duration of the intended stay. However, great care is needed if you intend taking advantage of Thailand's relaxed requirements, for passports with less than 6 months validity, which are unusual. If your travel involves transit through another country, or your onward travel after Thailand is other than direct back to your home country, be very careful. The IATA page recommended by @ubonjoe is useful for checking your ability to travel to Thailand on a soon to expire passport. As travel plans can sometimes change unexpectedly, I would personally always ensure I had a passport with, probably, 9 months validity (and several blank pages) before a foreign trip. This ensures any travel I decide to undertake within a couple of months after my departure will not be a problem.