Not accepted on a flight with valid ticket and passport - no visa needed

[bermannor]

CNXBKKMAN, well written. But the disaster already happened and no lesson experienced before.

Here, a young inexperienced girl stands in front of two check-in girls who say no because the passport is only 5 months valid, and that is a fact, not to be overseen.

But fact is also, that VA has a computer, where Timatic is available.

Do you think, that 2 VA employees of Thai nationality (not Lufthansa or Singapore Airlines staff) are so trained in English, to read and understand IATA Timatic?

Certainly I would have reacted quite different. But a young girl???

[NanLaew]

19 hours ago, bermannor said:

CNXBKKMAN, well written. But the disaster already happened and no lesson experienced before.

Here, a young inexperienced girl stands in front of two check-in girls who say no because the passport is only 5 months valid, and that is a fact, not to be overseen.

But fact is also, that VA has a computer, where Timatic is available.

Do you think, that 2 VA employees of Thai nationality (not Lufthansa or Singapore Airlines staff) are so trained in English, to read and understand IATA Timatic?

Certainly I would have reacted quite different. But a young girl???

The check-in staff for VA in Bangkok are not VA employees but typically the check-in supervisor is. I seriously doubt that they would look up the IATA thingumabob but refer to VA's own stated policy which doesn't specifically say anything about allowing any passenger with less than 6-months passport validity the right to board.

[bermannor]

Let's stop guessing. I formulated a letter and the girl will take it personally to VA city office with copies to VA main office in Vietnam and airport in Bangkok.

Edited October 26, 2016 by bermannor
spelling mistake

[NanLaew]

14 hours ago, bermannor said:

Let's stop guessing. I formulated a letter and the girl will take it personally to VA city office with copies to VA main office in Vietnam and airport in Bangkok.

Good luck with all that. In lieu of a refund, one may expect some voucher towards future travel concessions, class upgrade, lounge pass or similar. Do keep us posted.

 

Has she renewed her passport yet?

[Anthony5]

On 10/25/2016 at 2:56 PM, sandyf said:

I am from the UK and was refused boarding by China Airlines at Amsterdam for a flight to Bangkok because I only had 5 months left on passport. I asked to speak to the check in supervisor and asked if she would check with Thai immigration as I was under the impression it would be ok with a return ticket. Fortunately she was quite prepared to help and phoned Thai immigration who agreed I could board if I had a return ticket.

 

What many people overlook is the conditions of carriage, I am as guilty as many others in that I just tick the box without ever actually reading the conditions. If anyone feels that should be compensated then at the end of the day it will be the airlines conditions of carriage that will prevail. The claimant would need to show how the airline has breached its conditions of carriage.

A letter to VA asking for some sort of explanation would be some sort of start but if they ignore it or put up some sort of argument you would have to think carefully on how to proceed.

I had a dispute last with BA last year over a ticket refund and although I was on fairly strong ground I still had to take them to court to get a result. Good luck.

 

 

I assume you had a valid Thai visa stamped in your passport, because as far as i understand regarding Thailand entrance is that you need a 6 month validity if you have a visa exempt entry, but not if you have a valid visa.

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, Anthony5 said:

 

 

I assume you had a valid Thai visa stamped in your passport, because as far as i understand regarding Thailand entrance is that you need a 6 month validity if you have a visa exempt entry, but not if you have a valid visa.

No I didn't have a visa, I was only going for 2 weeks. Your understanding is quite right, it was an oversight on my part and the check in staff picked it up. I was fortunate the supervisor was prepared to help, she could have easily said no to phoning Thai immigration. She got the OK from Thai immigration based on the fact I had a return ticket.

[bermannor]

NanLaew, yes. She was refused boarding on Friday. On Monday morning she.went to the passport office. There seems to be an express mode (additional fee) and at 2 or 3 pm, she got the new passport. After she got it I booked her a flight from Germany, she went by taxi to Suvan right for boarding and 7.30 pm she left for Kualar Lumpur and Tokio. Quite stressful for me in Germany as I did not want to buy a ticket before she got the her new passport. But I have a very good small travel agent in Munich, all done by phone. Of course I checked alternative flights during the weekend but some were no longer available on Monday afternoon for Monday evening departure or the return day.

[bermannor]

Don't need that experience again so soon!

[stevenl]

On 10/27/2016 at 10:17 AM, Anthony5 said:

 

 

I assume you had a valid Thai visa stamped in your passport, because as far as i understand regarding Thailand entrance is that you need a 6 month validity if you have a visa exempt entry, but not if you have a valid visa.

Incorrect, 6 months validity is not required for visa exempt entries, validity for the duration of stay is sufficient.

[Anthony5]

46 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Incorrect, 6 months validity is not required for visa exempt entries, validity for the duration of stay is sufficient.

 

Can't evben be bothered anymore to look it up agaion, but is posted in this thread a link to the webpage that shows that Thailand requires 6 month validity to enter Thailand unless you hold a visa.

 

But I'm sure you know better and you will post a link to proof that you are correct

[bermannor]

Hey guys, this thread is about travelling to Japan.

Or does anybody want to tell us that refusal of boarding was correct because a Thai citizen with Thai passport will not be allowed into Thailand because the passport is not valid for 6 months?

[richard_smith237]

FIRST HAND Experience of exactly the same issue: 

 

Last year my Wife, Son and I checked-in with Thai Airways at Suvarnabhumi Airport for a 2 Week trip to Japan. 

The Check-In staff noticed that my Wife's Passport was due to expire in 1 month.

 

After some discussion it was concluded Japan do not have such regulations limiting validity of Passports, only that the Passport is valid for the duration of Stay. 

 

We were permitted flight on Thai Airways after signing an Affidavit that Thai Airways were not responsible if my Wife was not permitted entry in to Japan due to passport validity (or lack thereof). 

 

In short: There was no such regulation in Japan, Thai Airways permitted our travel. My Wife's passport (validity of) was not quested by the Immigration Officer in Japan. 

 

Vietnam Airlines policy is not based on Japanese Immigration Regulations - they 'could' have permitted your girlfriend to travel. For whatever reasons, they obstructed travel - Perhaps based on ill informed internal policy blanketing the 6 month regulation for all travellers to all countries. 

 

[bokningar]

On 10/24/2016 at 0:55 PM, lostinisaan said:

 

 How long can I stay in Thailand with an expired passport?   

Until BIB find you 

[stevenl]

18 hours ago, Anthony5 said:

 

Can't evben be bothered anymore to look it up agaion, but is posted in this thread a link to the webpage that shows that Thailand requires 6 month validity to enter Thailand unless you hold a visa.

 

But I'm sure you know better and you will post a link to proof that you are correct

Many times already it has been proven here that there is no 6 month passport validity applicable to Thailand if entering visa exempt. And no, I wont post a link because this has bene done many times already, but still uninformed people feel the need to post nonsense on topics they have clearly no knowledge of.

 

And yes, it is off topic in this thread, but I feel incorrect information should be corrected.

Edited October 29, 2016 by stevenl

[Anthony5]

30 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Many times already it has been proven here that there is no 6 month passport validity applicable to Thailand if entering visa exempt. And no, I wont post a link because this has bene done many times already, but still uninformed people feel the need to post nonsense on topics they have clearly no knowledge of.

 

And yes, it is off topic in this thread, but I feel incorrect information should be corrected.

Ok, so you know it better than the Thai Embassy then. Please contact them and inform that they are WRONG and you are the one who knows it all so much better.

 

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/hague/th/services/42920-Holiday-in-Thailand.html

 

Tourist Visa Exemption

Under applicable regulations, holders of passports, or travel documents in lieu of passports, of the following 48 countries or economies may enter the Kingdom of Thailand for the purpose of tourism and be permitted to stay for a period not exceeding 30 days without a visa provided that:.

 

- Their passport or travel document is valid for more than 6 months at the date of entry;

[bermannor]

Match

stevenl - Anthony5: 0:1 at half time

[bermannor]

richard_smith237, thank you for your first hand experience.Will see the reaction on my strong worded letter to VA.

 

 

Edited October 29, 2016 by bermannor
spelling mistake

[stevenl]

Ok, so you know it better than the Thai Embassy then. Please contact them and inform that they are WRONG and you are the one who knows it all so much better.

 

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/hague/th/services/42920-Holiday-in-Thailand.html

 

Tourist Visa Exemption

Under applicable regulations, holders of passports, or travel documents in lieu of passports, of the following 48 countries or economies may enter the Kingdom of Thailand for the purpose of tourism and be permitted to stay for a period not exceeding 30 days without a visa provided that:.

 

- Their passport or travel document is valid for more than 6 months at the date of entry;

Thanks, good example of incorrect information on an embassy website. There are many of those examples.

See e.g. on the same page visa exempt entry via land border, where all countries including G8? are given only 15 days.

[bermannor]

Update:

Vietnam Airlines reacted to my letter, offering the girl a refund of.50% of the ticket price by phone, not in writing.

So, a second strong worded letter was sent to them, asking what service they rendered for the other half of the ticket price.

And now, I also added the two magical words "Denied Boarding", the standard term for refuse of transport which is included in all contract terms and conditions.

After I searched the web for the magical term, I realized that it is standard practice and part of the business model of airlines.

So, let's wait for the outcome.