Boarding Denied - Passport Validity for Thailand Trip (page 2 of 2)

Hello,

Yes, of course, but this is a different topic, unrelated to the passport's expiration date.

Besides, the 6-month validity rule isn't universal, and quite often some advice websites or airlines state it without any basis. Some countries require only 3 months, and many others just need the document to be valid for the duration of the stay.

Michel

Hello, .... We were denied boarding because the child's passport was invalid (about 3 days short) since it's indeed required to have 6 months of validity. .....

Sorry to hear about your misadventure and financial loss. These situations unfortunately happen often at airports. I remember a family who had already gone through boarding, and airline staff came to tell them in the boarding lounge that they couldn't leave for New York because their 15-year-old daughter didn't have a valid passport... First trip, tears on the spot... I don't think you'll be entitled to anything. By "about 3 days," I understand that the child's passport expiration date was 3 days less than the required 6 months of validity at the time of boarding?

I’m really sorry, I hadn’t seen any reports like this before.

Hey Joël, Didn’t you notice anything? 😉

You're being quite mysterious; no, I don't see what you mean.

You’re being quite mysterious; no, I don’t see what you mean.

But usually you check profiles when a message catches your attention...

Hi, for example, Vietnam with visa exemption requires passport validity of 6 months, but if you have an e-visa and proof of exit, the passport only needs to be valid for 1 month after the end of your stay. Website: https://www.action-visas.com/visa/Vietnam-E-VISA "Since August 15, 2023, French citizens, along with those from 12 other countries, are visa-exempt for 45 days (44 nights). What to do if your passport expires in less than 6 months? You won’t be eligible for visa exemption if your passport isn’t valid for 6 months upon entry to Vietnam. In that case, apply for an e-visa online: the required passport validity for a Vietnam e-visa is only 1 month after the end of your stay." I’d read this on the Vietnamese Embassy’s website and on this forum, where a Vietnamese agency gave this advice to a member who had the same issue. Eric

Well, those folks were lucky... because it's often when arriving in Thailand that problems can occur. Several people have paid the price, and the faulty airline has to pay 12,000 € to repatriate denied passengers. And that’s the case with most airlines. We handle disputes on a volunteer basis and get a lot of cases in our inbox about this... So unfortunately, people really need to check their passport BEFORE booking a flight ticket, especially if it’s less than 3 months before departure. In those cases, it can be a bit tight to get a new passport depending on the region...

Oh, and welcome back here by the way! !

Good evening,

I know everything you're saying about the airline fine and all that. Still, there’s some room for discretion—minor traveling, accompanied, return flight, only three days missing. Of course, I agree with you, it’s best to avoid it and be careful.

Michel

It's been a while since we "abandoned" VF post-COVID!! Good to see this forum active again