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6 month passport validity question

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I have a trip to BKK coming up and will be arriving in BKK April 30 and leaving on May 22. My passport expires November 16, 2016. The passport has to have 6 months validity from what date? The date of entry into Thailand (April 30)? Will I be able to get a 30 day tourist visa on arrival even though the 6 month date will occur while I have it?

 

I tried to obtain info from Thai government sites, but have not gotten a definitive answer. Can somebody point me in the right direction, and provide a link to preferably a Thai government site to answer this question? I can get my passport renewal expedited if I have to, but it will cost me $200 US to do so, and I am trying to avoid that expense if I can use my current passport to get entry on 4/30.

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I have a trip to BKK coming up and will be arriving in BKK April 30 and leaving on May 22. My passport expires November 16, 2016. The passport has to have 6 months validity from what date? The date of entry into Thailand (April 30)? Will I be able to get a 30 day tourist visa on arrival even though the 6 month date will occur while I have it?

 

I tried to obtain info from Thai government sites, but have not gotten a definitive answer. Can somebody point me in the right direction, and provide a link to preferably a Thai government site to answer this question? I can get my passport renewal expedited if I have to, but it will cost me $200 US to do so, and I am trying to avoid that expense if I can use my current passport to get entry on 4/30.

 

c. Ask the airline they will know

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I have a trip to BKK coming up and will be arriving in BKK April 30 and leaving on May 22. My passport expires November 16, 2016. The passport has to have 6 months validity from what date? The date of entry into Thailand (April 30)? Will I be able to get a 30 day tourist visa on arrival even though the 6 month date will occur while I have it?

 

I tried to obtain info from Thai government sites, but have not gotten a definitive answer. Can somebody point me in the right direction, and provide a link to preferably a Thai government site to answer this question? I can get my passport renewal expedited if I have to, but it will cost me $200 US to do so, and I am trying to avoid that expense if I can use my current passport to get entry on 4/30.

It seems the 6 months validity starts from the date of entry according to this info from the Thai Embassy in London, although it's not worded particularly clearly in FAQ #1: http://thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=faq/1

 

Personally I would just renew now and not risk it.

Edited by Youngone

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date of entry. if you are returning to your home country where the passport is from, they wont care. This happened to me as well but give the airline a call just in case.

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Nationals of the United Kingdom and over 40 other countries are eligible to travel to Thailand, for tourism purpose, with the exemption of visa and are permitted to stay in Thailand for a period of not exceeding 30 days. Therefore, you do not need a visa.

However, please make sure that you are in possession of a passport valid for at least 6 months, a round-trip air ticket, and adequate finances equivalent to at least 10,000 Baht (150 pounds) per person or 20,000 Baht (300 pounds) per family. Otherwise, you maybe inconvenienced upon entry into the country.

Furthermore, foreigners who enter Thailand under this Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme may re-enter and stay in Thailand for a cumulative duration of stay of not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the date of first entry.

 

 

In another Thai Embassy website, I found further explanations that be translated as follows :

"Nationals of above quoted countries shall hold a passport whose validity is over 6 months upon arrival in Thailand, and possess an amount of money of at least 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family ...

Edited by P&G

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From the Los Angeles Consulate webpage:

 

- A valid passport from one of the countries listed below (passport MUST NOT expire within 6-months at time of travel and MUST have some empty visa pages)
- A proof of confirmed air tickets showing 30 days or less in Thailand.

 

I assume (makes an ass of u and me haha) 'at time of travel' means entering. Maybe another Consulate has better wording like P&G pointed out.

 

Full page: http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/service_visa_detail.aspx?link_id=28

 

Send your Embassy/Consulate an email requesting clarification and keep it available on your phone or laptop.

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Here's a discussion on thaivisa.com which confirms what the others have said:

 

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/788710-entering-thailand-with-6-months-validity-on-passport-with-tourist-visa-exemption/

Edited by DeepnHard

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Thanks to the guys who trust me. If you don't, just click on the above link and see that it's the official website of the Thai Royal Embassy in Brasil. You will find the following text in the page :
Estrangeiros que ingressarem na Tailândia na categoria de Isenção de Visto de Turismo e que queiram sair e retornar somente poderão permanecer por um período cumulativo que não exceda 90 dias e que esteja dentro de um prazo de 6 meses a contar da data da primeira entrada. (O passaporte ou documento de viagem deverá estar válido por pelo menos 6 meses a partir da data da primeira entrada).

 

 

 

I let you exercise your talents of translation. :)

Edited by P&G

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Will I be able to get a 30 day tourist visa on arrival even though the 6 month date will occur while I have it?

 

 

Actually I don't think you are getting a visa. You are getting permission to stay for 30 days. If you look at the link I posted earlier the title is:

 

"List of Countries - Allowed 30-Day Stay Without a Visa ( For Tourism Only) - Passport MUST be valid for at least six more months."

 

Of course it is referred to as 'visa on arrival' by just about everybody, so many people think this is a visa. It is permission to enter and stay for 30 days.

 

In DeepnHard's link to ThaiVisa a couple of responses are made by UbonJoe. I trust his knowledge. But for clarification, I would certainly write to the Embassy/ Consulate in your area. Be sure to request information on the 'visa waiver program' or '30 day stay without a visa'. If you are citizen of a G7 country you might have different rules and regulations than say someone from a non G7 country.

 

There are plenty of differences between visas, extensions of stay and permission to stay in Thai immigration laws.

Edited by flipflops

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Actually I don't think you are getting a visa. You are getting permission to stay for 30 days. If you look at the link I posted earlier the title is:

 

"List of Countries - Allowed 30-Day Stay Without a Visa ( For Tourism Only) - Passport MUST be valid for at least six more months."

 

Of course it is referred to as 'visa on arrival' by just about everybody, so many people think this is a visa. It is permission to enter and stay for 30 days.

 

In DeepnHard's link to ThaiVisa a couple of responses are made by UbonJoe. I trust his knowledge. But for clarification, I would certainly write to the Embassy/ Consulate in your area. Be sure to request information on the 'visa waiver program' or '30 day stay without a visa'. If you are citizen of a G7 country you might have different rules and regulations than say someone from a non G7 country.

 

There are plenty of differences between visas, extensions of stay and permission to stay in Thai immigration laws.

This is correct the 30 days given at the airport is not a visa. It is a permit of entry. One of the main differences is immigration can;t turn you away with a tourist visa whereas a permit of entry is at the discretion of the immigration officer. It is very rare they will deny it, but it has happened in the past to people for various reasons.

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