Wanderer
Surin Dinosaur
My wife and I travelled back from Bangkok to London on Tuesday this week via Qatar Airways, except that we very nearly didn't.
We were using the return leg of our return tickets booked in May.
At check-in my wife was told she could not fly because she did not have an already booked flight back into Thailand. And they were adamant. No discussion allowed.
This was despite us having done precisely this same thing for the last 10 years, her having a 5-year UK visa, and us showing the evidence of her many re-entry dates covering two passports.
Where this idea has come from I have no idea. I have neither heard of it, read of it, nor can find reference to it.
Needless to say there was an almighty row.
Eventually, after several layers of refusal, a senior manager with suit, white shirt and tie was summoned from an office somewhere.
He listened, confirmed that they had been told it was the rule, but couldn't confirm who by, where, when and why, other than vague comments about Covid.
To be fair, he then looked at the passports, looked at us, and realised the situation wasn't going away.
He sent the useless minion who issued the initial refusal back to an office to bring down a form. A very complicated form asking every question about my wife from the day she was born to what she was doing going to UK and why and when she expected to return. She then had to sign this form.
Apparently it absolved the airport Immigration people from any responsibility should she not return to Thailand as promised.
We were at the desk for 50 minutes. I kept going to people waiting in the queue to explain what was going on and why we would not be accepting it, no matter what.
What is important to know is that, should this happen to anyone else reading this post, then there is a secret form that your Thai wife or partner can demand to be allowed to sign and to then board the plane.
It defies belief. But this is today's Thailand. Has anyone heard or read of any similar happening, because I certainly haven't?
We were using the return leg of our return tickets booked in May.
At check-in my wife was told she could not fly because she did not have an already booked flight back into Thailand. And they were adamant. No discussion allowed.
This was despite us having done precisely this same thing for the last 10 years, her having a 5-year UK visa, and us showing the evidence of her many re-entry dates covering two passports.
Where this idea has come from I have no idea. I have neither heard of it, read of it, nor can find reference to it.
Needless to say there was an almighty row.
Eventually, after several layers of refusal, a senior manager with suit, white shirt and tie was summoned from an office somewhere.
He listened, confirmed that they had been told it was the rule, but couldn't confirm who by, where, when and why, other than vague comments about Covid.
To be fair, he then looked at the passports, looked at us, and realised the situation wasn't going away.
He sent the useless minion who issued the initial refusal back to an office to bring down a form. A very complicated form asking every question about my wife from the day she was born to what she was doing going to UK and why and when she expected to return. She then had to sign this form.
Apparently it absolved the airport Immigration people from any responsibility should she not return to Thailand as promised.
We were at the desk for 50 minutes. I kept going to people waiting in the queue to explain what was going on and why we would not be accepting it, no matter what.
What is important to know is that, should this happen to anyone else reading this post, then there is a secret form that your Thai wife or partner can demand to be allowed to sign and to then board the plane.
It defies belief. But this is today's Thailand. Has anyone heard or read of any similar happening, because I certainly haven't?