Tobias-UK

For Thailand British passports only need to be valid for the period of intended stay, you are able to transit SIN provided you have a confirmed onward reservation to leave SIN within 24 hours of arrival. You will not (unlikely) be permitted to enter Singapore without the passport being valid for 6 months.

Newly Wed

Thank you all so much.
I am reading that we can only transit in SIN if we don't have to collect baggage or clear immigration, and that certain low cost carriers require immigration clearance. Does anyone know which carriers would not cause this problem. The options for same day transfer seem to be Thai Lion Air, Jetstar, Thai Vietjet and Thai AirAsia.

1Aturnleft

BA arrives Terminal 1 at Singapore. Terminals 1/2/3 are connected airside which will allow you to remain in transit between flights. Terminal 4 is where the low cost carriers generally depart from. My understanding is this terminal is not connected to the rest of the airport and will require landside shuttle bus transfer. For the avoidance of doubt, I'd recommend you book the connection to Thailand on SQ/TG if at all possible in order to avoid any issues on arrival if you're planning on not getting the passports renewed before departure. SQ/TG flights to Thailand depart SIN Terminals 2 and 3.

SqKiwi

There is an airside transit bus to Terminal 4. If Scoot is an option, they fly from Terminal 1.

percysmith

(Not intended to reopen the South African IDB discussion, just highlighing the risks from that case to here: )

Newly Wed , there was a long case with BA in T5 where check-in agents denied a PRC passport holder from boarding BA flight to South Africa for lack of visa, ignoring the traveller's presentation of a stand-alone same day ticket to take her out of South Africa with another airline.

Sparing you the discussion of what was perhaps not done, how much time the traveller and her children should have arrived in T5, what information BA did consider and should consider, please note the following:

1. BA may wrongly deny your kids boarding (you are also asking BA to consider a stand-alone same day ticket with another airline for your children, and asserting they will abandon the rest of their BA itinerary)
2. More time is better than less (arrive in T5 as early as you and your children practically can as you might need multiple staff members to consider/reconsider your documentation).

BA denied wife & daughters boarding due incorrect use of Timatic

BA denied wife & daughters boarding due incorrect use of Timatic

Newly Wed

Thank you all.

A sleepless night.

To avoid the LCC from T4 it looks like Singapore Airlines to BKK with an overnight in the transit hotel is probably our best option. Current weighing up whether to chance it (with super early arrival at LHR tomorrow) versus a passport appointment in Liverpool tomorrow afternoon and trying to get things back on track at great expense once new passports are to hand.

percysmith

These are mutually exclusive, right?

I'd go for LHR with the Scoot booking and transit hotel. If there are check in problems (and can't wait for another shift) then do a Hail Mary to Liverpool (but I doubt you can make it back...)

Not every BA ground agent should make this error - going as early as possible ("on the break of dawn" approach) is appropriate.

Newly Wed

Scoot and transit hotel booked.

Passport appointment for today cancelled and I can rebook for tomorrow if necessary.

Will arrive at LHR 5 hours before SIN flight. If that isn’t enough time I suspect nothing will be.

percysmith

Please report back. We could use a counter example to the South African case.

Deckter

These types of threads are more exciting than any Netflix series. OP, I strongly hope everything works out in your favour and that your next reply is from your seat with a glass of bubbly in hand.

Ldnn1

...having made the decision to leave the kids home alone and plough on unencumbered

(I joke of course. Good luck OP)

ahopkins767

This comes from an example of an Icelandic friend I have, who is based in the Philippines, where there is no embassy and the Honory Consul can only issue emergency travel documents (valid for a year).

They may need to go to Beijing or Tokyo to renew their sons passports (long expired, and they are on emergency travel documents).

There are protocols to enter countries, so he is told by the embassy, for those without passports of the proper validity, if the reason is to visit the home embassy.

There are also exceptions for children traveling with parents (its the kids who need the passport renewal, and one at the time did not have his dual passport either so his only travel document was the emergency travel document (AKA emergency passport).

Anyhow. Maybe consider emergency travel documents or at least brush up on how to get them in case that information proves useful (so you could for example offer to the Singaporeans/Thais that you intend to get an Emergency Travel Document if they make issue with the passport validity).

Make sure you have your travel arrangements printed.

And from experience of my Icelandic and Austrian friends who have got emergency travel documents - it’s made while you wait.

AviosTreasureHunter

Good luck OP.
As per the strict letter of the rules you should be fine. In particular because Timatic is usually used as decision maker for airlines and Timatic says passport must be valid for duration of stay.
Pre covid, I toured SE Asia on Air Asia flights and was able to do online check in for all flights and get mobile boarding passes.
If you can get that airside bus over to T4, you should be okay.
Please keep us updated.

PLeblond

Given the last minute-ness of the issue and the fact that it does fall in a grey zone I would try my luck checking in (while playing dumb - which suits me).

Another consideration is: I understand Mr. NW is not travelling with (and I'll assume for sake of discussion) is the father, In Canada and US that often requires a lot of paperwork indicating parent has the authorisation of other parent to leave the country with the children. Not sure how the UK deals with this.

Good luck. Keep us posted

Newly Wed

Thank you all for your helpful advice. They say a picture paints a thousand words so, here goes…..



There is no way we would have been approved for travel without me having all the relevant information to hand as the initial response from the back office approval desk was “no”. But armed with boarding passes for an onward flight within 24 hours, a confirmed booking at the transit hotel, and hand luggage only I pressed for reconsideration and it was approved. I don’t think entry to Thailand was much of an issue, it was more about checking the transfer rules in Singapore.

The whole process took about 15 minutes so now we are in F lounge with 4.5 hours to kill.

Phew!!