Warning issued to Brits after woman gets stuck in Thailand over barely noticeable passport issue
If you needed yet another reminder to triple check your passport is in full working order before jetting off on your summer holiday, this is it.
There has been a significant spike in the number of passengers being turned away at the airport due to issues with their travel document over the last year, and it's turned into something of an epidemic.
So much so, that experts have issued a list of little-known snags for people to look out for so that they can ensure they won't face any problems with their passport at the check-in desk.
Unfortunately for Brit yoga teacher Rosie Viscomi, she didn't realise that the 'tiny' tear in hers would cause a fuss - but it resulted in her getting banned from boarding her flight back to London.
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The 27-year-old claims she was left stranded in Thailand after being forced to miss her flight from Bangkok to the UK capital on 4 July, after airline staff raised an issue with her passport.
She had been staying on the stunning island of Koh Pha-ngan since April after completing her yoga certification in India, in the hopes of learning more about the physical, mental, and spiritual practices involved.
The Norfolk-native had also took part in some volunteer work before deciding the time was right to pack her bags.
Rosie, a dance and yoga teacher, explained that she booked a multi-stop flight which would take her from Bangkok, back to India, on to Turkey and then to London.
But she was left in tears at Thailand's Suvarnabhumi Airport when IndiGo Airlines employees informed her they would not be allowing her onto the flight due to a 'one centimetre' rip on the photo page in her passport.
And no matter how good her downward dog is, it didn't do her any favours while bartering with airport staff.
In fact, Rosie claims she was then informed that her visa had expired and she was currently in the country illegally - despite her insisting she had extended it just days before.
She explained: "When I went to go for my flight they said, 'You're not going anywhere with that', referring to a small rip in my passport and I said, 'Well it was already like this'.
"They told me India won't let me in and I need to book a direct flight from Bangkok to London. There's been no issues with travelling until now.
"I had a tear already on my passport when I came here, I'm not sure if it's got any bigger, it's not that bad. I went to America and Jamaica with it and it was fine."
The tourist explained she then had to liaise with Thai immigration and the British Embassy to arrange her safe return back home - while dealing with the stress of surprise fees and the fear that she might be arrested.
Rosie continued: "I missed my flight which cost about £370. I've had to apply for emergency documents and am just praying I can get back now. I don't actually have any money left - I did not account for this extra expense.
"Immigration are saying that they could charge me £320 on top of the flight cost because I've overstayed my visa.
"My 60-day visa had ran out for Thailand so I had to go to the Cambodia border to extend my visa. Everything was fine, then at the airport they told me that I didn't get the right stamps and I was here illegally.
"There's so many complications, I was at immigration just crying and everyone kept saying there's nothing they can do.
"I thought I had all the right visa documents - I didn't realise I had the wrong stamp, they wouldn't let me fly anyway because of the tear on the passport."
The Brit, who sobbed that she 'just wanted to go home', has since had to fork out hundreds of pounds on a new flight and emergency travel documents, but finally headed back to the UK on Tuesday (9 July).
Issuing a warning to other travellers who might have a imperfect passport, Rosie added: "It's really stressful. I never thought a tear would be such a problem for me."
Her sister has launched a GoFundMe to raise money for the excess costs as the yoga teacher is currently not working.
An IndiGo Airlines spokesperson said: "On July 4, 2024, a foreign national, flying on IndiGo flight 6E1054 from Bangkok to Delhi was unable to board, as their passport was found to be damaged.
"IndiGo followed the guidelines by the regulatory authorities and offered requisite assistance to the customer. Customers are advised to familiarise themselves with such guidelines, which may differ from country to country."
Topics: UK News, World News, Travel, Holiday
Olivia Burke