rwilem

Just wish to echo many of the posts here upon hearing the news of Ubon Joe's passing. Of course, it's devastating for his wife and surviving loved ones. And it's sad for here, too. We are on just a bit looser footing in the Kingdom now, when it comes to the immigration matters we deal with on a continual basis. His words on digital screens showed him to be not just knowledgeable--an expert, really--on all things Thai immigration, but the words were presented with nary a hint of a condescending attitude. Offering solutions, helpful answers, was the order of the day. He provided this forum with valuable info for folks seeking answers to issues that inevitably crop up, in all kinds of situations affecting both recent arrivals and long-termers alike. He will be missed, for sure. I had wondered if something was up, as I had not seen any 'the final word' posts from Ubon Joe lately. Now we know. May he rest in peace, and his family find comfort in that so many appreciate him for his service to others.

Just two desks in action at CW, that is not really helping the situation. Even adding in a bit of inconvenience in getting to the MTT office, it seems to have been easier overall getting reports done there. There were staff pre-checking the documents and giving out numbers in the waiting area, and people were called in to the office in groups of ten at a time. It didn't take long for the next group to be called in, and there were about five or six--maybe more--desks handling the 'clients', and doing so at a good pace. Did not take all that long, and this was even without an appointment. If you had an appointment you were in-and-out in 15 minutes. CW slow-walking 90-day reporting, and not having an appointment system in place for it is not great news.

Hey, that's quite an ordeal. I recall you asking way back if getting a new passport--as you were doing--would require you to get your entry stamp (on a visa-exempt entry) transferred to the new passport at the post where you obtained said entry stamp. (Based on some buzz about folks having to return to their extension-issuing offices to get those stamps transferred to their new passports.) You would be able to transfer the stamp to the new passport at Jomtien was the consensus, which proved correct. However, the timing, or waiting time rather, for the U.S. Embassy/State Department to get the renewal processed was off the charts. Was only till recently that the turnaround time from mailing in the passport, renewal form, payment details, etc. to getting the new and now-expired passports back was taking around three weeks. And a few days short of that in some cases. That's seems to be over now. Your renewal took about seven weeks. New realities at the embassy. Anyway, as others have noted, you won't have any issue exiting, as your stay on the extension will be over, a 'clean getaway', and you can return 'fresh' on the new passport.

By the way, when I did have to do some 90-day reports in-person at MTT, at the time during 2020 when the spotty online system was not 'report-friendly' (in my case), there was an appointment system for 90-day reporting there. With an appointment it took maybe 15 minutes tops from entering the building to being finished with the report and having the receipt. But I understand there is not any appointment system for 90-day reporting at CW, which is kind of a drag.

Incredible, that the wait for a 90-day report takes longer than that for a re-entry permit. But that's just a function of the 'numbers' that turn up that day, that time, and so on, and the number of staff servicing those folks. The last time I did an in-person 90-day report at CW was about six years ago. If I recall correctly, there were four desks in that A room. One of them was not getting numbers called in a timely manner, it seemed that some other issue was being handled at that desk in addition to 90-day reporting. For doing my online reports I have been submitting them just a few days before the due date. Since the time the system got a reboot a couple years ago, all of them were approved, though there were a couple hiccups where a report was rejected, but immediate 're-submissions' turned into approvals. (The 'middle name' issue-- needed for approval, in my case--and some address tweaking.) It has taken from three days, the minimum I've experienced, to five days at the most, to get an approved result. Rejections have come back in about three days. Just FYI. I think when the clerk told you to file your next report 15 days before the due date she may have been referring to doing it online? Anyway, now that you are all up to speed on the address, TM-30, new passport details, you could try giving the online system a shot 15 days before, see what you get, while being ready to mail it, if you have to. They want the mail-in reports to be there seven days ahead of the due date, I believe, but I'd think there is some leeway in that. So you would have three, four days, maybe five before you'd have to drop it in the mail? Though, as I say, if one's got a working MO that they're happy with, just keep keepin' on!

All's well that ends well! Not all that painful, really. And fortunate, in retrospect, that the big logjam last week dissuaded you from attempting to do it at that time. Having the TM-30 filed and being able to show it at the time you were with the clerk at the desk did the job. I've never mailed in a 90-day report myself. Online has pretty much worked for me, except for the period in '20 where it was down or not working well for quite a stretch for many people in Bangkok. But any MO that is successful, is a routine one likes and works for them, that's the way to go.

CW doesn't do anything over the weekends on the 90-day report submissions. Earliest would be Monday that you might get the result. By early evening hours there could be a result, with some luck Good pro-active move to have a TM-30 filed. Barring getting an approved result on Monday from the online submission, your idea to go out to CW on Tuesday is good. And if you get a screenshot of the TM-30 from the hotel, that will be good to have as support documentation. If you do go out there and are having to wait around, go downstairs to one of the copy shops and get a printed copy or two of the TM-30 screenshot. Comes in handy to have those.

A quick REJECTED. Yeah, maybe the passport, the new passport, is the sticking point. That said, address errors or mismatches with what's on record gets the lion's share of rejections. I have submitted before, got rejected, submitted immediately again (even after the due date!) with a tweak in the address (putting room number in twice) and then got approved. Just that little tweak got it approved. You've got nothing to lose, I'd try submitting another one. If all fails, then you go out to CW on Tuesday or Wednesday--avoid Monday--and pickup the number for the 90-day report before any other business you're doing.

I believe the count of the '7 days after' begins on the due date itself, really making it 6 days after. The 26th would be the last date for you to get in under that deadline.

Great, now you can also log in at that website to check the status of your submitted report. Log in, look for 'check status', you might have to input some info. But check it to see if it is PENDING. Then you can check back in the next few days, hope you will see APPROVED. If you get a REJECTED, then you can go ahead and go out and do it in-person. Let us know what happens.

You'll see 'Don't have an account? Apply', hit that and go from there.

OK, use this link. https://tm47.immigration.go.th/tm47/#/login And, it's really easier using it with a phone, more than other devices, I've found. And if you have trouble with a browser, try another. Follow the instructions to register, copy and paste the password from the email you'll receive to confirm the registration process. When you log in you'll want submit a new report. (Also later, you can change the password to a preferred one at log in time, by hitting the 'forget password'. They'll send an email and from there you can set your new password.)

Submitted on the 12th and approved on the 19th, with the office being closed three days (Thur., Fri. and Mon.)....not bad, considering.

Have you checked the status at the website? If your online submission was indeed received a check of its status on the website will show whether it's PENDING or APPROVED. If there is no listing for it, then it was somehow not successfully submitted.

By the way, I'll add that you might want to go ahead and give the 90-day online reporting system a shot. I believe there has been at least one report of someone having successfully done online a 'first 90 day report following a change in passport'. You could submit it, with the new passport and 'stay until date'. See what happens. Will it be received for consideration? Will you get a rejection or approval after x number of days? You could try to submit one today, as early as possible. I would try it, can't do any harm.

That would have been an ideal way to have done it, and now you know. I hear you, about being tired, just forget it, do it later. You've got plenty of days. And for the re-entry permit you can make an appointment online, and maybe there will be a time slot for you that you prefer. That will shorten considerably the time needed for that. And pickup the number for the 90-day report first thing when you get in the office, that'll help.

At CW if you get a number you'll be handled that day. (You are not turned away and told to come back another day.) Yes, it was a jammed-up turnout today after the Songkran holidays, and from 2:30 could have taken 2-3 more hours of waiting. Wouldn't have to spend all of it in the office waiting. Could go downstairs, have some food, relax at a coffee shop, kill some of that time. If one is already out there, maybe getting it done then and there beats making a return trip? That's a calculation for one to make. Later in the afternoon the pace of the numbers being called tends to pick up.

I received an extension (one-year, retirement) at CW several years back, about 30 days ahead of the one I had expiring. I asked about this type of situation, whether the existing re-entry permit stamp in my passport, showing validity for the next 30 days, could be used for a trip out-and-back completed within that time frame. No was the answer. If I wanted to take a trip, I'd need a 'fresh' re-entry permit. Why chance it? Get a new re-entry permit, issue solved.

This, yes! Anyway, a good rule of thumb for those with extensions using the 'banked' method, update the bankbook showing an account balance in accordance with the requirement three months after the date of the extension. And update the bankbook two months prior to the date of the next extension application which shows a balance amount that meets the requirement.

Same thoughts I had when I got an RC at CW. It completed a 'trifecta' of sorts on the day; extension, re-entry permit and residence certificate in one go. Appointments for the first two were smooth (except for a 50-minute wait for freshly-stamped passport to be returned after the desk session.) But the certificate process was...well, it took two hours from first getting a number to the finish. (Tip for next time: Pickup that number for the service before doing the appointed extension.) Four desks at the B counter. But functions other than certificates have to be taking place there. There was one person being served who ended up being in front of the desk for more than an hour! The queue moved so slow, I left to go downstairs for a bite. There were about 25 numbers ahead of me when I started. Finally, when my number was called, I bounded in, handed over my copies and passport (the clerk didn't even look at the passport), confirmed the mailing address, and paid the 200 baht. I don't think it took even three minutes, maybe closer to two, and I was done. What else is being handled at those desks? It can't take that long just to process requests for residence certificates.

Yep, I get it. Got to be judicious with the border runs. And it's a tougher row to hoe here than it is for the PI, no doubt. Part of the fun...'yeah'. Keep us posted how it turns out for you.

"Are we clear?" "Yes, crystal." Got it now. Ordinarily, it is residents here who are acquiring new passports and then subsequently having current extension permits transferred to the new passport. And I assumed an air entry by you, visa-exempt, and as a shorter-term visitor getting a new passport here then applying for a 30-day extension of your stay. But you came in by land, with an entry stamp from a border post. I'd suggest as soon as you have the new passport go apply for the extension at Jomtiem. You won't lose any days applying early. Again, I can't see how they'd tell someone to return to a border post for an entry stamp transfer to a new passport. I don't even know if that's possible. That's really would be lot. But you never know. And if a wrench is thrown your way, then you some time. Ordinarily, in cases like this the traveler just uses both passports on departure from the country. No problem, easy. But as you are seeking a 30-day extension with the new passport, before exiting, this is little different. The letter will be included in the envelope returning your passports. The Jomtiem office has likely had similar cases as yours before. Haven't read any reports of someone instructed to return to a land border for an entry stamp transfer to a new passport. With both passports and the letter Jomtien should either transfer it to the new passport or make some kind of note of it along with the extension in the new one, and in that case--maybe most cases with an in-country acquired passport--you would use both passports when you do exit.

Excuse me, I didn't read this carefully. I assumed you entered 45-days visa exempt by air. (Even though you did not say that.) And the border thing you were referencing was for an out-and-back bounce, not that Imm would direct you to get that entry stamp transferred there. (Because I was still incorrectly assuming a by air entry.) But it was at a land border that you entered. Got it, finally. The new passport is coming to you by mail, could anywhere in the country. My response is based on what I would expect Bangkok immigration to do in this case, but other offices may not act that way If you don't mind, from which land border did you enter, and which immigration office are you planning to use to apply for the 30-day extension?

As the fellas above have noted, the U.S. and some others automatically provide the letter. At least one embassy (Australia?) puts a stamp in the passport for this purpose.

Regarding the above, it's also possible immigration will just put the extension stamp in the new passport, leaving your entry stamp in the expired one. And then when you do exit the country have both passports ready to present at the immigration booth upon departure. But I just don't see any situation where you would be refused a 30-day extension because you've got a new passport, and be told to do an exit-and-return to get an additional 30 days. (Think the 45-day visa-exempt stay is supposed to end on March 31, after which it would return to the standard 30 days. Assuming....)