Hey guys,

 

On a trip back to the UK I got myself a new passport which has already arrived. However, the old one I sent in with my ED visa in has not yet been returned and my flight back is very soon.

 

Presuming that it doesn't arrive in time I was wondering if I could possibly enter Thailand with a 30 days exempt stamp and then get my old passport shipped over at a later date. If not I will have to reschedule the flight home but obviously that isn't ideal.

 

Thanks in advance for all helpful responses.

 

Cheers!

Edited October 19, 20178 yr by Chesterpot

You can enter with your new passport and get a 30 day visa exempt entry,  

But if you are on extension of stay issued by immigration it would be lost and you would have to get a new non-ed visa and apply for a new extension.

If you actually have a multiple entry non-ed visa issued by an embassy or consulate you could enter and then leave the country after you get your old passport and use the visa in it for a new 90 day entry.

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can enter with your new passport and get a 30 day visa exempt entry,  

But if you are on extension of stay issued by immigration it would be lost and you would have to get a new non-ed visa and apply for a new extension.

If you actually have a multiple entry non-ed visa issued by an embassy or consulate you could enter and then leave the country after you get your old passport and use the visa in it for a new 90 day entry.

Ah OK. Thanks for your input as always ubonjoe. I am on an extension of stay so in this situation it would be better to stay here longer and wait for the old passport if I need to. Unfortunate but great to know, thanks again. :)

 

 

10 minutes ago, Chesterpot said:

Thanks for your input as always ubonjoe. I am on an extension of stay so in this situation it would be better to stay here longer and wait for the old passport if I need to. Unfortunate but great to know, thanks again. :)

 

You are the 2nd person that I am aware of that did not get his old passport back in the UK in the last 2 days.

Have you contacted the passport office about it?

Just now, ubonjoe said:

You are the 2nd person that I am aware of that did not get his old passport back in UK in the last 2 days.

Have you contacted the passport office about it?

Not yet because I was advised it was normal for it to take up to 5 days after the new passport was issued. However, I will do so as soon as I wake up. Will report back with what they tell me.

Would be interested to read UK passport office response.

7 hours ago, Chesterpot said:

Not yet because I was advised it was normal for it to take up to 5 days after the new passport was issued. However, I will do so as soon as I wake up. Will report back with what they tell me.

It makes no sense to me that it takes 5 days longer to put the old passport in an envelope than the new one. As a matter of interest, who advised you that this was the case?

36 minutes ago, BritTim said:

It makes no sense to me that it takes 5 days longer to put the old passport in an envelope than the new one. As a matter of interest, who advised you that this was the case?

We're talking a government department. Everything makes sense, no matter how illogical it might appear to the rest of us.

A good reason to obtain a new passport while in LoS.

 

When I applied for my son's new one through VFS, the process was surprisingly efficient, with the new one back within two weeks. Having a Thai passport, he didn't need to concern himself with keeping his old British one while the new one was pending, but just as with anyone with a visa in their passport, they didn't send his old one in with the application.

21 hours ago, Chesterpot said:

Presuming that it doesn't arrive in time I was wondering if I could possibly enter Thailand with a 30 days exempt stamp and then get my old passport shipped over at a later date.

You'll need to keep in mind that if you need to go down this route you may not be allowed to board the aircraft in the UK unless you have a return ticket, a ticket out of Thailand or some kind of permission to stay in Thailand in your passport.

 

As a matter of interest the reason the reason they don't return both passports in the same envelope is that that diffirent offices deal with the application, the person who deals with has your passport and application simply enters the approval into their computer and the process is completed in a seperate location fully automaticially, printing and dispatch, rather like was done when the process was carried out in Hong Kong. Your old passport then goes to the post room for return, I agree that it shouldn't take a further five days.