Lost Departure Card; is that a problem?

[Hardie]

So I'll try to kill two birds with one stone here. Mae Sai border run was a breeze, in and out in five minutes, $10 on the Burmese side, and no questions on the Thai side, despite the fact that there were 'no more visa runs' signs posted prominently. Now I can't find my departure card, TM-? Will that be a problem when I leave the country next week? Thanks in advance. 

[ubonjoe]

That sign is a bit out of date of date since it meant those doing border hops for visa exempt entries which are now limited to 2 per calendar year at land border crossings

You can complete a new TM6 departure card when you leave the country. People lose them all the time.

[Hardie]

40 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That sign is a bit out of date of date since it meant those doing border hops for visa exempt entries which are now limited to 2 per calendar year at land border crossings

You can complete a new TM6 departure card when you leave the country. People lose them all the time.

Thanks, Joe, I assumed as much, but it's nice to get the confirmation, since I now know they use that TM6 for extensions and such, which I was denied for my 30-day entry, because my in-laws don't report my whereabouts. I don't know if that's news to anyone here but me...

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, Hardie said:

Thanks, Joe, I assumed as much, but it's nice to get the confirmation, since I now know they use that TM6 for extensions and such, which I was denied for my 30-day entry, because my in-laws don't report my whereabouts. I don't know if that's news to anyone here but me...

If applying for an extension most immigration offices would just give you a new TM6 card to complete. Some more pennant ones might want a police report for it being lost.

I don't think your extension was denied for your presence not being reported. I suspect they would not accept the application until one was done.

[Hardie]

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

If applying for an extension most immigration offices would just give you a new TM6 card to complete. Some more pennant ones might want a police report for it being lost.

I don't think your extension was denied for your presence not being reported. I suspect they would not accept the application until one was done.

No, I had my old TM6 when I applied for the extension. Upon being denied, one of the non-official-looking helpers even suggested I go to the border as an alternative, which saved me around 1400THB, and not much time difference, since it's so close. The TM6 that I lost is the new one from that border hop. It was even discussed that I could go stay in a hotel, make sure they report my presence, then come back to extend again. I decided to save the 2000 THB (once you figure cost of a hotel), since I probably don't need another non-visa border-crossing before 1-1-2019...

[cleverman]

Some years back, I lost mine, went to border ,Cambodia, was told to go back to Bangkok, the IO sitting next to the bloke who told me to go to Bangkok grabbed another TM 6 for me to fill out. 

[Hardie]

2 minutes ago, cleverman said:

Some years back, I lost mine, went to border ,Cambodia, was told to go back to Bangkok, the IO sitting next to the bloke who told me to go to Bangkok grabbed another TM 6 for me to fill out. 

T.I.T., 555, think I'll allow an extra day or two just to be sure...

[BobBKK]

But you always carry a few right?  personally I'd just fill out another one?  they don't have the system to match the numbers and if they did just say 'i lost it'  personally I always staple it into my passport.

[OJAS]

12 minutes ago, Hardie said:

The TM6 that I lost is the new one from that border hop.

So presumably this was the new version of this form, which is considerably smaller - and, hence, a lot easier IMHO to misplace - than its predecessor. Suspect that we shall now be getting an increased number of reports on here about misplaced TM6's following this recent change.

[Hardie]

4 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

But you always carry a few right?  personally I'd just fill out another one?  they don't have the system to match the numbers and if they did just say 'i lost it'  personally I always staple it into my passport.

Actually I probably do have an extra one of the old style, but not the new ones, so need to stock up...

[Hardie]

2 minutes ago, OJAS said:

So presumably this was the new version of this form, which is considerably smaller - and, hence, a lot easier IMHO to misplace - than its predecessor. Suspect that we shall now be getting an increased number of reports on here about misplaced TM6's following this recent change.

Exactly, just a whisp of paper, lay it on the table, turn around and it's gone...

[Peterw42]

Often the airline check-in has a pile of blank TM6, as others have said people loose them and the check-in is often the first place that picks up that its missing. I have seen check-in staff filling them in for people that are oblivious they have even lost it.

[jackdd]

19 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

personally I always staple it into my passport.

I also always carry a stapler in my pocket

[Hardie]

5 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Often the airline check-in has a pile of blank TM6, as others have said people loose them and the check-in is often the first place that picks up that its missing. I have seen check-in staff filling them in for people that are oblivious they have even lost it.

Of course Thais used to use those TM6 forms to leave the country, then staple the entry portion for when they return, but I heard that TM6's have been discontinued for Thai citizens? If only the airlines had the official immigration stamp, too, then that would be really handy...

[ubonjoe]

38 minutes ago, Hardie said:

No, I had my old TM6 when I applied for the extension. Upon being denied, one of the non-official-looking helpers even suggested I go to the border as an alternative, which saved me around 1400THB, and not much time difference, since it's so close. The TM6 that I lost is the new one from that border hop. It was even discussed that I could go stay in a hotel, make sure they report my presence, then come back to extend again. I decided to save the 2000 THB (once you figure cost of a hotel), since I probably don't need another non-visa border-crossing before 1-1-2019...

You misread my post. I was only referring to the extension in reference to the loss of one when applying for an extension as an example since you mentioned it being needed for an extension.

I wrote in the 2nd paragraph in my post about the extension denial not really being a denial. A denial would happen after you paid the 1900 fee. Immigration did offer a option to get your extension application accepted.

 

[Hardie]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You misread my post. I was only referring to the extension in reference to the loss of one when applying for an extension as an example since you mentioned it being need for an extension.

I wrote in the 2nd paragraph of my post about the extension denial not really being a denial. A denial would happen after you paid the 1900 fee. Immigration did offer a option to get your extension application accepted.

 

Okay, gotcha'. No, I didn't lose my money...

[BobBKK]

51 minutes ago, jackdd said:

I also always carry a stapler in my pocket

Funny... normally the IO guy does it, in fact I can't remember when at Swampy the IO doesn't but if he/she didn't I would when I got home, same as taking a photo of my visa and entry stamps, I'd clip it in.

[Hardie]

13 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Funny... normally the IO guy does it, in fact I can't remember when at Swampy the IO doesn't but if he/she didn't I would when I got home, same as taking a photo of my visa and entry stamps, I'd clip it in.

They used to do it all the time, but I don't think my TM6's have been stapled in the last 5-10 years, and that's from probably 10-12 different border entry points...

[BobBKK]

Just now, Hardie said:

They used to do it all the time, but I don't think my TM6's have been stapled in the last 5-10 years, and that's from probably 10-12 different border entry points...

Wow I travel extensively and that's not my experience. Never mind hope you're ok and good luck.

[Hardie]

4 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Wow I travel extensively and that's not my experience. Never mind hope you're ok and good luck.

Hmmm, that IS strange, wish I had my old passport to verify with old staple crimps. Anyway, I don't expect any problem, since I 'll be crossing overland (over river) at Chiang Khong, so no rush to catch a flight or anything like that. I don't even look much like a backpacker anymore at 64, haha..

[OJAS]

28 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Funny... normally the IO guy does it, in fact I can't remember when at Swampy the IO doesn't but if he/she didn't I would when I got home, same as taking a photo of my visa and entry stamps, I'd clip it in.

The IO at BKK Airport I dealt with upon my return from foreign parts in early July most definitely did NOT staple the TM6 slip to my passport!

[Jaggg88]

6 hours ago, jackdd said:

I also always carry a stapler in my pocket

I couldn't find mine last time I was at swampy but then I found it under the baby elephant in my flight bag ?

[dougiemac57]

No it shouldn't be as they don't stamp them.

[BobBKK]

On 9/19/2018 at 11:35 AM, OJAS said:

The IO at BKK Airport I dealt with upon my return from foreign parts in early July most definitely did NOT staple the TM6 slip to my passport!

Sounds like I've been lucky!  anyway staple ASAP seems the consensus, good luck

[overherebc]

I can imagine stapling went 'out of fashion' after chunks of passport pages were getting ripped out when the TM6 was pulled out.

[BobBKK]

1 minute ago, overherebc said:

I can imagine stapling went 'out of fashion' after chunks of passport pages were getting ripped out when the TM6 was pulled out.

Nope because if you have any brain cells you take out the TM6 carefully in the queue. I certainly dont leave it to the IO's to do that. I also have my 90 day and TM30 stapled in my passport and never had a problem in 10 years and I travel frequently.

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, overherebc said:

I can imagine stapling went 'out of fashion' after chunks of passport pages were getting ripped out when the TM6 was pulled out.

I think that may be one of the reasons immigration stopped stapling them into passports. Perhaps they got blamed for damaging a passport so stopped it.

My very old taped together TM6 looks like a pincushion since it has so many holes in it and now immigration has been abusing it some more by stapling my 90 report slips to it.