Not sure if this is the correct forum because I'm new but here goes. Maybe some Aussie ex-pat has been thru this

My Australian passport pages are nearly full. I have an appointment with the Oz embassy in BKK to apply for a replacement, which their web-site says will have the same expiry date but a new number. When applying I will keep my old passport because I need to travel in Thailand and return to BKK when the new one is available (3-4 weeks it says)

My question is what happens to my O-A non-immigrant visa and reentry permit in the old Passport? Can I just carry around 2 passports or do I need restamping at a Thai immigration office? If so, my local one in Isaan or must I do it in BKK?

Since you state you have a re-entry permit I assume your OA visa has expired. You can have your last entry stamp and if you local immigration office issued your re-entry permit you can have it transferred there as well. The will also do a stamp that has spaces for info about your visa and your old passport.

Depending on where you are in Isaan, you may want to go over the Australian Embassy and get it done in Laos as the Embassy is a 30 minute taxi ride to the embassy from the Friendship Bridge in Nong Khai.

 

You will need a re-entry visa 1,000 baht and to pay Laos immigration $30US in US currency to enter Laos, taxi 300 baht return and the driver will wait for you to take you back to the border, the only thing is you will have to do it twice and pay the costs twice, i.e. once to drop it off and once to collect.

 

To be honest, I haven't done it but an Ozzie mate of mine did it that way, I on the other hand went there to get some documents verified, my mate saved me the cost to fly to and from BKK and a hotel for a night, taxi fares to and from the embassy and I was home within 4 hours from the time I left, with the drive to Nong Khai being an hour 30 from my place.

 

It maybe an option for you, so you might want to get in touch with the Australian embassy in Laos, I did all of my communicating with them via email before I went there and they were very very very helpful.

 

As for the passport, UbonJoe has summed it up in the above reply to your post.

If you have a bank account in Thailand, make sure that you update your account with your new passport number. 

On 12/24/2018 at 8:15 AM, ubonjoe said:

Since you state you have a re-entry permit I assume your OA visa has expired. You can have your last entry stamp and if you local immigration office issued your re-entry permit you can have it transferred there as well. The will also do a stamp that has spaces for info about your visa and your old passport.

Thanks for you answer. Sorry but I have written an inaccuracy, my visa is just an retirement O visa not O-A (I did have one of those and sadly killed it by not knowing about re-entry permits). My O Visa lasts until Sept 2019

 

On 12/25/2018 at 6:31 AM, BTempleman said:

If you have a bank account in Thailand, make sure that you update your account with your new passport number. 

good tip, thanks

On 12/24/2018 at 6:36 PM, 4MyEgo said:

Depending on where you are in Isaan, you may want to go over the Australian Embassy and get it done in Laos as the Embassy is a 30 minute taxi ride to the embassy from the Friendship Bridge in Nong Khai.

 

You will need a re-entry visa 1,000 baht and to pay Laos immigration $30US in US currency to enter Laos, taxi 300 baht return and the driver will wait for you to take you back to the border, the only thing is you will have to do it twice and pay the costs twice, i.e. once to drop it off and once to collect.

 

To be honest, I haven't done it but an Ozzie mate of mine did it that way, I on the other hand went there to get some documents verified, my mate saved me the cost to fly to and from BKK and a hotel for a night, taxi fares to and from the embassy and I was home within 4 hours from the time I left, with the drive to Nong Khai being an hour 30 from my place.

 

It maybe an option for you, so you might want to get in touch with the Australian embassy in Laos, I did all of my communicating with them via email before I went there and they were very very very helpful.

 

As for the passport, UbonJoe has summed it up in the above reply to your post.

 

On 12/24/2018 at 6:36 PM, 4MyEgo said:

Depending on where you are in Isaan, you may want to go over the Australian Embassy and get it done in Laos as the Embassy is a 30 minute taxi ride to the embassy from the Friendship Bridge in Nong Khai.

 

You will need a re-entry visa 1,000 baht and to pay Laos immigration $30US in US currency to enter Laos, taxi 300 baht return and the driver will wait for you to take you back to the border, the only thing is you will have to do it twice and pay the costs twice, i.e. once to drop it off and once to collect.

 

To be honest, I haven't done it but an Ozzie mate of mine did it that way, I on the other hand went there to get some documents verified, my mate saved me the cost to fly to and from BKK and a hotel for a night, taxi fares to and from the embassy and I was home within 4 hours from the time I left, with the drive to Nong Khai being an hour 30 from my place.

 

It maybe an option for you, so you might want to get in touch with the Australian embassy in Laos, I did all of my communicating with them via email before I went there and they were very very very helpful.

 

As for the passport, UbonJoe has summed it up in the above reply to your post.

Thanks for the advice about the Oz Embassy in Laos. I am in BKK anyway the first time so I'll try there but the have got very officious with the need to make appointments way ahead. 

I have done to Laos crossing to Savannakhet to try to get a Thai working visa in Laos from the Thai embassy there. What a disaster it was. I know about Thai Songkran holiday and but then came Lao Songkran holiday and so finally the queue was a mile long outside in the hot sun and they stop accepting applications at lunch-time. I gave up and came home empty-handed. But I did have a good time in Laos. 

On 12/25/2018 at 6:31 AM, BTempleman said:

If you have a bank account in Thailand, make sure that you update your account with your new passport number. 

thanks for the tip