Hello,

 

My Visa expires on Feb 11 and I need to go to Penang to apply for a new one. 

 

My passport has only two free pages left in it and I was told by the agent in Penang that it might be an issue.

 

I applied for a new passport with my embassy but it won't be ready in time.

 

What are my options?

Get a visa exempt at a land border, that's just a small stamp. You can extend this by 30 days (or 60 days if you are married), which takes up another half page. Until then your passport should be ready and you can get your regular visa.

1 minute ago, jackdd said:

Get a visa exempt at a land border, that's just a small stamp. You can extend this by 30 days (or 60 days if you are married), which takes up another half page. Until then your passport should be ready and you can get your regular visa.

Not sure but if I recall correctly he is working here so that would not work for him.

I think 2 blank pages will be accepted. When you leave Thailand try and get the officer to stamp you out on a partial page and then the same when entering Malaysia.

The checklist on the KL embassy states this.

"2. Original passport with at least 6-month validity and 2 blank visa pages"

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Not sure but if I recall correctly he is working here so that would not work for him.

I am working , I have a work permit but I have to get a new non b visa every 3 months. 

What country is your passport?

 

Have you already lodged the application for a new passport?

1 minute ago, scorecard said:

Have you already lodged the application for a new passport?

 

2 hours ago, manonthemon said:

I applied for a new passport with my embassy but it won't be ready in time.

 

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

 

 

So the application for new PP is already lodged.

 

Some countries issue new PPs very quickly, some take longer, did your embassy specifically mention how many days to receive your new PP?

22 minutes ago, scorecard said:

So the application for new PP is already lodged.

 

Some countries issue new PPs very quickly, some take longer, did your embassy specifically mention how many days to receive your new PP?

I'm Polish. Yes I already lodged my passport application. My embassy told me there is a chance the the passport will be ready on February 8 but they cannot be sure. I'm trig to figure out what to do in case it's not. 

You may be able to request a non-biometric 'temporary passport' at your consulate.  These are often available for travelers who have lost their documents to allow them to return home, etc. This is at the discretion of the consular officer.

 

A better option is to contact your local Immigration office directly and explain your situation and see if they can waive the rules until your new document is ready.  They can be very helpful when you can show that you are trying to follow the rules and have exhausted the options available to you.

Do I risk a lot if I overstay my current visa by 2 days? I might get a new passport by then. 

26 minutes ago, manonthemon said:

Do I risk a lot if I overstay my current visa by 2 days? I might get a new passport by then. 

Best to apply for an extension, pay 1900 baht and be granted 7 days to leave the country when it is denied.

The fine for overstay is 500 baht a day.

I ended up going to Penang with my old passport. I asked Thai and Malaysian immigration officers to place their stamps in the available empty space on my passport pages already carrying other stamps - they had no problem with that.  The visa agent in Penang complained a bit, claiming that a spread in a passport is considered one, not two pages (the rules state that you need two empty pages for a visa) but in the end he managed to get me a new visa.