Passport stolen. What next?

[Individual One]

I need some expert advice.  I'm currently in the States.  Passport was stolen yesterday.  It had a Non-o family care visa with a multiple entry permit.  All reporting up to date with Nakhon Pathom immigration.  Legally married to a Thai with one child.  Required funds in the bank. Lived in Thailand permanently for 3 years.

I'm going to San Francisco Monday to request a new passport and asked the wife, still in Thailand, to call immigration and get guidance.  I have a police report, and am scheduled to return to Don Muang in a couple of weeks after stops in Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia. 

 

Question: my wife called  immigration and relates that they told her I only need a letter declaring that I am the same person as the holder of the stolen passport and the IO will simply look up my old Visa.  I'm sceptical.  Unfortunately I didn't write down the number on the visa because I never thought that this would happen to me. Famous last words.  My rental car was parked in a "good"  neighborhood I lived in for 10 years in Silicon Valley and I considered "safe"  and "home".  The officer who took the report said that there is an epidemic and, to my utter astonishment, when I returned the rental car with the broken windows to the airport to get a new one, there were 3 other cars there already, returned for the exact same reason!  In fact, 2 Chinese businessmen were right in front of me for the exact same reason!  I digress.

 

 Based on some posts I've read here, I'm considering skipping Cambodia and flying to Suvarnabhumi directly from Jakarta, instead.  I can't skip Indonesia or Vietnam.

 

Please advise.

Thanks

i1

 

 

 

 

[BestB]

Do not think anyone been in same situation, but when you change passport while in Thailand, for whatever reason, Immigration can look up your history and transfer the visa/extention/stamps.

 

They ask for a letter confirming you have been issued with a new passport quoting the old passport number also.

 

Once you have this letter from (Do do not what department issued passports in US) then you should be all fine. May be a good idea to make police report as well, just as a back up.

 

By any chance did you have copies of pics of your old stamps? 

 

Another option, may be once you have new passport and a letter along with a report, visit Thai embassy or consulate and see what they would suggest

[ubonjoe]

I am afraid the info your wife got is not correct.

It appears you have an extension of issued by immigration.

I think you will have to start all over again. As soon as you enter the country and get a new permit to stay date different than what you extension has it will be invalid.

Others that have had their passport stolen were not able to have their extension reinstated.

If you actually had a visa issued by an embassy or consulate it was lost with your passport.

[problemfarang]

agreed with UBON,

 

happened to one of my friends. He had to do all over again.

 

I couldnt understand if your extended your visa or not because you said multi entry.. Which makes me think you havent extended it for 1 year. If that care visa thing what you said is for 1 year than its ok. sorry But if it doesnt mean 1 year... its better if you just go embassy and get another NON-O multi... 

[scorecard]

14 hours ago, BestB said:

Do not think anyone been in same situation, but when you change passport while in Thailand, for whatever reason, Immigration can look up your history and transfer the visa/extention/stamps.

 

They ask for a letter confirming you have been issued with a new passport quoting the old passport number also.

 

Once you have this letter from (Do do not what department issued passports in US) then you should be all fine. May be a good idea to make police report as well, just as a back up.

 

By any chance did you have copies of pics of your old stamps? 

 

Another option, may be once you have new passport and a letter along with a report, visit Thai embassy or consulate and see what they would suggest

And every time there's an entry or change to anything, take 3 seconds to take a smartphone pic and send it to an outside memory. Very simple, very easy, takes 3 seconds.

[GalaxyMan]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

And every time there's an entry or change to anything, take 3 seconds to take a smartphone pic and send it to an outside memory. Very simple, very easy, takes 3 seconds.

I always scan my passport to a PDF anytime I get anything changed in it. It has come in handy more times than I care to remember.

[edwardflory]

Rule 1) Make at least 3 copies of important documents, ALL  documents.

Rule 2) Follow rule 1 religiously.

 

It is 100% easier to replace documents if you have HARD COPIES of your documents. Keep at least 1 copy at your home - wife can (re)copy and send to you. Traveling, take 1 copy with you.

 

I have 3 copies of ALL Thai Immigration paperwork, my Passport pages including the blank pages, ( marriage certificate if married ), rental agreements, credit cards, drivers license, and etc.

 

American, SS, birth certificate, etc

 

[DJ54]

As noted earlier conctact Thai Embassy or Consulate in USA. Looks

like only two choices New York or Washington DC. 

 

Please post the outcome so all will know the outcome. When getting a New passport Thailand transfers the visa etc. to New passport. Whereas China you have to carry Old and New passport 

the visa is not transferred. 

 

Hope you don’t have to go through the whole process again... 

 

attached was from US Embassy

 

[ubonjoe]

25 minutes ago, DJ54 said:

As noted earlier conctact Thai Embassy or Consulate in USA. Looks

like only two choices New York or Washington DC. 

There are also official consulates in Chicago and Los Angeles.

But contacting a embassy or consulate would be of no help unless he wants to apply for a new visa. They would not replace a visa that was lost or stolen with a passport.

The cannot do anything if a person has a extension of stay issued at immigration.

[bkk6060]

Wow really?  Geez, sorry to hear this.

3 other rental cars from the same company were victims?

Gosh sad, hope you get this figured out.

Edited October 26, 2019 by bkk6060

[Salerno]

1 minute ago, bkk6060 said:

Maybe you could let us know the circumstances of the theft.

 

18 hours ago, Individual One said:

My rental car was parked in a "good"  neighborhood I lived in for 10 years in Silicon Valley and I considered "safe"  and "home".  The officer who took the report said that there is an epidemic and, to my utter astonishment, when I returned the rental car with the broken windows to the airport to get a new one, there were 3 other cars there already, returned for the exact same reason! 

[CH1961]

2 hours ago, edwardflory said:

Rule 1) Make at least 3 copies of important documents, ALL  documents.

Rule 2) Follow rule 1 religiously.

Most important rule at all) Never leave your passport in the car.

Second most important) especially in US ????

 

[Individual One]

Update from OP: I was able to obtain a new US passport in one day on the Monday following the theft.  There are a few cities in the US where passports can be printed and San Francisco, 70 km from me, is one of them.

I asked for a letter stating that the new passport replaced the stolen one and certifying that the bearer was the same person as instructed by Nakhon Pathom immigration. 

 

They said, "Nope." The new passport speaks to that by the very possession thereof, hereinafter, heretofore, and forthwith, blah,blah,blah....

 

There is a cute little stamp, however on the final page that states,

This passport replaces a stolen passport"

Good enough? Cross all fingers and toes.

The nearest Thai consulate was LA and it would have cost me at least 2 more precious days with my family.  I appreciate all advice I rec'd but on the principle that asking a bureaucrat if paperwork was necessary is equivalent to asking a vampire if they need some blood, I opted not to visit the Thai consulate but to continue my trip and see if i might be able to skip "starting over" by doing as we had been instructed even though it seemed too straight forward, sensible, and belied the experiences of others and their acquaintances as faithfully related to me here.

So....what happened?  Yes, yes, I'm getting to that....

 

Arrived yesterday at Don Muang.  After discussing the situation with a couple of officers, at the immigration desk and showing them some lovely paperwork, they coferred, and ultimately, my new passport was stamped with an ordinary 30 day entry stamp and returned with a friendly smile. 

 

We went to Nakhon Pathom immigration today around 10 am with a stack of papers the wife had prepared.  The officer sent us to chase down some more paperwork.  Returned after lunch to be presented with a sheaf of paperwork to be signed, including a completed "Application for Transfer of Previously Issued Visa" form which the officer had typed up for me!! 

 

He glanced briefly at the paperwork we had been sent to fetch, decided he didn't need actually need any of it (not a surprise), then collected the forms I had signed and instantly handed me back my new passport with a visa stamp,  extension stamp, and multiple entry permit, all with the same validity as those in my stolen passport and all already affixed! 

Since this year's extension is up soon, he also strongly suggested I get cracking on the renewal.  Good advice.

Throughout the whole ordeal, the most poignant moment for me was when, while sitting on the descending airplane filling in the line on the immigration card, where it asked "address" and "country or residence" I filled in my Thai address and indicated " Thailand" as my home.  Because it's the only home I have now.   I still have land in the US but no house anymore, so this is my home and there was a genuine risk that bureaucracy could interpose itself between me and my family.  I may live here but, as I sat in that airplane seat and contemplated the possibility of being denied entry or made to start over I understand the thin-ice fragility of expat existence as a truly visceral sensation.

 

Happy to say that my experience in Nakhon Pathom immigration seems to differ substantially from what others report happens where they live here in the LOS.

From the beginning, the experience with the officers at NP has been more collaborative than officious but I was really speechless when I saw how the officer had typed my information into the forms on my behalf!  After the initial theft of my passport, I had had to provide an elaborate explanation at each airport prior to boarding including being photographed, questioned and even once briefly detained by a police officer at the gate in one country! So I was prepared for the worst.  As a favorite comedian of mine once said, "I try to be a cynic but it's so hard to keep up! " This time, I was happy to be disappointed.  

 

https://youtu.be/qDiRnFw27eQ

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheAppletons]

Congrats OP.  Great outcome to an unfortunate occurrence (with a lot of legwork and stress, I'm certain.)  

[Individual One]

On 11/20/2019 at 3:52 PM, TheAppletons said:

Congrats OP.  Great outcome to an unfortunate occurrence (with a lot of legwork and stress, I'm certain.)  

Thanks for the kind words.  I will be back at Nakhon Pathom immigration Thursday or Friday to request my next renewal.  Will post the final update afterwards.