This happened yesterday in Vietnam, only 3 empty pages after it.

 

When returning to Thailand (or using it anywhere else), did this IO pointlessly create a major problem, or is this not an issue and Immigration in Thailand and elsewhere don't mind stamping in between?

 

I think I've read in the past of one needing x amount of clean pages but I may be imagining this.

I cannot see it ever being a problem.

The only time 3 empty pages is required  is to apply for visas at some places. The blank pages do not have to be together.

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I cannot see it ever being a problem.

The only time 3 empty pages is required  is to apply for visas at some places. The blank pages do not have to be together.

I've had idiots do similar to that, but I've had Thai Imm go back many pages, to find the last small space for their stamp. Very good of Thai Imm. 

They seem to do this all over the world, and I have no idea why.

7 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

This happened yesterday in Vietnam

Vietnam like to use the back of my passport.

Makes it easy for them to check how many VISA waivers I do in a year.

Every time i've been to Vietnam they stamped on the last pages.

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Vietnam like to use the back of my passport.

Makes it easy for them to check how many VISA waivers I do in a year.

 

7 hours ago, jackdd said:

Every time i've been to Vietnam they stamped on the last pages.

The Vietnamese woman at the Tourist Information desk at the DAD airport told me they always stamp hers on the back pages.

 

Glad it's not a passport issue for future use.

 

 

As BritManToo says, if you travel to VN frequently, the IO's will start stamping from the last page and work backwards so that each entry stamp has the exit stamp immediately to the right in a neat column down the page.

 

It doesn't appear to have any significance except making it easier for the IO at departure to locate the last entry stamp.

I generally point to the place I want them to stamp and they have always complied. Same in Singapore and Cambodia and even Thai immigration.

Oh no, the tragedy!! At least they didn't put the stamp vertically or diagonally and in the middle of the page....or did they?

13 hours ago, WalkingOrders said:

They seem to do this all over the world, and I have no idea why.

I've had this happen many times before in many countries, the officer just opens at any page and hits that page with the stamp. 

You should be glad that he put a stamp in your passport instead of worrying about where he put it in the passport

He could’ve denied you entry

As far as I know, nowhere insists they are consecutive blank pages. Wouldn’t worry about it.

In my younger days I traveled a lot and I distinctly remember a country that insisted on putting its visa/stamp on a free page after everybody else. Not to any odd free page in me passport. Had to keep a last page free for them !!   LOL

Forgot which country.

16 hours ago, WalkingOrders said:

They seem to do this all over the world, and I have no idea why.

Because they dont give a ****!

16 hours ago, WalkingOrders said:

They seem to do this all over the world, and I have no idea why.

The reason is not hard to figure out. It's pure laziness. 

I remember a few weeks ago someone who visited Vietnam regularly from Thailand said on here that the Vietnam IO's always put his visa and in/out stamps at the back of his passport. He thought it was just for him because he made so many visits but maybe they do it for everyone. Makes sense really, as it makes their job quicker and easier; unlike Thailand it shows a bit of common sense! Mind u, it only works as long as no other countries IOs decide to do the same...lol.

3 minutes ago, SunsetT said:

I remember a few weeks ago someone who visited Vietnam regularly from Thailand said on here that the Vietnam IO's always put his visa and in/out stamps at the back of his passport. He thought it was just for him because he made so many visits but maybe they do it for everyone. Makes sense really, as it makes their job quicker and easier; unlike Thailand it shows a bit of common sense! Mind u, it only works as long as no other countries IOs decide to do the same...lol.

As the number of countries who use Smart Gates for non-citizens increases, the occurrence of stamps in the passport will decline. Australia for example now lets passport holders from 26 counties including Thailand use their Smart Gates, so they'll never get an Australian Immigration stamp in their passport https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/smartgates/arrivals

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

I've had this happen many times before in many countries, the officer just opens at any page and hits that page with the stamp. 

Opposite s always happened to me . The I.O always makes his new stamp next to the older one .

  I do believe that they are now required to do that 

33 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

As the number of countries who use Smart Gates for non-citizens increases, the occurrence of stamps in the passport will decline. Australia for example now lets passport holders from 26 counties including Thailand use their Smart Gates, so they'll never get an Australian Immigration stamp in their passport https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/smartgates/arrivals

That would be great and not fill up passports with stamps before the passport expires.

3 hours ago, SunsetT said:

Because they dont give a ****!

Or they like to upset people that get irate over nothing. 

22 hours ago, WalkingOrders said:

They seem to do this all over the world, and I have no idea why.

They're careless pricks!!!

5 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

As the number of countries who use Smart Gates for non-citizens increases, the occurrence of stamps in the passport will decline. Australia for example now lets passport holders from 26 counties including Thailand use their Smart Gates, so they'll never get an Australian Immigration stamp in their passport https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/smartgates/arrivals

And when they were still stamping, AU IOs always (in my experience) used the last or next-last page. (actually, so what? A stamp takes up the same space if it's at the front or the back).

Wherever you are, TELL the IO what page he/she/it has to stamp and show them. It's not their passport (or yours, of course, it belongs to an alleged government) and they don't have rights on it. I have said this dozens of times and it always works.

14 hours ago, thedemon said:

As BritManToo says, if you travel to VN frequently, the IO's will start stamping from the last page and work backwards so that each entry stamp has the exit stamp immediately to the right in a neat column down the page.

 

It doesn't appear to have any significance except making it easier for the IO at departure to locate the last entry stamp.

 Vietnamese are very practical in many things they do. They abhor wasting time. Don't think they are unfriendly. Amazingly friendly people out of tourist ghettos. 

Just now, Langkawee said:

Amazingly friendly people out of tourist ghettos. 

I've found lots of amazingly friendly Viet girls in the tourist ghettos.

Not a problem I had a US passport which at that time you could add pages which sew and tape thick.. stamps everywhere didn’t 

bother me IO can spot easily what need. I put an index sticky tape

where the visa was... wait a few minutes of them flipping around and point it out...

8 hours ago, Langkawee said:

 Vietnamese are very practical in many things they do. They abhor wasting time. Don't think they are unfriendly. Amazingly friendly people out of tourist ghettos. 

True. They're also the most proficient thieves in SE Asia.

Some Arab countries will use the last page(s) because they read from right to left or it's what I concluded. The others are just... ????

Out of 3 visits to Vietnam, they only once stamped me in and out on the last page available, the very last page was already used up by other countries. 

I still have 20 + free pages.

 

but it seems they check all the past visits, as the officer was flipping through my passport looking for the previous stamps.

They are probably trying to detect doctored passports. 

The Thais have been very good to me over the years stamping small spaces, even stamping places they shouldn't. Speaking Thai and smiling have always helped.

 

????

 

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