Transfer visa from old passport

[Moti24]

Hi,

Just when I thought everything was getting back to normal after being stuck in The UK for 8 months, today's reminded me that it's still the same old Thailand.

 

Whilst I was stuck in The UK, I renewed my passport.  My entry stamp is in the new passport.  This afternoon, I've been to the immigration office in Jomtien to get my visa transferred to my new passport, and was told that I need an Embassy letter, otherwise it can't be transferred.

 

I've just contacted the consular department of The British Embassy in Bangkok.  The lady I spoke to told me that they don't issue such letters, and that it's up to the Thai Immigration to transfer the visa as it's a Thai Visa and nothing to do with The British Embassy.

 

Please, can somebody advise what I need to do.

 

Thanks

 

  

[CraigInBangkok]

11 minutes ago, Moti24 said:

Hi,

Just when I thought everything was getting back to normal after being stuck in The UK for 8 months, today's reminded me that it's still the same old Thailand.

 

Whilst I was stuck in The UK, I renewed my passport.  My entry stamp is in the new passport.  This afternoon, I've been to the immigration office in Jomtien to get my visa transferred to my new passport, and was told that I need an Embassy letter, otherwise it can't be transferred.

 

I've just contacted the consular department of The British Embassy in Bangkok.  The lady I spoke to told me that they don't issue such letters, and that it's up to the Thai Immigration to transfer the visa as it's a Thai Visa and nothing to do with The British Embassy.

 

Please, can somebody advise what I need to do.

 

Thanks

 

  

I am quite sure (not 100 percent cause it was a while ago) that when I renewed mine in Thailand, the vfs service gave me my new passport and a template letter you fill in yourself with a stamp from the UK embassy, that you take to immigration for the transfer process. Not sure it helps you but I think you do need one.

[richard_smith237]

I recently picked up a renewed 2nd passport from VFS. I was asked if I had any open visa’s in my existing passport.

 

I have two passports and was replacing my backup, so I didn’t need to transfer any visa. But, perhaps there was a reason for this question - i.e. it could be that VFS provides this letter. 

 

e-mail the VFS as ask them if they can provide this letter.

 

 

 

Question: The entry stamp was stamped into your new passport, so Thailand recognises visas in expired passports. Thus, does the Visa need to transferred into the new passport at all ???

When / If you travel, can’t you just travel with both your old and your new passport ????

 

 

 

 

 

[Upnotover]

From the Embassy website;

 

Transferring your Thai visa after renewing your British passport

If you renewed your British Passport (or it was lost, stolen or damaged and you have replaced it), you will need a visa transfer letter to move your Thai visa from your old passport in to your new one at the Immigration Bureau. There are 3 ways to obtain the visa transfer letter:

• If you renewed your passport at VFS Bangkok, you will be given a blank letter when you receive your new passport

• If you have not been given a copy of this letter, send us your name and Thai address via our web form and we will post a copy to you.

Fill in the blanks by hand and submit to the Immigration officer with both passports. The visa transfer letter is free of charge.

[Eff1n2ret]

The point is that the OP renewed his passport in the UK, and it was stamped in when he came to Thailand. The Immigration Office are incorrect in refusing to transfer his conditions, because the passport has already been verified and accepted by Thai Immigration. I have a Swedish neighbour who came back around this time last year, was stamped in and went to Rayong Immigration to get the extension transferred from his old passport.

The Embassy letter is only required when the passport is renewed in Thailand. It appears that Thai Immigration don't trust their regional offices to know whether a blank new document is genuine or not, but they do trust the technology available at ports of entry, or at Suvarnabhumi at least.

[Moti24]

2 hours ago, Eff1n2ret said:

The point is that the OP renewed his passport in the UK, and it was stamped in when he came to Thailand. The Immigration Office are incorrect in refusing to transfer his conditions, because the passport has already been verified and accepted by Thai Immigration. I have a Swedish neighbour who came back around this time last year, was stamped in and went to Rayong Immigration to get the extension transferred from his old passport.

The Embassy letter is only required when the passport is renewed in Thailand. It appears that Thai Immigration don't trust their regional offices to know whether a blank new document is genuine or not, but they do trust the technology available at ports of entry, or at Suvarnabhumi at least.

Thanks for your reply.

 

Yes, renewed in The UK; my point exactly!  

 

I waited nearly an hour at Heathrow check-in for the airline to check with Bangkok.  Then again, 45 minutes at Suvarnabhumi for immigration to check with The MFA.  Both passports were definitely verified.  Now, I have been refused at Jomtien, purely because the young girl behind the Covid screen told the young lad checking the passports (Covid system at Jomtien) that I needed a letter from the embassy, even after me explaining that the passport was renewed in The UK, and my entry stamp was already in the new passport; and I waited 2 hours to be told that.

 

 

[Moti24]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Question: The entry stamp was stamped into your new passport, so Thailand recognises visas in expired passports. Thus, does the Visa need to transferred into the new passport at all ???

When / If you travel, can’t you just travel with both your old and your new passport ????

I travelled with both passports to get to Thailand.  I suspect I would need another re-entry permit if I were to travel again.  However, during the current Covid situation, I won't be leaving Thailand anytime soon.  But, I need the visa transferred so that I can extend for another year on expiry.

[Stevemercer]

I got a new passport in Thailand a few months ago, but didn't get an embassy letter. However the IO (Mahasarakham) didn't ask for any letter when they transferred my visas. They did ask for 200 Baht for a supposedly free service.

 

Maybe you could try at another time if someone different is on the counter.

[worgeordie]

Yes ,you need letter from Embassy, I sent my passport from here

to have a new one renewed,my daughter sent it in,when it returned

I went to Chiang Mai Immigration, they needed the letter,but just

E-Mailed the British Embassy in Bangkok, and they sent the letter

to me, in 2 days. so email Embassy.

regards Worgeordie 

[jacko45k]

21 hours ago, Moti24 said:

Please, can somebody advise what I need to do.

Go get a letter from Key Visa.

[Moti24]

2 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Yes ,you need letter from Embassy, I sent my passport from here

to have a new one renewed,my daughter sent it in,when it returned

I went to Chiang Mai Immigration, they needed the letter,but just

E-Mailed the British Embassy in Bangkok, and they sent the letter

to me, in 2 days. so email Embassy.

regards Worgeordie 

That's interesting, worgeordie.  The embassy told me they don't issue such letters.

 

Can you give me the email address you sent to, please?  And, what information you put in the email.

 

Thanks

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, Moti24 said:

That's interesting, worgeordie.  The embassy told me they don't issue such letters.

Info was posted 9 posts before this one.

Same info is here on the UK embassy website. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand#transferring-your-thai-visa-after-renewing-your-british-passport

[Upnotover]

39 minutes ago, Moti24 said:

That's interesting, worgeordie.  The embassy told me they don't issue such letters.

 

Can you give me the email address you sent to, please?  And, what information you put in the email.

 

Thanks

 

22 hours ago, Upnotover said:

From the Embassy website;

 

Transferring your Thai visa after renewing your British passport

If you renewed your British Passport (or it was lost, stolen or damaged and you have replaced it), you will need a visa transfer letter to move your Thai visa from your old passport in to your new one at the Immigration Bureau. There are 3 ways to obtain the visa transfer letter:

• If you renewed your passport at VFS Bangkok, you will be given a blank letter when you receive your new passport

• If you have not been given a copy of this letter, send us your name and Thai address via our web form and we will post a copy to you.

Fill in the blanks by hand and submit to the Immigration officer with both passports. The visa transfer letter is free of charge.

 

[Eff1n2ret]

2 hours ago, Moti24 said:

That's interesting, worgeordie.  The embassy told me they don't issue such letters.

 

Can you give me the email address you sent to, please?  And, what information you put in the email.

 

Thanks

I suppose the embassy is your only hope, unless you can get someone at the Immigration Office who knows what they're supposed to do. 

The embassy issues those letters as part of the process for applicants within Thailand. They can do so with confidence because they know where the passports have come from and have indeed been issued by the UK Passport Office. Their problem is that as they no longer do any immigration work there's probably no-one there who could identify a counterfeit passport unless it had 'Fake' stamped on the cover - hence their reluctance to oblige anyone like yourself who turns up independent of the normal process and requests verification.

Anyway, I hope you get one or the other to change their minds.

[Adelphi]

On 12/15/2020 at 9:15 AM, Upnotover said:

From the Embassy website;

 

Transferring your Thai visa after renewing your British passport

If you renewed your British Passport (or it was lost, stolen or damaged and you have replaced it), you will need a visa transfer letter to move your Thai visa from your old passport in to your new one at the Immigration Bureau. There are 3 ways to obtain the visa transfer letter:

• If you renewed your passport at VFS Bangkok, you will be given a blank letter when you receive your new passport

• If you have not been given a copy of this letter, send us your name and Thai address via our web form and we will post a copy to you.

Fill in the blanks by hand and submit to the Immigration officer with both passports. The visa transfer letter is free of charge.

I was in the identical position to the OP and told the same thing by Immigration in Jomtien two weeks ago.  I followed the advice above from UKGov.  The "web form" for link takes you through a very  clunky process but it does work if you persevere.  I received a bank proforma from the UKs Bangkok Embassy in the post yesterday which I filled in with my details details.   They say that you will have the proforma in three days but it took over a week to arrive.  I took it to Jomtien this morning and did the other paperwork.  It was all very straightforward.  They kept my passports and told me to call back tomorrow to collect my passports.  I hope this is of some help.  Good luck.      

[JWRC]

This has been discussed before in other posts. However when I renewed my passport, the Thai embassy told me to carry both old and new passport as they didn't transfer visas. This is what I did, no problems entering Thailand and later no problems getting the yearly extension which of course went into the new passport. In fact the whole thing was a breeze, what has changed?