A Warning For Those With Visa In Old/expired Passport

[libya 115]

Although I got my non-O visa transferred to my new passport at Thai Immigration Jomtien, annotated with my visa # from Hull U.K. etc. and date of issue/expiry the jobsworth woman I encountered at Immigration at Suvarnabhumi insisted I produce my old passport with the original Thai 'O' visa.

Luckily I had it in my hand luggage. But she gave me a severe lecture on how I was trying to pull a fast one by requesting a 90 day stamp with my completed TM card with visa number, without showing my original visa in my expired passport.

So a warning to those in a similar situation: present both passports with alacrity.

[lopburi3]

I do not believe your previous visa was transferred at Immigration. They transfer your permitted to stay stamp (which is an Immigration function) and there is a stamp indicating the visa basis for that entry. You will always have to have/show your other passport to use that visa for entry.

[Phil Conners]

Braindead but true

[Tywais]

I do not believe your previous visa was transferred at Immigration.

At first I didn't think that was correct until I pulled out my 3 passports (2 expired/canceled and my current one). My first one has my original visa stamp but the other two only have a stamp with references to the original visa and extension transferred. So libya's experience reflects that information.

[farangsay]

Actually "jobsworth" was probably exercising reasonable caution.

Rubber stamps are a lot easier to duplicate than them full page stickers

that you get at a consulate.

[jdinasia]

I do not believe your previous visa was transferred at Immigration. They transfer your permitted to stay stamp (which is an Immigration function) and there is a stamp indicating the visa basis for that entry. You will always have to have/show your other passport to use that visa for entry.

which is one of the reasons I got a new non-imm multi in Denver last month ... to only have to have one passport with me

[kudroz]

Was it your Non-Imm "O" visa that was transfered to your new passport or the "90 days entry-stamp" or the "1 year extension of stay" that was transfered? If they actually transfered the visa itself, that'd be a first and I find this very interesting.

[libya 115]

Some confusion here, let me clarify.

At Jomtien immigration, they transferred all data from my expired passport, entry stamp, and details of the 'O' visa. Including the visa number, where acquired etc. and TM card attached etc.

I understood that since all the details had been transferred (in Thai and English) to my new passport then there was no need to present the old passport with original visa.

It seems that I was wrong. However, why bother transferring all the details anyway? I could have just turned up at the airport with my old passport and my new passport and got 'stamped out'.

The whole reason I went through the effort of going to Jomtien immigration was to tranfer my visa over and be done with the matter.

[jdinasia]

Some confusion here, let me clarify.

At Jomtien immigration, they transferred all data from my expired passport, entry stamp, and details of the 'O' visa. Including the visa number, where acquired etc. and TM card attached etc.

I understood that since all the details had been transferred (in Thai and English) to my new passport then there was no need to present the old passport with original visa.

It seems that I was wrong. However, why bother transferring all the details anyway? I could have just turned up at the airport with my old passport and my new passport and got 'stamped out'.

The whole reason I went through the effort of going to Jomtien immigration was to tranfer my visa over and be done with the matter.

They were clear about having to present both when I transferred my visa info to the new passport in April <At Suan Plu in bkk> Knowing this (and saving me a trip again in Jan 08 instead of Jul 08) was why I got a new visa.

[Maestro]

Quite often, a poster asks about how to get a visa transferred from the old passport to the new one, and every time Lopburi makes it a point to explain that Immigration does not transfer the visa, only the permission-to-stay stamp and if this was based on a visa, a reference to the visa in the old passport is made in the new passport. I believe I have read this explanation of Lopburi’s at least a dozen times in the past 12 months.

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Maestro