Anyone has issues with Thai immigration using staples on our passports

[Alotoftravel]

Is it normal practice cause I have heard from others that if there are punctures or tear on your passport (when you get rid of staples ) , the other country immigration will not allow entry. 
can I advise the Thai immigration not to staple or let it be ?

[homeseeker]

Some immigration offices and immigration officers do in my experience staple documents in passports.

 

In my view you are entitled to ask immigration politely but firmly not to use a stapler to attach documents in your passport.

Previously I have carefully removed the stapled document using a staple remover and then used a paperclip to attach a document in the passport.

And I have asked immigration kindly not to use a stapler.

They do as requested.

 

The use of a stapler does damage a passport.

 

ps: you can also attach a  note in Thai and English to your passport requesting them not to staple any document in your passport.

(attach the note with a paperclip )

 

 

Edited March 18, 2023 by homeseeker

[doctormann]

I think that this is not a problem so long as they don't staple the data pages.  However, your passport will rapidly get a bit ragged anyway if a lot of staples are added and then removed.

 

Since we have had on-line 90-day reports this has been less of a problem.  I always used to ask the IO to not use a staple to attach the latest 90-day receipt to the passport - sometimes worked!  I keep my passport in a cover anyway - this has pockets so I keep TM6, TM30 and 90-day receipts in those.

[stubuzz]

Once, they stapled my 90 day report through my picture.

[doctormann]

If a UK passport be very careful as the UK passport office will be on strike for several weeks so the chances of replacing a damaged passport are slim to none!

[Liverpool Lou]

19 minutes ago, stubuzz said:

Once, they stapled my 90 day report through my picture.

Hardly believable.

[mokwit]

At least they finally stopped slap happy stamping on a new page every time.

[Don Chance]

What expect from little pricks?

[Al BB]

2 hours ago, doctormann said:

If a UK passport be very careful as the UK passport office will be on strike for several weeks so the chances of replacing a damaged passport are slim to none!

Liverpool Echo mentioned 5 weeks.

[patman30]

next time you go to immigration
just ask to speak to the manager

[moogradod]

My German Passport was treated in any way imaginable, and removal of staples and using different ones instead has never been a problem. After all you need to remove a stapled document to scan for a backup for example - and this is not always possible without removing the document (such as as TM30 etc.).

 

After travellling nearly 50 years I have never experienced that this could possibly a problem.

 

What annoys me very much more is that some countries inisist on bank notes in perfect shape in order to be valid, not even a small note on the note is acceptable. Countries I know accept a bank note even if it is torn apart and less then 50% is missing.

 

[simon43]

On 3/18/2023 at 2:04 PM, moogradod said:

...

What annoys me very much more is that some countries inisist on bank notes in perfect shape in order to be valid, not even a small note on the note is acceptable. Countries I know accept a bank note even if it is torn apart and less then 50% is missing.

 

When I lived in Myanmar and was paid in USD cash, I used to have to iron these notes at my hotel before they would be accepted!  If it didn't look as if it were newly printed then nobody would accept it....

[moogradod]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

When I lived in Myanmar and was paid in USD cash, I used to have to iron these notes at my hotel before they would be accepted!  If it didn't look as if it were newly printed then nobody would accept it....

Must have been a lot of fun (depending on your salary). Really, this is again some of the illogical procedures that you find in Asia. Hopefully you had a premium iron and did not even burn your income for nothing.

 

But I have no idea why they come up with this kind of thing.

[sidneybear]

Just remove them. It's not worth making a drama about. 

[pixelaoffy]

immigration in Thailand can and do whatever they want...Of course it doesnt make it right. ..but they are not gonna give a s****

[transam]

I just remove old staples, saves any ploblems......????

[Bday Prang]

Even more annoying, I arrived back from UK last month with a brand new passport, immigration stamped me in on page number 6 !! Pretty much  as expected but  why on earth do they do that?? 

Edited April 25, 2023 by Bday Prang

[nigelforbes]

5 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

Even more annoying, I arrived back from UK last month with a brand new passport, immigration stamped me in on page number 6 !! Pretty much  as expected but  why on earth do they do that?? 

When they staple your arrivals/departure card into your passport, move it and make sure it is on the last used page rather than on a blank page.

[Lucky Bones]

The IO will do whatever suits them on the day.

Try to avoid Monday when they can wear their make believe military uniform & 20 baht shop medals.????????

[Bday Prang]

17 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

When they staple your arrivals/departure card into your passport, move it and make sure it is on the last used page rather than on a blank page.

There is no "arrival card " anymore  Tm6 forms are no longer used, at airports. 

It was hardly an accident either , she knew what she was doing, I watched her look through my entire 50 page passport, literally every blank page !

I generally avoid the female officers, but it was unavoidable this time

[transam]

Last year I got a new passport, went to immigration to transfer my stamp etc. Picked it up to find they had missed the first 2 pages.........????

 

Have asked on later stamps to put the stamps on the first 2 pages, no luck.

Immigration at its sloppiest..........

[Adumbration]

My passport is the most expensive of any country in the world.  The pages work out at nearly $20 dollars each.  For more than a decade now I tell all Thai immigration officers not to staple documents into my passport.  I also direct them exactly where to place any stamps to avoid wasting whole pages.  Most will do as you ask but over the years I have had about 6 stand up fights getting them to do as I say with 3 just stamping or stapling to spite me.

 

Remember you paid for the passport and it is your property not theirs.

 

Buy yourself a nice passport cover/sleeve.  Whenever you get a 90 day report, TM28 or other document/slip that is normally stapled, just fold it and put it in the sleeve with your passport.  Because down the track you will have to make copies of these documents anyway and so you avoid having to remove staples and further damaging the pages in your passport.

[Adumbration]

5 minutes ago, transam said:

Last year I got a new passport, went to immigration to transfer my stamp etc. Picked it up to find they had missed the first 2 pages.........????

 

Have asked on later stamps to put the stamps on the first 2 pages, no luck.

Immigration at its sloppiest..........

I had the same problem with my previous passport...and my country has the most expensive passports in the world.  Each page is nearly $20 so two missed pages is a $40 insult.  I directed Thai IOs to stamp on those two blank first pages, they squirmed and said cannot but eventually capitualed.  This was on land crossing into and back from Malaysia.  Malaysian IO did not bat an eyelid at the requests, did exactly what I asked with a smile on their faces.

 

Had lots of problems dealing with Thai IOs thereafter because the stamps were not in chronological order in my passport.   Resulted in lots of long delays even after I explained the sequence of the stamps.  

 

 

[jaideedave]

On 4/1/2023 at 12:53 AM, moogradod said:

Must have been a lot of fun (depending on your salary). Really, this is again some of the illogical procedures that you find in Asia. Hopefully you had a premium iron and did not even burn your income for nothing.

 

But I have no idea why they come up with this kind of thing.

Years ago I worked in Iran for a company based in Dubai.When I finished my hitch the company rep would come to the hotel with a box of envelopes each with our pay in USD.The first time it was a shocker,as I'd never had 11 to 13 k cash in my fist before that.Nowadays it's small potatoes but at the time I was living large.lol  

[transam]

3 minutes ago, jaideedave said:

Years ago I worked in Iran for a company based in Dubai.When I finished my hitch the company rep would come to the hotel with a box of envelopes each with our pay in USD.The first time it was a shocker,as I'd never had 11 to 13 k cash in my fist before that.Nowadays it's small potatoes but at the time I was living large.lol  

Then you woke up.........................????

[ozimoron]

I like them. As the agent explained when they stapled my exit slip or whatever it is into my passport "You don't want to lose this".

[Captain Monday]

I asked the TM30 people in Chiang Mai several times not to staple usually they do it anyway. 

 

One lady told me "Must staple".

 

Then simple. I  remove the staple carefully.

 

 

[Bday Prang]

On 4/25/2023 at 11:11 AM, Adumbration said:

My passport is the most expensive of any country in the world.  The pages work out at nearly $20 dollars each.  For more than a decade now I tell all Thai immigration officers not to staple documents into my passport.  I also direct them exactly where to place any stamps to avoid wasting whole pages.  Most will do as you ask but over the years I have had about 6 stand up fights getting them to do as I say with 3 just stamping or stapling to spite me.

 

Remember you paid for the passport and it is your property not theirs.

 

Buy yourself a nice passport cover/sleeve.  Whenever you get a 90 day report, TM28 or other document/slip that is normally stapled, just fold it and put it in the sleeve with your passport.  Because down the track you will have to make copies of these documents anyway and so you avoid having to remove staples and further damaging the pages in your passport.

I don't think having 6!!!  "stand up fights" with immigration officials is ever going to achieve anything positive, and could even perhaps contribute to the further problems you encountered more than any issues regarding the chronological order of stamps.  "Directing them " where to place stamps or in any other way will not go down well either

I may have paid for my passport, but a small note inside tells me it remains the property of "The Crown" and may be cancelled at any time

[Adumbration]

13 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

I don't think having 6!!!  "stand up fights" with immigration officials is ever going to achieve anything positive, and could even perhaps contribute to the further problems you encountered more than any issues regarding the chronological order of stamps.  "Directing them " where to place stamps or in any other way will not go down well either

I may have paid for my passport, but a small note inside tells me it remains the property of "The Crown" and may be cancelled at any time

You can kowtwo to immigration if you want.  I have always chosen not to.  

[Bday Prang]

Just now, Adumbration said:

You can kowtwo to immigration if you want.  I have always chosen not to.  

I don't "kowtwo" to anybody, Neither do I participate in "stand up fights" with uniformed officials. Politeness is the way to go.