Passport maybe missing: how long should I wait?

[JimTripper]

16 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

An emergency PP only allows you to leave the country to your home country. 

Can’t he get a new passport within Thailand? I thought you report it stolen, they give you something in the interim and you pick up the new real passport from the embassy when it’s ready. It gets mailed to the embassy from the home country.

[JackGats]

Just now, JimTripper said:

Can’t he get a new passport within Thailand? I thought you report it stolen, they give you something in the interim and you pick up the new real passport from the embassy when it’s ready. It gets mailed to the embassy from the home country.

Yes, that's what my embassy on the phone hinted at. There would still be time until May 2nd for a normal passport (after I reschedule my flight which is set at April 30th). If that is possible it's the best solution. I value a normal passport more than I value retaining my extension. However some consulates/embassy have a backlog of several weeks for nomal passports from what I've heard.

[brianthainess]

13 minutes ago, JackGats said:

The question is whether a visa stamp transferred on the emergency passport

I don't think that is possible with an emergency PP. you may get 7days to leave. TTBOMK

Edited April 12, 2023 by brianthainess

[ujayujay]

2 hours ago, JackGats said:

Ok guys, long story short, the agency called me this morning to tell me "immigration lost your passport". I have an appointment at my embassy on monday morning. Agency is paying the costs and said they want to get the renewal on the emergency passport before the deadline runs out. 

 

Funny some of you guys question whether I keep copies of my passport. I'd be a fool not to do that with the kind of life we lead here. Not only that, I upload all the pages of it on my Google drive, adding new pages as soon as they get some stamp on it. 

The Agency lost your Passport, read between the lines????????????Why should they cover the costs when immigration has lost your passport????????????

[jimn]

21 hours ago, JackGats said:

My present extension, the one that was already on my passport when I gave it to the agency for renewal, expires on May 2nd

Why on earth have you left it so late to renew the extension, especially with the Songkran holidays. I did mine 8 weeks early via an agent, I could have done it up to 100 days early. It gives you plenty of time to sort out any problems. The 30 day early rule does not apply when doing it via an agent.

[HampiK]

2 hours ago, JackGats said:

I heard they were only 6 months valid. So I shall need a normal passport to travel back anyway (6-month rule, enforceable by airlines if not by Thailand). The question is whether a visa stamp transferred on the emergency passport is any good when I come back. If not I get 30 days and take it from there. Or better still, do the LTR, for which I qualify. Do the LTR online from Europe and come to collect it in October, that would be ideal.

the 6 moths is not valid if you fly direct home to your passport country!

[scubascuba3]

5 hours ago, brianthainess said:

How are PP delivererd to your agent, Courier or Thai Post?

And as said 'Bosses' take longer holidays the roads are choked already, buses fully booked. just saying 

I've never asked but it's extremely unlikely it's Thai post, too unreliable, probably motorbike or even bus, thought i saw agent on Bangkok Pattaya bus yesterday 

[scubascuba3]

3 hours ago, JackGats said:

Ok guys, long story short, the agency called me this morning to tell me "immigration lost your passport". I have an appointment at my embassy on monday morning. Agency is paying the costs and said they want to get the renewal on the emergency passport before the deadline runs out. 

 

Funny some of you guys question whether I keep copies of my passport. I'd be a fool not to do that with the kind of life we lead here. Not only that, I upload all the pages of it on my Google drive, adding new pages as soon as they get some stamp on it. 

That's disappointing, technically Immigration could have lost it if you'd gone direct. Good luck getting it sorted, you have the best agent on your side

[NoshowJones]

10 hours ago, Henryford said:

First rule. NEVER give your passport to anyone except Immigration.

Police??

[it is what it is]

On 4/11/2023 at 11:04 AM, KannikaP said:

Yet another good reason to DO IT YOURSELF, legally and cheaper.

It is actually illegal to be without your passport, and the stamp you eventually get could also fall into that category.

you can legally be without your passport, if, for example a consul has it to process a visa. however, you would be required to have the receipt.

[NanLaew]

8 hours ago, JackGats said:

I heard they were only 6 months valid. So I shall need a normal passport to travel back anyway (6-month rule, enforceable by airlines if not by Thailand). The question is whether a visa stamp transferred on the emergency passport is any good when I come back. If not I get 30 days and take it from there. Or better still, do the LTR, for which I qualify. Do the LTR online from Europe and come to collect it in October, that would be ideal.

Heard from who? It's an emergency temporary travel document not a substitute passport.

 

The question is whether Immigration will transfer anything at all to an emergency temporary travel document.

[JimTripper]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

That's disappointing, technically Immigration could have lost it if you'd gone direct. Good luck getting it sorted, you have the best agent on your side

I bet it’s a dumb motorbike guy that lost it most likely, not a “special courier”.

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, brianthainess said:

How are PP delivererd to your agent, Courier or Thai Post?

And as said 'Bosses' take longer holidays the roads are choked already, buses fully booked. just saying 

They aren't delivered to my knowledge.. the visa agent takes them to immigration, and picks them up from there too....  sometimes the customer is given the ticket to pick it up and get the photo taken at the same time. Let us hope this passport is in the bowels of immigration on someone's desk, in a drawer, as the guy was more focused on getting away from work and off to enjoy Songkran... my Lazada package has gone missing too!

[JackGats]

There has been some development regarding the loss of my passport so I might as well talk about it here and ask advice on how best to take it from here.

 

The day after I filed the police report, my passport was "found" (by immigration if the agency is to be believed). The renewal stamp until May 2024 is on it. The agency said "immigration know this passport cancelled". There might be a sinister causal relationship between my passport being reported missing and it being found.

 

I am now awaiting the issuance of the new passport by my embassy. I know that the procedure is to bring both passports to immigration along with the embassy letter and apply for the visa stamp to be transferred.

 

One doubt I have is about the agency's recommendation not to have my embassy put cancel stamps on the old passport (nor cut the corner of the old passport, whatever method is used). I'm not comfortable with this. I'm sure the law of my country requires old passports to be brought in for physical cancellation.

 

I want to leave Thailand within weeks to not come back until October. For maximum safety, had I not better travel out now (and back in October) showing my new passport without a visa stamp and keep the visa on the old cancel passport? Once bitten, twice shy. I'm not sure I have the nerves to give my passport to any agent anymore for now. P.S. After I filed the police report I moved the money from my passbook to my broker's account, lest whoever might have stolen my passport with copies of my passbook in it could not use it to plunder my bank account. So I do not have anything to show regarding keeping enough money on the bank account right after renewal. I know immigration can corner me with this when I apply for a stamp transfer, so I think using an agent the only way.

Edited April 23, 2023 by JackGats

[Pmbkk]

13 minutes ago, JackGats said:

so I think using an agent the only way.

 

Isn't this the reason you got into this mess to start with ?

 

 

[chalawaan]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:10 PM, JackGats said:

Of course. Have been dropping by twice a day since Friday. I was told yesterday the visa was on the way from Immigration (a ten minutes' ride!). Today I was told either that the big boss at immigration was not there to sign (unlikely, as passports kept arriving back) or that a concommitant application for a certificate of residence was delaying the return of the passport (don't see why this should be either).

So all this dropping by twice a day for a week, and angst. 

How much are you paying for this "service"? 

It takes a slow writer ten minutes to fill out an immigration form, there are people at immigration who will photocopy exactly what you need for 2 (two) baht a page. 

The bank letter is maybe another hour, including travel time.

You can enjoy some great podcasts while you hang about immigration for a result, then with all the money you've just saved on DIY extension, you can take your tilac for a nice imported steak, or a five star buffet, and bevvys of your choice. 

Agents are for the blokes who are too unwell to do it themselves. Or those unicorns whose time really is worth more than the agents fee. 

[JackGats]

15 minutes ago, chalawaan said:

So all this dropping by twice a day for a week, and angst. 

How much are you paying for this "service"? 

It takes a slow writer ten minutes to fill out an immigration form, there are people at immigration who will photocopy exactly what you need for 2 (two) baht a page. 

The bank letter is maybe another hour, including travel time.

You can enjoy some great podcasts while you hang about immigration for a result, then with all the money you've just saved on DIY extension, you can take your tilac for a nice imported steak, or a five star buffet, and bevvys of your choice. 

Agents are for the blokes who are too unwell to do it themselves. Or those unicorns whose time really is worth more than the agents fee. 

Did a 1st unsuccessful attempt at DIY, which I described in another thread on this forum. I was confronted with a requirement regarding a long-term renting contract I couldn't produce since I was to leave Thailand end of April (ie just after renewal).

[Lemsta69]

24 minutes ago, chalawaan said:

Agents are for the blokes who are too unwell to do it themselves. Or those unicorns whose time really is worth more than the agents fee. 

Or those who don't want 800k baht festering in a Thai bank account at near-zero interest rate for 25 to 30 years.

[JackGats]

6 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

Or those who don't want 800k baht festering in a Thai bank account at near-zero interest rate for 25 to 30 years.

Yeah, I've even though shelling out one million baht for a 20-year Elite Visa might be a better deal overall than having 800k rotting in the bank.

 

Besides, if I'm not mistaken they might refuse to recognise your 800k if it is not obvious the money came from abroad. So what if you get dividends from your broker paid onto the same account? Which money was from abroad and which from Thailand? It's a can of worms either way you look at it.

Edited April 23, 2023 by JackGats

[Lucky Bones]

3 minutes ago, JackGats said:

Yeah, I've even though shelling out one million baht for a 20-year Elite Visa might be a better deal overall than having 800k rotting in the bank.

It depends on your own situation.

If married and you have a valid will, the money in the bank goes to the missus.

If single, find an agent if you don't like the rules.

Elite visa.....I think...... pass.???????? 

 

[Sheryl]

If you qualify for the LTR then a no-brainer to go that route IMO. No requirement for funds in Thailand, no need to do anything to renew until 5 years later. You can apply from your home ocuntry after you go back.

 

I am unclear as to the "passport is cancelled" business. Did you already report it stolen to the Embassy and have you been informed that your home country has already cancelled it?

[chalawaan]

1 minute ago, JackGats said:

Yeah, I've even though shelling out one million baht for a 20-year Elite Visa might be a better deal overall than having 800k rotting in the bank.

The marriage visa and retirement visas both clearly had as much thought put into them as every other cockamaimie idea they launch -only it was desperate times, the Asian financial collapse- and now they're having second thoughts.

 

So they're gradually making both of them as difficult and expensive as they can. 

 

The marriage visa nonsense is completely unnecessary with today's tracking technology, as is the 90 day report. 

Unless you have a bloated government workforce that need a reason to exist.

And a fear of foreigners, you but still want their money. 

[JackGats]

3 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

 

I am unclear as to the "passport is cancelled" business. Did you already report it stolen to the Embassy and have you been informed that your home country has already cancelled it?

Yes I did, in order to apply for a new one asap. As far as I know, once there's a police report on a passport, its cancellation cannot be reversed. I guess the passport gets flagged internationally.

[chalawaan]

19 minutes ago, JackGats said:

Did a 1st unsuccessful attempt at DIY, which I described in another thread on this forum. I was confronted with a requirement regarding a long-term renting contract I couldn't produce since I was to leave Thailand end of April (ie just after renewal).

Where are you applying? This is not a requirement I had to meet. Could a move to another province make life easier? Especially since you don't have any evidence of a long term rental.  

[JackGats]

Just now, chalawaan said:

Where are you applying? This is not a requirement I had to meet. Could a move to another province make life easier? Especially since you don't have any evidence of a long term rental.  

Planning to make just that move ahead of the next renewal.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, JackGats said:

I've even though shelling out one million baht for a 20-year Elite Visa might be a better deal overall than having 800k rotting in the bank.

That doesn't make much sense, the 1m baht elite visa is gone for good, the 800k you can spend anytime you want and move to Income method, combi method, agent or even marry a fake girlfriend

[JackGats]

19 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

That doesn't make much sense, the 1m baht elite visa is gone for good, the 800k you can spend anytime you want and move to Income method, combi method, agent or even marry a fake girlfriend

I understand, but if you don't spend the whole year in TH, not having to be in TH each year around the same time of year for renewal is a mighty thorn off your side. I'll give the LTR a try before I go for the Elite of course.

[Sheryl]

4 hours ago, JackGats said:

Yes I did, in order to apply for a new one asap. As far as I know, once there's a police report on a passport, its cancellation cannot be reversed. I guess the passport gets flagged internationally.

I do not think a Thai police report has that effect.

 

But your report to the Embassy would have. Might be worth double checking with them just in case it is possible to reverse but might not be.

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

That doesn't make much sense, the 1m baht elite visa is gone for good, the 800k you can spend anytime you want and move to Income method, combi method, agent or even marry a fake girlfriend

You cannot spend the 800K anytime you want (unless you are ready to forgo further visa extension). You cannot spend 400k of it ever and can't spend the other 400k for 5 months of the year.

 

Given the risks of forgetting of being unable to redeposit on time most people using the 800K method just leave the full amount in there all the time.

 

It is a considerable hassle and loss, especially since Thai banks do not have any provision for "payable on death" and immigration does not accept joint accounts.  As a result, these funds will also not be readily available to pay final hospital expenses or cremation/burial costs etc on your death. A thoroughly undesirable arrangement.

 

Income method has its own risks and drawbacks  as well. Some IOs are very difficult in terms of what sort of proof they require that the funds came from abroad. For those whose incomes are not significantly above the minimum amount there are risks of it dipping below due to currency fluctuations (and even a 1 baht below 65k dip in 1 month will be enough to disqualify you).

 

No question that the LTR is much better. But its financial requirements are too high for most of us.

[Pattaya57]

My Mate used an agent in Pattaya with 15 days left on visa exempt and it took 4 weeks to get his passport back. He wasn't bothered one bit about no passport for 2 weeks after his entry stamp expired and sure enough he got his non-imm O and retirement extension for 15 months total from his visa exempt date.

 

The OP on the other hand seems to have massively panicked and visited agent twice a day for a week during known holidays that surely would slow the process and then reported his passport as stolen/lost. As it turns out his visa was issued and everything would have been fine if he just did nothing.

 

Message to me is if you use an agent be prepared to chill and let it happen, if this is not in your personality, submit applications yourself and retain control of your passport...I'm definitely in the latter category