How to transfer the visa-exemption stamp from my old passport to my new passport

[Saigon]

Hi all,

 

I did ask you the same question a few months ago, but

at that time I was going to do this when I was staying at

my Thai friend's but I started to wonder if it would be a

better idea if I do it when I was staying in a hotel for just

a few nights.

 

In that case, will the hotel issue a TM30 to me before I

can report to the Immigration Office for the transfer?

 

Thank you in advance!

[Upnotover]

They won't transfer it.  Just take both passports when you leave the country.  Or do you intend to extend your stay?

[DrJack54]

OP, covered here....

https://aseannow.com/topic/1329985-new-passport-how-to-leave-thailand/

[Saigon]

I nearlly forgot to tell you that I'm planning to leave Thailand

by land, not by air.

[Saigon]

I just heard that it might be a bit of a hassle if you leave

by land, though.

 

I'm going to use the same land crossing when leaving

as when entering, and would that make it a bit easier?

 

Thank you

 

[DrJack54]

50 minutes ago, Saigon said:

I'm going to use the same land crossing when leaving

Which one

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Saigon said:

I just heard that it might be a bit of a hassle if you leave

by land, though.

Here is thread.

Take note of posts towards end from @Tod Daniels 

Seems can be problematic at land borders.

Suggest you use minivan border run company and discuss with them.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1334270-new-passport/

 

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, Saigon said:

I just heard that it might be a bit of a hassle if you leave by land, though.

 

You will need to check if it's even possible at the land border crossing you plan to leave from. Where you will re-enter doesn't matter, as your current entry stamp will need to be transferred when you leave Thailand. I'd consider flying out, as switching passports at the airport is guaranteed to be hassle-free.

 

Did you get a 30-day extension or plan to get one? If you did get one already (in your old passport), the immigration office you used might be willing to transfer your stamps. If you plan to get one before leaving, the immigration office will have to transfer your entry stamp before processing the extension in your new passport.

[Saigon]

Thank you for all the comments.

 

TBH, I'm a bit confused after reading them and the link by Tod.

 

Apparently it'd be better to leave by air than by land to stay on

the safe side.

 

I'm not going to get a 30-day extension, and am going to use

'Chong Mek' in Ubon Ratchathani, a land crossing to Laos.

[DrJack54]

13 minutes ago, Saigon said:

I'm not going to get a 30-day extension, and am going to use

'Chong Mek' in Ubon Ratchathani, a land crossing to Laos.

Recent report....

https://aseannow.com/topic/1345002-chong-mek-border-bounce-report-30-nov-2024/#elControls_19418046_menu 

 

@transam any advice. Thinking you familiar with that crossing. 

[Saigon]

Thanks very much for the report on 'Chong Mek.' I've actually

used this land crossing on the Thai side very often, where the

Thai Immigration Officials will ask the Lao people for a lot of

money as Tea Money!

 

I'm not yet sure if I can go through there with both my new &

old passports, though.

[transam]

The Thai immigration staff at Chong Mek have always been OK with me, 60 day entry no problem, though the last time I was asked where is your wife, I pointed over his shoulder and said "Gin kow" (eating) with a smile. They are very thorough, though.

Don't think I have ever had a problem, except fined one time for being a couple of days late, but, smiles all round.

As for the OP passport thingy, I have no idea.  🤗

[Caldera]

18 hours ago, Saigon said:

I'm not going to get a 30-day extension, and am going to use

'Chong Mek' in Ubon Ratchathani, a land crossing to Laos.

 

It's not a very busy border crossing, so you should really try to check if they can do the passport transfer before you go. I don't think they'd reject it altogether, but what could happen is that they send you to an immigration office within Ubon Ratchathani province for the transfer, if nobody at the border can do it.

[Saigon]

Thanks for your advice.

 

However, I have no idea how to check if they could do the transfer

for me at Chong Mek, so maybe I should go to the land crossing,

and might get sent back to the Immigration Office to do the transfer,

before going back to the land crossing again. Is that what you mean?

I'm afraid that they would probably ask you for Tea Money for the

transfer at the Immigration Office, I'm afraid.

 

Would they charge you for the transfer if you left Thailand by air?

Maybe 500B or 1,000B?

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, Saigon said:

Would they charge you for the transfer if you left Thailand by air?

No

[Caldera]

27 minutes ago, Saigon said:

Thanks for your advice.

 

However, I have no idea how to check if they could do the transfer

for me at Chong Mek, so maybe I should go to the land crossing,

and might get sent back to the Immigration Office to do the transfer,

before going back to the land crossing again. Is that what you mean?

I'm afraid that they would probably ask you for Tea Money for the

transfer at the Immigration Office, I'm afraid.

 

Would they charge you for the transfer if you left Thailand by air?

Maybe 500B or 1,000B?

 

It can be difficult to get a definitive answer before you go there. You could try calling the Chong Mek border crossing. If they answer the phone and understand your question, you might get to avoid an unnecessary trip.

 

At a land border or in-country immigration office, it's not unheard of that they ask you for a "service fee" of 500-1000 baht.

 

It's free at the airport. They have a special desk for that and you'll get sent there by the line IO you queued up to. It's a very quick and painless process at the airport.

[kingstonkid]

On 1/9/2025 at 11:17 AM, Saigon said:

Thanks for your advice.

 

However, I have no idea how to check if they could do the transfer

for me at Chong Mek, so maybe I should go to the land crossing,

and might get sent back to the Immigration Office to do the transfer,

before going back to the land crossing again. Is that what you mean?

I'm afraid that they would probably ask you for Tea Money for the

transfer at the Immigration Office, I'm afraid.

 

Would they charge you for the transfer if you left Thailand by air?

Maybe 500B or 1,000B?

Where are you now go to immigration there and get it done.  Why wait for border crossing 

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Where are you now go to immigration there and get it done.  Why wait for border crossing 

Not every immigration office might be prepared to transfer the visa exempt stamp.

Thinking no issue at CW or airport where stamp was issued. 

He could certainly try at his local office. 

[Pdavies99]

By air is easy, just go out and on return the new passport will have the stamps and a reference to the old passport.

 

However exiting by land could be full of issues as they really don't do old and new passports. It's a easy as that!

 

 

[Saigon]

Thanks very much for all your comments.

 

I'd think it better, easier and safer to fly out with both

my old and new passports.

 

I'm coming back to Thailand by land via Chong Mek

with my old passport and fly out of BKK or DMK with

my new passport, and would you find any issues in

that?

[DrJack54]

35 minutes ago, Saigon said:

I'd think it better, easier and safer to fly out with both

my old and new passports.

Good plan. 

Out of interest fly to where..

[DrJack54]

 

Trolling post removed 

[Saigon]

I'll probably fly to VN but might to China.

 

I'm just lucky to be allowed to enter both of

those 2 countries on visa-exemption, which

I'd take advantage of.

 

Thank you.

[DrJack54]

7 hours ago, Saigon said:

I'll probably fly to VN but might to China.

That's why I asked. Thinking you were living Vietnam at some point.

A flight to Saigon for shortish stay and return via air to Thailand not an option? 

 

If concerned about risk entering visa exempt via air due to history you could consider "safe entry services" outlined in OP of this thread.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1345519-safe-entry-services-bkk-airport/

 

[kingstonkid]

On 1/10/2025 at 12:30 PM, DrJack54 said:

Not every immigration office might be prepared to transfer the visa exempt stamp.

Thinking no issue at CW or airport where stamp was issued. 

He could certainly try at his local office. 

 

That is why I asked I am sure Pat Phuket or CM or any immigration office can do it.

[DrJack54]

19 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

 

That is why I asked I am sure Pat Phuket or CM or any immigration office can do it.

It's not clear where the OP is located.

Has oscillated between exit by land or air.

Most recent statement...

"I'd think it better, easier and safer to fly out with both my old and new passports" 

 

Exiting via airport has zero issue regarding entry stamp in old pp.

Suggest he exits via air and take mini holiday out of Thailand (suggested Saigon) as he is familiar with that country.

Return via air visa exempt.

If worried about history in Thailand can use agent for "safe entry" mentioned earlier. 

 

[Saigon]

I've been back in VN now.

 

I left Thailand 1.5 years ago after having lived in The Kingdom

for more than a decade with a Non-B, and then went to Laos

for a while, where I learned great news that the VN government

had just extended the period of the visa-exemption entry into

the country from 15 days to 45 days. FYI, you can enter VN on

visa-exemption as often as you want, and the VN Immigration

will never ever stop you like the Thai Immigration! This 45-day

scheme seems to be good till 14 March, unfortunately, though.

 

I was going to renew my passport here in VN, but I'd then have

to go to Ha Noi (1,000km from here) or Sai Gon (600km from here)

for that and that twice! So I decided to come back to Thailand to

renew it in BKK, where I did renew my last passport several years

ago. I do miss some Thai food!

 

I'd actually like to come back here from Thailand by land, which

will be a 2 night / 2 day trip, while it'll be a 1 night / 1 day trip if

I fly to Sai Gon and cost you 3 times as much! 555

 

I'm going to fly out of Bangkok with both my passports after I've

got my new passport to stay on the safe side.

 

Cheers

[Saigon]

Thank you for your confusion, though I don't even know

who 'somebody' is.

[kingstonkid]

12 hours ago, Saigon said:

I've been back in VN now.

 

I left Thailand 1.5 years ago after having lived in The Kingdom

for more than a decade with a Non-B, and then went to Laos

for a while, where I learned great news that the VN government

had just extended the period of the visa-exemption entry into

the country from 15 days to 45 days. FYI, you can enter VN on

visa-exemption as often as you want, and the VN Immigration

will never ever stop you like the Thai Immigration! This 45-day

scheme seems to be good till 14 March, unfortunately, though.

 

I was going to renew my passport here in VN, but I'd then have

to go to Ha Noi (1,000km from here) or Sai Gon (600km from here)

for that and that twice! So I decided to come back to Thailand to

renew it in BKK, where I did renew my last passport several years

ago. I do miss some Thai food!

 

I'd actually like to come back here from Thailand by land, which

will be a 2 night / 2 day trip, while it'll be a 1 night / 1 day trip if

I fly to Sai Gon and cost you 3 times as much! 555

 

I'm going to fly out of Bangkok with both my passports after I've

got my new passport to stay on the safe side.

 

Cheers

 

What embassy are you doing your passport at.  I ask because some of them will keep your passport, so you should book into accommodations and plan not to do much travel or any activity that requires a passport to be shown. 

 

If you are using a CDN passport, and I imagine all the others are about the same, there will be a step in your old passport that tells immigration that it is part of a new passport.  

 

That being said, unless you want to take a quick trip to immigration offices in BKK to get the change done in your passport, then I would strongly suggest that you do your exit through DM or Swampy so that you can be assured that someone the\at knows is there to help you.