LTR experience and question about stamp transfer to new passport

[mran66]

Short commentary of my LTR application experience:

 

Filed my LTR (‘Wealthy Pensioner’) application on 25Feb. I submitted 2024 annual report from  investment bank as evidence of passive income as I do not have any tax return documents to share (as I do not need to file tax return anywhere). Also wrote brief explanation of why so as an additional doc to the application. As commented by other posters, that was OK – however, as additional doc that was not in the requirement list, they also asked to provide statement of the portfolio where that income is derived from. I just submitted portfolio report and that was enough.

 

Got the approval on 25Apr so took exactly two months from filing the application to get the approval from the system, maybe because of them moving to new office during the period, as well as Songkran holidays.

 

Appointments available already on Monday 28^th, so after approval visa comes quick. About 65min in the office, 90% of that waiting at different steps.

 

Overall, the process is smooth and simple if you ask me.

 

However one surprise: I got the visa to passport that expires in November, and told the lady in the office that my plan is to get new passport in home country in July, enter Thailand with that (showing visa in the old one) on September and then transfer the visa to new passport when back. However she said ‘it is better’ to apply new passport from embassy here and transfer the visa before leaving the country. I did not manage to get black and white answer whether it is mandatory (i.e whether I would loose the visa if  did what I had planned), just that ‘it is better’. It appeared that she was not sure and I did not push her further.

 

Anybody have experience in this situation i.e leaving the country with visa in old passport, and then entering with a new passport received from home country, and then transferring visa after arrival?  Old passport would have 1-2mo validity left when entering. Just would be much more convenient for me if can do new in home country as could skip trips to embassy and pay the exorbitant fees of getting passport from embassy. However, not worth a risk if there is a risk of loosing the LTR if do like that.

[BrandonJT]

The only risk would be if they stamped you in as something different from your LTR when you returned.  Otherwise you can do as you said, show both passports when you return and then go to immigration to get the remainder of your 5 year stamped when they transfer things over.  The other risk is if something holds you up and you're not able to return before your stamp in your old passports ends, you would have the potential of losing your LTR in that case.

[mran66]

2 hours ago, BrandonJT said:

The only risk would be if they stamped you in as something different from your LTR when you returned.  Otherwise you can do as you said, show both passports when you return and then go to immigration to get the remainder of your 5 year stamped when they transfer things over.  The other risk is if something holds you up and you're not able to return before your stamp in your old passports ends, you would have the potential of losing your LTR in that case.

 

Thanks. You have personal experience of doing this with LTR, or generic knowledge? 

[notrub]

It is easy (was 4 me) but your original visa number is NOT written on the new stamp.  Make a note of it as it is required on tdac entry form.   The visa in old passport is stamped USED.  My wife at home, I am in Canada, is searching for other mentions of visas and the online registration is giving me invalid, invalid.  Is it me or is the system crashing?

 

I arrive back on 01 05 2025 and expect to spend the day at the airport. 

[BrandonJT]

1 hour ago, mran66 said:

 

Thanks. You have personal experience of doing this with LTR, or generic knowledge? 

I don't have personal knowledge, but I will be doing it exactly this way in the future as I won't be in Thailand long enough to renew my passport before it expires.

[Ben Zioner]

From my own experience in know for sure that the initial permit to stay is limited to the validity of your passport. So immigration will stamp you in until the expiry date of your old passport in any case.

 

Therefore I wouldn't even show the new passport at the airport and just proceed asap to get the visa transferred at Then One Bangkok.

 

I think she was right in suggesting you get everything done before leaving. That's what I did and it was painless.

 

Also if immigration admitted you for 30 days without visa it would invalidate your LTR.

[BrandonJT]

48 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

From my own experience in know for sure that the initial permit to stay is limited to the validity of your passport. So immigration will stamp you in until the expiry date of your old passport in any case.

 

Therefore I wouldn't even show the new passport at the airport and just proceed asap to get the visa transferred at Then One Bangkok.

 

I think she was right in suggesting you get everything done before leaving. That's what I did and it was painless.

 

Also if immigration admitted you for 30 days without visa it would invalidate your LTR.

The old passport would not be valid. You cannot enter on it.  

The standard practice for all other visas is you get a new passport, you show your old passport and your new passport along with the visa. Since the visa is in the old passport, they would stamp you in until when the previous passport was valid.  But they most certainly will not use an old passport that has been invalidated as 99.9% of countries do when you get a new passport.

[mran66]

2 hours ago, Ben Zioner said:

From my own experience in know for sure that the initial permit to stay is limited to the validity of your passport. So immigration will stamp you in until the expiry date of your old passport in any case.

 

Therefore I wouldn't even show the new passport at the airport and just proceed asap to get the visa transferred at Then One Bangkok.

 

I think she was right in suggesting you get everything done before leaving. That's what I did and it was painless.

 

Also if immigration admitted you for 30 days without visa it would invalidate your LTR.

 

Old passport would  only have 1-2 mo validity left at that time so would immigration let me enter without showing new passport? If so, would they stamp old or new passport? 

 

Anyway seems I tried to be too smart/lazy optmising number of required visits to Bangkok and not paying extra for embassy for passport. End result maybe that I do one visit more than I would have needed to do by getting new passport before getting the LTR stamp.

 

I just sent an enquiry to LTR office about this, see what they reply. 

 

[Ben Zioner]

4 hours ago, mran66 said:

 

Old passport would  only have 1-2 mo validity left at that time so would immigration let me enter without showing new passport? If so, would they stamp old or new passport? 

 

Anyway seems I tried to be too smart/lazy optmising number of required visits to Bangkok and not paying extra for embassy for passport. End result maybe that I do one visit more than I would have needed to do by getting new passport before getting the LTR stamp.

 

I just sent an enquiry to LTR office about this, see what they reply. 

 

If I was you I'd get a new passport right now, which leaves you plenty of time till July. Takes a couple of hours for the transfer and BOI checks your paperwork before sending you to the IO office. So you drop it there get a ticket enjoy The One and pick up a couple of hours later. Done and dusted...

[mran66]

Sent an email to LTR office, and they replied quickly. In conclusion, it seems there is no issue at all to do as I was thinking, rather it was just the lady in LTR counter who was not familiar with details.

 

Actually handy to have contact to ask questions like this directly in writing vs. the usual mumbling with vague and changing answers in Jomtien immigration...

 

-------------------

 

Referring to your inquiries, please see the answer as  follows:

 

1. I visit in home country in July, and apply new passport while there (would be much easier and cheaper for me there than in Thailand via embassy in Bangkok)

 

Answer: Yes, it is okay to get a new passport form overseas.

 

2. I come back to Thailand in September, and show both the new passport and the old passport (with the LTR visa stamp) at immigration. I know that the validity of old passport would not be enough to enter, but I would have the new passport also.

 

Answer: Your current passport which contained LTR Visa is still valid. You have got a stay permit stamp equal to the expiration date of your passport which is 4 November 2025. Therefore, you can use it to enter Thailand in September.

 

3. I come to BOI office to transfer the visa in September after arrival to Thailand (old passport would have 1-2 months of validity left).

 

Answer: After arrived Thailand in September, you should transfer your LTR Visa to your new passport before your current passport expire on 4 November 2025.

         

         

Kind regards,

LTR Visa Member Team