Transfering Visa from old to new passport

[sqwakvfr]

Went to CM Immigration today to transfer visa from old to new passport.  I thought this would be simple and quick.  I was wrong.

 

The visa transfer form states what to bring:

 

1. Both passports

2. Copies of both passport data pages

3, Copies of latest entry stamp and End of Stay stamp

4. Copy of Visa

5. Copy of visa extention 

Brought all those.  Of course I had a copy of the TM-30 as well because just about anything one does with IMM now requires it.

Went to the first counter to have documents checked and I was asked "where is your insuarnce"?  I have a Non OA extension but I did not think that woudl be needed but I was wrong.  Had to go back to my apartment and bring proof of medical insurance just to get the visa transfered. 

 

Today was a perplexing day. 

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

  I have a Non OA extension but I did not think that woudl be needed but I was wrong.  Had to go back to my apartment and bring proof of medical insurance just to get the visa

Thanks for report. 

Not sure why you would be surprised by required insurance to show compliance. 

Year back I did my transfer at CW. 

Extensions from a Non O. 

In addition to the requirements on the form they wanted photocopies of bank book pages back to current extension + bank book update. 

This would be to show financial compliance. 

Just typical rubbish from immigration. 

Add things Willy Nillie and don't indicate the change on the form 

[sqwakvfr]

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Thanks for report. 

Not sure why you would be surprised by required insurance to show compliance. 

Year back I did my transfer at CW. 

Extensions from a Non O. 

In addition to the requirements on the form they wanted photocopies of bank book pages back to current extension + bank book update. 

This would be to show financial compliance. 

Just typical rubbish from immigration. 

Add things Willy Nillie and don't indicate the change on the form 

But I was told proof of insurance was only required for extensions and whenver i come back into Thailand.  I was sitting in the room with a group of people who were getting their visa's canceled and this did not look or  sound like a simple  or short process. Some arrived when I first got there and most were still waiting after I left after 4 hours. For my next 90 day report I will bring my insurance policy documents as well. This will sound absured becuse we are in LOS but to truly veify complaince IMM shoulld actually call the bank or health insurance company.  But we know this will never happen and today I had to actually submit 10 pages of documents to transfer a visa.  

[jerrymahoney]

At Ubon, I was asked for a copy of the invoice for $130 I received online from the US Embassy/Bangkok for the new passport to transfer the existing extension to the new passport.

[sqwakvfr]

4 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

At Ubon, I was asked for a copy of the invoice for $130 I received online from the US Embassy/Bangkok for the new passport to transfer the existing extension to the new passport.

Wow. I wish I had been aware of  some these unknown visa transfer requriements before today. At least I could have prepared a large stack of documents. 

[jerrymahoney]

I presume the invoice request was, so they have something in writing from the US Embassy now that the embassy does not give a "Please transfer ..." letter with the new passport.

[DrJack54]

31 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

At Ubon, I was asked for a copy of the invoice for $130 I received online from the US Embassy/Bangkok for the new passport to transfer the existing extension to the new passport.

Which immigration office.. 

That not have been required. 

BTW it's not only USA that are not issuing "letter" With the new pp. 

[jerrymahoney]

At Ubon Ratchathani it was required.

[DrJack54]

8 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

At Ubon Ratchathani it was required.

Not at most immigration offices. 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1336167-transfer-of-information-from-old-passport-to-new-passport/ 

 

Just more immigration offices making their own rules. 

 

[jerrymahoney]

Not a big deal:

 

[Burgo1979]

Is there a specific time frame legally that stamps need to be transferred once new passport has been received?. For example, if you time your passport renewal so its a few months away from your next extension, is it wise to wait until then and get everything done together?.

 

I appreciate different offices have different rules

[jerrymahoney]

I waited almost a year to my next extension to get it done -- I wasn't leaving the Kingdom, and I just carried 2 passports for air travel/hotels.

I would say it is not a good idea to try to get the extension in passport transfer and the new extension on the same day.

[impulse]

3 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Today was a perplexing day. 

 

You should post that on this concurrent thread:

 

 

Apparently, you are experiencing something that doesn't happen to normal people...

 

[sqwakvfr]

18 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

You should post that on this concurrent thread:

 

 

Apparently, you are experiencing something that doesn't happen to normal people...

 

It's not like we can complain to IMM officers.  Therefore, many us feel the need to experss it on here. In the end  have two choices: Do what you are told  or start packing. When I am at IMM I maintain a blank expression and just  " yes and thank you".  

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Burgo1979 said:

Is there a specific time frame legally that stamps need to be transferred once new passport has been received?.

You would need to have stamps transferred prior (or same time) as any dealings with immigration. 

For example to obtain COR, Extension etc. 

Suggest you do it prior to extension and update information with your bank 

[Burgo1979]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

You would need to have stamps transferred prior (or same time) as any dealings with immigration. 

For example to obtain COR, Extension etc. 

Suggest you do it prior to extension and update information with your bank 

Thanks, so a certificate of residence is needed to transfer visa stamps?

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, Burgo1979 said:

Thanks, so a certificate of residence is needed to transfer visa stamps?

No.

The OP in this thread lists required docs and link to form some offices use.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1331063-transfer-immigration-stamps-to-new-passport-third-passport-while-living-in-los/

[Burgo1979]

Got it, thx. What i meant was, how long before a yearly extension do you need to submit the new passport for the stamp transfer?, can you go to immigration as usual 2/3 weeks before extension is due and present the new passport, or does it have to be done as soon as you receive the new passport?

[DrJack54]

15 minutes ago, Burgo1979 said:

Got it, thx. What i meant was, how long before a yearly extension do you need to submit the new passport for the stamp transfer?, can you go to immigration as usual 2/3 weeks before extension is due and present the new passport, or does it have to be done as soon as you receive the new passport?

Week or two/three will be fine. 

Which immigration office? 

[Burgo1979]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Week or two/three will be fine. 

Which immigration office? 

Thx, so if my extension is due in September, but I've had my new passport since march, i just take it when i do my extension late August as normal, or do i have to do it in March when i get the new passport?

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, Burgo1979 said:

Thx, so if my extension is due in September, but I've had my new passport since march, i just take it when i do my extension late August as normal, or do i have to do it in March when i get the new passport?

Read my previous advice.

Do not leave transfer of stamps till next extension application.

Do beforehand.

Why not do it now.

Don't follow your questions.

Then also update your bank.

TDL not important. 

[Burgo1979]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Read my previous advice.

Do not leave transfer of stamps till next extension application.

Do beforehand.

Why not do it now.

Don't follow your questions.

Then also update your bank.

TDL not important. 

Thx, im not following my questions, just clarifying the info you have given as a buddy of mine went to immigration 6 weeks before his extension was due to transfer, and they told him to come back and sort it when he did his extension as it wasn't far away. Thx anyway

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, Burgo1979 said:

and they told him to come back and sort it when he did his extension as it wasn't far away. Thx anyway

That's not uncommon.

Immigration just being Lazy.

Also not uncommon.

 

[rwilem]

On 6/30/2025 at 4:10 PM, Burgo1979 said:

Is there a specific time frame legally that stamps need to be transferred once new passport has been received?. For example, if you time your passport renewal so its a few months away from your next extension, is it wise to wait until then and get everything done together?.

OK, if you are not leaving the country (and if you are, using both passports is OK for that), if you are not leaving the country, at some point your 90-day report 'obligation' will be due. 

 

Do you do your 90-dayers online? In person? Or by mail? 

This will affect the decision when to get the extension stamp (and re-entry stamp, should you possess one in the now-expired passport) transferred to the new passport.

 

Doing it online and using the new passport number won't work, you'll be rejected and asked to report in person. (You might try using the expired PP number, you would probably be approved, if the online 90-day reporting system's been working for you. But you also might be discovered later for having submitted a PP number that was not valid; don't know what the repercussions might be, but maybe wouldn't want to find out.)

 

There has been at least one report, maybe a second, of successful first-time-after-a-new-passport 90-day reports done by mail. Imagine that is because physical copies of the stamps and new PP data page are sent to the immigration office. Online, all they are seeing is a number and not the new passport front page.

 

If you do a 90-day report in person, either by choice or being told to do so after a rejection notice from an online submission, you will have to have the stamps transferred to the new passport before being allowed to do the 90-day report.

 

That is probably the ideal time, if not mandatory, to do the stamp(s) transfer, when doing your first 90-day report--if you are obligated to do one--before your next extension.

 

Having done a stamps transfer at CW within the last year, doing the transfers and 90-day report independent of any extension, I'm glad it went that way. If one deals with an office not so busy or active, doing the whole hog in one go might be OK. But there's enough to do for just a stamps transfer. And it worked out good to get all that cleared before extension time.

[Magictoad]

I am in the middle of getting a new passport. My immigration office is Jomtien. When my new passport arrives back in Pattaya what's the BEST option for transferring my stamps? There are not very many. I was going to leave it up to the Agent who is handling the new/old passport business.

But is it better to get the I/O to do it?

I hadn't realised there would be so much documentation involved.

I just want to keep it simple. 

Any advice would be appreciated. Ta

[Burgo1979]

Thx, no i dont do anything online, so my plan was to return to Thailand a few months before my extension expires (as normal) with new pp and valid visa in expired pp. So i will produce both on arrival in Thailand BKK. My next step would be to to go to my local immigration to have the stamps transferred to my new pp then at my local office you need to report when you re enter Thailand anyway, so do the new 90 day report at the same time.

[thaitom]

What documentation involved in transferring visa stamp? i just presented both passports ,got the stamp, no charge at all.

[DrJack54]

On 7/1/2025 at 8:51 PM, thaitom said:

What documentation involved in transferring visa stamp?

i just presented both passports ,got the stamp, no charge at all

Your experience is irrelevant to the OP along with most others. 

The required docs are immigration office specific. 

 

[rwilem]

1 hour ago, Magictoad said:

I was going to leave it up to the Agent who is handling the new/old passport business.

But is it better to get the I/O to do it?

If your agent can do it on your behalf, and it will be an IO doing it, that's probably the easy way.

 

If do it yourself, basically you will submit at least both passports, copies of both passports' front/data pages, the relevant most recent extension and entry stamps from the old passport, copy of the re-entry permit (if you have a current one to transfer, and which would likely be handled by the re-entry permit counters, at least that's the case at CW),  copy of the original visa or visa information notation from the old passport, AND the completed stamps transfer request form.

 

You can check with your office for possible items that may/may not be required. These would include copies of the most recent 90-day report notice (which has the 'next due date'), a most recent or updated TM-30, and possibly your bankbook and copies of its front page and account activity dating back to the last extension. (CW requires the bankbook and copy of the account activity, not sure about Jomtien.)

 

Sounds like a lot, but you probably already have some copies of most of the things needed. It's not an onerous process, but one in my opinion that's better done separate from extension time.

Ideally, best to do it in conjunction with an in-person 90-day report.

[chickenslegs]

2 hours ago, Magictoad said:

I am in the middle of getting a new passport. My immigration office is Jomtien. When my new passport arrives back in Pattaya what's the BEST option for transferring my stamps? There are not very many. I was going to leave it up to the Agent who is handling the new/old passport business.

But is it better to get the I/O to do it?

I hadn't realised there would be so much documentation involved.

I just want to keep it simple. 

Any advice would be appreciated. Ta

Recently, I used an agent (Key Visa, Pattaya) to handle my UK passport renewal, as I did not fancy two trips to Bangkok to do it myself. I just went into their office with my passport and fee (nothing else) and received notification of my new passport about 4 weeks later (IIRC - 12,500, including the passport cost).

For an extra fee of 2,500 baht the agent had my stamps transferred. I didn't need to provide any additional paperwork - I just transferred the fee from my WISE account to the agent. 

A few days later I collected my new passport from the agent - all done - no hassle for me.