Wrong Stamp In Passport

[elektrified]

I know this has been covered before and I don't think it is a major problem...

I received a double-entry tourist visa today at Vientiane, Laos (will post additional update about this experience later). Today when we crossed the bridge into Nong Khai, the Thai Immigration Officer looked carefully at my new visa, stamped us in, and was chatting up my girlfriend at the same time. He handed her both of our passports and we proceeded into Nong Khai to find a place to stay for the night. I am always very careful about checking the stamps, but today I was hot and tired and I forgot. This evening when I checked our passports I see that the Immigration Officer gave me a a 30 day stamp until 22 May 2008 when I should have recveived 60 days for my first entry of the tourist visa.

We are leaving in the morning to go back home to Chiang Mai. Can I go to Chiang Mai Immigration and have them sort this out? Thanks in advance.

[lopburi3]

Going back in your posts find you are probably using US Passport (some countries only get 30 days on a tourist visa entry) so you should have received 60 days if you entered visa information onto the arrival card. Second thing is your visa marked with (1) entry being used? If it is believe Chiang Mai can correct but only have seen recent reports from Suan Phlu.

[elektrified]

Thanks for your response lopburi3. Yes, U.S. Citizen. Yes I entered the visa information onto the Arrival Card. The Immigration Officer did not write the customary number 1 with the date stamp onto my visa thereby activating the first entry. I saw him looking at the visa for quite some time then I guess he must have been distracted by the girlfriend and simply stamped me in for 30 days as if Iwas entering with a visa-exempt entry.

Is that a major problem? Surely they should be able to sort this out at Chiang Mai Immigration, don't you think? I feel quite stupid as I always normally check and have seen multiple reports in this forum of people with a similar problem who did not check either. The heat got to me this time and I was not thinking.

[jstumbo]

I have read about people being charged for an extension of stay to change it in your case.

It sounds like he did not activate the first entry on the visa at all. You might have to do a border run in 30 days and use the visa then.

[basjke]

Thanks for your response lopburi3. Yes, U.S. Citizen. Yes I entered the visa information onto the Arrival Card. The Immigration Officer did not write the customary number 1 with the date stamp onto my visa thereby activating the first entry. I saw him looking at the visa for quite some time then I guess he must have been distracted by the girlfriend and simply stamped me in for 30 days as if Iwas entering with a visa-exempt entry.

Is that a major problem? Surely they should be able to sort this out at Chiang Mai Immigration, don't you think? I feel quite stupid as I always normally check and have seen multiple reports in this forum of people with a similar problem who did not check either. The heat got to me this time and I was not thinking.

I have had the same problem at the airport some years ago.Just went to pattaya immigration and they corrected it without a problem.

[EmptyMind]

I know this has been covered before and I don't think it is a major problem...

I received a double-entry tourist visa today at Vientiane, Laos (will post additional update about this experience later). Today when we crossed the bridge into Nong Khai, the Thai Immigration Officer looked carefully at my new visa, stamped us in, and was chatting up my girlfriend at the same time. He handed her both of our passports and we proceeded into Nong Khai to find a place to stay for the night. I am always very careful about checking the stamps, but today I was hot and tired and I forgot. This evening when I checked our passports I see that the Immigration Officer gave me a a 30 day stamp until 22 May 2008 when I should have recveived 60 days for my first entry of the tourist visa.

We are leaving in the morning to go back home to Chiang Mai. Can I go to Chiang Mai Immigration and have them sort this out? Thanks in advance.

I was also stamped 30 days by mistake once, However I was still at the airport. When they checked and realised that I had indeed put my Visa number on the landing card they just re-stamped it and signed it and apologised.

Shouldn't be a problem if you let them know I guess.

As lopburi3 pointed out check your actual visa page and see if was stamped as 1st Use and try to remember if you wrote a visa number on the arrival card.

[goonerthegooner]

That's a result,just use this as a VOA,[30 day],at the end of the 30 days do another Visa run,and activate the 1st entry on your Tourist Visa 60 days,[as it appears not too have been utilised this time.]

[elektrified]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I don't want to have to make a border run in 30 days to activate the first entry of my tourist visa. I don't want to use one of my 30 day visa-exempt entries now. It was not a pleasant experience in the grueling heat getting my visa in Vientiane! I want to correct the situation now and be here on the first entry of my new visa. It was an obvious oversight by the Immigration Official.

Furthermore, if I am calculating correctly, delaying 30 days to use my visa would make me short of time on my second entry of the tourist visa (use before date). I was contemplating going back to Nong Khai Immigration early this morning to try and resolve the situation but was short on time. I can't see why this situation could not be corrected at Chiang Mai Immigration (or any immigration office in Thailand for that matter). Now we need to get out of here to get a bus back to Chiang Mai.

[george]

Just go to Immigration and tell them about the wrong stamp, and they will sort it out fast without cost. This is routine for them!

No worries.

[elektrified]

Just go to Immigration and tell them about the wrong stamp, and they will sort it out fast without cost. This is routine for them!

No worries.

Thanks so much george! I thought that was the situation. I was just looking for some reassurance. This has been a rough trip in the heat, on many buses, tuk tuks, taxis, cranky girlfriend, etc. etc. Can't wait to get home and sort things out there.

[Samuian]

Just go to Immigration and tell them about the wrong stamp, and they will sort it out fast without cost. This is routine for them!

No worries.

Thanks so much george! I thought that was the situation. I was just looking for some reassurance. This has been a rough trip in the heat, on many buses, tuk tuks, taxis, cranky girlfriend, etc. etc. Can't wait to get home and sort things out there.

Ye, had the same problem, on arrival from Don Muang, went to Immigration HQ, no Fuzz, changed the data and Voila!

[sungod]

I had a problem once when at the airport, I was only given 30 days as opposed to 90 on a multi entry B. My fault entirely for not checking. When I found the mistake back at home in Pattaya, I went to immigration there and they told me I it had nothing to do with them and I would have to go to Immigration HQ in Bangkok.

Thought about it and went back again hoping to find someone more co-operative the next day, spoke to another Official and it cost me 1,500 baht donation to his own benevolent fund to rectify the mistake. Making the trip to Bangkok would have cost me time and a load of boll*cks so it didn't turn out too bad.

Definitely a lesson learnt, and I don't leave the immigration counter at the airport now until I have checked my stamp.

[elektrified]

As soon as I returned to Chiang Mai from Nong Khai this morning I went straight to Immigration to sort this out. Was routine and not a major problem as george stated. They even have a special form for this. I just had to fill in when I noticed the stamp was wrong, etc. I had to provide copies of my passport, visa, etc. They stamped into my passport about the mistake, put another stamp extending my stay, entered some things into the computer, and activated the first entry of my new visa.

Lesson here: Everyone should always check their passport at the Immigration counter to make sure the stamp is correct. It seems to be fairly common here for Immigration officials to make mistakes. TIT. I normally always check. This was the one time I didn't and this is what happened. Cost me about 45 minutes in time.

[tropo]

Lesson here: Everyone should always check their passport at the Immigration counter to make sure the stamp is correct. It seems to be fairly common here for Immigration officials to make mistakes. TIT. I normally always check. This was the one time I didn't and this is what happened. Cost me about 45 minutes in time.

It happens so often that it should be made a sticky at the top of this forum: CHECK YOUR STAMPS!

The best way to do this is to pay attention when the officer is stamping your passport. Calculate the day you're expecting to be stamped and watch him while he's stamping. Even with my poor eyesight I usually don't have a problem seeing the date over the counter.

[Maestro]

I believe the part of the immigration desk facing me has deliberately been constructed so high as to prevent me from seeing what the officer does. Therefore , I always resist the temptation to peek but I check my passport after walking away from the desk, before proceeding to the baggage area.

--

Maestro