Passport Renewal

[longball53098]

Hello all,,,,,,,,,,

I thought I might take some time and post a report on a minor thing but something that may cause heartache if your not prepared. Specifically I am talking about what is the process to move your Thailand related stamps from a passport that has been canceled and replaced by renewal. First, I am an American so this relates to a US passport. I would hope the process is the same at the Thai immigration for all passports.

I live in LOS on a Non immigrant visa with a retirement extension. I am on my 3rd extension of 1 year, the next extension renewal is September this year. I discovered that my US passport would expire exactly 6 months from the extension renewal date so rather than risk any problems renewing my retirement extension I applied for and received a new US passport in the last month or so.

The next step for me is to transfer all of the related stamps from the now canceled passport into the new one. The US embassy in BKK provided a form letter requesting all of my stamps be transferred to the new one. The form letter was addressed to the Thai Immigration at BKK.

I live in Baan Chang Rayong and my closest Immigration office is Mabtaphut. So I decided to stop in there one day to request the transfer of my stamps. The very nice officer(female) looked at my new passport and the old passport and saw I was on a retirement extension issued in Pattaya and told me I must go to Pattaya to process the transfer of stamps she could not do it. I was a bit surprised at this but did not argue or complain as going to Pattaya was no big issue for me. ( A side note here,,,,,,what if I was now living in CM? Would I still need to return to Pattaya? If so,,,,what a hassle that would be!!!) ( Another side note is I stopped there in late afternoon, about 3, and the first thing the lady said is,"oh you should come in the morning for this process", so, is she really just not wanting to do this and used the Pattaya office as a way to get rid of me?)

A few days later I made a run to Patters for some other business so I made the run to soi 5 Jometein to do the transfer process. On arrival I asked information what number to take at the que machine and he said the same as for retirement extensions desk 8. I was lucky to have only 3 numbers to wait and made it to desk 8 in about 15 minutes.

Now at desk 8 I gave them my old and new passports along with the Embassy letter of request of transfer and a Transfer of Stamp request document (downloaded from TV forms area) filled out and signed by me. I also included copies of the face page of the old and new passports. They requested in addition copies of the usual pages, visa page, extension stamp page, arrival/departure card and 90 day report. My wife obliged and ran out for copies. When she returned the man put all in order as needed, asked me to sign all the copies and took all from me and gave me a numbered ticket and said I should return any time in the morning of Thursday,,,,,,this was Tuesday morning, very busy day after a holiday. So again I was bitten with surprise but no complaints or comments other than to ask for sure that anytime in the morning means I can show up at doors open time? He said yes, "no problem"

We returned on Thursday morning just before 9 and I walked up to desk 8 and the man had customers, so I flashed the ticket to him and as I was waiting the second desk person arrived to work, saw me, took the ticket and returned my passports, he opened the new one to show me all the new stamps related to my visa and extension and also the moving of my 90 day report receipt and departure card. There were some notations written in Thai in both passports I would guess indicating this movement and who did it and when.

So I departed with my new passport and all my stamps and such moved from the old passport.

So what can be concluded from this long winded explanation regarding transfers for stamps?

The process is simple and free except for copies.

Do you really need to appear in the office where you get your extension?

It appears that if your on a retirement extension this transfer must be done in the office where the extension is given? Or the officer in Mabtaphut was blowing smoke up my butt!

It cost me 2 trips to Pattaya,,,,,,,,

I realize not everyone will find this report in detail very exciting compared to the bizarre questions that come in here but if you live in LOS at some point you will have to renew or replace your passport,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I would say this process was easy except for the trips to Pattaya that I think were not necessary,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

transferstamp.doc

I attached a doc that I used for the transfer request.

I hope this report informs those that like to keep up on the latest info and positive results.

[Tomkagai]

Think what the Map-tu-phut immigration told you about going to Pattaya is correct, had something similar happen where Songkla Port immigration put the wrong dates on the stamp in my passport (they had given me a 30 day stay) even though on a W/P and extension of stay etc.

....Talked to the head man at Map-tu-phut immigration and he said he could correct the dates in the passport, but I may have hassles if going out at a later stage seeing all my stuff was issued in BKK and suggested to prevent a future hassle it may be better I got this done in BKK at the office which had issued all the stamps....just to be safe...which was the way I did it....got the impression that he wasn't trying to blow smoke up my butt as you put it....and in fact commented that the original immigration officer in Songkla should be doing his job better and should have looked at what was stamped in the passport...

Have had dealing with the Map-tu-phut many times over the last 7 years and always found them very helpful and even aplogetic on the occassion I was late getting back from work offshore and was 4 days over on my 90 day reporting and they had to fine me THB 2000 for being late....

hope this helps...

[lopburi3]

If you were stamped out of country you do not do 90 day reports so guess that was not the case. You have 7 days to report after the due date so you were 11 days past?

[Tomkagai]

If you were stamped out of country you do not do 90 day reports so guess that was not the case. You have 7 days to report after the due date so you were 11 days past?

Lopburi...wasnt stamped out, was stuck on a vessel in bad weather in the GOT and couldnt get off...so yes 11 days over and THB 2000 donation to immigration was applicable...., I now have an "understanding" with MPT immigration on my 90 day reporting....believe the rule is you can only report 7 days before the due date, but these days they let me do it 3-4 weeks out if I am on my way offshore...

Hence my positive comments about MPT immigration being helpful....