Student Visa On A Temporary Swedish Passport?

[ForrestGump]

Can I get a Student Visa on a temporary Swedish passport? I'm in Bangkok now and plan to go to Laos in a week when I get all the papers from the school, to apply for a Student Visa, and then back to Bangkok again. My current Visa is a Non Immigrant, extended for another year. Unfortunately my passport is broken (a fabrication error typical for passports issued at this time where the main page eventually simply falls off) but I don't have time to wait for a new passport.

Also, will the current stamps in my broken passport have to be transferred to the temporary passport prior to leaving Thailand?

Cheers

Edited January 11, 2009 by ForrestGump

[ubonjoe]

Is it like a regular passport but with a shorter than normal validty period?

Or is it just in the form of a letter or such?

If it is like a normal passport I would say yes you can get your student visa using it.

I suggest you get the stamps moved to your new passport since the old one is broken you might have a problem at the border if you don't.

Has your former employer canceled your job yet by notifying the labour department. If yes you might have a problem at immigration if they have been notified that your job has ended.

[PoorSucker]

Swedish temporary passport validity is only 7 months.

How many months do you have left?

Rules for temporary passports here: (in swedish)

http://www.polisen.se/inter/nodeid=4060&am...geversion=1.jsp

Edited January 12, 2009 by PoorSucker

[ForrestGump]

Thank you kindly, ubonjoe and PoorSucker. I don't have the temporary passport yet, so I don't know anything about it. Since it's been a weekend I have been trying to get this info on the net but without luck. Today I'm going to the Swedish embassy to get it. I will apply for the regular passport at the same time just so everything is moving on. I will get one of them for free as it's a fabrication error.

If I understand you correctly, I might have trouble going out of Thailand without any stamps in the temporary passport?

I don't know if my employer has canceled my employment yet. I spoke to the accountant there but he neglected to give me the information saying that everything is fine, that I have a one year Visa with my recently extended Non Immigrant. I've tried other ways too so at this point I'm simply unable to get any more information from my employer. I don't know when, or even if my employment has been canceled. It's real mess I'm afraid.

Edited January 12, 2009 by ForrestGump

[PoorSucker]

Thank you kindly, ubonjoe and PoorSucker. I don't have the temporary passport yet, so I don't know anything about it. Since it's been a weekend I have been trying to get this info on the net but without luck. Today I'm going to the Swedish embassy to get it. I will apply for the regular passport at the same time just so everything is moving on. I will get one of them for free as it's a fabrication error.

If I understand you correctly, I might have trouble going out of Thailand without any stamps in the temporary passport?

I don't know if my employer has canceled my employment yet. I spoke to the accountant there but he neglected to give me the information saying that everything is fine, that I have a one year Visa with my recently extended Non Immigrant. I've tried other ways too so at this point I'm simply unable to get any more information from my employer. I don't know when, or even if my employment has been canceled. It's real mess I'm afraid.

I had one of those with fabrication error.

When I switched mine I got the same validity as in the old one.

So if you have waited to switch yours, it's been in vain.

So if only switch, then your new is going to expire soon, as I recall it must be almost ten years now.

Rules for temporary passports here: (in swedish)

http://www.polisen.se/inter/nodeid=4060&am...geversion=1.jsp

Edited January 12, 2009 by PoorSucker

[ubonjoe]

If I understand you correctly, I might have trouble going out of Thailand without any stamps in the temporary passport?

I was more worried about the condition of your old passport.

If you get the stamps transfered to the temporary passport you will not need to show it.

[PoorSucker]

Here's a checklist on the things you must bring with you.

http://www.swedenabroad.com/Page____57058.aspx

The temporary passport is normally only issue for travel home.

[ForrestGump]

Thanks a lot PoorSucker and ubonjoe.

ubonjoe, the condition of my old passport is just fine and valid to 2012, but the main page that has the photo has fallen off, it's not actually attached to the passport anymore.

[ForrestGump]

Is it like a regular passport but with a shorter than normal validty period?

Or is it just in the form of a letter or such?

If it is like a normal passport I would say yes you can get your student visa using it.

I suggest you get the stamps moved to your new passport since the old one is broken you might have a problem at the border if you don't.

Has your former employer canceled your job yet by notifying the labour department. If yes you might have a problem at immigration if they have been notified that your job has ended.

I' ve got the temporary passport now. It's like a regular passport but with only 8 pages. It's valid for 7 months. I'm going to immigrations to get the stamps moved to the temporary passport. Do you think I can use it to apply for a Student visa?

The thing is, all the papers that I'm getting from the school tomorrow, for the Student visa, are made with my old passport, that has a different passport number. At the school they said that I should bring along my old passport as well to the Thai Embassy in Laos to verify the papers from the school/Ministry of Education. Could this be a problem? I've been trying to read up on the Thai Embassy websites, but can't find any info pertaining to my situation.

I don't want to get stuck in Laos with insufficient papers, but at the same time I have to leave soon. Catch 22...

[Mario2008]

Nobody can tell for sure, but normaly you should be fine when you explain the situation. Don't worry. Doesn't your passport state that it is a replacement for your old passport?

As your passport is only valid for 7 months, you will need to get a regular one. Immigration will not give extensions of stay passed the date your passport is valid. But once you have a valid passport again they will extend it to one year for free.

[ForrestGump]

Nobody can tell for sure, but normaly you should be fine when you explain the situation. Don't worry. Doesn't your passport state that it is a replacement for your old passport?

As your passport is only valid for 7 months, you will need to get a regular one. Immigration will not give extensions of stay passed the date your passport is valid. But once you have a valid passport again they will extend it to one year for free.

Thanks a lot Mario2008. The passport does not state that it's a replacement for my old passport, but I've got a signed separate paper stating that it's to certify that a new passport has been issued and for the immigration to kindly transfer the stamps from the old passport. The immigration office might keep this paper though when I go there to transfer the stamps, prior to going to Laos.

I have already ordered a new regular passport, but since time is short I can not wait the extra weeks for this one. Can I still apply for a one year Student Visa using a 7 month passport (and then transfer the stamps once again to the new passport once I get it)?

In short, this is the plan:

1) Go to immigration tomorrow to transfer the stamps from my broken passport to the temporary passport. Pick up all the papers from the school.

2) Go to Laos, Vientianne on Sunday by train from Bangkok.

3) Apply for a Student Visa at the Thai embassy in Vientianne on Monday, using my 7 month temporary passport along with my old broken passport that was used for the application to the school/Ministry of Education, to verify that the application is correct.

4) Go back to Bangkok on a Student Visa and then when I get my new passport once again transfer the stamps there.

5) Live a happy life and learn to speak Thai

[Mario2008]

Don't worry. Your'e set to go.

Indeed just have the stamps transfered once again when you get your new passport. It's free and doesn't take long. Go very early on Monday, before the consulate opens, there is always a big que on Monday.

Good luck.

[ForrestGump]

Thanks again Mario2008

[Maestro]

...In short, this is the plan:..

5) Live a happy life and learn to speak Thai

Your plan is perfect, every point of it, in correct sequence.

...and ForrestGump lived happily ever after

--

Maestro

[PoorSucker]

There might be a problem to get 1 year visa when validity of passport is only 7 months.

[ForrestGump]

Thanks a lot Maestro and PoorSucker

PoorSucker: I've been thinking about this too. It says on these two websites that the passport must be valid for at least 6 more months (mine is 7), but I don't know of the certainty of the information on these pages.

http://www.varsityadmission.com/StudentVisa/Thailand/

http://studyinthailand.org/study_abroad_th...udent_visa.html

Another problem has arised. By now I truly do understand why TV has thousands of post about visa problems... I just got back from immigration where they moved all my stamps (Non Immigrant B visa) from the broken passport to the new temporary one. This unfortunately turned out to be a lot of stamps, leaving only a small area of 3 x 7 cm left on one page for the Student Visa stamps. This temporary passport only has two pages labeled "Visa and stamps". It continues thereafter on an empty page spread, but these pages are not labeled "Visa and stamps". Furthermore I'm thinking that the little area that is left will be stamped when leaving Thailand.

What happens when a passport has no more room for stamps?

[Mario2008]

About the 1 visa you don't have to worry. Immigration won't give you an extension past the validity date of your passport. But when you have a new passport and have the stamps transfered they will give you the rest of the year for free.

Not having enough room in your passport is serious, as then they can't give you a visa. The most important thing is that the blank pages are not reserved for other puporses, if they are not a visa stamp can be added there. Best is to ask your embassy about this, just to be sure.

[MacWalen]

once you get your visa you can transfer it later to your new passport. If you are Swedish you can study at our school for FREE! We will arrange for your visa and paperwork. We have two locations in Bangkok and Pattaya.

Kind regards,

Mac

Walen School of Thai, www.thaiwalen.com

[ForrestGump]

once you get your visa you can transfer it later to your new passport. If you are Swedish you can study at our school for FREE! We will arrange for your visa and paperwork. We have two locations in Bangkok and Pattaya.

Kind regards,

Mac

Walen School of Thai, www.thaiwalen.com

Dear macwalen, thanks but I'm already enrolled at your school here in Bangkok I'm coming down today to pick up the papers for the Student Visa application, I was informed they are ready. Thanks once again for all your kind assistance.

[ForrestGump]

About the 1 visa you don't have to worry. Immigration won't give you an extension past the validity date of your passport. But when you have a new passport and have the stamps transfered they will give you the rest of the year for free.

Not having enough room in your passport is serious, as then they can't give you a visa. The most important thing is that the blank pages are not reserved for other puporses, if they are not a visa stamp can be added there. Best is to ask your embassy about this, just to be sure.

Thank you kindly, Mario2008. The blank pages are not reserved for anything else, as far as I can tell. They only have information on half of one of the pages stating what to do if the passports validity has expired. The last page also has some graphics on it that occupies part of the page (it's the inside of the cover). But they do not have a have a title, such as one of the earlier blank pages that has the title title "Annotations".

I'm afraid I won't be able to check with my embassy as they are closed over the weekend and I have to leave to Laos on Sunday. Also, even if the embassy would say that these pages can not be used for stamps, I still have to leave. Then I might get stuck in Laos... I wonder if the embassy, in that case, could send my my new passport that will be ready in about a week or if there is any other solution? I'm guessing that people can't just get stuck in the country they traveled to just because they've run out of pages in their passport. Any thoughts?

[TAWP]

once you get your visa you can transfer it later to your new passport. If you are Swedish you can study at our school for FREE! We will arrange for your visa and paperwork. We have two locations in Bangkok and Pattaya.

Kind regards,

Mac

Walen School of Thai, www.thaiwalen.com

As a Swede I would ask...how come it would be free?

[ForrestGump]

once you get your visa you can transfer it later to your new passport. If you are Swedish you can study at our school for FREE! We will arrange for your visa and paperwork. We have two locations in Bangkok and Pattaya.

Kind regards,

Mac

Walen School of Thai, www.thaiwalen.com

As a Swede I would ask...how come it would be free?

If you study Thai full time your are eligible for student support from Swedish CSN (the student support office in Sweden). Regarding the Walen School, if I remember correctly, the total course fee is about the same as the amount as the student support that you get.

If you have any further questions about this, please start a new thread or send a PM. I don't want to divert the direction of this thread, as the matters are very urgent for me.

Edited January 17, 2009 by ForrestGump

[ForrestGump]

I'm really confused as to what to do now... I have to leave Thailand, but my temporary passport got almost filled up with all the stamps that got transferred at immigration from my old, broken passport. If I go to Laos tomorrow and it then turns out that my temporary passport will not have sufficient space for the Student Visa stamps, then I will basically be stuck in Laos, since as far as I can tell there is no Swedish embassy in Laos that could issue another temporary passport to give room for the new stamps.

If I on the other hand go to Cambodia, then there is a Swedish embassy that (I'm guessing) could issue me another temporary passport based on the pages being full. But I don't know if I can get a Student Visa in Cambodia. A third option would in that case be to go and get a Tourist Visa in Cambodia, go back to Thailand, await my new passport and when I get it, transfer the Tourist Visa stamps and then go to Laos to apply for a Student Visa. Quite a messy and expensive option though.

The fourth choice would be to take my chances in Laos (or Cambodia) with my old, broken passport to get the Student Visa. This passport has all the stamps, enough pages and is not marked as void or anything, but I have glued the main page (the one with the photo) since it was about to fall off. I have no idea how this could turn out if someone would question the glued page. Perhaps I could then show them that I also have a temporary passport?

I'm sorry for all the questions and really, really do appreciate all the help as I'm totally lost in this seemingly catch 22 scenario. Anyone?

[ForrestGump]

Anyone? I'm sorry for bumping up the thread, but I'm running out of time and would really appreciate any help I could get.

[PoorSucker]

Have you considered Kuala lumpur.

At least there is a swedish embassy there.

[ForrestGump]

Thanks PoorSucker but that would mean I have to fly since I'm in Bangkok. Unfortunately my current health situation does not go well with flying, long story...

[Mario2008]

You have the choise between trying or being on overtay till you get your regular passport at the sum of 500 baht a day with a maximum of 20,000 baht.

If you choose to go I would choose for a country where there is a Swedish ambassy or consulate. Alternatively wait till monday and ask the embassy. Will mean one day overstay, but that's nothing serious.

Edit:

You can also call immigration at a Swedish airport and ask them.

Edited January 18, 2009 by Mario2008

[ForrestGump]

Thanks Mario2008. The problem with taking my chances with overstay, is that when I get my new passport I will need to go to immigrations to transfer my Non Immigrant B visa stamps (which I have already done in my temporary passport). If I wait and do this, they will most certainly know that I have knowingly overstayed, as I told them my situation and plans when I was there to move the stamps from my broken passport. I would think that solution could lead to some serious trouble. If I leave today however, I will not have any overstay.

Phnom Pehn in Cambodia have a Swedish embassy. But I read bad things here at TV about applying for visas in Phnom Pehn. Also, on the Thai Embassy info page for Student Visas http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2501.php?&id=2814 it says that I will need "Financial reference, such as bank statement showing personal savings or checking account" for a Student Visa. This I do not have (as I will be studying on savings on my Swedish bank) and has also been informed by my school (Thai Walen) that I do not need.

Right now I'm considering the following:

1. Go to Phnom Pehn to apply for a Student Visa, using my old broken passport as this has enough pages for all the stamps.

2. If someone should question the broken page in my old passport, I will show them my temporary passport (this passport has identical stamps as they were transferred).

3. If I thereafter will need to use my temporary passport, I will go to the Swedish Embassy in Phnom Pehn and ask them to issue another temporary passport based on this one running out of pages. That will give me two pages for the Student Visa and entry to Thailand.

4. If all goes well with the old passport but it's rejected upon entering Thailand, then perhaps I could do the same - get a new temporary passport at the Swedish Embassy. In this scenario however, I don't know how the Student Visa stamps could be moved, as this is normally done on Immigrations i Thailand, as far as I understand.

What a mess it turned out to be...

Edited January 18, 2009 by ForrestGump

[Mario2008]

Overstay is not that serious. It is just paying the fine and leave the country. After that you can just as easily get a new visa and permisison to enter. They do make a note in your passport, but so far it never has any consequences. Staying legaly is however always advisable, but in your case is is an option.

Technicaly you would risk arrest till you can pay the fine and buy a ticket out of the country. That is not very likely, especialy in your situation where you wait for a passport.

[PoorSucker]

Phom Phen was many good reports new.

Very friendly.

"Torist visa, no problem, one or two entries?"