Post My Passport Home To Get A Visa?

[5tash]

... and the Thai authorities would have had no way of knowing that I did not in fact travel to my country to get it, since it was issued by their embassy in my country. Also, note that my country does not stamp the passports of its citizens for exit and entry, so no trace is left there...

All countries that border Thailand give you an entry stamp and also an exit stamp. Thai immigration could realise that you have obtained a visa from your home country without leaving the country that borders Thailand by checking stamps.

PS. Being in a foreign country without your passport could land you in deep trouble with the law.

Edited January 25, 2009 by 5tash

[Lite Beer]

Off topic and inflamatory posts have been deleted.

[Lite Beer]

I can only assume anyone who tries this has broken all contact with their home country or has severe money problems.

Personally I look forward to going home once a year to see my parents, who aren't going to be around for ever, and my son. OK, it costs me, but for me being with family once a year is priceless.

Point taken , but it is a huge expence to get a Visa if there are less expensive options available.

[HTWoodson]

I don't think Thai Immigration Officers are going to care where or how you got the visa, as long as you have your proper entry and exit stamps and it's a valid visa. No one is going to nit-pic through the entry and exit stamps from other countries to see if you were physically in the country where the visa was issued. That's ridiculous.

This is a great thread, and I think I'm going to try this on my upcoming Bali trip at the end of this month. Does anyone have any suggestions about getting a mailing address while in a third country? Someplace for your friend or family to mail the passport back to you?

[ubonjoe]

I don't think Thai Immigration Officers are going to care where or how you got the visa, as long as you have your proper entry and exit stamps and it's a valid visa. No one is going to nit-pic through the entry and exit stamps from other countries to see if you were physically in the country where the visa was issued. That's ridiculous.

This is a great thread, and I think I'm going to try this on my upcoming Bali trip at the end of this month. Does anyone have any suggestions about getting a mailing address while in a third country? Someplace for your friend or family to mail the passport back to you?

The issue of stamps only comes up if you were to get one without leaving Thailand.

Just remember that if you send off your passport you could have problems for not having your passport. You would be stuck in one place and probably could not change hotels, make credit card purchases and etc.

I have used a hotel address to get mail, packages and etc. when traveling many times.

[deanosan3]

It is not without its dangers, but I've done it twice. Usually costs around 500 quid or more. I don't know what all the high and mighty talk is in this thread. It is done routinely. You can also get a second passport from the embassy by saying you will be travelling the middle east and transiting Israel. Many of Israel's neighbours won't let you in if you have a border stamp from the Issies etc.

Good luck

[syd barrett]

I have experience of receiving my passport in Thailand by courier UPS/FEDEX (not for Thai visa reasons) and they scan them as they come into Bangkok and then demand 'compensation'. I had to pay 7,500 baht just to get the courier to hand the package over.

I reported it by mail to the courier company and they said I should have refused to pay the 'compensation'. However I needed my passport back and was worried enough.

My recommendation is to return to the UK every 15-16 months or so. Shop around for cheap flights to London. They can be had for around 400 quid.

[Pseacraft]

Very interesting thread as I will need to do something along these lines next month. My current Non-O was issued in AUH where I hold a valid residence visa. As I hold a UAE Drivers License and soon a National ID Card I am not required to carry my passport or produce it unless I really screw the pooch. Most expats here do not control or possess their passports anyway, they are held by their employer, which is against international law. Now my current Non-O, issued in the UAE by the Thai Embassy, is marked as non-renewable which is why I want to send my passport back to the US. My previous Non-O from my home country was not so marked and I believe this is because it was issued in my native country versus my current Non-O being issued in a non-native country where I hold legal residence.

I ship an envelope weekly via FEDEX and I have never had a FEDEX employee ever ask me if my weekly package contained a passport so doubt the validity of the hypothetical question being asked ever. Along the lines fo exit/entry stamps, my passport is literally full of mostly Thai stamps and not UAE stamps as I hold a UAE Immigration card that allows me to bypass the immigration officer via an electronic gate. I have heard here that this might soon become available in LOS - which would be awesome. Thai immigration has only looked for my last Thai stamp and nothing more, I usually have to help them find it as they have been really good about utilizing every available space in my passport to the extent that they seem to try and avoid using any of my extra pages added by the US Embassy.

Eric

[ubonjoe]

Now my current Non-O, issued in the UAE by the Thai Embassy, is marked as non-renewable which is why I want to send my passport back to the US. My previous Non-O from my home country was not so marked and I believe this is because it was issued in my native country versus my current Non-O being issued in a non-native country where I hold legal residence.

I think it says no extension allowed or something like that instead of renewed.

If so it means nothing to immigration here if you want an extension.

One of my fellow moderators once said it was somebody at the embassy playing with their stamps.

[Mario2008]

Actualy that was me saying it was just someone playing with their stamps.

Ubonjoe is right. It doesn't mean anything. You should read it as a warning that you can not stay longer then you are allowed to stay in Thailand. Same as they will stamp in passport working not allowed when you apply for a non-Immigrant B visa, which is for working in Thailand. It just means you are not allowed to work without a work permit.

[Pseacraft]

Oops..You are more correct, it says "Extension of stay not permitted". I didn't have my passport out and got my wording wrong. I'll have to make inquiries at immigration as to the proper meaning.

Cheers,

Eric

\Now I am a little confused. Does this mean that I can not get a 12 month extension of my Non-O?

Edited January 25, 2009 by Pseacraft

[LivinLOS]

it is illegal, and technically, shipping services like UPS and FedEx are supposed to refuse to send a passport. there is also the issue of not having an exit stamp from Thailand in your passport before you get the visa, and, as several posters have noted, the danger of being asked to produce your passport by Thai authorities while it's out of the country

all that said, there is a way to do it...not that I'm recommending it or anything, haha.

you need to leave Thailand for a neighboring country, and you need to have a person back in your country willing to help you.

So if I were to have done this, I would have left Thailand and gone to a nearby country (which gives you the necessary exit stamp out of Thailand). Once in the country, I would contact my friend in my country and secure their assistance. I would then sent my passport to them via FedEx. The local FedEx employee would have asked me if there was a passport in the envelope, and I would have said yes. They would then agree to pretend that I had not answered yes. Note that I speak the language of this neighboring country fluently, so YMMV.

Once my friend receives the passport, they would mail it to the Thai embassy in my country (with the necessary paperwork and fees), and when it was sent back to them with the visa in it, they would send it back to me in the country that borders Thailand.

Upon returning to Thailand, I would have had a visa in my passport, and the Thai authorities would have had no way of knowing that I did not in fact travel to my country to get it, since it was issued by their embassy in my country. Also, note that my country does not stamp the passports of its citizens for exit and entry, so no trace is left there.

mind you, I'm not saying that I actually did this or anything, nor am I advocating it, this is strictly hypothetical.

Again.. There is nothing illegal about this process !!!

I want a Libyan visa.. Theres no Libyan embassy in Bangkok, they tell me to send it to the UK..

I am in (any country not Thailand) and post it to a consulate in the UK, again.. Same thing.. Perfectly legal, and 100% confirmed in writing from the UK embassy, the Thai consulate in the UK, etc etc..

Please post on here what relevant law I would be breaking.

[LivinLOS]

I leave Thailand (essential) mail one of my passports back to UK (I have 2) and then have it mailed back to me.. I have this in writing as acceptable from the UK Thai embassy, the UK embassy, and the Hull Thai consulate..

Please excuse my ignorance, but is it LEGAL to hold TWO Passports from the same country?

You have never heard of anyone having 2 passports before ??

[LivinLOS]

... and the Thai authorities would have had no way of knowing that I did not in fact travel to my country to get it, since it was issued by their embassy in my country. Also, note that my country does not stamp the passports of its citizens for exit and entry, so no trace is left there...

All countries that border Thailand give you an entry stamp and also an exit stamp. Thai immigration could realise that you have obtained a visa from your home country without leaving the country that borders Thailand by checking stamps.

PS. Being in a foreign country without your passport could land you in deep trouble with the law.

It 'might' do depending on the laws of that country, what other ID you carry, etc etc.. If you have 2 passports its not in any way an issue but becuase something has the potential to be a problem doesnt mean it is a problem. Not all countries have a law you must have your passport to hand.

[ubonjoe]

Oops..You are more correct, it says "Extension of stay not permitted". I didn't have my passport out and got my wording wrong. I'll have to make inquiries at immigration as to the proper meaning.

Cheers,

Eric

\Now I am a little confused. Does this mean that I can not get a 12 month extension of my Non-O?

Yes you can get an extension of your permit to stay for 12 months (not your visa).

Immigration pays no attention to those stamps. I have even seen a copy of one that immigration scratched out when an extension was granted.

[Pseacraft]

Ok, good to go...need to get myself in position to start accuring time "served" so that I can eventually apply for residency when this gig I'm working ends.

Cheers,

Eric

[Hobart]

I had to renew an "O" recently and looked at all the options including posting from another country. The info I was getting was confusing, just look at what is being said here. I called immigration in Bangkok and talked to someone there with excellent English. I was told that any visa seen to have been issued while the passport holder was still in Thailand is illegal. I knew that. I then asked the question that everyone is asking here, what if I left Thailand and went to Kuala Lumpar and posted my passport to my home country for a visa. I was told that this was also illegal as the Consulate / Embassy can only issue visas within certain areas. For example, in Australia there are at least 5 places to get a visa, ask someone in Perth will they issue you a visa if you live in Sydney. Officially they cannot. " Out of area, out of zone " was what was said to me. In Bangkok there is a warehouse full of photocopies of my passport, everytime I go to immigration they request copies of all pages. My passport is for 10 years and somewhere sometime someone will spot that I have a discrepancy with my stamps. Of course you will get away with it, but its a numbers game and sure enough someone will get caught. Its easy money for someone at immigration should they take 1 minute to look at you stamps.

So, I tallied up the potential costs involved with the posting idea + possible fine and I bit the bullet and flew to OZ. Sure I spend more but not that much more and I dont have to worry everytime for the next 15 months I come and go from here.

[ComicBum]

Is it legal to stay in a country without your passport. It may be a legal requirement in the country you will be staying in.

Strictly speaking it would be, but the order of the day should be change money and sit tight.... and check the mail often

[perilousp]

I recently went back to the US for a short trip and my flat mate had the same visa issue. I asked a friend of a friend who is a Thai Ambassador in South America if I could take her pp with me and get the new visa. He said that if you have a entry stamp into Thailand but no exit, that the visa would not be issued. If they overlook that my mistake and customs catches it here then the visa would be invalid. Also, that your name and passport number would be registered as having an 'illegal' visa. That should not prevent you from getting a valid one later but would probably cause extra scrutiny when applying for future visas and hassle at customs. Seems kind of efficient, but....

She went to Lao, I took her passport with me and I got her visa the same time I got mine. No problem. She did fill out all the forms here first (printed from internet).

Good Luck

[Maestro]

...I think I'm going to try this on my upcoming Bali trip at the end of this month. Does anyone have any suggestions about getting a mailing address while in a third country? ...

In my opinion, the ideal address for you to receive mail during your vacation in Bali will be the hotel where you are staying.

--

Maestro

[bruceboy]

Sounds like a good way to get in trouble.

[torrenova]

Visa that have not been obtained by the traveller personally are considered incomplete documents. The passport holder will not be allowed to stay in Thailand according to the visa but only according to the rights of the nationality of the passport holder.

from the webpage of http://www.aranimmigration.com

Completely not true.. What are postal applications for then ??

I do this every year and have for the last 4 or 5..

I leave Thailand (essential) mail one of my passports back to UK (I have 2) and then have it mailed back to me.. I have this in writing as acceptable from the UK Thai embassy, the UK embassy, and the Hull Thai consulate..

I posted these emails on here before but mods delete them as they claim they cannot be verified as being genuine from the people concerned, I advise you to email any of these people yourself to confirm the absolute legality of this process.

In previous years the Thai Consul even arranged a courier service to send it back to me overseas, however I understand they had some problems with lost 'unregistered' mail and due to that now refuse to perform this requiring it goes UK special delivery to a UK address.

YOU CANNOT APPLY FOR A THAI VISA WHILE IN THAILAND !!! That it the limit of the law.

I totally agree with LivinLOS.

I have been asked to verify my sources by moderators on this forum and I have provided those sources.

It is also true that you do not have to be a citizen of the country where you apply for the Thai visa. Your application has nothing to do with that country but solely with Thailand and the rules they apply for the issuance of visas.

With a smidgeon of legal understanding it is possible to actually read what Thailand is saying. As LivinLOS states, they will not issue a visa to people already in Thailand. That leaves the other 202 / 1902 countries. It is not rocket science.

Remember that for many people, when you book a flight to Thailand, you can choose to fly direct or indirect. Work it out.

[tropo]

I don't see how applying while lying on the beach in Bali or the Philippines is any different than applying while hiking in Yosemite.

There is actually a big difference. While you're in Bali or the Philippines you are a tourist and you require a passport. If you don't have one you're relying on luck that no authority will insist upon seeing it. I've never been asked in many years of living in the Philippines by any authority to show my passport so I'd have to say the chances are slim. Bali could be different as they have stricter visa rules.

Obviously you don't a require a passport to hike in Yosemite or Yellowstone.

[tropo]

Please excuse my ignorance, but is it LEGAL to hold TWO Passports from the same country?

Yes it is legal. Some countries under certain conditions will issue 2 passports under the same name.

Normally this is done because the person has or will travel to two countries that are not friendly to each other and will not allow a person that has been in the other county to enter if they have a stamp from the the other country.

Are you sure that's the reason? I thought it was a luxury for people who often need to send off passports to other countries for visa applications.

Wouldn't it be "complicated" if authorities in a hostile country did a search and discovered you had another passport with a stamp from a prohibited country?

[Maestro]

I needed and obtained a second passport when I had to travel both to Israel and Saudi Arabia. Israel wouldn’t have minded if there had been a Saudi stamp in my passport, but Saudi Arabia would not have allowed me in if there had been an Israeli stamp in it. The Saudis did not care that I also travelled to Israel, they just did not want to put their own stamp in a passport that already had an Israeli stamp, something to do with what is – or was – called the Arab League Boycott. A silly game, really, but once an Arab country was a member of the Arab League or otherwise had signed up the boycott they had to play this game.

--

Maestro

[LivinLOS]

I had to renew an "O" recently and looked at all the options including posting from another country. The info I was getting was confusing, just look at what is being said here. I called immigration in Bangkok and talked to someone there with excellent English. I was told that any visa seen to have been issued while the passport holder was still in Thailand is illegal. I knew that. I then asked the question that everyone is asking here, what if I left Thailand and went to Kuala Lumpar and posted my passport to my home country for a visa. I was told that this was also illegal as the Consulate / Embassy can only issue visas within certain areas. For example, in Australia there are at least 5 places to get a visa, ask someone in Perth will they issue you a visa if you live in Sydney. Officially they cannot. " Out of area, out of zone " was what was said to me. In Bangkok there is a warehouse full of photocopies of my passport, everytime I go to immigration they request copies of all pages. My passport is for 10 years and somewhere sometime someone will spot that I have a discrepancy with my stamps. Of course you will get away with it, but its a numbers game and sure enough someone will get caught. Its easy money for someone at immigration should they take 1 minute to look at you stamps.

So, I tallied up the potential costs involved with the posting idea + possible fine and I bit the bullet and flew to OZ. Sure I spend more but not that much more and I dont have to worry everytime for the next 15 months I come and go from here.

Show me the law.. Not the intepretation, or the guide, or the guess, or someones opinion.. The law which says this is not possible.

[LivinLOS]

Please excuse my ignorance, but is it LEGAL to hold TWO Passports from the same country?

Yes it is legal. Some countries under certain conditions will issue 2 passports under the same name.

Normally this is done because the person has or will travel to two countries that are not friendly to each other and will not allow a person that has been in the other county to enter if they have a stamp from the the other country.

Are you sure that's the reason? I thought it was a luxury for people who often need to send off passports to other countries for visa applications.

Wouldn't it be "complicated" if authorities in a hostile country did a search and discovered you had another passport with a stamp from a prohibited country?

Exactly, I asked on the basis that I would need to post my passport overseas for visa applications (tho I did make is appear like a work related issue for oil and gas), there was no questions simply please pay xxx amount for the second passport.

[ubonjoe]

Yes it is legal. Some countries under certain conditions will issue 2 passports under the same name.

Normally this is done because the person has or will travel to two countries that are not friendly to each other and will not allow a person that has been in the other county to enter if they have a stamp from the the other country.

Are you sure that's the reason? I thought it was a luxury for people who often need to send off passports to other countries for visa applications.

Wouldn't it be "complicated" if authorities in a hostile country did a search and discovered you had another passport with a stamp from a prohibited country?

It is exactly the reason many people get them.

Since most people that have a need for 2 passports are business travelers they would be traveling from home (or place of residence) and would not take the 2nd passport with them.

[Freddie_fly]

[

Exactly, I asked on the basis that I would need to post my passport overseas for visa applications (tho I did make is appear like a work related issue for oil and gas), there was no questions simply please pay xxx amount for the second passport.

So far I have to agree with everything LinvinLOS has stated. I have had a second passport for almost 20 years now. British are lucky in that to all intents and purposes the two are full passports and valid for 10 years. I believe that USA only allows 2nd passport to run for 1 year. I have renewed passports in only two countries Singapore and Thailand. I have never renewed in UK andnever had a problem with this. I provided a company letter stating that due to the nature of my business I am often required to surrender my passport for lengthy periods for the purposes of Visa applications. No problem. As for obtaining a Visa, as LivinLOS states as long as you have 'legally' left Thailand then applying for a visa by post is totally legal, no matter where you are. Via UK, as long as you provide a UK return address then it is acceptable. My company address is used when they are applying for a visa for me in the UK. I have received visa's for US,Brazil,Nigeria and Angola, all without physically being in the UK (note that this was prior to the US requiring the applicant present themselves for an interrogation).

I generally travel back to the UK once a year to visit family anyway and find this a convinient time to renew, however the postal route doesnt worry me either.

regards

Freddie

//Edit: Reduced quoted text and undid modification of part of the quoted text. No need to quote the entire, lenghthy post with multiple nested quotes -- Maestro

Edited January 26, 2009 by Maestro
As stated in the post - Maestro

[Hobart]

I had to renew an "O" recently and looked at all the options including posting from another country. The info I was getting was confusing, just look at what is being said here. I called immigration in Bangkok and talked to someone there with excellent English. I was told that any visa seen to have been issued while the passport holder was still in Thailand is illegal. I knew that. I then asked the question that everyone is asking here, what if I left Thailand and went to Kuala Lumpar and posted my passport to my home country for a visa. I was told that this was also illegal as the Consulate / Embassy can only issue visas within certain areas. For example, in Australia there are at least 5 places to get a visa, ask someone in Perth will they issue you a visa if you live in Sydney. Officially they cannot. " Out of area, out of zone " was what was said to me. In Bangkok there is a warehouse full of photocopies of my passport, everytime I go to immigration they request copies of all pages. My passport is for 10 years and somewhere sometime someone will spot that I have a discrepancy with my stamps. Of course you will get away with it, but its a numbers game and sure enough someone will get caught. Its easy money for someone at immigration should they take 1 minute to look at you stamps.

So, I tallied up the potential costs involved with the posting idea + possible fine and I bit the bullet and flew to OZ. Sure I spend more but not that much more and I dont have to worry everytime for the next 15 months I come and go from here.

Show me the law.. Not the intepretation, or the guide, or the guess, or someones opinion.. The law which says this is not possible.

The " law " my friend turns and twists and is interpreted in my different ways and by many different organisations. If you cannot believe what you hear from the horses mouth then who can you believe. I suggest you contact immigration in Bangkok as I did, ask to speak to someone who speaks english and hopefully you will be directed to the extremely well informed lady I spoke to. She knew what she was talking about and she knew what I was asking her. She is the law and so is the guy who stamps your passport when you enter the country .