90-day Report With Missing Departure Card

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

I have a non-immigrant, O-A long-stay, multi-entry one-year visa, with the requirement for reporting every 90 days.

On my first-ever report, I discovered to my horror that my departure card was missing from my passport. This fright occurred while filling out the single-sheet 90-day report. It asks for the card number. I started imagining the consequences.

I stood around for a while waiting for the inevitable, then decided to go back home and tear the place apart. No luck. Then I remembered my bank photocopying my passport and hopefully the departure card. Kasikorn Bank was as helpful as possible but no luck either.

I hadn't been out of the country but had handed over my passport to several hotels in Thailand during the 90 days. I simply grabbed the passport when the clerk handed it to me but it never occurred to me to make sure everything was in order.

Lesson 1: Photocopy everything whenever there's a new stamp or addition to your passport.

Lesson 2: Check passport thoroughly when someone else handles your passport.

Lesson 3: Keep passport in sealable bag or wallet.

Back to immigration and got new ticket number for Counter 3, 90-day reports. Then I thought I'd ask the front information desk what my fate might be. Uniformed official told me to go to the police station (it's right next door). Yikes! Then he said come back and go to window marked 519. Oh oh.

At Thung Mahamek Police station, there are no English signs. I found what appeared to be a room of duty desk officers, one floor above ground level. I asked who speaks English. Got waved to one guy dealing with what appeared to be a similar case since I saw them later at window 519. It turned out to be a simple report, which he gave me a copy of. He asked me to pay 20 baht.

Back to window 519 and a somewhat perplexed officer. Another came over and asked me if I left country since Nov. 18, when I re-entered Thailand from Lao through Nong Kai. No. That seemed to satisfy him and he went to computer. But lady clerk (non-uniform) went over to the computer and shooed him away. A dialogue followed and she typed in some info. They all looked at me several times. Then Khun Perplexed came over with what looked like a departure card (white with blue ink). He crossed out the TM number code and wrote in a unique code that started with PF. Stapled it into the passport, handed it back with a smile and off I walked. I thought for sure I'd be fined or charged some fee, or put in some dingy room for hours.

Off to the front desk, to get a new ticket number for counter 3. Through this process in about 30 minutes. I have to mention the uniform lady at counter 3. As people filed through for their 90-day report checks, she was always polite and smiling, even laughing with foreigners. Impressive in an extraordinarily busy office.

All told, getting to the bureau at 11 am (it was packed!!!), it was over five hours later that I completed my task. So no jail, no fines, only the fear of entering a police station without knowing what I was doing or facing. So, see lessons above.

[PoorSucker]

You had been out of the county during the 90 days.

Every time you enter the kingdom your 90 days start all over again.

[WilliamIV]

QUOTE> only the fear of entering a police station

So what do you imagine is different about The Immigration

Office at Suan Phlu??

It is also a (BIG) Police Station !

LOL

Bill

Edited February 18, 2009 by WilliamIV

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

An American acquaintance, with longtime experience in Thailand, said he lost his departure card, a "serious f...ing issue." He went into the police station and when it was his turn to plead his case, three officers were standing beside him and giving him him a bit of drama. It became clear that if he provided them with sufficient inducement, he would get his report for immigration. Cost him 700 baht. Then it was smiles all around, he said.

Don't know why it only cost me 20.

[ubonjoe]

Sounds like he paid for a lot of tea. So ti was a very expensive report of loss or theft.

Most people that have reported loosing the cards are getting ready to leave the country and all they had to do was fill out a new card and show it when they left.

It's a good idea to have a copy put away somewhere safe along with copies of all your important passport pages.