My passport will expire in April of 2010 - At the moment I am on a 1 year multiple entry Non-Immigrant Type O visa which is valid until September 2009.

I'm planning to apply for a new US Passport in Bangkok sometimes in May or June. What are the rammafications of getting a new Passport before my Non-O Visa expired?

I believe with the US Passport - you get your old passport back with the new Passport - is this true?

Any advice or info would be appreciated.

No problem - when you get your new passport go to your local immi office and they will transfer your permitted to stay stamp. They will not however transfer your visa, and on your next border run (or 2?) you will need to take both passports. I did it last year and did 3 border runs with 2 passports, the immi officers didn't bat an eyelid as they have obviously seen it many times before.

when you say Visa do you mean re entry ?

when you say Visa do you mean re entry ?

With his multiple-entry non-O visa the OP does not need a re-entry permit. He can enter Thailand an unlimited number of times during the validity period of his visa.

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Maestro

When you get your new passport the Embassy will give you a form that you take to immigration. It's telling them that you have a new passport and asking them to transfer info to the new one. This is a routine task for the imm officers.

When I did it years ago immigration had a stamp that had spaces to write all the info from my old visa.

When I left the country imm just wanted to see the latest extension. They may have looked at the page with the old visa info in it, but they wern't concerned about looking at the original visa in an old passport.

I didn't have my old passport with me, and it wasn't a problem. It wasn't even mentioned.

TerryLH, your experience does not apply to the situation of the OP. He has a multiple-entry non-O visa, not an extension. In order to continue to use his visa he will have to travel with both passports so that on arrival in Thailand the immigration officer can verify the visa in his old passport and put an arrival stamp (permission to stay) in his new passport.

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Maestro

TerryLH, your experience does not apply to the situation of the OP. He has a multiple-entry non-O visa, not an extension. In order to continue to use his visa he will have to travel with both passports so that on arrival in Thailand the immigration officer can verify the visa in his old passport and put an arrival stamp (permission to stay) in his new passport.

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Maestro

Thank you all for taking your time for giving your input - It is greatly appreciated.

Maestro

I'm sure you're right. You're one of the few posters that I've found gives decent advice.

But, what would be the difference if they put the multple entry info in the new passport?

They'd still have all of the info they need to give the person another 90 days.

They did not issue the multi entry visa; so they can not transfer it.

They only transfer the visa information, not the visa.

They only transfer the visa information, not the visa.

Perhaps instead of calling it a transfer of the visa information we should call it an annotation in the new passport giving a reference to the visa in the old passport. This is an example of what it looks like:

Top: reference to visa in old passport

Centre: transferred entry stamp

Bottom: transferred extension stamp

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Maestro

No problem - when you get your new passport go to your local immi office and they will transfer your permitted to stay stamp.

Can this also be done only at the local immigration office, and not in Bangkok after having received the new passport at your Embassy?

I am aware of the fact that most embassies will also send the new passport to your home address if you wish so.

Edited April 9, 200917 yr by keestha

No problem - when you get your new passport go to your local immi office and they will transfer your permitted to stay stamp.

Can this also be done only at the local immigration office, and not in Bangkok after having received the new passport at your Embassy?

I am aware of the fact that most embassies will also send the new passport to your home address if you wish so.

Under the new rules you will even have to do it at your local immigration office.