Addin Pages To A Thai Passport

[sabaijai]

My wife's passport is almost expired, so she is about to visit the local sala klang to extend it (Thai passports are valid for 5 years, then can be extended another 5 years).

Only problem is she's almost out of visa pages - just one left in the current passport. Does anyone whether the dept of passport services can add pages to a Thai passport (as in many other countries)?

[lopburi3]

I don't know but would consider getting a new passport myself as the cost is not much different and the fewer pages to search the better when using.

[samran]

Am pretty sure it is not possible to get extra pages put into the passport. Dunno many other countries other than the US which does it these days anyway.

A new one shouldn't set you back more than 1000 odd baht and have extra security features to prevent fraud.

[sabaijai]

If she gets a new passport then she has to go through the hassle of having her 10-year US visa transferred from the old passport to the new one. She's hoping to avoid that.

We'll find out tomorrow whether they can insert pages, and I'll report the outcome here.

[samran]

If she gets a new passport then she has to go through the hassle of having her 10-year US visa transferred from the old passport to the new one. She's hoping to avoid that.

We'll find out tomorrow whether they can insert pages, and I'll report the outcome here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

She won't have to get a new visa in the new PP (so long the visa isn't damaged when the old passport is cancelled). I have an 10-year US multi entry visa in my old Thai passport. My old PP expired in 1998. I have travelled to the US a couple of times since, using the visa in my old PP's. So long as the original US visa is still valid, you don't have to transfer the visa over to the new passport.

Upon arival in the US, show both new and old PP's and immigration will stamp her in on her new PP.

[thaihome]

My wife's passport is almost expired, so she is about to visit the local sala klang to extend it (Thai passports are valid for 5 years, then can be extended another 5 years).

Only problem is she's almost out of visa pages - just one left in the current passport. Does anyone whether the dept of passport services can add pages to a Thai passport (as in many other countries)?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I cannot say for sure that pages can be added to a Thai passport now, but in 2001 it was done. My wife's old passport had two sets of additional pages. They stick in one page that folds out. Gives about 20 more pages in total.

TH

[lopburi3]

If she gets a new passport then she has to go through the hassle of having her 10-year US visa transferred from the old passport to the new one. She's hoping to avoid that.

We'll find out tomorrow whether they can insert pages, and I'll report the outcome here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

She won't have to get a new visa in the new PP (so long the visa isn't damaged when the old passport is cancelled). I have an 10-year US multi entry visa in my old Thai passport. My old PP expired in 1998. I have travelled to the US a couple of times since, using the visa in my old PP's. So long as the original US visa is still valid, you don't have to transfer the visa over to the new passport.

Upon arival in the US, show both new and old PP's and immigration will stamp her in on her new PP.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Samran is right and has done it. A US visa need not be in a current passport to be valid. You just show both. Obviously the normal US ten year visa is always going to outlive the passport it is placed in. No problem.

[Willie]

Yes, pages can be added. I did it once in 1999 at the consulate in Shanghai & then again in 2002 here in Bangkok.

However, one time when applying for a visa to Canada (not in Thailand) they refused to place the visa on my "additional pages." Said that it was too easy for these pages to be removed & added into someone else's passport?!?! Forced me to get a new passport, which I did in the end.

[sabaijai]

OK here's what happened at the passport office in Mae Rim.

First, yes pages can be added to the passport. The staff there showed us how it's done - there's a little extra piece of paper running down the inside of the back cover binding just for this purpose.

We didn't ask how much the new pages would cost as we decided to go ahead and get a new passport since her old one doesn't have her married name in it and thus doesn't match her bat prachaachon anymore.

They offered a double-size (64-page) passport, difference in cost being 1000B for the regular 32-page passport and 1500B for the jumbo. She chose the jumbo, as we do quite a bit of international travel and her last passport completely filled up in five years.

I also called the US consulate and they said they would happily transfer the 10-yr US visa to the new passport. The reason to do this? So as not to have to carry and keep track of two passports. Hard enough keeping track of one ...