Expired Passport Renewed - How Do I Move My 1 Year Visa To My New Passport?

[larry78750]

I am a 49 year old US Citizen on a 1-year non-immigrant multiple entry visa that I recently was lucky enough to get at the Thai Consulate in Laos.

My passport was expiring in July and I recently requested and received a new US passport.

I have both passports now and a letter from the US Consulate requesting that Thai Immigration move my visa to my new passport.

I went to Thai Immigration and they were confused and after completing a form told me that this was not going to be done - that I should carry both the old passport with the 1-year Visa along with the new passport when traveling in and out of Thailand.

I don't feel this is correct and would like to know how this should be taken care of, and how someone else was able to get the visa moved if that is what they did. Are others carrying both new and old passports for this reason or is there a solution that I can request (and make happen)?

Thanks for the help!

Larry

[patklang]

I renewed my passport in Bk and i carrried the old one too for visa runs,until i renewed my mult 0.

[InterestedObserver]

Thai immigration will not move your visa to a new passport. They will, however, move any stamps issued locally; i.e., permission to stay, extensions of stay, re-entry permits etc. to your new passport. Your original visa was not issued by immigration and thus stays where it is. You carry both passports until you get a permission to stay or extension of stay stamp in the new one, or leave and reenter the country.

Edited May 4, 2009 by InterestedObserver

[lopburi3]

As said - they can not move a visa - only the current permitted to stay or extension of stay stamp gets moved. If you want to continue using the visa for entry you have to carry both passports.

Edited May 4, 2009 by lopburi3

[TCA]

I will shortly need a new UK passport but not because it's near expiry, I just have no space left for my next visa. I will be back in the UK for several weeks and planned to get said new passport and then my next visa. I looked at the UK online passport application procedure and it appears you need to be UK resident to use it (or tick the wrong box accidently on purpose on the form - which I don't fancy doing). If you are resident outside the UK, you need to make an appointment (and no doubt pay the extra for this "fast tracking") and you still need a UK address for them to post the new passport to. I have such a UK address but am wondering whether I'm just as well getting a new passport in Bangkok before I leave?

Has anyone here in Thailand used the UK online application or can anyone give me a quick heads up as to how quick and easy (or not) it is to get a passport in Bangkok, and whether presumably like the OP, I could just exit Thailand on my old "expired" passport (with visa in) and apply for my new visa for my new passport when back in the UK?

Apologies for partly hijacking the OP's thread.

[ubonjoe]

I will shortly need a new UK passport but not because it's near expiry, I just have no space left for my next visa. I will be back in the UK for several weeks and planned to get said new passport and then my next visa. I looked at the UK online passport application procedure and it appears you need to be UK resident to use it (or tick the wrong box accidently on purpose on the form - which I don't fancy doing). If you are resident outside the UK, you need to make an appointment (and no doubt pay the extra for this "fast tracking") and you still need a UK address for them to post the new passport to. I have such a UK address but am wondering whether I'm just as well getting a new passport in Bangkok before I leave?

Has anyone here in Thailand used the UK online application or can anyone give me a quick heads up as to how quick and easy (or not) it is to get a passport in Bangkok, and whether presumably like the OP, I could just exit Thailand on my old "expired" passport (with visa in) and apply for my new visa for my new passport when back in the UK?

Apologies for partly hijacking the OP's thread.

It takes about 10 days to get a new passport from the embassy. I think you are correct that it would be better to get it here rather thant the UK. Reports that I have read indicate it is an easy process at the embassy.

Link to passport page on embassy website: http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/passport...ing-in-thailand

I can't help much more than this because I don't know the answers.

[TCA]

Thanks for the link ubonjoe. Very useful. Interestingly, the Embassy charges are far higher than in the UK and even if I had to make an appearance at a UK Passport Office and pay for their Fast Track 1 week or Premium Same Day service, it would still be cheaper than Thailand. Not to mention not having to rely on the Thai postal service or mess about with postal orders or bankers drafts to effect payment in Thailand and perhaps having to transfer my existing visa to a new passport. Another stumbling block for me personally is knowing an appropriate countersignatory in Thailand, which would be easy enough in the UK.

Decision made. UK it is then.

Thanks.

[Riley'sLife]

Passport renewal in Bangkok is so easy and trouble-free. If you apply in person then a countersigned photo by a witness is not necessary.

Also, in the UK if you apply for a renewal because you have run out of pages then you will usually receive a renewal and not a new 10year Passport..ie the renewed Passport will expire on the date that the one with the pages full expires. In Bangkok you get a full 10 years from the date of issue of your new Passport. The Embassy uses EMS posting the New and Old Passports back to you so you don't have to wait..they even photocopied my old Passport and endorsed the photocopies with their stamp to show the fuzz etc if necessary. As usual it was a pleasure to deal with the Embassy.

[coventry]

Another stumbling block for me personally is knowing an appropriate countersignatory in Thailand, which would be easy enough in the UK.

Thanks.

Any old farang will do in Thailand. For my daughters initial passport I just got a friend to sign, the application, and put his occupation as retired, even though he wasn't. For renewing my passport, I did the same, but with a different friend. In neither case were they contacted to check their authentity. Edited May 5, 2009 by coventry

[TCA]

Also, in the UK if you apply for a renewal because you have run out of pages then you will usually receive a renewal and not a new 10year Passport..ie the renewed Passport will expire on the date that the one with the pages full expires.

Don't know where you get this from but it's incorrect. You will be given a new 10 year passport and up to an additional 9 months if your passport is unexpired. I've done it before.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTrans...sport/DG_174096

Back to my original query, I got an email back from the UK Passport Agency, who now are saying that as long as I'm in the UK at the time of my application and have a UK address for posting, then I can make a normal application (not online though apparently). So that's what I'll do for less than 60% of the price that the Bangkok Embassy charges - and no need for bankers drafts or postal orders.

Edited May 5, 2009 by TCA

[TCA]

Another stumbling block for me personally is knowing an appropriate countersignatory in Thailand, which would be easy enough in the UK.

Any old farang will do in Thailand. For my daughters initial passport I just got a friend to sign, the application, and put his occupation as retired, even though he wasn't. For renewing my passport, I did the same, but with a different friend. In neither case were they contacted to check their authentity.

.

Thanks. I suspected that was the case and apparently they might not actually require it for a renewal anyway, as opposed to a brand new first time passport. Think per my above post, I'll go the UK route though.