Lost Passport And Overstayed 5 Months

[egghead2]

A friend lost his passport sometime ago and is now 5 months overstayed. He is getting a new passport next week and will have to get his original entry stamp put in at Immigration prior to leaving the country.

When he goes to the Immigration should he have a ticket out of the country for that day???? We are trying to avoid him getting locked up in the Immigration slammer so any advice on how to handle the situation would be appreciated.

Thanks

Egghead

[elkangorito]

I would have thought that the answer to this question would be obvious.

Yet again, I revert to the 20/80 theory.

[thaiphoon]

Ticket out of the country and 20,000 baht for overstay fine. New passport and second stamp from immigration will be "overstay"

[Prajak]

Usually he does not get a new passport but a "laisser passer" letter. Unless he lives here. 5 Month overstay will cost him 20 k baht unless he does not have a copy of the entrycard or the number of that card. In that case the Imm Police has to check the computers and he remains in jail until they have those figures. He could use some help of the embassy. They can ease things.

I always advice my fellow countrymen to scan the passport and the entry card into the computer or simply write it down somewhere or email it to family.

[tonititan]

My question is, if your friend lost his passport, why did he wait 5 months to get a new one?

[joncl]

Overstayed on what visa type?

[egghead2]

He has a copy of his old passport and the entry stamp but no arrival card. He was on a retirement visa. It's long story and not worth going into suffice to say he was an idiot.

Any more info appreciated. As usual a lot of different info from different members. Much appreciate the info so far especially the intelligent post by elkangorito.

Egghead

[Mario2008]

The entry stamp shows his entry date and with that they shuld be able to find his arrivalcard number. Shouldn't be a big deal as he isn't the only one iwho happens to lose his arrival card/passport.

Just let him show up with 20,000 baht, new passport and a ticket out of the coutry.

[cyb]

The entry stamp shows his entry date and with that they shuld be able to find his arrivalcard number. Shouldn't be a big deal as he isn't the only one iwho happens to lose his arrival card/passport.

Just let him show up with 20,000 baht, new passport and a ticket out of the coutry.

Simple and informative advice by Mario.

Just one thing to add keep him away from trouble before he gets to the airport with his new passport and ticket.

The police will not accept any excuse for overstay if he is caught, Straight to immigration prison for him. Possibly even if he is onroute to the airport with a valid ticket and bht20,000.

Also it does not matter what visa you overstay on. (as one poster enquired as to which visa) Overstay is overstay

Edited October 9, 2009 by cyb

[Badbanker]

He should also remember the date of last entry as if he cannot he may be classified as having entered illegally into Thailand.

Been there done that!

BB

[thaiphoon]

He should also remember the date of last entry as if he cannot he may be classified as having entered illegally into Thailand.

Been there done that!

BB

He has a copy of his old passport and the entry stamp.

[egghead2]

Thanks for all the info with special thanks to Mario. He is going to BKK on Monday to sort it out and will have the 20,000 baht and a ticket out for for the same day.

Once again many thanks.

Egghead

[siamkiwi]

My question is, if your friend lost his passport, why did he wait 5 months to get a new one?

He will probably be in the crap with his embassy too. They get suspicious of people who take a long time to report missing passports.

I had a similar experience about 4 years ago.

My passport was used by someone else to leave Thailand and recently turned up in Iran.

[egghead2]

This is how the whole sorry saga panned out when he went to BKK. He went to BKK last week and picked up his new passport and headed out to the new immigration office to get the approbriate stamps put in so he could leave the country. He had the 20,000 baht, the police report and a ticket to Singapore.

I told him to call me if he had any problems and I would speak to the officers in Thai to help smooth the way for him. Wasn't long before he called me and when I spoke to the immigration officer he told me that another police report was required and he would have to go to the Tourist Police office in BKK to get one. Of course I asked why another report was required and was told they needed it to prove that the passport had been lost. I pointed out that he already had a new passport and had a copy of the original police report. To no avail, they were adament he had to get another report.

Off he goes to the tourist police office. He told his story to the police officer and she called me to see if I could enlighten her as to why the Immigration needed another report. She didn't see any reason to write another report. So off he goes back to Cheng Wattana again. I advised him to get the Tourist Police ladies name and telephone number so that if needed she could talk to the Immgration idiots.

On returning to Immigration and speaking to the officer concerned he was still insisting that he needed another report. Ken called the Tourist Police officer and they had a long conversation. He was then told that he had to go back to his Embassy, get a letter from them to say that they had given him a new passport which replaced the lost one and everything would be fine.

At this stage he called his Embassy and spoke to an official and was advised to comply with what they want, come in the next morning and they would give him a letter that would appease them. The Embassy was also at odds to understand what was going on.

The next morning back out to Cheng Wattana hoping all would be sorted. The officer he had seen the day before wasn't there ( and he had failed to get his name ) so he explained the story to another one. He was then told that another report was definatly required but he would have to get it at the Tourist Police office where the original one was issued which was Khon Kaen. On the bus and back to Khon Kaen. Next morning I went with him to the local Tourist Police Office. I know the guys there and the first thing they said was why do Immigration want another report?????? They were very helpful and wrote another report.

Back to BKK, Cheng Wattana on Tuesday and flew to Singapore late that night.

Ken is 73 years old and has a few medical conditions. While at the Immigration on Tuesday the stress of the whole ordeal caught up with him and he had a stroke ( we hope it is only minor ) but won't know for sure until he gets back. He cannot use his left arm very well. He made it to Singapore OK and is due back tomorrow so we will be able to get his condition assessed and know more then.

Egghead

[Prajak]

There is a name for this. Kafka.

[Lite Beer]

Thanks for the update. Hope your friend is OK.

[PhilHarries]

I don't understand why the Tourist police didn't just write him out a report on his first visit to them. It's no skin off their nose, just take his 100 Baht and copy the original report changing dates, places etc. Just another example of Thai immigration making up the rules as they go along.

Glad to hear he made it out okay, I guess it was lucky they didn't chuck him in the slammer on the first visit and tell him to sort it out from there.

Anyhow, hope he's okay now.

[lopburi3]

1. A letter of request from Embassy is a written requirement for transfer of entry stamp and most provide - although the UK Embassy seems to feel the extra cost of a sheet of paper to be excessive for some reason best known to them. Was this the UK Embassy by chance?

2. Overstay of a long duration often does require extra police reports to check background and if you are wanted - and you can spend the time in jail waiting for them - Don't know if that was the case in this instance but it may have been (but poorly explained).

[bangkokumpalumpa]

just to add some info in this,

if you loose you arrivial card then you can go to the point where it was issued and they can search for the records.

the other thing is if you are standing there with the 20k in hand then as a rule there is not a problem.

I was involved with a overstay case where the person had the money and all the papers for a work permit, it was a border crossing to get the non imagrant B visa, well the immagration official would not let the person cross the border!!

told them to go and get a visa for Loas, they were informed that a visa was not needed due to the nationality of the person and the passport.

well the guy was not having any of that !!!! because the person had overstayed a couple of time in the past, he was saying that Loas would not accept him, so was told to go away and get a visa.

to cut a long story short a couple of phone calls and the man went from being power tripping to very helpful and stamped the passport and took the money.

so this to was a cass of being an overstayer with the money in had and been told to go away and sort further documents.

had me laughing in the long run as here was the person with the 20k, wanting to pay the money, but was not allowed to leave the country, so much for the locked up idea!!!

[lopburi3]

In that case Immigration was probably trying to help. If that person had been refused entry into Laos after being stamped out of Thailand Immigration would have been required to arrest him for illegal entry and detain for deportation. Officer seems to have been trying to avoid that possibility by asking the person to obtain a visa in advance.

As for being arrested and detained on overstay it can happen and people have been taken back from airport to spend a night or two in detention until police clearance obtained on overstays. Most do not but there is always a chance.

[sbk]

1. A letter of request from Embassy is a written requirement for transfer of entry stamp and most provide - although the UK Embassy seems to feel the extra cost of a sheet of paper to be excessive for some reason best known to them. Was this the UK Embassy by chance?

I have been informed by the UK honorary consul that the letter asking to have visas transferred is free.

[Lite Beer]

I have been informed by the UK honorary consul that the letter asking to have visas transferred is free.

Visas cannot be transferred. Permissions of stay can.

[lopburi3]

I am well aware it is free if issued (or at least should be) - the problem is that Embassy does not seem to feel it is something to do without being asked - and most people are not aware they should ask.

Edited October 30, 2009 by lopburi3

[Thongkorn]

Could you tell me wh at time visiting hours are

[thaiphoon]

British Embassy

14 Wireless Road

Lumpini, Pathumwan

Bangkok 10330

Telephone: +66 (0) 2 305 8333

Fax:+66 (0) 2 255 9278

Office hours (Local time):

Mon-Thurs: 08:00-12:00 / 12:45-16:30

Fri: 08:00-13:00

http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/