Transferring Stamp From Old To New Passport

[Ossies]

I presently have an application in with British embassy in BKK for a new passport (old one full up). The entry stamp in my old passport is 30 day visa exempt stamp from Swampy.

I intend to collect new passport on Wednesday (it will not be available earlier) and travel to Laos on Thursday (which is when my visa exempt stamp expires) using the land crossing.

Having read some comments on another thread I am confused as to whether it is ok to just hand over both old and new passports to Thai Immigration at the Laos border when leaving Thailand as I read comments that the old visa exempt entry stamp will need to be transferred to my new passport in order to stamp me out?

If so, can this be done by Immigration officer at the border? Or do I have to do this in BKK? If the latter I will not have time as I will only be able to collect my new passport the day before my 30 day visa exempt stamp expires.

Hope someone has the answer? I didn't even flag this as a potential problem until I saw some comments on another thread which implied the entry stamp would need to be transferred to the new passport but did not go on to say how this would be effected in practice.

Thanks

[jazzbo]

The 6:30 AM answer is that IF it can be done in Nong Khai, it would not literally be done at the border but at the Nong Khai Police Immigration office which is about 1 km from the border...

[jazzbo]

As for what the Nong Khai office might do, kind of like The Wizard of Oz:

GLINDA

... The only person who might know would be the great and wonderful Wizard of Oz himself!

DOROTHY

The Wizard of Oz? Is he good or is he wicked?

GLINDA

Oh, very good, but very mysterious.

[pathumthani12000]

I had to do the same thing last week for my 1 year "O" extension to stay. As I live in Pathumthani, I thought I could go to the local immigration office to transfer the stamp. No good, since I was told the stamp must be transferred by the immigration office who issued the visa. In my case it was Bangkok, so I had to travel to the swank new building in Chaeng Wattana. Not only that, but you have to go in person and can't get a proxy to do it for you, unlike the 90d reporting. None of this is indicated on the form for transferring the stamp, so don't know if the rules are different for each visa type.

[Mario2008]

I had to do the same thing last week for my 1 year "O" extension to stay. As I live in Pathumthani, I thought I could go to the local immigration office to transfer the stamp. No good, since I was told the stamp must be transferred by the immigration office who issued the visa. In my case it was Bangkok, so I had to travel to the swank new building in Chaeng Wattana. Not only that, but you have to go in person and can't get a proxy to do it for you, unlike the 90d reporting. None of this is indicated on the form for transferring the stamp, so don't know if the rules are different for each visa type.

The rules are not different per visa, only per immigration office

[jazzbo]

I would have this question as regards Nong Khai: Even though you are currently on a 30-day exempt, have you had previous non-Imm Visas which have been extended so that it establishes your area of residence? If so, that is where NK might say you should go.

[Ossies]

Not sure waht advice Jazzbo and Mario are giving?

I note Pathumthani had a Non Immi Visa.

Mine is not strictly a visa just a visa exempt stamp on arrival. Can anyone confirm I can just roll up at the border and get stamped out on my new passport if I show them my old passport?

(If for example someone was on holiday here and had their passport stolen/lost and had to get a new one from their embassy then surely they would not even think of getting the old visa exempt stamp transferred to the replacement passport although I appreciate this is not an exact comparison).

[Ossies]

Jazzbo, for the last 2.5 years, before this visa exempt stamp, I have had a Non B (no work permit attached) and then Non O visa which I have utilused.

Although not sure of the relevence of any previous visas in my old passport.

[Mario2008]

Not sure waht advice Jazzbo and Mario are giving?

I note Pathumthani had a Non Immi Visa.

Mine is not strictly a visa just a visa exempt stamp on arrival. Can anyone confirm I can just roll up at the border and get stamped out on my new passport if I show them my old passport?

(If for example someone was on holiday here and had their passport stolen/lost and had to get a new one from their embassy then surely they would not even think of getting the old visa exempt stamp transferred to the replacement passport although I appreciate this is not an exact comparison).

Normaly it is done at an immigration office and not at the border. It is free of charge and doesn't take long. If you go to the border, they might do it there or send you to the nearest immigration office. In most cases that is near the border. My advice, go to an immigratin office and sort it there.

If you had your passport stolen, you would have had to go to an immigration office. Oherwise you would have no permission to stay in the country in your passport. (And to the police reporting your passport stolen).

[djc45]

i had this mine a uk passport ran out and the visa was still current they told me when i got my new passport just to show the old and the new passport at the boarder

i had no problems

[jazzbo]

Dear Sir -- You say that old one has 'filled up' so I asked what prior Visas you might have had for Thailand. If the question is, "Is it possible that you might show up at Nong Khai Immigration Office and they refuse to transfer the 30-day to your new passport?", then the answer is YES, it is possible if you have previous non-Imm Visas with extensions in your old passport that establish your Province of residence... and NK tells you THAT is where you should go. POSSIBLE when it is Nong Khai.

[lopburi3]

The simple answer is to pick up your passport in the morning at Embassy, travel to Chiang Wattana, Soi 7 Immigration office and make the transfer. It should not take more than a few minutes as it is a one page form to fill out/sign. You will need copies of old passport data/entry; arrival card and new passport data. There is a copy office on ground floor at Immigration or you can do before.

[jazzbo]

Thank you, Kuhn Lopburi3. I had actually erased that answer on my reply bcz I did not want to suggest that he overstay... Do it at CW; NK is a crapshoot with this type of thing... and I have seen there grown men cry.

[lopburi3]

There should not be any overstay - he picks up on Wednesday and takes care of transfer that day - takes a night plane/train/bus to border and crosses on Thursday (the day his permitted to stay ends).

[Ossies]

djc45, how long ago was this and at what border did you exit?

Thanks for the replies, appreciate the safest option would be to go to immigration in BKK but will see what the Embassy say when collect new passport.

[thaiphoon]

Nonsensical post deleted

[jazzbo]

Kuhn Ossies -- Regardless of how I tried to get the point across, and certainly as Kuhn Lopburi3 implies, it is NOT beyond the realm of possibility that, since you are not a resident of the Nong Khai District as will be evidenced by your 2.5 years of Non-Imm Visas and possible extensions in your old passport, that they will refuse to transfer your 30 day wonder to your new passport...if you tell them it is a time-critical matter, they will say that you should have taken care of your passport renewal issues earlier and 'not their problem'.

In 5+ years of dealing with NK, stranger things have happened... if you so choose, best of luck and things most likely will work out. Kuhn Lopburi3 -- a far cooler head than mine -- with his simple answer above suggests that you do otherwise and head to CW... and what the the UK Embassy might say has absolutely no bearing on the issue.

[djc45]

djc45, how long ago was this and at what border did you exit?

Thanks for the replies, appreciate the safest option would be to go to immigration in BKK but will see what the Embassy say when collect new passport.

mine was 2 years ago

i tried to do what has been suggested by lopburi and they refused at the Thai immigration saying just to take my old passport mine at the time was a none'o' visa and the British embassy also told me just take my old passport and my new one

i think you are here on the 30 free entry not a visa

a friend who has just returned to the uk had a problem with his passport it was defaced by his wife and he need to get a new passport this he did the page that had his entry stamp was intact and he was also told by the British embassy there would be no problem when he exits Thailand he was on the 30 day free entry he had no problems when he went back, this was around 6 weeks ago

things can change over night

ask advice when you pick up your new passport

[Ossies]

Thanks for comments, shall post how it goes for future reference for others.

[djc45]

Thanks for comments, shall post how it goes for future reference for others.

hope it all goes well

[Ossies]

OK, collected my new passport from British Embassy last week (very efficent but very expensive. That day the price increased to B8729 an increase of about B500 for a the larger 48 page passport).

I asked the lady the position re whether I needed to go to immigration to transfer my entry stamp from old to new passport or whether I could just rock up at the border with both passports in hand.

She said I should go to immigration in BKK to transfer the stamp. I queried this stating I had read conflicting advice whereuopn she went to ask her superior to clarify.

The response came back that as I was renewing a passport (as opposed to getting a replacement for a lost or stolen passport) it was advised I go to immigration which is what i did.

I have to say the expereince at the new immigration office or should I say the cubicle dealing with 'lost passport/transfer of stamp' was very frustrating. There was one main officer with a couple of assistants and it seemed very disorganised and she wasn't even calling people in on a strict sequential number basis on queuing cards and at times just pointed at someone to go in and see her.

Alot of people were getting very frustrated due to the clear lack of organisation and it took 2 hours to get the stamp in my new passport (1pm-3pm). A lot of this delay appeared to be due to various people (not sure if they were some sort of agents) who just seemed to wander in to the cubicle to have piles of paperwork dealt with by the officer as opposed to her dealing with the people holding the numbered cards for the queue system.

Oh well, I assume I will not need to visit this particular cubicle in the future so no harm done:)

[djc45]

glad it all ended up ok and thanks for the info

B8729 not cheap