Expiring Passport 45 Days After Next Extension

[jhawks09]

Greetings everyone,

My first post here (avid reader) so please bear with me. I haven't been able to find a similar situation. Here's mine... I'm an American who has been teaching in Thailand for a number of years w/valid visa, yearly extensions, work permit, etc.

I'm due for an extension of stay (one year-to the following end of April) at the end of this April, 2010. My passport expires at the middle of June 2011. My question is: Will I be able extend on this passport, leaving me plenty of time to attend to getting a new passport, or is it considered as too short a time left on passport beyond the the end of the extension date (April) in 2011? Hope I've made my situation clear.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Jhawks09

[Gigabyte]

If I were you I'd get the new passport just before the extension and have the extension and change of passport done at the same time. Or else you will have to visit the immigration twice: one time for changing the stamps from the old passport to the new one, and one time to renew the extension of stay. I hope that I understood your situation well; I was in a similar situation recently.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Not really sure I understand the problem, if there is, indeed, a problem.

You extend for a year in April 2010 through April 2011, no problem there.

Your current passport expires June 2011.

Since many countries require that you have six (6) months validity remaining on your passport to enter (don't know if you plan any travel, but...) you should probably plan to get a new U.S. passport along towards December 2010.

OK, this'd call for another trip out to Chang Wattana, not really "upcountry" so doable, to transfer the extension stamp/permission to stay/re-entry permit (always to get the latter, just in case...) to your new passport.

Then come April 2011, do a further extension of a year on the new passport.

That's what I'd do, I think.

Mac

[lopburi3]

As said no problem. They will extend up to expiration date of a passport so you are safe - but should plan to get a new passport the end of this year and transfer stamps into new one then.

[jhawks09]

As said no problem. They will extend up to expiration date of a passport so you are safe - but should plan to get a new passport the end of this year and transfer stamps into new one then.

Thanks for your response. I plan on following your advice. But plan on having my wife call local immigration to be sure that is also their interpretation.

Thanks again,

Jhawks09