Transfer Of Stamps To New Passport - Description Of The Process

[lothda]

I haven't seen a description of the detailed process on this board, so here's my experience at Bangkok Immigration this week (entered with O-A visa in 2007. on retirement extensions since 2008):

I brought my old and new passports, a letter from the embassy about receiving the new one and filled form "TRANSFER STAMP TO NEW PASSPORT". The officers that deal with this are the ones doing extensions of stay, so some waiting was necessary. A stamp (in Thai only) was put into the old passport certifying the transfer and stating the new passport number. A stamp (in Thai only) was put into the new passport certifying the transfer and stating the old passport number as well as the date of my last entry into Thailand before the O-A visa expired. The entry stamp for that date was also transferred, as was my latest entry stamp into Thailand. My latest extension of stay stamp was transferred. My arrival card and 90 day report slip were removed from the old passport and stapled into the new one.

I had a valid multiple re-entry permit the transfer of which required going to the appropriate counter and another shorter wait. The whole process took about one hour. No cost involved.

Interestingly I was told to make photocopies of the old passport before I received a queue number. Actually no copies were asked for.

Edited June 4, 2010 by lothda

[lopburi3]

Normally photo copies of both passports are required as well as the form you fill out for transfer to new passport. Or are you saying they were not required at the re-entry permit desk for that stamp transfer?

[lothda]

Normally photo copies of both passports are required as well as the form you fill out for transfer to new passport. Or are you saying they were not required at the re-entry permit desk for that stamp transfer?

Yes, that is correct. No photo copies were asked for and I didn't offer them.

[wca01]

If you get a new passeport and has to transfer visa stamps from the old passeport to the new one, is their any time limit to do that?

[theoldgit]

Does anybody have experience of what happens if you renew your passport in your home country, which in the case of my country is substantially cheaper, and thus don't have a letter from your embassy requesting that the stamps are transferred?

[lothda]

If you get a new passeport and has to transfer visa stamps from the old passeport to the new one, is their any time limit to do that?

No limit that I know of. I wanted to do it before my extension of stay was due. Note: visa are never transferred as immigration doesn't issue visas.

[Mario2008]

Does anybody have experience of what happens if you renew your passport in your home country, which in the case of my country is substantially cheaper, and thus don't have a letter from your embassy requesting that the stamps are transferred?

Make sure you have both old and new passport when you re-enter. Immigration will stamp you in, in your new passport. You than have to go to your immigration office to have the details etc transferred to your new passport.

Don't believe they will make a problem of the missing embassy letter in that case.

[BWPattaya]

I am going to the UK next week. I have one page left in my passport so I am considering getting a new one whilst I am there.

Now, when I come back the Thailand i will have a new passport but will need to use my re-entry permit from my current passport. I am hoping the immigration officer at the airport understamds this. Then go to immigration to transfer visa etc.

Or, will immigration at the airport transfer stamps for me when I arrive?

Last time I had a new passport immigration simply transferred stamps without any paperwork, photocopies etc.

Or, will it just be easier (and more expensive) to wait until January to get a new passport from Hong Kong? January because my Extension is due mid-February?

Thanks to the UK FCO for stopping us renewing passports at the british Embassy.

[Mario2008]

If you get a new passeport and has to transfer visa stamps from the old passeport to the new one, is their any time limit to do that?

There is no limit that I know of. But your old passport could be invalid and thus not a official ID anymore and you would also need to keep on carrying both passports. Always do it as soon as possible.

[lopburi3]

Airport should not have a problem as people have to use visas in old passports all the time so nothing new to them. I don't believe they will offer to transfer however and believe with an extension of stay it must be done at the office that issued the extension under current policy.

Believe you can still use the UK Embassy to submit application for new passport - it just has to be physically made in Hong Kong (as for US they are made in the US now).

[happylarry]

Does anybody have experience of what happens if you renew your passport in your home country, which in the case of my country is substantially cheaper, and thus don't have a letter from your embassy requesting that the stamps are transferred?

I had no letter from the Embassy when I transferred my stamps to my new passport, I was never asked for one, never read that you needed one, so didnt know to get one. I simply filled in the form and presented together with both passports and everything went without a hitch.

This was at Choc Chai immigration.

HL

[TCA]

I had no letter from the Embassy when I transferred my stamps to my new passport, I was never asked for one, never read that you needed one, so didnt know to get one. I simply filled in the form and presented together with both passports and everything went without a hitch.

HL

What form was that HL?

[Mario2008]

The form from immirgation you need to fill out when you request the transfer of stamps tot he new passport.

[tropo]

Does anybody have experience of what happens if you renew your passport in your home country, which in the case of my country is substantially cheaper, and thus don't have a letter from your embassy requesting that the stamps are transferred?

I had no letter from the Embassy when I transferred my stamps to my new passport, I was never asked for one, never read that you needed one, so didnt know to get one. I simply filled in the form and presented together with both passports and everything went without a hitch.

This was at Choc Chai immigration.

HL

This type of report got me into trouble at the Chonburi Immigration Office earlier this year. They won't transfer stamps unless you have a letter from your Embassy.

I went there today to try to have a stamp transferred into my wife's new passport. I came armed with a letter from the Phililppine Embassy this time. Guess what happened.....

The Immigration Officer stapled both passports together and told us to do it at the border. "Don't worry - no trouble" he said. Perhaps he did this because the entry stamp expires in 5 days and he couldn't be bothered.

Edited June 4, 2010 by tropo

[skipper]

Does anybody have experience of what happens if you renew your passport in your home country, which in the case of my country is substantially cheaper, and thus don't have a letter from your embassy requesting that the stamps are transferred?

Make sure you have both old and new passport when you re-enter. Immigration will stamp you in, in your new passport. You than have to go to your immigration office to have the details etc transferred to your new passport.

Don't believe they will make a problem of the missing embassy letter in that case.

Exactly, that 's the way to do it when you arrive in Thailand. There was no problem in Chonburi Immigration soi 5 Jomtien and no cost, for the first time just a smile.

[TCA]

Anyone know if you can wait until your next extension (if on 90 days), so that you just get the new extension in your new passport? i.e. no transfer. I plan on re-entering Thailand on a new passport (under re-entry permit) and would have less than 2 weeks before I had to extend anyway.

Technically I suppose my current extension would be in a defunct passport but is that something Immigration are likely to bother about if I turn up to extend 10 days or so after re-entering the country?

Edited June 6, 2010 by TCA

[Mario2008]

Are you on an extension of stay or do you have a multiple non-immirgant visa?

Guess you are on an extension of stay if you need a re-entry permit. You will still need to transfer stamps to the new passport, as your orriginal entry is recorded in the old passport.

[david100]

so, i have just issued a new passport at my bkk embassy (italy).

i'm going to extend my permit of stay for the first time (previuosly i had a multientry non B visa) and i will make it in the new passport.

in the correct order, should i first transfer the immigration entry-exit stamp to the new passport and then in the same day extend my permit of stay plus re-entry permit?

or doesn't matter the order of things?

the under consideration month is like a 30 days extension of my previous entry-exit stamp or do i anyway need to exit the country at the end of the period showed in the entry stamp?

[lopburi3]

First is transfer of stamps as you old passport is invalid so nothing can be added to that. Then you will have the new extension of stay (which if only a 30 day under consideration you would not want a re-entry permit) and once you have extension of stay stamp can obtain the re-entry permit to match it.

[lopburi3]

One flame and response were removed above.

[bwalker1973]

I did mine at the airport, took my old passport, and new passport. They stamped it up there and then no fees, and no queue waiting, just an extra minute at the immigration kiosk.

I have 1 year Non B from hull.

[TCA]

Guess you are on an extension of stay if you need a re-entry permit. You will still need to transfer stamps to the new passport, as your orriginal entry is recorded in the old passport.

Thanks I understand that, so I'll phrase it another way. If I re-enter the country on my new clean passport (with re-entry permit and my 90 day extension in my old passport) and don't bother going to immigration to get the 90 day stamp transferred, is anything likely to happen when I visit Immigration less than 2 weeks later for my next scheduled extension? Other than getting a new 90 day extension in my new passport.

[Mario2008]

Unknown. They might transfer it at the airport when you leave Thailand, if they see you have 2 passports. Especially when your old passport is invalid for the exit stamp.

Best is to just transfer the stamps before you go away, might avoid any delays at the airport.

[Soutpeel]

I did mine at the airport, took my old passport, and new passport. They stamped it up there and then no fees, and no queue waiting, just an extra minute at the immigration kiosk.

I have 1 year Non B from hull.

There are no fee's doing it at immigration either, or waiting...last time I did mine, took 15 minutes to transfer an extension of stay, re-entry permit etc....easy

1 form to fill in, didnt need a letter from embassy

[TCA]

Unknown. They might transfer it at the airport when you leave Thailand, if they see you have 2 passports. Especially when your old passport is invalid for the exit stamp.

Best is to just transfer the stamps before you go away, might avoid any delays at the airport.

Sorry, my post wasn't clear. I'll be getting my new passport when I'm out of Thailand, so will be stamped out on my old passport, which contains my current 90 day extension of stay and re-entry permit. Yes, Immigration at the airport might transfer my extension of stay to my new passport when I arrive back in Thailand, but I was just wondering if there were consequences if this didn't happen and I didn't visit my local Immigration until 2 weeks later to extend for a further 90 days.

[Mario2008]

No, that will be OK. I transfered mine about 3 weeks after I got my new passport without any question or remark.

Make sure you get your old passort back when you get yor new passport and that they don't damage the visa pages.

[TCA]

Thanks Mario. If nothing happens at the airport when I arrive back, I think I'll just hold off going to Immigration until my next extension is due (10 days if I go - 7 days), when hopefully all they'll do is stamp the new extension in the new passport.

[tropo]

Unknown. They might transfer it at the airport when you leave Thailand, if they see you have 2 passports. Especially when your old passport is invalid for the exit stamp.

Best is to just transfer the stamps before you go away, might avoid any delays at the airport.

I agree it's a good idea to do it at immigration before you leave.

We did this yesterday at the Friendship Bridge post. My wife was transferring from her old passport to a new passport in married name.

They sent her out to a public photocopy machine to get 3 photocopies of the relevant pages in her old passport. They needed the letter from the embassy confirming the new passport. They also wanted to see a marriage certificate to verify the new surname. There was no queue in the office yet it took about 30 minutes. They're probably far more efficient at Suvarnabhumi.

[TCA]

tropo, if your comments are for me then see post #25. i won't have two passports before leaving the country. thanks though.

[tropo]

tropo, if your comments are for me then see post #25. i won't have two passports before leaving the country. thanks though.

It was really just a comment referring to the transfer of stamps from old to new passports at the border as a followup to what Mario2008 said.