i'll renew my UK passport when i'm in London. do i then take my old and new passports to the thai embassy in london for them to transfer my retirement visa and re-entry visa in to the new passport? is it a straightforward procedure- how long does it take - what is the cost? thanks

I asked the same question recently, because it'r cheaper to renew in the UK, and was advised to use my old and new passports to enter Thailand, and then go to the Immigration HQ at Chang Wattana to get the permits transferred, free.

Don't you need a letter from the British embassy requesting a transfer?

You will need both passports and will have to visit immigration in Thailand for the transfer. Transfer is free and requires you fill in a form and copies of the relevant pages of both passports and the arrival card. (The Thai embassy cannot transfer stamps from immigration). You might need to do some explaining with the airline. Thai immigration should just stamp you in on the new passport.

When you get a new passport in Thailand, immigration wants a letter from your embassy. When you get a new passport abroad, you of course will not have that letter.

thanks for your reply. where is chang wattana? is it the only place that will do it?

Chiang Wattana Road in Bangkok, Soi 7. Near Laksi/old airport. But if your extension of stay not from Bangkok the place it was obtained should do. Have also seen reports of airport doing for some but expect outbound only. UK Embassy never issued letter but Immigration did without, but perhaps not with a smile.

Look here for a map: http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/location1.html

Chiang Wattana Road in Bangkok, Soi 7. Near Laksi/old airport. But if your extension of stay not from Bangkok the place it was obtained should do. Have also seen reports of airport doing for some but expect outbound only. UK Embassy never issued letter but Immigration did without, but perhaps not with a smile.

The UK embassy issued me nothing. Just told me to cut up the old pp when a new one arrived from Hong Kong. If one doesn't have a re-entry visa in old pp simplest just to fly out with both pp and show both at airport wouldn't it? It took me half a day just to do the 30 day visa exempt transfer stamp at CW from old/full pp to new pp. Hardly worth the effort?