Urgent Help Needed Regarding Full Passport And Overstay

[amccbkk]

Hi

I find this site so useful so I'm hoping I can get some light on a very troublesome situation that has arisen for me.

I have been in and out of Thailand for two years with my Canadian passport on about 5 double entry tourist visas. The last time I went to Laos in January 2011 was to get a non-B immigrant visa because I had been offered a job here. They told me I didn't have all the required paperwork so I tried applying for another double entry tourist visa but I was refused on the grounds I already had too many. I re-entered on a 15 day entry visa and then was fortunate enough to get another 60 day tourist visa from the Thai embassy in Phonm Penh.

That 60 day tourist visa expired on March 30 2011. My potential employers in the meantime have been trying to get all the necessary paperwork together and as most of you know it takes a lot of time. So I was to apply for another 30 day extension which would bring me through to April 30 at which time I could return to Laos with all the reguired documentation.

When I got to the immigration bureau in Chaeng Wattana to extend for 30 days I was told my passport was too full to stamp. I was disappointed because there was a space just large enough for the extension stamp. I've also read that they can just stamp over used visas if necessary. I also have a British passport that I haven't used in two years so I asked if they could transfer the visa over to that passport but they said no. They said I needed to get a new Candian passport altogether. I could also of course leave the country but I then realized the same problem could arise.

I conversed with the Canadian embassy about all my options and then decided to get a new Canadian passport. I gathered all the proof of my status as a Canadian citizen and applied for the new passport. They told me that Thai immigration would transfer the old visa to my new one (which seeems pointless now as it will has already expired). No one from the Canadian embassy mentioned anything about a temporary passport at that time. So on April 12 I was able to get my application through, and they told me it would still take another 15 working days.

In the meantime I will be charged for 'overstaying' my visa 500 THB/day. I have heard there is a limit of 40 days but by the time I get my passport I am thinking it will at least be 30 days -- incurring me a cost of 15,000 THB.

I don't have a huge amount of money so I can't just fly back to Canada when the new passport comes and pay the Overstay fees. I will be able to pay the Overstay fees but then I am reluctant to go back to Laos to apply for any type of visa. I have been told that as long as I have a new passport they won't care but I hardly want to risk it. Another option is to go to Vietnam but I would have to wait for my new passport then buy my ticket and also get the Vietnamese visa.

To add another twist to all of this I have been engaged to a Thai man for 6 months and though we hadn't planned on getting married for another 6 months we had thought of doing it now. Time again is of the essence though because we would also have to wait for the passport to come back before getting all the documentation together to get married -- which would take another 5 days.

The most recent solution I thought of was to get a Vietnamese visa with my British passport. When I get my Canadian passport I could leave Thailand and pay the overstay fee and then land in Hanoi with my British passport. From there I could apply in Hanoi for a new double entry tourist visa with either passport and then just save the hassle of the non-B work visa and get married when I get back.

Sorry for the verbosity but I would like some help if anyone has had a similar experience with ANY aspect of this story. I feel like I keep coming up against walls.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Oh -- by the way I reside mainly in Kanchanaburi province so Burma is also an option.

[Soutpeel]

Immigration are correct, you cannot get stamps transferred between two different nationlities passports

Option 1

Wait for Canadian passport....book an airticket and pay your overstay on the way out, go and go and get a new visa regionally

Option 2

Do you have enough space in your full P/P for an exit stamp ?..if so

Book an air ticket pay your overstay go to another regional country and get a new visa on your British PP and come back and wait for your Canadian PP

Your first priority should be getting your over stay cleared....not trying to scare you, but if you get picked up by the police for some reason and they find out you are on an overstay you could end up in jail.

[amccbkk]

Soutpeel thanks so much for help.

The Canadian embassy has my old passport now so I have to wait until I get it back to get out and pay the overstay. I was worried that since there wasn't enough room for the extension stamp I'd have problems with an exit stamp and getting any visa for any of the surrounding countries.

I'm starting to think I'll go out with the Canadian PP as soon as I get it back and in the meantime get a Vietnamese visa for my British PP and then buy the ticket as soon as I get my passport. I have friends I can stay with there while I arrange a new visa for my British PP and then come back a week or so later.

Anyway thanks again for your clear and speedy response! I knew I'd get some help here.

[fatfather]

Soutpeel thanks so much for help.

The Canadian embassy has my old passport now so I have to wait until I get it back to get out and pay the overstay. I was worried that since there wasn't enough room for the extension stamp I'd have problems with an exit stamp and getting any visa for any of the surrounding countries.

I'm starting to think I'll go out with the Canadian PP as soon as I get it back and in the meantime get a Vietnamese visa for my British PP and then buy the ticket as soon as I get my passport. I have friends I can stay with there while I arrange a new visa for my British PP and then come back a week or so later.

Anyway thanks again for your clear and speedy response! I knew I'd get some help here.

??? Why does the Canadian embassy keep your old passport??? As long as you don't have your new passport in your hands the old one stays with you, the embassy cannot force you staying in Thailand (or anny other place) without a passport. What's about the option to get a temporary passport which can be issued in between one day. As mentioned above, overstay is no good solution.

A full passport does not arise suddenly....

fatfather

[Yenoormit]

I'm also a Canuck. Applied for my new passport in Bkk, they always say 15 days but I had mine in hand in 7 days. It's the law for any country that when you apply for a new PP that they take your old one and issue you a piece of paper to carry to show police etc until your new PP gets back.

Paper work for a non B visa should not take 60 to 90

days. more like 6 to 9 days unless it's from a crap source.

My suggestion is just wait for your new PP, head back to Phnom Pennh and get a new 2 entry visa.

Also I would be looking for another job if I were you if they can't evenget some simple paper work together.

[MrRed]

^"It's the law for any country that when you apply for a new PP that they take your old one and issue you a piece of paper to carry to show police etc until your new PP gets back."

Not true.

[FritsSikkink]

^"It's the law for any country that when you apply for a new PP that they take your old one and issue you a piece of paper to carry to show police etc until your new PP gets back."

Not true.

Not true indeed.

[amccbkk]

Hey everyone

Thanks so much for everyone's comments. It really is helpful.

I will ask about the laws around keeping the old passport when I pick the new one up. In my experience I have always had to surrender the old one at the time of application so they could cancel it out. I haven't ever really questioned it. In any event, what's done is done -- they have the old one now but at least I have my British one with me here.

Yenoormit: thanks -- what you say makes sense to me. I was just worried I'd be refused any type of visa at the neighbouring countries' Thai embassies because I overstaid this one. I'm not so concerned about the police -- one of the people that's trying to help me get the non-B is a high-ranking police chief in Bangkok. He's the one who helped me get the visa from Phonm Penh after they refused me in Laos. But I don't know the extent of his reach.

So has anyone had experience of overstaying and then going to Laos or Cambodia and successfully getting a new visa? Would love to hear from you.

Thanks so much again for all the help. I really appreciate it.

[Mario2008]

Overstay is no problem in getting a new visa.

It is strange the embassy took your passport, normally they make it invalid and return it to you as without a passport you would not have a ID and proof of legal entry into the country. Immigration wnats the old passprot to transfer the details to the new passport. Also a valid visa in the old passport would remain valid. Guess the embassy mde a mistake, (unless you are on a wanted list).