hi all,

sorry for not making the last post thai-related, but i also have just a quick question about passports in thailand....

if you're an aussie staying in thailand, who has the authority to cut your passport cut and stamp the words 'cancelled' on the thailand visa pages - the embassy or a thai immigration official?

say if you're an aussie and your passport and thai visas have expired, and you want to renew your passport with the australian embassy, will the embassy cut your passport and refuse to issue you a new passport if you are staying illegally in thailand? also, do they have an obligation to tell the thai immigration that you are staying in the country illegally? is this the same in other countries like australia?

thanks,

myauq.

The agency canceling the expired passport do the cutting and stamping; in your case, the Aussie embassy or their agents. The Thai authorities don't see any non- Thai passports; don't need to. If there's any unexpired visa's in the expiring passport (usually a US one since they insist in 10-year validity), it is the passport holders duty to draw attention to this or risk the fact that it may get arbitrarily cut and cancelled by a dozy bugger at your embassy.

Making a fraudulent claim of passport loss is a crime; maybe more so than any over stay penalty assessment.

Post advocating an illegal activity has been removed.

A passport can only be canceled by an agent of the government that issued it.

A visa or other leave to enter/remain can only be canceled by an agent of the government that issued it.

A visa etc. which is still valid is not canceled just because the passport it is stuck into has expired. For example; many holders of UK Indefinite Leave to Remain have not paid the exorbitant fee demanded by the British government to transfer the ILR stamp to a new passport and simply carry both old and new ones when leaving and entering the UK.

If you apply for a new passport the Australian Embassy will process the new application as per standard application.

The embassy is there to assist you in any way.

Once you passport expires you cannot travel on it and cannot get a new visa in an expired passport Australian

They can also communicate with the immigration about any overstay on your behalf

regarding an overstay. They speak to thai immigration often regarding overstay issuies

If you are unsure about any issue just ring them to establish how they can assist.