Lost Passport Doesn'T Necessarily Mean Lost Visa

[maidu]

about 5 years ago, I lost my US passport and, at that time, had no chance of getting the type O visa (within it) reinstated.

Recently I lost a newer passport. I assumed the visa was also gone, so when I got a new passport, I went straight to the Lao border with Vientiane, as that's the closest place (to me) with a Thai embassy - in order to get a tourist visa and start on the long trail to getting back on track.

When I got to the border crossing on the bridge, I was directed to check with the main man there at the Thai Imm office. With the aid of a photocopy of my lost passport, he did a computer check and found the data. He then indicated that all I had to do was go to my closest Imm office (the one which issued the earlier visa) in Thailand and get straightened out. If I'd known that earlier, I could have saved several days of traveling and. The good news is it saved me the added expense of doing the visa dance in Vientiane (and waiting over the weekend there). Though I like Vientiane, I also like being thrifty.

Moral to the story: Thai computers are better coordinated than they were several years ago. Just a few months or years earlier, if I'd asked an Imm official if I could retrieve my visa from a stolen/lost passport, I'd get a blank look with one or fewer words.

[Crossy]

Sounds like you have/had an extension of stay, are you sure they would have replaced a VISA?

Unless something has changed recently immigration can recover your latest entry stamp and any extension of stay you may have, but an original visa can only be replaced by the consulate that issued it (visas are not issued by immigration).

Standard routine for lost passport is to head for immigration once you have your new PP along with as much information about your lost one as possible. They will easily transfer your last extension and entry stamp to the new PP, it's free too

[lopburi3]

Immigration provides extensions of stay - they can be transferred to new passports and this has always been true and as they have a record in Thailand they can be entered into a new passport even without the old passport to copy from. But that is not true of visas from Consulates which are lost with a lost passport.

[beano2274]

I think terminology is the main problem here, maybe we should have a pinned topic or something on the front page that tells people the correct words to use, in order for their query to be handled and answered correctly.

[lopburi3]

Actually we do have such a pinned item under useful information.

[beano2274]

Why not have a pop up or something that asks the poster if they have used the correct terminology. Most people post using the incorrect terminology like in this post, because they do not read the main pages.

[maidu]

ok, I stand corrected. I didn't get the visa reinstated, I got an extension of stay - which appears to keep my original visa active.

[Mario2008]

ok, I stand corrected. I didn't get the visa reinstated, I got an extension of stay - which appears to keep my original visa active.

Not exactly. The visa is only a permit to travel to Thailand, not a permission to enter Thailand and certainly not a permission to stay in Thailand. That is a seperate issue.

Once inside Thailand the visa is no longer important, only the kind of entry you had (non-immirgant, tourist etc) That determines what kind of permisison to stay and extensions you can get.

[PoorSucker]

Not exactly. The visa is only a permit to travel to Thailand, not a permission to enter Thailand and certainly not a permission to stay in Thailand. That is a seperate issue.

Once inside Thailand the visa is no longer important, only the kind of entry you had (non-immirgant, tourist etc) That determines what kind of permisison to stay and extensions you can get.

The kind of visa you had when entering is only important if you are getting a work permit.

[Mario2008]

Not exactly. The visa is only a permit to travel to Thailand, not a permission to enter Thailand and certainly not a permission to stay in Thailand. That is a seperate issue.

Once inside Thailand the visa is no longer important, only the kind of entry you had (non-immirgant, tourist etc) That determines what kind of permisison to stay and extensions you can get.

The kind of visa you had when entering is only important if you are getting a work permit.

No, it also determines the kind of extension you can get. For example only a tourist visa can get a 30 day extension.

[maidu]

ok, I stand corrected. I didn't get the visa reinstated, I got an extension of stay - which appears to keep my original visa active.

Not exactly. The visa is only a permit to travel to Thailand, not a permission to enter Thailand and certainly not a permission to stay in Thailand. That is a seperate issue.

Once inside Thailand the visa is no longer important, only the kind of entry you had (non-immirgant, tourist etc) That determines what kind of permisison to stay and extensions you can get.

Sounds rather draconian to say 'a visa ...is certainly not a permission to stay in Thailand.' It is permission to stay for awhile in Thailand - the duration of the visa.

[lopburi3]

It means only that if immigration allows you entry it will normally be for the period your nationality is allowed for that type of visa. It does not provide entry. As for duration of visa that is the period you have from issue until use for entry - it has nothing to do with the time you are permitted to stay within Thailand.

You can enter on day 89 of the 3 month validity and be permitted to stay the normal 30, 60 or 90 days by immigration at entry point.

[lapster]

moral to the story - don't loose your passport

[grahamhc]

moral to the story - don't loose your passport

And Number two is to have photocopies, or better still scanned images, of every page of your passport. It could always speed up getting your replacement passport from home as you can quote the actual passport number.

To protect my passport, and I know you should by law carry it with you at all times, keep mine locked in a safe, and just carry a shrunk laminated "Picture Page" and "Visa Extension" stamp page - cost here 60-100 baht in most photocopy shops.

NOW FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT.....

Down in sunny Pattaya, they have altered their local rules that when you do a 90 day report (as reported elsewhere in the forum), you have to give them a photocopy of the "Picture Page", the latest "Extension" stamp, the TM6 Landing/departure card, a utility bill or similar proof of current address and a photocopy of your ORIGINAL VISA granting permission to travel. (Mine VISA is years old and at the front of my nearly full passport.)

So, if you lose your passport, your backup photocopy will be essential.

I will be doing my 90 day next week and see if the keep or hand back the photocopy that I will supply.

[scorecard]

moral to the story - don't loose your passport

And Number two is to have photocopies, or better still scanned images, of every page of your passport. It could always speed up getting your replacement passport from home as you can quote the actual passport number.

To protect my passport, and I know you should by law carry it with you at all times, keep mine locked in a safe, and just carry a shrunk laminated "Picture Page" and "Visa Extension" stamp page - cost here 60-100 baht in most photocopy shops.

NOW FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT.....

Down in sunny Pattaya, they have altered their local rules that when you do a 90 day report (as reported elsewhere in the forum), you have to give them a photocopy of the "Picture Page", the latest "Extension" stamp, the TM6 Landing/departure card, a utility bill or similar proof of current address and a photocopy of your ORIGINAL VISA granting permission to travel. (Mine VISA is years old and at the front of my nearly full passport.)

So, if you lose your passport, your backup photocopy will be essential.

I will be doing my 90 day next week and see if the keep or hand back the photocopy that I will supply.

Certainly agree with the scanning idea.

My daughter-in-law announced several years ago that she would keep an up to date file of scans of all family documents: ID cards, passports, land title documents, tabien baan book, my permanent residence book, education records of all the family, and more. Every time there is a new document or changed document it goes immediately to DIL, she promptly scans the document and files it(and she has established a nice filing system within that folder, every document has a consistent titling and a date). Then she e.mails a copy of the latest folder to all adults in our family.

One small example of using it. My son forgot to take his young daughter's passport when they went to Suvanabhumi to fly to Chiang Mai. His wife quickly opened her laptop, found the scan of her daughters passport, AirAsia all happy.

[mortenaa]

Not exactly. The visa is only a permit to travel to Thailand, not a permission to enter Thailand and certainly not a permission to stay in Thailand. That is a seperate issue.

Once inside Thailand the visa is no longer important, only the kind of entry you had (non-immirgant, tourist etc) That determines what kind of permisison to stay and extensions you can get.

Visa (document), a document issued by a country's government allowing the holder to enter (or to make a formal request to enter) or to leave that country

[lopburi3]

And that source admits the data they present may be wrong.

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In the case of Thailand, and any other country that I am aware of, it gets them to the front door but no further - only local immigration can grant entry and stay.

[lopburi3]

The problem we have with visa and stay and why we need to know is because our answers to questions depend on knowing which the poster is talking about. We also know it is not that important to most people and even those involved directly will interchange the terms. But to be accurate in our response to questions we have to be sure we are talking about the same thing. Be it the visa or the stay permitted on entry or an extension of that stay.

[Mario2008]

For Thailand, like many countries, this part of the sentence is true:

(or to make a formal request to enter)

It allows you to make a request to enter, not to enter itself.

[mortenaa]

In the case of Thailand, and any other country that I am aware of, it gets them to the front door but no further - only local immigration can grant entry and stay.

Yes, you make a request to enter with the Visa in hand, of-course the immigration officer will have to grant it (or not). But I still would think that the definition is good enough. Its like saying a driving license is just request permit to drive a car, on subject to local police man you meet on your way

[philhal2]

ok, I stand corrected. I didn't get the visa reinstated, I got an extension of stay - which appears to keep my original visa active.

Not exactly. The visa is only a permit to travel to Thailand, not a permission to enter Thailand and certainly not a permission to stay in Thailand. That is a seperate issue.

Once inside Thailand the visa is no longer important, only the kind of entry you had (non-immirgant, tourist etc) That determines what kind of permisison to stay and extensions you can get.

You can travel to Thailand without a visa ,( see in transit ) but you cant exit the airport unless you have a visa or are exempted from the normal requirements . A visa is your permission to enter , subject to the immigration officer you have to go past .

[Mario2008]

ok, I stand corrected. I didn't get the visa reinstated, I got an extension of stay - which appears to keep my original visa active.

Not exactly. The visa is only a permit to travel to Thailand, not a permission to enter Thailand and certainly not a permission to stay in Thailand. That is a seperate issue.

Once inside Thailand the visa is no longer important, only the kind of entry you had (non-immirgant, tourist etc) That determines what kind of permisison to stay and extensions you can get.

You can travel to Thailand without a visa ,( see in transit ) but you cant exit the airport unless you have a visa or are exempted from the normal requirements . A visa is your permission to enter , subject to the immigration officer you have to go past .

A visa is not a permisison to enter, subject to approval by immigration. it is a permission to travel to Thailand and ask for permisison to enter. Permisison to enter and stay is a seperate thing and given by immigration (Ministry of Interior). A visa is given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

What does the Visa Expiration Date Mean? The visa expiration date is shown on the visa. Depending on the alien’s nationality, visas can be issued for any number of entries, from as little as one entry to as many as multiple (unlimited) entries, for the same purpose of travel.

• This generally means the visa is valid, or can be used from the date it is issued until the date it expires, for travel for the same purpose, when the visa is issued for multiple entry.
• This time period from the visa issuance date to visa expiration date as shown on the visa, is called visa validity. If you travel frequently as a tourist for example, with a multiple entry visa, you do not have to apply for a new visa each time you want to travel to Thailand.
• The visa validity is the length of time you are permitted to travel to a port-of-entry in Thailand to request permission of the immigration officer to permit you to enter Thailand. The visa does not guarantee entry to Thailand.
• The Expiration Date for the visa should not be confused with the authorized length of your stay in Thailand, given to you by the immigration officer at port-of-entry. The visa expiration date has nothing to do with the authorized length of your stay in Thailand for any given visit.
• Each time you arrive at the port-of-entry, an immigration officer decides whether to allow you to enter and how long you can stay. Only the immigration officer has the authority to permit you to enter Thailand.

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/content/visaxpiredate.html

[grahamhc]

NOW FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT.....

Down in sunny Pattaya, they have altered their local rules that when you do a 90 day report (as reported elsewhere in the forum), you have to give them a photocopy of the "Picture Page", the latest "Extension" stamp, the TM6 Landing/departure card, a utility bill or similar proof of current address and a photocopy of your ORIGINAL VISA granting permission to travel. (Mine VISA is years old and at the front of my nearly full passport.)

I will be doing my 90 day next week and see if the keep or hand back the photocopy that I will supply.

Did my 90 days, and NO, I did not need a copy of the original 'ORIGINAL VISA granting permission to travel' as most of you had guessed but he did keep the copy I offered him. When I see the guy who claimed it was requested from him, I will explain the CORRECT terminology.

[maidu]

Yikes, this thread is turning in to a compounded layering of semantics.

People take themselves and these man-designated borders too seriously. Europe, the US, Canada and some other places are on track to a saner world. Once in Europe legally, a person can readily go to other EU countries with minimum bureaucracy. Of course, in the US and Canada, residents and visitors can go from state to state or province to province so easily, they may not know they're passing through a border.

Southeast Asia, on the other hand, is Balkanized to where it's a big bureaucratic deal going across a border, though I've clandestinely gone between Thailand and Burma a few times without any paperwork (don't tell anyone, thanks). When will SE Asia get started on fluid borders for all (locals, other Asians, and farang) who want hassle free travel here? Possibly within the next 50 years, but they're so entrenched in internecine distrust that they probably won't implement a truly hassle-free system similar to the US, Canada or the EU for a long time, if ever.

Then there's the issue of a common currency issue. Any guesses if or when that will ever get instated in SE Asia? As far as I can tell, it's not even being discussed within Asean.

"Living is easy with eyes closed" John Lennon