Uk Passport Renewal And Retirement Visa.

[billzant]

I have to renew my UK passport this year.

In my current passport I have a 2006 arrival/departure card and annual visa renewals since then. Often when Thai people (such as a bank recently or a hotel) wish to check my visa, they look for the departure card, and then I have to trace the series of annual visas from then until the present day. I usually carry with me a photocopy of my passport details and all the visa stamps to make it easier for them..

What happens to all those old stamps when I get a new passport? I understand that after I get the new passport I must report to immigration again, but the new passport will have lost the visas. Even if the immigration police will be happy I foresee numerous problems if I cannot trace the visa history in my current passport. Do they give me the old passport or is it cut in half?

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best,

Bill Z

[Moonystumps]

Hi Bill

I see no problem, just recently received new UK passport myself.

Applications from Thailand don't require you to send the old passport, just a photo copy. The old passport is electronically cancelled so can not be used. Doesn't need to be physically destroyed or anything

Moonystumps

[billzant]

Moony,

Sounds good, thanks. Where did you get the new passport from?

My intention was to come up to Bangkok, and renew at the Embassy. Don't they take the passport in?

I understand there is a form to complete, take in the passport, and wait 10 days - or pay for the passport to be EMS. Did you do this?

From what you're saying they take the passport in and cancel it electronically - returning it to you?

What was the immigration step? A new stamp? Cost?

Thanks for your help.

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best,

Bill Z

[wayned]

UK passports can't be renewed at rhe Embassy in Bangkok, they must be renewed via post in Hong Kong. Takes about 4 weeks.

Edited January 8, 2012 by wayned

[lopburi3]

As said the UK passport is only renewed in the UK (via Hong Kong presently) and takes weeks. During that time you keep your old passport but it is invalid for travel as they will cancel it electronically. You are expected to deface upon receipt of new passport.

As for stamps you visit immigration and they transfer information on original visa/entry and current entry/extension into the new passport. That is all you need. No bank or hotel requires a run down of all entries/exit - only the last TM6 card/number is of concern with the current permitted to stay stamp.

[Moonystumps]

Hi Bil

British embassy website has all the gen.

Download and print the forms and send to Hong Kong, no need to leave home. You need a credit card to pay for it though,.

My passport came in two weeks. When you do your annual visa ext at immigration they will transfer your visa and latest entry stamp.

Hope to have been of some help

Moony s

[beano2274]

When you get the new passport go to Immigration with both passports, and get the stamps transferred, they use stamps to show the original visa and date of issue, the last extension and also the number of your departure card, these stamps and various things take 2 pages, also they will re-staple the old departure card into the new passport. Some offices do charge for this transfer others don't. Also the old passport is invalid as soon as the Embassy in Hong Kong process the paperwork, when you receive the new one you are meant to cut the corner off the old passport.

[theoldgit]

All the details are here:

http://ukinhongkong.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/how-to-apply/thailand/renewals

As Beano says, when you receive your new passport you should cut the corner of the old one, best to just cut the corner of the front cover and not the pages, that could possibly invalidate the visas on the passport pages.

[beano2274]

I would cut the corners off after being to Immigration and transferring the stamps over, then at least your extension history is contained in the new passport and the old one is no longer required.

[Mario2008]

Indeed, do not punch holes or cut corners of pages with active visas or extensions of stay. it would invalidate them.

[Roger2]

I have just visited the Pattaya Immigration office in Jomtien and after giving in both the new and old passports and a note as to on which page my retirement visa, entry stamp and multiple re-entry stamp were, as I have a completely full passport.I received a ticket to come back after 2pm.

Waited 2 minutes at 2.30pm and received both passports, with all the stamps transferred to the new one including the original entry stamp when I came in on a Non-B visa in 2006. The TM6 Departure Card and TM47 90 Day Notification were also stapled in the new passport. I must say that they are getting very efficient in the Immigration Office, albeit it is still quite crowded.

[billzant]

This looks great, thanks a lot for all the replies. It looks as if you have saved me a trip to Bangkok as well. Will look in detail and thanks again.

[cardholder]

Indeed, do not punch holes or cut corners of pages with active visas or extensions of stay. it would invalidate them.

I don't think so.

When I got a new UK passport last month from Peterborough they cut the corners off the old passport which had my current visa in. No issues at Swampy on arrival nor when I went to Korat immigration to transfer the visa over.

(Not entirely correct because I actually went to immigration with the intention of arranging a retirement extension. They said that would just transfer the visa to the new passport and I should come back within a couple of weeks of my exit date to arrange the extension. I didn't have the confidence to insist on the extension because I know what will happen - I am traveling out of Thailand every month and I will be stamped in for 90 days each time and I may as well run things until May just before the visa expires. I now accept that I can go back and explain that I will be out of the country so I could I do it at anytime between now and May).