Why Do They Take Up One Page On My Passport?

[nosatisfaction]

Many contries take a full page eg: China, Vietnam, Philipines,Nigeria and Malaysia. Being belgian I don't have to apply for a Visa for most countries and get my passport stamped on arrival at airports. So Belgium does have some good things.

Take care

[nosatisfaction]

No kidding, there are plenty of other countries who use a whole page stamp, not just the "abnormal" countries of Laos, Cambodia, & Myanmar. I don't know where you are from, but for me, it wasn't too expensive to get more pages added to my passport.

I do know that Malaysia uses small stamps.

not if you apply for a Visa in any Consulate, only on arrival at the airport if you don't have to apply for a visa

[nosatisfaction]

"I don't know where you are from, but for me, it wasn't too expensive to get more pages added to my passport."

Americans now pay US$82 for a set of extra pages.

I know. That's what I paid.

correct but some countries like Belgium don't add pages to a Passport, a new Passport now is approx 3200THB

Edited April 29, 2012 by lopburi3
correct quote

[david555]

"I don't know where you are from, but for me, it wasn't too expensive to get more pages added to my passport."

Americans now pay US$82 for a set of extra pages.

I know. That's what I paid.

correct but some countries like Belgium don't add pages to a Passport, a new Passport now is approx 3200THB

And only valid 5 years , before it was 10 years.valid.......

[phuketrichard]

I've never been to Malaysia. Can you drive there from Thailand? Is it a regular visa run?

I have no idea. I've always flown, and I don't do visa runs. I just know that they use a small stamp!

Of course you can an than onwards to Singapore; ( also into Laos an Cambodia)

You need the car in ur name, the purple car book and ur Thia plates translated onto 2 stickers placed on the front and back.

Once in Malaysia ( and Laos) u need apply for insurance for the car--required and cheap

[phuketrichard]

"I don't know where you are from, but for me, it wasn't too expensive to get more pages added to my passport."

Americans now pay US$82 for a set of extra pages.

I know. That's what I paid.

Note to all American's The first time u apply for the extra pages u can ask for TWO sets at the same time for the same price!!!

Max is 3 sets

[jboras]

Realistically a Thai, O-A Multiple Entry Visa takes up two pages, one for the actual visa and the "facing" page, since they always want to stamp your entries and departures right across from the Visa

Australia .... same...

[maprao]

Go Online and get an EVISA for Cambodia, print it out put it in yr passport and after returning rip it out, works for me....

I thought that removing a visa from a passport was illegal, maybe I am wrong.

This can be done in several countries. Interesting. Will go online and check it out. The other country that allows this in the Middle East even does most of the stamping on the paper. However it still stamps you in and out in the passport (with small stamps).

Good info thanks Supaprik

Edited April 29, 2012 by maprao

[JeezeLooeze]

Many countries do not offer a service to add extra passport pages: one must get a completely new passport at considerable cost. In response to yougivemebaby, his question is valid: all of those one page visa stickers contain information that could easily be put on a visa half or quarter the size extending the life of your passport. Luckily I have two passports so can spread all those large visas over both of them to extend the life of both passports. I can only guess that the reason why they are so big is that they are designed by bureaucrats who don't travel very often and have never had insight into this problem.

[renaissanc]

Many countries seem to fill the whole page with the visa. Having a British passport I don't like this as the passports are expensive and pages cannot be added. But, no government will listen if I complain, so I live with it.

[khunkeith]

ful page visas are pretty much the norm in any country I have lived in. But, what gripes my cookies more is arriving in a country that uses a small stamp at immigration and puts it in the dead center of the page, therefore, using all 4 quarters of the page. An immigration officer did that to me in the UK and, when I left the UK, I asked the officer to put the exit stamp on the same page and his reply was "you can only have one stamp in each quarter, that page is used". I had the same issue when arriving in the US, they would not put a stamp on that page either as it was "used". my passport was filled and I added additional pages recently but, that one page that got stamped in the UK still only has the one entry. all the other pages have multiple stamps.

[BWPattaya]

"I don't know where you are from, but for me, it wasn't too expensive to get more pages added to my passport."

Americans now pay US$82 for a set of extra pages.

The UK do not add new pages to passports. Have to buy a new one so get the 48 page version.

[hellodolly]

"I don't know where you are from, but for me, it wasn't too expensive to get more pages added to my passport."

Americans now pay US$82 for a set of extra pages.

I know. That's what I paid.

I got mine free before they started charging.

My passport is up next year can I get a new one with the extra pages in it already?

[LTGTR]

I can't remember if it was was Russia or China that gave you a 4 page booklet for the visa back in the late 80s/early 90s.

[lopburi3]

My passport shows a full page China visa/entry/exit (3 pages) in 1979 and full page visa/exit (2 pages) in 1986. All stamped in center of four section page.

[1weatherman]

I have not seen this as a reason for using up a full page in the passport for the Visa. Most of the governments of the world are in cahoots with each other in the money making scheme of passports issuing. The more pages that get used up faster (stamp the entire page with a big stamp or put the little stamp smack in the middle), the faster one must buy either more pages or a new passport. Immigration people have to get paid somehow. Oh, getting paid in the not under the table way I mean.

[khunkeith]

I have not seen this as a reason for using up a full page in the passport for the Visa. Most of the governments of the world are in cahoots with each other in the money making scheme of passports issuing. The more pages that get used up faster (stamp the entire page with a big stamp or put the little stamp smack in the middle), the faster one must buy either more pages or a new passport. Immigration people have to get paid somehow. Oh, getting paid in the not under the table way I mean.

so, you are saying there are secret meetings so the governments of the world can make an extra couple dollars/pounds/Euros/etc off each new passport issued? What is the percentage of passport holders that actually use up all the pages? how much money do you think this generates for every country?

[frimu]

I would have a follow up question on that one? Isn't it a fact, that you can't get more pages for biometric passports? Or do some countries give a page extension for biometric passports too.

How about passports from Schengen countries specifically?

No kidding, there are plenty of other countries who use a whole page stamp, not just the "abnormal" countries of Laos, Cambodia, & Myanmar. I don't know where you are from, but for me, it wasn't too expensive to get more pages added to my passport.

I do know that Malaysia uses small stamps.

[Bikeman93]

I expect being a country that relies on foriegn aide of some sort they are advised or required to take up an entire page to fill your passport sooner and thus have to renew the passport more regularly in your countries more inflated currency.

[how241]

It would be better if they used a 1/4 page stamp.

[lopburi3]

Flame post removed.

[KhunRobert]

I got a new passport in 2010, changed over the visa to this new passport and have extended the visa for 2011 and 2012. Only used 4 pages in passport. So in 3 years staying and living in Thailand, the land of Smiles a small use of passport pages. It is possible if you get your act together. Do not live here as a tourist, saying you are not working and playing you have a lot of money. The rules are more relaxed than Europe or America. Play by the rules and you can have an easy and relaxed life. Take a look at your own country about illegal labor, illegal stay of foreigners, how to get a visa for your country as a foreigner and after that complain about the ease of getting a Thai visa for your self.

[GeorgeO]

I thought that removing a visa from a passport was illegal, maybe I am wrong.

It is ... and that applies to anything in the passport! If any department was to carry out a check of your passport, for any reason, at a later date, they would find entry and exit stamps for the country in question, but no supporting visa. Questions would then be asked, and any reply which indicated that something had been removed from the passport would render the individual in potential trouble

[Maestro]

...But, what gripes my cookies more is arriving in a country that uses a small stamp at immigration and puts it in the dead center of the page, therefore, using all 4 quarters of the page. An immigration officer did that to me in the UK and, when I left the UK, I asked the officer to put the exit stamp on the same page and his reply was "you can only have one stamp in each quarter, that page is used". I had the same issue when arriving in the US, they would not put a stamp on that page either as it was "used"...

Interesting. I didn't know that. Fortunately, Thailand does not have that rule. Makes you wonder how long UK officers need to practice to put an arrival stamp neatly in the center of the page. I saw an Australian and a US stamp placed like that once. In this case, the white cross in the middle of the page made it easier to hit the centre (red diagonal lines added by me):

[khunkeith]

...But, what gripes my cookies more is arriving in a country that uses a small stamp at immigration and puts it in the dead center of the page, therefore, using all 4 quarters of the page. An immigration officer did that to me in the UK and, when I left the UK, I asked the officer to put the exit stamp on the same page and his reply was "you can only have one stamp in each quarter, that page is used". I had the same issue when arriving in the US, they would not put a stamp on that page either as it was "used"...

Interesting. I didn't know that. Fortunately, Thailand does not have that rule. Makes you wonder how long UK officers need to practice to put an arrival stamp neatly in the center of the page. I saw an Australian and a US stamp placed like that once. In this case, the white cross in the middle of the page made it easier to hit the centre (red diagonal lines added by me):

The old US passports had each page divided into quarters. The stamp I got in the UK was placed exactly like the one have in the photos. When I have flown in and out of Thailand, the Thai immigration officer usually stamps the exit stamp in the same quarter as the entry stamp. Traveling in and out of Germany, the officer used the quarter next to the entry stamp. But, I have had a US officer hit the dead center but another officer would use the same page. I am guessing that, 2 different countries won't use the same quarter. Maybe if I had returned to the UK with that same passport, another officer would have used it.

[Tonto21]

"Why Do They Take Up One Page On My Passport?"............................................Because they can, it’s that simple.

[Stokakrishna]

The bigger the stamp ( sticker) the more important the country is

[peterdk]

I have no idea. I've always flown, and I don't do visa runs. I just know that they use a small stamp!

Malaysia use a full page visa too, if you apply for a visa and get it.

Normal procedure is however, that people go from Thailand to Malaysia to do a renewal for a Thai Visa.

So we never get a visa for Malaysia. We only get 90 days (non visa) permitted stay in Malaysia.

And that is a small stamp yes. However a full on visa for Malaysia is a 1 page sticker like we know it from say Thailand or Shengen.

[peterdk]

While on the topic. I have a one year multiple re-entry visa. I received it from the Thai Embassy in Australia. Is there anywhere closer I can apply for a one year business visa? It's expensive to go to Australia and LONG. Plus the hotels are very expensive. I am an American citizen.

Thanks

Normal procedure to apply for a new ( fresh, first time ) one year non immigrant B visa ( Business ) is actually to fly out of the country to say Kuala Lumpur and handin your visa application along with the document from the labour department, saying they will issue you a work permit if visa is approved.

Then apply for a 3 month non immigrant B visa and once back in Thailand, get your work permit.

Then you have a 3 months visa and one year work permit.

With that and a lot of documents about the company, staff, share holders and financial information, you then locally at nearest immigration office in Thailand, apply for a 1 year extension of your 3 months visa.

And basically the following years, you copy paste the process of renewing your work permit ( for a year ) and then applying for a 1 year extension to your visa. All done in Thailand.

In many cases small companies can only fullfill requirements for 1 year visa extensions for 1 foreigner, as they do not have the staff needed to support 2 foreigners on 1 year extensions. It is a bit complicated. There are quite a few rules to follow.

So say the company is a small company and 1 foreigner is already on 1 year extension working in that company, then a second foreigner can have work permit in that company, but will be required to leave Thailand every 3 months for a new non immigrant B, 3 month visa.

If you are director of your own company in Thailand, holding a valid work permit, you should be able to get the 1 year extension in Thailand.

As long as your current visa is a non immigrant B ( Business )

If you are here on a multiple entry tourist visa, you can not extend it to a 1 year visa of any type without leaving the country.

[lopburi3]

Actually you can convert a tourist visa entry into a non immigrant visa and then extend such entry for one year inside Thailand if you qualify for such extension of stay. People do it for retirement and Thai wife daily.