Need To Renew Us Passport In Bkk - What Happens To Non-O Retirement Visa?

[Goattee]

• I just did my annual renewal + multiple entry + 90-day reporting.
  
• I am here on a Non-immigrant O retirement visa.
  
• My US passport expires at the beginning of October 2013.
  
• I would like to renew my US passport well before the expiration (and well before the six months that most countries require for entry).
  
• I live in Bangkok and perform all immigration tasks at Chaeng Wattana,
  
• I am contemplating foreign travel to Europe in April or May. So it seems wise to get the passport renewed in the next month or two.
  

Questions:

• How do I get Thai immigration to transfer / enter my Non-O status on the new passport?
  
• Does this require a brand new application? (TM7) (along with bank statement, photo, etc.)
  Or do I retain the same October 2013 renewal date that I just established in my recent annual renewal visit to Chaeng Wattana?
  
• Do I need to pay for another multiple-entry?
  Or does the information on my old passport give immigration what they need to transfer the status?
  

[Mario2008]

Once you have the new passport you go to immigration with both passports and with copies of both passport and your arrival card. If you get a letter from your embassy about the new passport, you also take that with you.

At immigration you fill out a form, which can be downloaded here: http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/download/transferstamp.doc

Next immigration will transfer your stamps to the new passport. This is a free process and you keep your Oct. 2013 date.

[wayned]

You can renew your US passport anytime. The cost is $110 or 3520 baht (current exchage rate at embassy is 32 baht/$). It takes about two weeks. They will email you when it arrives. You can either pick it up or arrange to have it mailed to you. When they issue the new passport they will give you a letter to immigration asking that the stamps be transferred to your new passport. You must have a reservation to apply for the passport, but not to pick it up.

You submit the letter, a completed form as above, copies the bio page of both passports and copies of your visa, last extension stamp and departure card to immigration from your old passport. Immigration will put a stamp in your old passport showing that the information has been transferred to your new passport. they will then stamp your new passport with the last arrival information, arrival stamp and permission to stay stamp (retirement extension) from your old passport. The stamps take almost 2 pages in the new passport. There is no charge for the service. I did this on Monday and also did 90 day report and a new retirement extension at the same time. The whole process took 40 minutes at the office that I use, but I don't live in BKK.

Your existing reentry permit will remain valid until October 2013.

[Goattee]

Once you have the new passport you go to immigration with both passports ...

Thanks for your quick and reassuring reply!

[Goattee]

You submit the letter, a completed form as above...

Thanks for the added detail! This is why ThaiVisa.com is absolutely indispensable!

For other US citizens, here is the relevant web page from the US Embassy about replacement passports:

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/passports.html

[wayned]

For passport renewal at the Embassy, use the "mail in" DS 82 form, not DS 111. Effectively you are mailing it in, only the Embassy is mailing it in for you and it is being returned to them to issue it to you. Of course, I filled in the wrong one and had to do it over at the Embassy.

[NancyL]

Hubby just did this in Chiang Mai, thinking he could handle it with his 11 am appointment for his annual retirement extension. Wrong! He was told that it's done at another desk and the queue tickets for at desk were gone for the day. But, fortunately, he was able to obtain his extension and have that placed in the new passport, along with a re-entry permit. They thoughtfully left the first two pages blank when they did the extension and re-entry permit.

He returned today at 6:20 am and ended up getting queue ticket 11 (out of 20 available) for the desk that does transfers. Surprisingly, he was done by 11:30 am -- he figured they'd tell him to return in the afternoon. And they actually did the transfer stamps on those two blank pages.

So, transferring a visa to a new passport it's not exactly a quick and easy process in Chiang Mai, but at least there was no charge.

Edited October 26, 2012 by NancyL

[Goattee]

For passport renewal at the Embassy, use the "mail in" DS 82 form, not DS 111. Effectively you are mailing it in, only the Embassy is mailing it in for you and it is being returned to them to issue it to you. Of course, I filled in the wrong one and had to do it over at the Embassy.

Thanks for this tip!

[Goattee]

Hubby just did this in Chiang Mai, thinking he could handle it with his 11 am appointment for his annual retirement extension. Wrong! He was told that it's done at another desk and the queue tickets for at desk were gone for the day. But, fortunately, he was able to obtain his extension and have that placed in the new passport, along with a re-entry permit. They thoughtfully left the first two pages blank when they did the extension and re-entry permit.

He returned today at 6:20 am and ended up getting queue ticket 11 (out of 20 available) for the desk that does transfers. Surprisingly, he was done by 11:30 am -- he figured they'd tell him to return in the afternoon. And they actually did the transfer stamps on those two blank pages.

So, transferring a visa to a new passport it's not exactly a quick and easy process in Chiang Mai, but at least there was no charge.

Wow! I used to complain about the drive out to Chaeng Wattana/ (Bangkok clients have to go to the government center there.) But now I really appreciate the significant queue capacity,

[wayned]

There was a recent report of someonr having stamps transferred to a new passport at Chaeng Wattana, the report said that the process took 5 hours of standing in line. Good luck and bring a book!

[Goattee]

There was a recent report of someonr having stamps transferred to a new passport at Chaeng Wattana, the report said that the process took 5 hours of standing in line. Good luck and bring a book!

Thanks for the warning.I sure hope that was a fluke.But I always bring my tablet to keep me entertained.

[lopburi3]

Actually there is no standing in line at Chiang Watanna except for getting the queue number and that will be less than five minutes at the worst. There is comfortable seating in airconditioned building near all desks and speaker announcements of queue numbers and on desk and on overhead message boards. And believe that long wait was both after a holiday and likely lunch hour as normal queue wait when I have used has been in the one (or less) to two hour range. Although there could be a short queue if you have to ask questions/obtain forms or make copies but most here have filled out form and have the paperwork ready so just proceed to the queue line inside the main room.

[Goattee]

Actually there is no standing in line at Chiang Watanna except for getting the queue number and that will be less than five minutes at the worst. There is comfortable seating in airconditioned building near all desks and speaker announcements of queue numbers and on desk and on overhead message boards. And believe that long wait was both after a holiday and likely lunch hour as normal queue wait when I have used has been in the one (or less) to two hour range. Although there could be a short queue if you have to ask questions/obtain forms or make copies but most here have filled out form and have the paperwork ready so just proceed to the queue line inside the main room.

My experience is pretty much what you have described. Unlike most experiences with bureaucracy (whether it's Thai-flavored or not), the processes at Chaeng Wattana seem to have progressively improved on every visit. If there were a train into the government complex, the entire experience would be painless.

It's not typical in a ThaiVisa forum to speak positively, but I give a big thumbs-up to my experience with the Immigration Department at Chaeng Wattana over the past 18-24 months.

My visit on last Thursday required the following three trips to the queue ticket counter:

1. Annual renewal of Non-Immigrant retirement visa.
   
2. Multiple entry stamp.
   
3. 90-day residence reporting.
   

We arrived at Chaeng Wattana at 8am. Appeared for step 1. at 8:33 immediately after the doors opened. And left the building at 9:30am. Not even enough time to finish the newspaper.

Edited October 27, 2012 by Goattee

[Pib]

Yea, in my opinion Bangkok Immigration service has got much faster once they moved to their modern facility in Chaeng Wattana from their old location at SuanPlu which was like an overcrowded and hot bus station. And of course with all the other facilities like banking, restaurants, shopping, photo/copying shops, etc., at the Chaeng Wattana govt complex along with parking it makes SuanPlu seem like hell and Chaeng Wattana like heaven.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I just returned from the U.S. Consulate on Wireless Road, having picked up my new 10-year U.S. passport, and also brought back home my cancelled, old passport for use in changing over/updating bank and other account records.

Renewal price was $110, and they accepted VISA and MCs, paid at time you submit the application.

From my submission date to the date I received their email notification asking me to come and pick up the new book, it was 12 days... So very efficient service.

For those doing an in-person pickup there, there's no appoinment required. (But there is an appointment required for when you submit the original application.)

The pickup notification email says you can go back and pick up the new book any work day between 7:30 and 11 am, or between 1 to 2 pm. When I did that this afternoon, I was in and out in less than a half hour.

In the notification email, they ask you to bring the following for pickup:

--your old passport

--a copy of the email notification

--the payment receipt you received when submitting the application.

Fortunately, I kept the payment receipt, but I don't remember anyone on the day I submitted telling me I'd need it later in the process. Today, no one inside the Consulate wanted to see anything other than the old passport I brought with me. But to enter, you have to check in at the guard gate outside, and the guy there appeared to be checking the name on the receipt vs. the name on the passport and the name on the email notice.

Also, in the email notification, the Consulate advises they'll keep the new passport book for no more than 90 days from the notification date, before sending the book back to the U.S. for destruction.

Along with the new passport today, the Consulate also handed over a signed single page letter addressed to Thai Immigration certifying that I had been issued a new passport and asking Immigration's cooperation in transferring my Immigration stamps to my new passport book.

Edited June 24, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

One thing that was a bit squirrelly..

When the farang consular officer handed me the new passport at the window and we had a brief conversation, he seemed to be saying that I didn't need to do anything with Thai Immigration, and I could just wait until my next visa/extension of stay renewal.

After hearing that, I then asked the guy, that I thought I needed or ought to have my stamps transferred sooner. He then asked what my status was, and I answered retirement extension. Then he said he wasn't sure, and he'd need to check. Waited a bit, and then he came back to the window and said he "thought" I could have the Immigration stamps transferred at the Immigration counter at Swampy Airport (which I've never heard of at all).

So rather than pursue it further with a guy who didn't seem to clear on what he was talking about, I figured I'd just take my new passport and sort out the next steps here.

If I'm remembering the advice here correctly, someone on a retirement extension ought to be the Immigration stamps transferred sooner, and not wait (in my case 3 months) until their next extension renewal.

But I don't recall ever hearing anything about the airport Immigration desk having any service in such matters....???

[ubonjoe]

You need to go to the immigration office where you got your extension.

[lopburi3]

As said you are on an extension of stay so must transfer that extension at the office it was issued. The Officer was confused as there is no longer a requirement for those on visa entry to transfer at immigration (in fact they can't). If on visa or visa exempt entry you take care of everything at departure point.

The old system was all must be done at immigration and the letter was/is normally required for that visit.

[TerryLH]

For US citizens, passport renewals can be done at one of their ACS Outreach visits without an appointment.

Several years ago I arranged with them to hang on to the new passport until they returned to the area on another visit. It was longer than 90 days. This was before they were allowed to return them by mail.

If you renew at an Outreach visit, they'll take the old passport with them, to be returned when you get the new one.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

As said you are on an extension of stay so must transfer that extension at the office it was issued. The Officer was confused as there is no longer a requirement for those on visa entry to transfer at immigration (in fact they can't). If on visa or visa exempt entry you take care of everything at departure point.

So if I was still on a B business visa or O retirement visa issued outside Thailand, and I was getting a new U.S. passport here in BKK, then I'd be handling the transfer of stamps at the point of departure, such as the Immigration desks at Suvarnabhumi Airport???

That's what the U.S. Consulate staffer (mistakenly) was thinking of when he threw that tidbit my way???

[lopburi3]

Correct. This is a relatively recent change and suspect Embassies were not officially informed.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Lopburi and UbonJoe... thanks much for the info and clarifications!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just got back from CW to have my extension stamp transferred over to a new U.S. passport... Report follows:

TRAVEL: For those without their own car, taking the while color #52 but from Mochit BTS to the main entrance to the CW Government Complex is a good option. 8 baht flat fare each way. This morning, it was about a 30 minute trip both inbound and on the return late morning. To catch the bus, exit Mochit BTS on the park side, and the bus stop is in the middle between the two BTS stairs. To catch the 52 on return, go out to CW road, cross over the the opposite site, and just opposite the main CAT sign, there is one of those wood shelter structures where inbound BKK buses and vans stop. Only downside with bus 52... no air con and clearly no shock absorbers, unless they were installed sometime around WWII.

Today, they were running a red colored BMTA bus as the free shuttle between the main CW road and the Immigration Office set back far from the road. Just runs on a loop connecting the various government offices there.

As for transferring my passport stamps, I followed the guidance above, including downloading and filling out the application form linked above in this thread. Also followed the guidance above to bring the following other documents:

--my old passport

--my new passport

--the courtesy letter from my embassy asking Immigration's help in transferring my stamps

--single copies of the face pages from both passports

--single copies of my current extension stamp, last entry stamp, and departure card from my old passport

Once inside Immigration, go to the inside queue tickets desk, further inside from the lobby waiting and form-filling-out area, and got a queue ticket for the same area as where annual extensions of stay are done. Arrived 8:40 am, was two down in the queue, waited 5 minutes and was called in by an officer. She took and accepted all my photocopies (and seemed surprised everything had already been filled out and completed), and the only thing she turned back to me was the Embassy request letter.

Between the first officer and then getting her supervisor's review and final approval in the same cubicle, that whole part took just about 15 minutes...and everything was fine... Nothing asked, nothing else needed... Just sit and watch a whole lot of little ink stamp marks being applied to my new passport.

But then there was a catch... And it just goes to show...you have to pay attention to your own details and doublecheck what Immigration does... because sometimes, they clearly make mistakes, as follows: As I was getting ready to depart from the supervisor after she had approved the xfer of my retirement extension stamp, she gave me this parting advice: Please make sure to get a re-entry permit if you need to leave the country, in order to keep your extension of stay alive.

And, at that point, alarm bells started going off in my head... I hadn't even thought about it... I already HAD a valid/unused re-entry permit in my old passport, and I guess I thought that they had transferred that at the same time they transferred my extension of stay... But NO, they hadn't, and apparently, they hadn't even noticed or caught that I already had a valid re-entry permit. So when I pointed that out and showed it to the supervisor, she concurred and said, can't do that here, have to go back to queue and go over to the C desks where they do re-entry permits so they can transfer your re-entry permit there....

And thus, so I did, and sat around in a much longer re-entry permit queue line... which probably took about a half hour from start to finish, before finally picking up my new passport with BOTH the retirement extension of stay AND the re-entry permit transferred over into the new book. So just a reminder... the transferring of extension and re-entry permit stamps are two separate processes done in two separate areas within the Immigration Office.

The whole process took pretty much a half of a day inclusive of travel... But the good parts were, the travel cost only my BTS roundtrip to Mochit plus 16 baht in bus fare. And, inexplicably for me, the whole process for Immigration to transfer over the stamps to a new passport doesn't involve any fees at all... it's REALLY free.... which is probably a pretty rare (and nice) occurrence.

Edited June 27, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Timing of Transferring Immigration Stamps into New Passports

BTW, while I was there, just for educational purposes, I tried to get an answer in English from various of the Immigration officers to this question: once you get a new passport, how soon do you need to have your Immigration stamps transferred over to the new book?

I quickly discovered that the officers' English is just about as limited as my Thai. Couldn't get any answer from my first officer nor from her supervisor. Couldn't even get them to understand my question, much less provide an answer. Same thing with the lady officers up at the queue tickets counter. So finally, they called over one of the English speaking (kind of) university students working out front...and what ensued was about a 10 times back and forth conversation, where I'd ask the question, she'd seem to understand it, and then come back with an answer in English that was totally off-point or not what I was asking about.

Finally, finally, after repeating the basic question for at least the dozenth time, my university student tracked down one of the male Immigration supervisors I've seen there before. And although he apparently spoke some English, he only wanted to converse in Thai with the university student serving as the translator. And finally, the answer to my question came across as this:

Once you get a new passport, the timing of how soon you need to have your Immigration stamps transferred over depends on the expiration date of your OLD passport. In other words, according to the Immigration guy, as long as your old passport and its old extension is still valid, even if you've already gotten a new passport, you're still OK.

But, if you wait to try to transfer over your Immigration stamps until AFTER your old passport has expired, then the guy said you're basically screwed. Once your old passport has reached its expiration date, the extension stamps therein are considered to have died. And then, there's nothing valid for Immigration to transfer over.

So, in my case, I probably didn't need to make the trip today, as it turns out. Because, while my retirement extension is valid until September, my old passport was valid until November. I just renewed the passport early because I didn't want to have any trouble with the 6 months left on your passport rule that applies in some cases of international travel.

But based on the advice I got at Immigration, I could have simply waited until August or September when I went to renew my annual retirement extension, and they would have transferred the old information over then, as my old passport and its extension of stay still would have been valid at that point.

But still, it was worth it to settle everything now, have it all clean and done, and not have to worry about anything more until September... Cheers!

Edited June 27, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Mario2008]

Best to have it transferred sooner, for in case you suddenly need to leave the country for an emergency. Than not having the stamps transferred can cause problems.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thanks Mario.. That's why I followed the approach of not waiting. But it was interesting to hear Immigration's answer nonetheless...

I always try to avoid potential headaches or complications especially about Immigration, even if it costs me half a day of time here or there.

[lopburi3]

Actually about the only time it would be an issue would be if you only received a partial extension because of your passport expiration date - in that case you would have to do before the passport expired to obtain the remainder of the extension. Thanks for the information.