Is 4 Blank Pages Enough In My Passport?

[gray42]

I didn't understand how my tourist visa worked, so now I only have 15 days after a trip to the Cambodia border. I thought the date of my first entry's extension would override the Enter Before date on the visa, since the extended date was after the Enter Before date. Anyways, I have 4 blank pages in my passport. (There are 5, but the last one has "This is a replacement passport..." printed on it and I'm assuming they won't let you use that page.) I need to go to Laos and get a new Thai tourist visa. Should I be fine with 4 blank pages in my passport? This is a bit unexpected so I don't have too many options other than going back home, which I don't want to do. It's an American passport so I can order more pages put in, but if I understand correctly it takes a while to get that done, right?

TL;DR: Is 4 pages enough for a Laos and Thai visa?

[Eddy B]

It should be. Usually one page will be taken up with a Laos visa sticker and then one more for a Thai visa sticker. Once you are back in Thailand run-along to your nearest US Embassy and either get some new pages put in or apply for a new passport!

[ableguy]

how long to put in more pages ? will they do it whilst you wait ?

[lopburi3]

They do it while you wait but you need to make an online appointment first from there web site.

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

[gray42]

They do it while you wait but you need to make an online appointment first from there web site.

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

Wow, I thought for sure they wouldn't do it while you waited. From what I read online, it takes at least 4 weeks in the USA unless you expedite it. This is great news. Thanks!

On the website you gave, it says to get a new passport it takes 2 weeks and can be picked up without an appointment. Do you happen to know if they'll mail your passport to a location within Thailand if you don't live near Bangkok? And do you happen to know if they'll give you a replacement passport even if yours is not lost or stolen and is not expiring soon? I get nervous when the policeman at the entry checkpoint flips through my passport and sees my multiple Thai tourist visas. I'm planning on starting a company here soon, but I may need one or two more tourist visas before I'm ready and I don't want to risk being denied.

[lopburi3]

You can always obtain a replacement passport (much easier not to have page extensions when crossing borders). Not sure on mailing as have always picked up but they have an email available for questions such as that. Probably can't answer until next workday however.

[gray42]

You can always obtain a replacement passport (much easier not to have page extensions when crossing borders). Not sure on mailing as have always picked up but they have an email available for questions such as that. Probably can't answer until next workday however.

Thanks, lopburi. You're always a wealth of information.

[Eddy B]

You guys from the states have it much easier then guys from the UK. We have to send ours out of country and wait about 14-21 days to get a new passport back. Plus we can not get new pages added to our passports. Our Embassy is a bloody shambles!!

[lockman]

Alternatively you can copy the passport, take there (on an appointment) and pay to have it mailed to you, or you can go back and pick it up if staying in BKK or close by. I've done mine at an outreach, addressed the (think Thai Post EMS) registered type envelope they had (you pay for that) and within a few days it was back (less than a week).The copies are just in case you pass a checkpoint and get checked. I think they also gave me a letter for that as well, just for that circumstance. And if you are upcountry around the Udon area, there is an outreach scheduled there at Udon Thani next Wednesday AM think 8-12..no appointment needed. Take US dollars as cheaper than paying in THB.

[DennyEagle]

If You are going to vientiane for Your Visa You can next go to the US embassy and get either a new passport or pages added, beware You will need an appointment, but most likely You will be the only customer, for pages under an hour.

[jamhar]

Great info guys.

Much thanks from a novice expat

PS, TV is great for this type of info!

Much thanks to the TV staff!

PS, if my editor was working properly,

i'd give you the hand clap smilie.

That was my allotted whine for the day lol

[gray42]

Lockman is right. You can get your passport mailed back to you. Here's the email I received from U.S. Embassy in Bangkok:

MAIL BACK OPTION: If you wish to have the passport mailed back to you, please purchase a mailing envelope from us for 75 baht during your appointment and inform the interviewing officer. Please note that you will need to surrender your current passport at the time of application, as we will need to cancel it when the new one arrives in our office. It will be returned to you, along with the new passport, and a letter for Thai immigration to help with the visa transfer.

[david555]

You guys from the states have it much easier then guys from the UK. We have to send ours out of country and wait about 14-21 days to get a new passport back. Plus we can not get new pages added to our passports. Our Embassy is a bloody shambles!!

yes but the guys from uk are lucky to have a 10 years validation , as in my EU country only 5 years valid

for a 83 € fee & only 30 pages

[jonnyscot]

10 years validity isn't always much use, onmy 10 year validity passport has only 5 or 6 pages left,, it's only 3 and a half years old

yes but the guys from uk are lucky to have a 10 years validation , as in my EU country only 5 years valid

for a 83 € fee & only 30 pages

[notmyself]

10 years is fine if you only use it for holidays. Mine is 1 month shy of 4 years old and has only 2 pages left.

[david555]

10 years is fine if you only use it for holidays. Mine is 1 month shy of 4 years old and has only 2 pages left.

that is why for big business people who travel a lot they have those PP with pleeenty pages for pleeenty money

[notmyself]

10 years is fine if you only use it for holidays. Mine is 1 month shy of 4 years old and has only 2 pages left.

that is why for big business people who travel a lot they have those PP with pleeenty pages for pleeenty money

The large (48 page) PP is 13 quid more but I should get an additional 2 years out of it.

[david555]

10 years is fine if you only use it for holidays. Mine is 1 month shy of 4 years old and has only 2 pages left.

that is why for big business people who travel a lot they have those PP with pleeenty pages for pleeenty money

The large (48 page) PP is 13 quid more but I should get an additional 2 years out of it.

in my EU country those big 64 pages cost 255 € or almost 10 000 bhat and ONLY 5 years valid

Edited March 7, 2013 by david555

[notmyself]

10 years is fine if you only use it for holidays. Mine is 1 month shy of 4 years old and has only 2 pages left.

that is why for big business people who travel a lot they have those PP with pleeenty pages for pleeenty money

The large (48 page) PP is 13 quid more but I should get an additional 2 years out of it.

in my EU country those big 64 pages cost 255 € or almost 10 000 bhat and ONLY 5 years valid

Makes the UK seem cheap https://www.gov.uk/passport-fees

[david555]

Yes cheap and long valid and still Brits are whining so much

[notmyself]

Yes cheap and long valid and still Brits are whining so much

You can also get up to 9 months extra if your old passport is still valid.

10k Baht for a 5 year passport is insane and very EU like. 30 years ago you could get a 30 day travel document from the post office for 50p or so which is what most people used for their annual holidays in Europe. I wonder if it is still available?

[david555]

Yes cheap and long valid and still Brits are whining so much

You can also get up to 9 months extra if your old passport is still valid.

10k Baht for a 5 year passport FOR A 64 PAGES , the 32 pages is 83€ t is insane and very EU like. 30 years ago you could get a 30 day travel document from the post office for 50p or so which is what most people used for their annual holidays in Europe. I wonder if it is still available?

[notmyself]

About the same cost for a 32 page one then. Would be much cheaper to get a new 32 page PP every 2.5 years.

[bangkokburning]

You can always obtain a replacement passport (much easier not to have page extensions when crossing borders). Not sure on mailing as have always picked up but they have an email available for questions such as that. Probably can't answer until next workday however.

Thanks, lopburi. You're always a wealth of information.

Years ago I felt it a distinct plus to have a 96 page vluttered passport. Immigration would look at it and not even bother to try and make sense of it. Last few years it seemsto be opposite, just a flag for too much time out of my home country, too much time in Thailand. Sometimes they hassle me by just flipping thru it not really doing much of anything, just trying to make me paranoid.

Now I am on O visa I'm treated better. I also have the impression Im treated better with address in bkk and not Issan. Just a gut feeling.

If you get a new pp, get a 48 pager, same price.

Edited March 8, 2013 by bangkokburning

[moe666]

When I had pages added in Chiang mai I had to leaave my passport for a couple of days

[wayned]

If your passport was an emergency replacement, I'm not sure if you can have pages added. Here's the link: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/extra_visa_pages.html