New rules for extensions of stay with expiring passport

[Suradit69]

The new policy means that now when you get a new passport because the old one has expired you have to apply for a new extension of stay, with all the accompanying paperwork and of course pay the usual extension fee of 1,900 baht.

Does this new extension-of-stay reset the clock for another year or just for what would have been the balance on the shortened extension of stay? In other words, do you get a year added on or just the remaining months that were lost from the shortened extension?

[gosompoi]

Tyswas

Take the new passport to immigration. They will transfer the extension to the new passport.

Immigration says,

After the renewal of your passport of obtaining a new passport, you have to re-apply for Visa Extension by submitting required document and paying extension fee ( 1,900 Baht ).

I am at immigration, they said "No more transfer!"

That's the part, quoted above, that confuses and worries me.

Worries me too, when I was just there they said you have a new passport you will need a new extension to stay no transfers.

[Mario2008]

In my reading it would be a new 1 year extension of stay. But could also depend on your contract if working.

[CiaranO]

phew - just did the transfer and additional extension last week - so just missed the change. Luckily my passport is not due to expire till 2023.

[gosompoi]

The new policy means that now when you get a new passport because the old one has expired you have to apply for a new extension of stay, with all the accompanying paperwork and of course pay the usual extension fee of 1,900 baht.

Does this new extension-of-stay reset the clock for another year or just for what would have been the balance on the shortened extension of stay? In other words, do you get a year added on or just the remaining months that were lost from the shortened extension?

It is a new extension of stay and if you qualify maximum of a year will be issued.

[bobl]

No lost time on UK.passports. If renewed a few months early the time remaining is "credited" to the new passport .

Citation please? Is this a new thing?

I'm on my 4th and usually renew mine because they're full, not because they're anywhere near expiry. The latest one expires exactly 10 years after it's date of issue (2008-2018), as did the one before that (2002-2012) and the one before that (1995-2005)...

[Mario2008]

Tyswas

Take the new passport to immigration. They will transfer the extension to the new passport.

Immigration says,

After the renewal of your passport of obtaining a new passport, you have to re-apply for Visa Extension by submitting required document and paying extension fee ( 1,900 Baht ).

I am at immigration, they said "No more transfer!"

That's the part, quoted above, that confuses and worries me.

Worries me too, when I was just there they said you have a new passport you will need a new extension to stay no transfers.

It reamians unclear how they will consider a new passport in cae you have lost one. It could be that in that case the extension is transferred to the new passport, but might be that in that case you also have to apply for a new extension of stay (and pay an overstay fine for the day since reported to police that you lost your passport?).

[Suradit69]

In my reading it would be a new 1 year extension of stay. But could also depend on your contract if working.

I'd almost like to engineer it so I would be renewing in July or August in future rather than in January (as I do now) when the Immigrations office is always standing-room-only.

[mahjongguy]

This rule change, if it goes into effect as described here, will cause some ex-pats to renew their passports a bit earlier than before, thereby losing some portion of the cost of a passport. Other ex-pats, by not renewing their passport earlier, are likely to get something less than a year for the last extension in their old passport, costing them some fraction of 1,900 baht and in some cases a fraction of the cost of getting an income letter. Whichever way they choose to handle it, this should only happen once every 5 years or 10 years, depending on their country's passport validity policy.

[Suradit69]

Tyswas

Take the new passport to immigration. They will transfer the extension to the new passport.

Immigration says,

After the renewal of your passport of obtaining a new passport, you have to re-apply for Visa Extension by submitting required document and paying extension fee ( 1,900 Baht ).

I am at immigration, they said "No more transfer!"

That's the part, quoted above, that confuses and worries me.

Worries me too, when I was just there they said you have a new passport you will need a new extension to stay no transfers.

So if your current extension is cancelled when your passport in changed and the extension is not transferable, on what basis are you in the country before your new extension is approved?

[Nooky2]

When your new passport is issued then the old one is in effect canceled and canceling your extension to stay now. How do you avoid the fine/overstay?

Nope.

The extensions in your old passport are still valid.

Immigration will transfer them to you new passport.

For a fee.

[monkeycountry]

Mario

Thanks for the "heads up"

Easily avoided by renewing a passport nearing its expiry date in good time.

Yes, unfortunate though for those of us who applied for a visa extension 5 days ago. Of course, announcing such changes well in advance would be completely unreasonable, as would informing the applicant in person the day he/she applies.

Just to be clear, I was complaining about the poor "service" at immigration, not Mario. Thanks for the info Mario

[jrtmedic]

No lost time on UK.passports. If renewed a few months early the time remaining is "credited" to the new passport .

Citation please? Is this a new thing?

I'm on my 4th and usually renew mine because they're full, not because they're anywhere near expiry. The latest one expires exactly 10 years after it's date of issue (2008-2018), as did the one before that (2002-2012) and the one before that (1995-2005)...

"Credit" up to 9 months will be given.

https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

When your new passport is issued then the old one is in effect canceled and canceling your extension to stay now. How do you avoid the fine/overstay?

Nope.

The extensions in your old passport are still valid.

Immigration will transfer them to you new passport.

Yes... I also confirm this, as I just recently went thru this process at BKK Immigration with my newly issued passport.

From what BKK Immigration advised, the retirement extension of stay I had in my old passport would remain valid as long as the old passport itself and the extension in it remained valid, even after my new passport had been issued.

I recently obtained my new passport about 6 months prior to the expiration of my old one, which was going to occur this November. The retirement extension in the old passport was going to expire a bit sooner in September (next month).

According to Immigration, even after holding my new passport, I could continue to rely on the retirement extension in my old passport as long as both the extension and the passport it was issued to had not expired/remained valid, which in my case would have been the September expiration of my extension.

In my case, after obtaining the new passport, I went to Immigration back in July and had them transfer my still valid retirement extension to my new passport, which they did at no-charge. But if I had wanted to wait, I could have simply kept my old passport with the valid extension and then applied for my new extension into the new passport anytime by September.

[likewise]

So, I just extended to April 2014, passport is valid till December 2014 but in October 2013 I'm renewing my passport. Does this actually mean once I get my new passport somewhere November 2013 I have to reapply for my extension based on marriage ? Weird rule !

[Nooky2]

I wonder how many more years it will take until they come up with long term lasting straight forward and sensibly thought through, as well as for all immigration offices standardised visa regulations without implementing new ones every few month.

The common practice to change the rules every time a bureaucrat comes up with an idea how to increase the revenue from visas has to stop as it will not be compatible with countries more developed and responsible in this matter.

I hope this will end when ASEAN applies! But then again,- TIT.

If what gosompoi is saying is correct, they have yet again found a way to jerk us around.

When will it end....never.

It will end when another country near Thailand opens up their country to foreigners and makes visas easier to live with. I believe that will create a vacuum into that country pulling the foreigners out of Thailand.

[Nooky2]

Tyswas

Take the new passport to immigration. They will transfer the extension to the new passport.

Immigration says,

After the renewal of your passport of obtaining a new passport, you have to re-apply for Visa Extension by submitting required document and paying extension fee ( 1,900 Baht ).

I am at immigration, they said "No more transfer!"

Are you in Bangkok?

Maybe outside of Bangkok is different. They all seem to have different rules.

[oneday]

They never make it easy on us, do they?

So given the following:

1. Extension of stay expires on Aug 24 each year.

2. Passport expires Dec 4, 2018

If I get a new passport just before Aug 24, 2018 what happens?

[Suradit69]

I wonder how many more years it will take until they come up with long term lasting straight forward and sensibly thought through, as well as for all immigration offices standardised visa regulations without implementing new ones every few month.

The common practice to change the rules every time a bureaucrat comes up with an idea how to increase the revenue from visas has to stop as it will not be compatible with countries more developed and responsible in this matter.

I hope this will end when ASEAN applies! But then again,- TIT.

If what gosompoi is saying is correct, they have yet again found a way to jerk us around.

When will it end....never.

It will end when another country near Thailand opens up their country to foreigners and makes visas easier to live with. I believe that will create a vacuum into that country pulling the foreigners out of Thailand.

"When will it end....never. It will end when another country near Thailand opens up their country to foreigners and makes visas easier to live with. I believe that will create a vacuum into that country pulling the foreigners out of Thailand."

Well, it'll pull out some of the chronic complainers, maybe. Thailand's gain and to-be-named country's increased noise pollution.

[Nooky2]

I was well aware of this fact that it will happen sooner or the later. I have been lucky to have my passport extended before this rule came out. Being informative is always rewarding indeed.

Thanks for sharing your expertise in time!

I could have mentioned this on this forum as a early warning. But then its against the rules and policies of Immigration as well as this forum. Secondly in case of non-existence of the said rule would have back fire my credibility on this forum. I hope you can understand my point.

You are safe. Nobody has credibility here.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

When your new passport is issued then the old one is in effect canceled and canceling your extension to stay now. How do you avoid the fine/overstay?

Nope.

The extensions in your old passport are still valid.

Immigration will transfer them to you new passport.

For a fee.

As explained above, no, the issuance of a new passport does not cancel an otherwise valid, ongoing extension of stay.

And while I can't speak for all Immigration offices, the Bangkok Immigration office does extension of stay stamp transfers into new passports for no charge. I had mine done there two months ago.

[Suradit69]

When your new passport is issued then the old one is in effect canceled and canceling your extension to stay now. How do you avoid the fine/overstay?

Nope.

The extensions in your old passport are still valid.

Immigration will transfer them to you new passport.

For a fee.

As explained above, no, the issuance of a new passport does not cancel an otherwise valid, ongoing extension of stay.

And while I can't speak for all Immigration offices, the Bangkok Immigration office does extension of stay stamp transfers into new passports for no charge. I had mine done there two months ago.

"I had mine done there two months ago."

Yes, but two months ago was before the new regulation was issued. (In opening post):"According to the New Regulation from August 13, 2013 ..."

[umbanda]

OK.

My retirement visa expire every year in July.....My passport will expire in September 2005...What is your best advise?

[Suradit69]

OK.

My retirement visa expire every year in July.....My passport will expire in September 2005...What is your best advise?

My passport will expire in September 2005

Umm ... 2005?

Assuming you mean 2015, try to get a new passport close to July and then apply for a new extension once you have the new passport.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The new policy means that now when you get a new passport because the old one has expired you have to apply for a new extension of stay, with all the accompanying paperwork and of course pay the usual extension fee of 1,900 baht.

So, it would seem the obvious lesson here is for people with upcoming passport expires to make sure to obtain their new passport early enough so that they'll always have at least one year of validity remaining whenever they're due to go for a new extension of stay at Immigration.

Last year, I had 14 months remaining valid on my passport when I did my extension of stay. No problem. This year, I was only going to have two months remaining on my old passport when my extension of stay was going to come due. So I made sure to get my new passport in hand before this year's extension date.

[mayday49]

I was well aware of this fact that it will happen sooner or the later. I have been lucky to have my passport extended before this rule came out. Being informative is always rewarding indeed.

Well aren't you the Gifted One ...

[Ianatlarge]

Thanks for the heads up, but — whine whine whine. One more additional complexity to keep in mind when battling the maze of paperwork, regulations and laws, and interpretations of both, while trying to remain in Thailand. What about simply paying say 10k baht at the Post Office (or 7) each month?

[Greer]

From what I read, and from what "gosompoi" said - Immigration is quite clearly saying "NO MORE TRANSFERS" - meaning that you CAN NOT credit any extension time from the OLD passport to the NEW passport.

They clearly say that you must apply all over again but using the new passport.

Very clear - not good - but clear!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

OK.

My retirement visa expire every year in July.....My passport will expire in September 2005...What is your best advise?

My passport will expire in September 2005

Umm ... 2005?

Assuming you mean 2015, try to get a new passport close to July and then apply for a new extension once you have the new passport.

Assuming the September 2015 expiry is correct for your passport, your July 2014 retirement extension of stay application (valid until July 2015) would be no problem.

But you'd want to have the new passport in hand before you apply for your July 2015 retirement extension.

[Suradit69]

From what I read, and from what "gosompoi" said - Immigration is quite clearly saying "NO MORE TRANSFERS" - meaning that you CAN NOT credit any extension time from the OLD passport to the NEW passport.

They clearly say that you must apply all over again but using the new passport.

Very clear - not good - but clear!

Yes, but if you got an extension for a full year because your passport does not expire during that year, and then you get a new passport early, since you have a valid extension of stay for the whole year, the balance of the extension should/may/could/might be transferred.

Not the same thing as getting an extension for say 8 months because of expiring passport. Then if you get a new passport, they won't transfer the existing extension and throw in the missing 4 months, as they apparently did in the past.