Existing Visa, UK Passport renewal and Student Visa

[DooTooBoo]

Hi

 

I have a situation that I wondered if anyone could help with.

 

I am British, I entered Thailand on the 1st of October after getting a 60 day tourist visa which runs through till November 30th. I am intending in a few weeks to apply for an education visa which I will use for 1 year. However before that I have a problem I need to resolve. My British passport expires at the end of next year and as I will be travelling a lot next year I have decided that it is to best to renew it now prior to applying for my education visa, whilst I am in situated in 1 place for 5-6weeks. 

 

Please correct the following if it is incorrect. Through reading the forum I have found out that the process takes around 4 weeks, I keep my existing passport while it takes places. Also that due to recent changes in the rules, visas are no longer transferable to new passports. This leaves me with some questions.

 

Suppose tomorrow I begin the process and send of the letter which begins the passport renewal. I then wait around 4 weeks. New passport arrives. 

At this point I will be on week 4 or 5 of my 60 day tourist visa. My first question is whether or not at this stage I no longer have a functioning visa and need to leave the country immediately, or do I still have the remaining time on my 60 days?. Do I need to go to an immigration office?, also when I leave at immigration I will need to show both passports right?

 

Once I have my new passport I will then  leave the country, apply for my education visa on the new passport and reenter Thailand

 

Any help much appreciated 

 

Thanks

[Mario2008]

You do nothing.

 

Yous end a copy of your paspsort with your application. When you get the new passport you simply leave Thailand when the time is there with both new and old passport and immigraiton will deal with it at the border. You keep your original 60 days.

 

If you want a 30 day extension on your tourist visa (you do now about this option?) you take again both paspsorts to immirgation with a copy of both (and your arrival card) and they will give you a form to fill out and take care of things there and then.

Extension is 1,900 baht.

[ubonjoe]

Visas have never been transferred. The new rule is that if you are getting a 1 year extension of stay (it is not a visa) and your passport has less than a year remaining on your passport the extension will only be for the for the length of your passport validity. Then when you get a new passport the extensions and visa entry info will be moved to new passport. Then you would get a new extension when it runs out. I don't think you will be getting a one year visa it will be a single entry good for 90 days. Then you will get an extension of stay which may not be for a year unless you are attending a university full time.

[DooTooBoo]

Great thanks, yes it's 3 months and then a year extension with the ed visa.

 

When the new passport arrives do I need to do anything to the old one, I read on a blog I should cut the corners , is this true?

[ubonjoe]

You cut the corners off. There will be instructions on how to do it with new passport.

[wrazoru]

You do nothing.

You send a copy of your paspsort with your application. When you get the new passport you simply leave Thailand when the time is there with both new and old passport and immigraiton will deal with it at the border. You keep your original 60 days.

If you want a 30 day extension on your tourist visa (you do now about this option?) you take again both paspsorts to immirgation with a copy of both (and your arrival card) and they will give you a form to fill out and take care of things there and then.

Extension is 1,900 baht.

Is the above still the case? ...since this was written in 2013 & things change in Thailand quickly & unexpectedly!...& I am planning to get a passport renewal soon!

Anyone have any ideas??

Also, part of the reason for a new passport is not the expiry of the passport. I do have about 4-5 pages left too...but mainly coz i have many in/out stamps on the passport already. Does Thailand Immigration have their records online yet? ie. can they now check your travel logs if they cannot see your old passport?

Many thanks...

[ubonjoe]

The only thing that has really changed is the procedure to get a UK passport if you are from there. It can take up to 8 weeks or more to get one.

Immigration has a had a database for several years and will be able to see all your history from a name and date of birth search. Getting a new passport does not help.