When you get your USA passport renewed at the embassy in Bangkok do they let you keep your old passport? If not, what happens with the stamps in the old passport? I plan to pick up my new passport at the embassy and then head to the airport to leave for a few days. I will need the reentry stamp in my old passport to get back in. I have to renew my retirement visa in July and I will need to show the retirement visa stamp in my old passport. My old passport is still valid until Nov. 2006. How does this work?

When you pick up your new passport your old one will be canceled. They will give it back along with a letter to immigration. You proceed to immigration and they transfer your visa to the new passport. They may or may not transfer re-entry permit - believe we have heard it both ways.

I/m a Brit but i believe US citizens need a letter from the US Embassy requesting the Thai Immigration office to transfer the neccessary stamps over to the new passport..............a free service.

The US Embassy will probably cut the corner off the old passport and give it back to you for presentation at Thai Immigration.

Have the stamps transferred when you apply for the re-entry stamp you will need.

You will have to allow time for a visit to Immigration before heading to the airport.

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/ba...p?page=service#

(Click on "other services" on the above link for further info)

Edited April 27, 200620 yr by thaiflyer1

They will return your old passport and mine has 2 punched holes on the first page cover underneath the picture & a big red stamp "CANCELLED" on 2nd page next to your signature.

I never needed a letter from the embassy.

I never needed a letter from the embassy.

This is kind of new, sometime last year introduced.

The US Embassy has always provided a formal letter for visa extensions/transfers in my experience going back 30 years. It is a requirement (diplomatic curtesy) of Thai Immigration (although they and some Embassies seem to ignore it). Don't know why SBK was not provided such a paper; unless it is new, rather than old, policy change. They usually provided both the letter and an address paper for immigration. But as said it is normally not required to have the letter. But perhaps this has gone the way of RSVP.

The US Embassy has always provided a formal letter for visa extensions/transfers in my experience going back 30 years.

My first replacement due to passport expiry was about 12 years ago here and then again about 2 years ago, in both cases the Consulate supplied me with a letter without my having to ask and immigration took it and filed it. So, surprised also that sbk was not supplied a letter.

I now have three expired passports and they all have holes punched into them.

Edited April 28, 200620 yr by tywais

Thanks for the info. Since my old passport is good until Nov. it sounds like I should just use the old one for this short trip and not worry about picking up the new one until I return to Thailand on my way back to Phuket. That way I don't have to worry about missing my flight due to delays at immigration or some other unforseen complication.

That's perhaps the best solution and they always find some small place to put their little stamp

on.