Missing Departure Card & Replacement Passport

[klons]

I recently ran my U.S.passport thru the washing machine. It wasn't dirty, just forgot to

remove it from the pants pocket. After drying, ironing and then pressing between 2 books

with a bag of cement for 3 days, the passport is in fair shape. My departure card stapled

in there was destroyed, though I still have pieces of it. When I go to the Bangkok airport

to depart the country, this shouldn't be much of a problem, should it? Something similar almost happened to my wife. She's a Thai, naturalized American. One time we were departing Bangkok, she presented her passport and the Departure Card was missing.Immigration then

sent her over to THE DESK. Fortunately, I found the missing card before they started the interrogation and we were on our way. I read on this website where a fellow said he got yelled at at THE DESK, just for overstaying a couple hundred days or something like that.

There should be about 2 months left on my first Type "O" single entry visa. Its good for 90 days isn't it? I only ask because it doesn't actually specify that on the visa and the entry stamp, "admitted until" part is blank.

To avoid all the anxiety of being sent to THE DESK, I should go to the Embassy and apply for a replacement passport, then go to Thai Immigration when I get the new passport and have the visa transferred over. But then again maybe I'll just take my chances at THE DESK.

My questions are: Is a missing Departure Card a trivial affair? and Does a U.S. replacement passport expire the same time as the one it replaces or do you get another ten years?

I could try the telephone, but trying a post is more fun, like going fishing and seeing if I catch anything. Thanks for any guidance in this matter. Klons

[monochaser]

The US passport (new one) would have same expiry as old.

[lopburi3]

It appears from the non immigrant visa part you are not a 14 day tourist so you have time to obtain a proper replacement passport and it will be valid for 10 years from issue. I would do that as they do stamp your expected departure in your passport so it seems to have been washed out. Can you make out the departure card number? If not be sure to know your date of arrival - but with the computer system up immigration will probably not have a problem getting the information. In years past you might have found yourself in a room full of arrival cards looking for yours.

Note for future - check pockets before wash.

[Gumballl]

Probably another thing to do as well... always photocopy the front pages of your passport (the one with the photo) and another of the departure slip. Although it is supposedly mandatory to carry one's passport at all times when out and about in LOS, I personally never do. I just carry the photocopies.

[Gary A]

I had some problems at Pattaya immigration. One of the officials obviously made a mistake with some stamps in my passport. The next trip in the guy I had previously dealt with was not there. The new guy asked me if I would kindly get a new passport because there was a problem in my existing one. I wasn't happy but went ahead and got a new one. The old one was due to expire in Aug.2008. The new one was issued 24 Aug 2005 and expires 23 Aug 2015. A full TEN years from the issue date. I took the old passport along with the new passport to the office and the official transferred what needed to be transferred. I questioned him a bit and asked what was wrong with my old passport and was told that the guy who made the problem no longer worked there.

[dantilley]

A friend of mine went over a land border to Laos without a departure card about a year ago and it was no big deal, he just had to pay 100 Baht. Although quite what this 100 Baht was for wasn't clear as there were no overstay-style forms to fill, or extra stamps or anything.

[silvero]

I recently lost my departure card, and after speaking with immigration they said it wasn't a huge problem but I couldn't get a visa extension without one. I went to immigration in BKK and they replaced it in about 10 minutes with no cost or drama.

[astral]

Once you get a new passport you will need to transfer your visa to the new passport.

Since the system is computerised now, they should be able to trace your record from the old passport number,

even without the departure card.

It may take a little time, but IMHO they will do it for you.