What does a new passport mean for your immigration history?

[davejonesbkk]

Ive seen it mentioned before that having a new passport makes it easier to get a visa etc, is this actually true though or is there any real evidence or first hand experiences from people here?

Im not talking about the really bad stuff like being blacklisted but the more general stuff like a history of back to back tourist visas, does a new passport mean a new slate? If it doesnt then what are they using to track your previous history and data?

[ubonjoe]

With a new passport immigration can see your previous history by doing a name and date of birth check. A new passport will just make it less obvious.

At embassies and consulates the will not see your past visa history if you have a new passport.

[MJCM]

Your name and DOB and Nationality is IMHO what is used.

A new Passport doesn't mean a new slate.

[Badbanker]

I confirm that immigration use your name, nationality and date of birth as the key to finding who you are.

If you change your name you disappear, until they start to look in earnest or you break the law again and they take your fingerprints and you already have a record, then it is not nice!

[kinmaew]

I just got a brand new passport had it stamped for the first time in KL then arrived in Chiang Mai with curry stains on my shirt, tried to cover them up, IO just smiled and stamped - too easy

[recycler]

They wrote some of my previous visa and entries in my new passport when I moved my current visa to my new passport.

[Nemesis7]

Look, It really doesnt matter much if you are well traveled. a new or Old passport pretty much the same, why? Cause if you have prior visa valid on the old one, you can always carry your old passport along with the new one, and if not, no worries, the embassy concern has a record of your previous travel, so even in new passport its no deal. and as per immigration, if im not mistaken, once the name and date of birth and nationality code entered, they can see your previous travel date for that specific country ( if you have traveled in that country before).

[brubakertx]

I was 5 weeks past my 90 day check-in at my local immigration, so I did not want to get fined, so I chanced it and when I went to the airport, I paid the re-entry fee and left Thailand. I came back to Thailand 3 weeks later, and had no problems getting past immigration even though I missed my 90 days check-in before. I went back to work, checked back with immigration 90 days later, and still they did not catch me. I don't recommend what I did, BUT I don't think they will pull up all the data on you, unless they have a reason too. They are busy...on to the next person in line.

[paz]

I was 5 weeks past my 90 day check-in at my local immigration, so I did not want to get fined, so I chanced it and when I went to the airport, I paid the re-entry fee and left Thailand. I came back to Thailand 3 weeks later, and had no problems getting past immigration even though I missed my 90 days check-in before. I went back to work, checked back with immigration 90 days later, and still they did not catch me. I don't recommend what I did, BUT I don't think they will pull up all the data on you, unless they have a reason too. They are busy...on to the next person in line.

Border posts do not care and do not fine about failure to report each 90 days.

That is a responsibility for immigration offices only. Plus, the procedure for that is being changed nationally, there is little uniformity.

[Andre0720]

The lady at the Embassy in Ottawa Canada told me that all the documentation provided to obtain a Visa is faxed to BKK beforehand...

[richard_smith237]

Your Name and DOB is what the immigration screen shows... If you come in on a different passport, your old passport will will still show up.

It will show your past entries, entry photo, the visa you entered on and past exits....

IF you are John Smith and enter on a Passport - All the John Smiths in the System will show up, your DOB will be matched. If you have the same DOB as another John Smith your photo will used as further confirmation identifying you.

Those who think immigration are not electronically up to date are naive. Just because many of the officers choose to take a more relaxed path doesn't mean they don't have the information.

[globalmedia8]

The lady at the Embassy in Ottawa Canada told me that all the documentation provided to obtain a Visa is faxed to BKK beforehand...

that, i really do not believe

[TheSpade]

As someone who is about to return to Thailand in a couple of months (will be a 5.5 month absence) with a passport full of border run stamps (6 in total + a double entry visa) this is interesting to me.

I wasn't working illegally in Thailand or doing anything wrong. Just did the border runs as I was too lazy to sort out flights and travel to another country to get a visa. Didn't realize it would come back to haunt me.

I've heard a lot that a new passport solves everything but it's hard to believe that immigration at BKK airport don't have this information available to them.

I mean if they don't then who does? Scary to think that Thailand would literally know nothing about who was coming and going.

I was just debating right now about whether I should bother to apply for a new passport or not.

I wonder, does your history automatically show up on the screen or would the immigration officer have to spend some time checking the system manually to find it???

In that case a new passport could be beneficial as I doubt they'd check everyone.

[paz]

I was just debating right now about whether I should bother to apply for a new passport or not.

I wonder, does your history automatically show up on the screen or would the immigration officer have to spend some time checking the system manually to find it???

In that case a new passport could be beneficial as I doubt they'd check everyone.

You don't gain anything from a new passport. Even if looked at, from your repeated postings I've gathered that your travel history is normal without any violation.

[flyingdoc]

Interesting on just how up to date they may be at Immigration in LOS!

In practice, past data is unlikely to be called up in my experience unless they suspect that something is wrong!

[TheSpade]

Depends what you define as 'normal'.

I was 'living' in BKK for 1 year. 6 months on a double entry then 6 months on back to back border runs.

Those 6 months of border runs would look bad now that all border runners are suspected criminals and illegal workers.

My thought was that if they don't automatically check every visitor on their computer then a new passport free from all these stamps and visas would give you a good chance of not being scrutinized.

[Maestro]

Topic closed, as the discussion by one participant is getting too unreasonable.

[Maestro]

Topic reopened after removal of a troll post, an off-topic post, and the replies to them.

[Keesters]

When I lost my passport a few years ago I needed to transfer visa detail over to new one. Immigration pretty much had my whole history there. Tourist visas, back-to-back 30 days, non-imm O & B, retirement extensions, over 4 different passports, the lot going back a very long time. No problem though all done with a smile.

No clean slate.

[Eneukman]

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They wrote some of my previous visa and entries in my new passport when I moved my current visa to my new passport.

When I got a new passport a few years ago, Immigration transferred my original visa plus my current extension and re-entry permit into my new passport. It took up 2 full pages of my new passport.

Alan

Alan

[macpayne]

As someone who is about to return to Thailand in a couple of months (will be a 5.5 month absence) with a passport full of border run stamps (6 in total + a double entry visa) this is interesting to me.

I wasn't working illegally in Thailand or doing anything wrong. Just did the border runs as I was too lazy to sort out flights and travel to another country to get a visa. Didn't realize it would come back to haunt me.

I've heard a lot that a new passport solves everything but it's hard to believe that immigration at BKK airport don't have this information available to them.

I mean if they don't then who does? Scary to think that Thailand would literally know nothing about who was coming and going.

I was just debating right now about whether I should bother to apply for a new passport or not.

I wonder, does your history automatically show up on the screen or would the immigration officer have to spend some time checking the system manually to find it???

In that case a new passport could be beneficial as I doubt they'd check everyone.

yes the technology is there to trace your previous history, the thing is at most countries immigration they just don't bother to check when they are presented with a new passport ive done this many times over the years and sometimes they will ask me if its my first visit to there country when in fact ive been there many times in the past..

[BKKSnowBird]

I knew a guy with two passports as he had dual citizenship. They still had his history based on name and DOB.

I am sure not that many people share the same name and DOB who also happen to visit Thailand.