I seem to be posting lots of questions....

I have a British friend who doesn't currently have online access so asking on his behalf.

He has applied for a new British passport as his other one expired, it is been 9 weeks and he still hasn't got his passport, the phone line offer no indication of when it will arrive.

He has a double entry tourist visa from Laos, is on the 30 day extension of his last entry and needs to leave the country again to get a new visa however Laos does not accept emergency passports, he has until Monday of next week left for stay.

My question is this - will immigration extend his stay again if he shows proof of his passport application?

Also anyone else in this position before?

Going to UK is not an option and he cant get the visa he needs anywhere but Laos?

Of course UK embassy have been less than helpful.

What could the UK embassy have done about it? https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/laos/entry-requirements

Did you ask the embassy what other neighbouring country does accept your UK emergency travel document?

Cambodia: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cambodia/entry-requirements

Vietnam: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam/entry-requirements

Malaysia: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malaysia/entry-requirements

What could the UK embassy have done about it? https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/laos/entry-requirements

Did you ask the embassy what other neighbouring country does accept your UK emergency travel document?

Cambodia: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cambodia/entry-requirements

Vietnam: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam/entry-requirements

Malaysia: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malaysia/entry-requirements

The UK embassy could have perhaps issued a letter for him to show to immigration explaining the circumstances and asking for an extension.

Sadly he needs to get non o visa based on marriage without showing income - Laos is the only place he can get this.

Immigration will not extend your friend's stay based on the reason of waiting for a passport renewal.

But for sure it will take 7-10 days before your friend can collect in BKK, so if the passport has not already gone to the printers then there is a problem that needs immediate fixing.

UK passports are taking anywhere from 6 - 18 weeks from application to collection in BKK currently.

Has his passport actually expired? If not immigration will be unaware that the document is not allowed for travel.

Yes ETD is not good for Laos, so he can forget about the Thai Spouse Non Immigrant 'o', not showing cash for the time being.

Best bet is to check if the ETD will be good for a Tourist visa in Malaysia (not KL!!!) and take it from there.

British Government has basically abandoned it's overseas citizens to a monstrous train wreck of a debacle as regards passport renewal.

See the main thread on this issue for all details:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/713867-changes-to-british-passport-services-in-thailand/

Did he ask for that? Anyway, such letter would have been indirectly interfering in or criticising the visa requirements of another country. No consular official in his right mind would issue such a document.

What could the UK embassy have done about it? https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/laos/entry-requirements

Did you ask the embassy what other neighbouring country does accept your UK emergency travel document?

Cambodia: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cambodia/entry-requirements

Vietnam: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam/entry-requirements

Malaysia: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malaysia/entry-requirements

The UK embassy could have perhaps issued a letter for him to show to immigration explaining the circumstances and asking for an extension.

Sadly he needs to get non o visa based on marriage without showing income - Laos is the only place he can get this.

The simplest course of action in his case would be to apply for a 60-day extension of stay at his local immigration office for the purpose of visiting his Thai wife. No proof of income would be needed in this case. As long as his existing passport hasn't actually expired yet (despite what you have said in the OP), won't expire within the 60-day period and contains sufficient blank pages, he should have no problem in using it for this purpose. And hopefully his new passport will turn up before the 60 days expire!

Edited October 7, 201411 yr by OJAS

What could the UK embassy have done about it? https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/laos/entry-requirements

Did you ask the embassy what other neighbouring country does accept your UK emergency travel document?

Cambodia: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cambodia/entry-requirements

Vietnam: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam/entry-requirements

Malaysia: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malaysia/entry-requirements

The UK embassy could have perhaps issued a letter for him to show to immigration explaining the circumstances and asking for an extension.

Sadly he needs to get non o visa based on marriage without showing income - Laos is the only place he can get this.

The simplest course of action in his case would be to apply for a 60-day extension of stay at his local immigration office for the purpose of visiting his Thai wife. No proof of income would be needed in this case. As long as his existing passport hasn't actually expired yet (despite what you have said in the OP), won't expire within the 60-day period and contains sufficient blank pages, he should have no problem in using it for this purpose. And hopefully his new passport will turn up before the 60 days expire!

Good point, if the OP's friend has space in his passport and it hasn't physically expired, then the 60 day visiting spouse extension of permission to stay will fit the bill and work out much less expensive than a British ETD.

Thai Immigration will not know that the passport is invalidated for travel.

Edited October 7, 201411 yr by digitalchromakey