Mailing Passport Abroad To Process New Visa While In Thailand. Is This Possible?

[Arjay]

I'm a single American 47 yrs. old with no work permit. My 1yr. Multiple entry Non-immigrant "B" is about to expire. Can I send my passport by mail to process a new one while still in Thailand? Is this against regulations? I will probably send my passport home and have a family member mail it to Thai Consulate in Houston then return to me in Thailand.

[Thaiquila]

I think not!

[lamphun]

If any Thai immigration dept. officials are reading this please note that no foreigner has ever mailed his passport outside the country for a visa nor would ever contemplate doing so.

[Totster]

I would suggest the OP read this topic from a short while back..

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...mp;hl=translate

totster

[sriracha john]

If this thread was dated 2000-08-02, then I'd say, "it's ok, go for it... "

but, for 2006-08-02, I'll say, "NO WAY!"

You have to go back to the States and apply for it. No way around it.

[ZZZ]

If you have two passports you could keep the one you used entered Thailand and send the other to Houston.

When the passport returns you need to exit Thailand and re-enter with other passport with the new visa.

I think this should be perfectly legal or ?

[geoffphuket]

If any Thai immigration dept. officials are reading this please note that no foreigner has ever mailed his passport outside the country for a visa nor would ever contemplate doing so.

Done it, no problem... it's quite legal to send a passport to a Thai consulate in the UK whilst resident in the Thailand. I checked first!....Can't speak for the USA though.

Sent and returned by DHL - They first have to send it to immigration in Bangkok, which adds an extra week to the process.

[jdinasia]

I seriously considered sending mine from Singapore to the USA ... but contacted the office in Denver ... (honorary consulate). They said it COULD be processed but it must come US Mail or be walked in) No swaet I thought ... send to my sis have her walk it in and pay .. walk out 10 mins later. They said that is is possible that BKK however would look for my USA entry/exit stamps ... that killed the whole idea ... I am on a plane sooner than I thought to Denver.

[Crossy]

Done it, no problem... it's quite legal to send a passport to a Thai consulate in the UK whilst resident in the Thailand. I checked first!....Can't speak for the USA though.

Sent and returned by DHL - They first have to send it to immigration in Bangkok, which adds an extra week to the process.

You done this recently mate?

Consulate?

Do the consulate arrange the passport's trip through immigration?

Cheers

[geoffphuket]

Done it, no problem... it's quite legal to send a passport to a Thai consulate in the UK whilst resident in the Thailand. I checked first!....Can't speak for the USA though.

Sent and returned by DHL - They first have to send it to immigration in Bangkok, which adds an extra week to the process.

You done this recently mate?

Consulate?

Do the consulate arrange the passport's trip through immigration?

Cheers

Three years ago now, but it's not a problem. I contacted the consulate in Birmingham(UK) first before sending the passport - they informed me that they do this all the time. The passport doesn't need any trip through immigration. DHL sent it to Bangkok so the immigration dep't can register that it's leaving the country without its owner - they then return it to DHL, who then forward it to the consulate in the UK. I received it back with the new non 'O' visa - no entry or exit stamps.

Royal Thai Consulate

Exchange Buildings, Stephenson Place, B2 4NN

Tel: 0121 643 9481

Fax: 0121 643 9481

Out of office hours: 07870 673079 (emergencies only)

Website: www.thailand-visa.com

Please note new address from 1st June 2006:

One Victoria Square

Birmingham

B1 1BD

[george]

- Visa that have not been obtained by the traveller personally are considered incomplete documents. The passport holder will not be allowed to stay in Thailand according to the visa but only according to the rights of the nationality of the passport holder.

Source: http://www.aranimmigration.com/eng/main.htm

[Crossy]

- Visa that have not been obtained by the traveller personally are considered incomplete documents. The passport holder will not be allowed to stay in Thailand according to the visa but only according to the rights of the nationality of the passport holder.

Source: http://www.aranimmigration.com/eng/main.htm

That's exactly how I read it, and the recent experiences of another poster indicate that this is indeed the case.

Geoff is indicating that the passport goes via BKK immigration in each direction. Still sounds somewhat iffy to me.

[simcity]

i never went for my visa in person , just contact the consulate by email and send him my passport , but that is between two main city in australia !

I could do the same i presum from thailand to australia , only if you have two passports and do not use the last one who have the stamp !

[geoffphuket]

- Visa that have not been obtained by the traveller personally are considered incomplete documents. The passport holder will not be allowed to stay in Thailand according to the visa but only according to the rights of the nationality of the passport holder.

Source: http://www.aranimmigration.com/eng/main.htm

That's exactly how I read it, and the recent experiences of another poster indicate that this is indeed the case.

Geoff is indicating that the passport goes via BKK immigration in each direction. Still sounds somewhat iffy to me.

Just to enlarge on this, my sister collected the passport from the consulate in Birmingham(UK) and sent it back to me via DHL - it didn't pass back though Bankok immigration again. The lady at the DHL office in Phuket town seemed to know the exact procedure very well.

I agree entirely though, it's a bit iffy, that's why I made lots of enquiries first. However, I now take the safer option and hop down to Penang. I have to say, it's not a nice feeling waving goodbye to your passport via a courier - and then worring for two weeks.

[Axel]

One point was not even mentioned, yet. You are supposed to carry your passport at all times.

Just imagine, you are in police check and cannot present that document, i.e. you have no way to show who you are.

Not so long ago, people have been sustained during raids and only released after somebody brought their p/ports in. (Q-bar comes to my mind)

Could be a long wait in the police station until the p/port is back from the UK.

[geoffphuket]

One point was not even mentioned, yet. You are supposed to carry your passport at all times.

Just imagine, you are in police check and cannot present that document, i.e. you have no way to show who you are.

Not so long ago, people have been sustained during raids and only released after somebody brought their p/ports in. (Q-bar comes to my mind)

Could be a long wait in the police station until the p/port is back from the UK.

Axel, a very good point.....and another reason why I don't do it now.

[stoneman]

If you have two passports you could keep the one you used entered Thailand and send the other to Houston.

When the passport returns you need to exit Thailand and re-enter with other passport with the new visa.

I think this should be perfectly legal or ?

Guys...I am a little confused...Where is this "second" passport coming from...I have one current passport and never heard of having two current passports...Please enlighten me...

[Crossy]

Guys...I am a little confused...Where is this "second" passport coming from...I have one current passport and never heard of having two current passports...Please enlighten me...

Obviously if you have dual nationality you will have two valid passports which can be juggled but it still needs an AIR trip to exchange them (land crossings won't work because they want to see the exit stamp from the country the other end of the bridge.

Under certain circumstances the UK will issue a second passport to frequent travellers who may need to travel whilst their 'main' passport is in an embassy somewhere having a visa entered.

[geoffphuket]

Guys...I am a little confused...Where is this "second" passport coming from...I have one current passport and never heard of having two current passports...Please enlighten me...

Obviously if you have dual nationality you will have two valid passports which can be juggled but it still needs an AIR trip to exchange them (land crossings won't work because they want to see the exit stamp from the country the other end of the bridge.

Under certain circumstances the UK will issue a second passport to frequent travellers who may need to travel whilst their 'main' passport is in an embassy somewhere having a visa entered.

Backs up what I've said previously.

[mexxx]

thai law as most other asian countries law stipulate, that foreigner must have possession of passport at all times.

a lot of guys get around with a copy of the passport & leave the orginal in safe custody but technically this could result in infringement but msot authorites understand the practicalities & dont make a scene about it.

[vinny]

I'm a single American 47 yrs. old with no work permit. My 1yr. Multiple entry Non-immigrant "B" is about to expire. Can I send my passport by mail to process a new one while still in Thailand? Is this against regulations? I will probably send my passport home and have a family member mail it to Thai Consulate in Houston then return to me in Thailand.

Can you get the Required documents in order to extend your stay in some other category?

[ZZZ]

Guys...I am a little confused...Where is this "second" passport coming from...I have one current passport and never heard of having two current passports...Please enlighten me...

Obviously if you have dual nationality you will have two valid passports which can be juggled but it still needs an AIR trip to exchange them (land crossings won't work because they want to see the exit stamp from the country the other end of the bridge.

Under certain circumstances the UK will issue a second passport to frequent travellers who may need to travel whilst their 'main' passport is in an embassy somewhere having a visa entered.

I have two passport from the same country and have several times entered a country, including Thailand, on a passport that had no stamps. There have never been any questions regarding this so don't think an air trip is needed. Also, when was the last time an EU passport holder got a stamp in his passport in an EU country, if you leave an EU country on a new passport the passport will be empty when you arrive to Thailand.

[peterjackson]

Hey

Just spoke to the Hon. Consul of Thailand in Hull. They DO NOT mail passports to addresses outside the UK anymore.

I never asked if they used to do it or that I had heard it was done some time ago. I just asked about the situation as it stood today.

He was quite adamant that a Passport with a new visa issued in it, can only be mailed to a UK address. He did say that policy dictates that the Passport be retuned to the address on any evidentuary documents sent to support the application, but they would actually send it to any UK address, requested by the passport holder.

Hope this clears the matter up with regards the present situation, at least from within the UK.

Kind regards

Peter

[geoffphuket]

Hey

Just spoke to the Hon. Consul of Thailand in Hull. They DO NOT mail passports to addresses outside the UK anymore.

I never asked if they used to do it or that I had heard it was done some time ago. I just asked about the situation as it stood today.

He was quite adamant that a Passport with a new visa issued in it, can only be mailed to a UK address. He did say that policy dictates that the Passport be retuned to the address on any evidentuary documents sent to support the application, but they would actually send it to any UK address, requested by the passport holder.

Hope this clears the matter up with regards the present situation, at least from within the UK.

Kind regards

Peter

Peter...just to clarify, I didn't say that the consulate (in Birmingham) returned my passport. My sister collected it and returned it to me via DHL.

How the Passport got to the consulate was not important. I phoned them first to check and they were happy for me to send it from Thailand....Things maybe different now, three years on.

Geoff

[peterjackson]

Hey

Sorry for being off topic, but Geoff, I sent u a PM over a week ago, not had a reply yet ? Any chance u could look at it for me plz.

Regards

Peter

[Axel]

I have two passport from the same country and have several times entered a country, including Thailand, on a passport that had no stamps. There have never been any questions regarding this so don't think an air trip is needed. Also, when was the last time an EU passport holder got a stamp in his passport in an EU country, if you leave an EU country on a new passport the passport will be empty when you arrive to Thailand.

That's ok, as long as you arrive by air. Cross, however, a land border, Thai immigration absolutely want to see a stamp in your p/port as evidence that indeed you have been to Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia or where ever. If you are not allowed to enter, they can send you back to where you came from. If arrive by air without previous country's stamp, they just put you on the next flight, as the airline is responsible.

[Totster]

Done it, no problem... it's quite legal to send a passport to a Thai consulate in the UK whilst resident in the Thailand. I checked first!....Can't speak for the USA though.

Sent and returned by DHL - They first have to send it to immigration in Bangkok, which adds an extra week to the process.

Three years ago now, but it's not a problem. I contacted the consulate in Birmingham(UK) first before sending the passport - they informed me that they do this all the time. The passport doesn't need any trip through immigration. DHL sent it to Bangkok so the immigration dep't can register that it's leaving the country without its owner - they then return it to DHL, who then forward it to the consulate in the UK. I received it back with the new non 'O' visa - no entry or exit stamps.

Just to enlarge on this, my sister collected the passport from the consulate in Birmingham(UK) and sent it back to me via DHL - it didn't pass back though Bankok immigration again. The lady at the DHL office in Phuket town seemed to know the exact procedure very well.

I agree entirely though, it's a bit iffy, that's why I made lots of enquiries first. However, I now take the safer option and hop down to Penang. I have to say, it's not a nice feeling waving goodbye to your passport via a courier - and then worring for two weeks.

Axel, a very good point.....and another reason why I don't do it now.

Peter...just to clarify, I didn't say that the consulate (in Birmingham) returned my passport. My sister collected it and returned it to me via DHL.

How the Passport got to the consulate was not important. I phoned them first to check and they were happy for me to send it from Thailand....Things maybe different now, three years on.

Geoff

Your posts seems to change opinion in this matter as they go on.

The fact is that although it is quite easy to post a passport back to the UK (or US) to get the visa.. Thai immigration will not recognise the Visa as valid.. as the OP in this thread found out.

And you say they sent it to immigration in Bangkok..???

totster

[dr_Pat_Pong]

One point was not even mentioned, yet. You are supposed to carry your passport at all times.

Just imagine, you are in police check and cannot present that document, i.e. you have no way to show who you are.

Not so long ago, people have been sustained during raids and only released after somebody brought their p/ports in. (Q-bar comes to my mind)

Could be a long wait in the police station until the p/port is back from the UK.

Most likely the Immigration Detention Centre.

[smartecosse]

you are stuffed if the passport goes astray as well.

currently have a friend in spain who sent his passport to the Uk to get a non b cos he didnt want to make a long trip to the consulate in spain.

got the visa no problem at all, but the passport hasnt turned up in spain. sent recorded delivery (idiot!!) never got delivered in spain and not arrived back in the UK. been "missing" 3 weeks now and his flight here is in two.

now needs to get new passport so he can home, new visa from hull and then fly here. gonna cost a lot more than that little trip would have.

[PeaceBlondie]

As a former resident of Houston (when I started getting Thai visas at the consulate there) and as a former bureaucrat, my first guess is that certain things aren't as easy as they used to be. An honorary consulate is not foolish enough to endanger that source of income by violating the rules, so they're going to do what the Foreign Ministry tells them. My second guess is that it's dangerous to try to fool a govt. official who's done the same thing literally thousands of times, such as the Immigration Police. My third guess is that a visa issued without stamps going into and out of the issuing country, raises a big, Thai red flag to the officer.

That's why my annual visa runs used to cost 100,000 baht, to return to Houston and get stamps in my passport. And to see my family, Thai style, and eat hamburgers at the Thai-run Hamburger Palace (aroi mahk).