I just received an urgent call from an American friend who is finishing up his semi-annual vacation back to the US. He is very confused and we have for some time suspected that he is developing Alzheimers or dementia, so he needs help desperately. He has a Non-Immigrant O-A Visa with a valid multiple entry extension based on retirement. Of course, Udon Immigration would only have given him that extension if the US Passport had a least one year before expiry. However, he decided to renew his passport several months early while in the US and he is now concerned that he will not be able to enter Thailand next week when he attempts to return since the visa is not in his new passport. He says he emailed the Thai Embassy in the US and they told him the visa extension would not be accepted for entry in an expired passport. I don't believe that! I suggested in the worst case scenario he enter Thailand on a regular tourist stamp, then proceed to the Udon Immigration Office and have them transfer the visa to the new passport...the same as he would do if he had gotten a new passport from the US Embassy in Bangkok.

Does anyone have a similar experience and have a solution to his problem? I will be going to the Udon Immigration tomorrow on his behalf to ask all the questions about his options, but based on my previous experience with situations like this I am not so confident that I will get the correct answers. My friend will be calling me back tomorrow night for my answers, and as of now he is near having a nervous breakdown over this ordeal. Your advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

He simply enters Thailand with showing both old an dnew passport. Immigraiton checks the re-entry permit in the old paspsort and stamps him in on the new passport.

Next he will have to visit his local immirgaiton office to get the details transfereed from the old to the new passport. This might require a letter from his embassy asking immigration to do so.