Please help , any & all guidance are welcome .

Here on a METV Tourist Visa . Enter before date Dec 11

Residing in Bangkok

Old passport ran out of pages (passport was valid till 2022)

Obtained new passport from embassy (USA) + Embassy gave me a document addressed to Thai Immigration, requesting them to transfer my METV Visa to my new passport from the old passport.

Took all documents to Bangkok immigration at Chang Watena (CW) and an Immigration Officer there looked at my New passport and the Old (cancelled) passport--which has the METV .

He told me that he is "not able" to help me , because at CW they do not do transfers of Visa from 1 passport to another .

I was told by him to go to the immigration office at Suvarnabhumi airport !!

I am concerned because I now have a Cancelled passport (with the METV Visa) and a New passport with all blank pages !!

Can anybody tell me what is going on ? Because my embassy says I should be at the CW office !!

What is the right process ?

Where do I go ?

Talk about communication barrier . All the smiles here is not getting me anywhere!! I feel like I am getting a nice run around at my expense

Please help.

The visa cannot be transferred. The METV in your cancelled passport remains valid for travel to Thailand until the visa expires, ie you must travel with both passports until then.

The visa cannot be transferred. The METV in your cancelled passport remains valid for travel to Thailand until the visa expires, ie you must travel with both passports until then.

Thanks a lot for your guidance.

I was so worried because I have a trip coming up next Wednesday to Malaysia .

So I will have no problem re-entering Thailand as long as I have both my passports ! Is that correct ?

Just wondering , Where will Immigration in Thailand and Indonesia stamp the exit and entry stamps? Surely not in my old cancelled passport. Has only 1 page left.

Can you please shed some light regarding this.

As I said, I am very worried that they will not allow me to re-enter Thailand !!

The visa cannot be transferred. The METV in your cancelled passport remains valid for travel to Thailand until the visa expires, ie you must travel with both passports until then.

Thanks a lot for your guidance.

I was so worried because I have a trip coming up next Wednesday to Malaysia .

So I will have no problem re-entering Thailand as long as I have both my passports ! Is that correct ?

Just wondering , Where will Immigration in Thailand and Indonesia stamp the exit and entry stamps? Surely not in my old cancelled passport. Has only 1 page left.

Can you please shed some light regarding this.

As I said, I am very worried that they will not allow me to re-enter Thailand !!

New stamps will go into your new passport. Permissions to stay, extensions of stay, exits, entries, etc all go in the new passport. Only the actual visa remains in the old passport and the visa remains valid until the "must use by" date printed on it.

Visas are never transferred from old to new passports. This is a very common thing. You are not doing something extraordinary. Information about both passports and your immigrations dealings will be in their computers. Relax.

The visa cannot be transferred. The METV in your cancelled passport remains valid for travel to Thailand until the visa expires, ie you must travel with both passports until then.

Thanks a lot for your guidance.

I was so worried because I have a trip coming up next Wednesday to Malaysia .

So I will have no problem re-entering Thailand as long as I have both my passports ! Is that correct ?

Just wondering , Where will Immigration in Thailand and Indonesia stamp the exit and entry stamps? Surely not in my old cancelled passport. Has only 1 page left.

Can you please shed some light regarding this.

As I said, I am very worried that they will not allow me to re-enter Thailand !!

New stamps will go into your new passport. Permissions to stay, extensions of stay, exits, entries, etc all go in the new passport. Only the actual visa remains in the old passport and the visa remains valid until the "must use by" date printed on it.

Visas are never transferred from old to new passports. This is a very common thing. You are not doing something extraordinary. Information about both passports and your immigrations dealings will be in their computers. Relax.

Wow, that is great news. Thank you! Thank you !

I am now relaxed:) just opened my favorite bottle of Merlot , having a glass. Cheers

With Gratitude, Be Blessed

Prosit! I drink to your health with a glass of a rare Swiss wine. Enjoy your multiple stays in Thailand with your METV.

The visa cannot be transferred. The METV in your cancelled passport remains valid for travel to Thailand until the visa expires, ie you must travel with both passports until then.

Thanks a lot for your guidance.

I was so worried because I have a trip coming up next Wednesday to Malaysia .

So I will have no problem re-entering Thailand as long as I have both my passports ! Is that correct ?

Just wondering , Where will Immigration in Thailand and Indonesia stamp the exit and entry stamps? Surely not in my old cancelled passport. Has only 1 page left.

Can you please shed some light regarding this.

As I said, I am very worried that they will not allow me to re-enter Thailand !!

The first time you depart the country you will show both passports at departure immigration. The officer will transfer you current entry stamp to the new passport and stamp you out of the country in it. Then you will use both passports when you enter the country to use your valid visa in the old one and the officer will stamp you into the country in the new one.

The visa cannot be transferred. The METV in your cancelled passport remains valid for travel to Thailand until the visa expires, ie you must travel with both passports until then.

Exactly ! Carry both passport.

Visa are issued from Ministry of Foreign Affair in Embassy/consulate abroad and not from Immigration Department.

Immigration transfer only "extension of stay" issued by their department.

When I received my new PP 6 months ago I went to Hua Hin Immigration, they put a stamp (I had obtained a Single Entry Tourist Visa from Vientiane) into my new PP, a week or so after that I extended my SETV by 30 days at HH Immi, 30 days later I left via Ban Laem, I took both old and new PP's with me but only had to show the new one, the old one was not asked for

When I received my new PP 6 months ago I went to Hua Hin Immigration, they put a stamp (I had obtained a Single Entry Tourist Visa from Vientiane) into my new PP, a week or so after that I extended my SETV by 30 days at HH Immi, 30 days later I left via Ban Laem, I took both old and new PP's with me but only had to show the new one, the old one was not asked for

Immigration offices will not normally transfer the stamps unless on an extension. Since they had done a 30 day extension for you that is why they transferred your stamps. That is why you did not need to show both passport on departure.

When I received my new PP 6 months ago I went to Hua Hin Immigration, they put a stamp (I had obtained a Single Entry Tourist Visa from Vientiane) into my new PP, a week or so after that I extended my SETV by 30 days at HH Immi, 30 days later I left via Ban Laem, I took both old and new PP's with me but only had to show the new one, the old one was not asked for

Immigration offices will not normally transfer the stamps unless on an extension. Since they had done a 30 day extension for you that is why they transferred your stamps. That is why you did not need to show both passport on departure.

As I explained in my post the 30 day extension was done after I had had a new stamp put in my new PP

I also did the transfer of stamps at an immigration office, separate from any extention, to save time when exiting at a land border. It took the gal a good 15 mins of paperwork-filling and data-entry into the computer to do the transfer.

At least one report came in of a fellow exiting at the border at Nong Khai, who was sent back to the local Immigration Office to do the stamp-xfer before being allowed to stamp-out at the border.

This will not affect the OP, if they are leaving from the Airport, where the transfer should be routine, but they should allow for some extra time for the Immigration / Stamp-Out process.

I also did the transfer of stamps at an immigration office, separate from any extention, to save time when exiting at a land border. It took the gal a good 15 mins of paperwork-filling and data-entry into the computer to do the transfer.

At least one report came in of a fellow exiting at the border at Nong Khai, who was sent back to the local Immigration Office to do the stamp-xfer before being allowed to stamp-out at the border.

This will not affect the OP, if they are leaving from the Airport, where the transfer should be routine, but they should allow for some extra time for the Immigration / Stamp-Out process.

You were lucky to of found an office that would do the stamp transfer. Most offices will tell you to have it done on departure from the country.

Did you get the stamp transfer before or after the 30 day extension?

If you go to an office with both passports when you apply for the extension they will move the stamps and do the extension in the new one.

So it seems it can be done at least at 2 offices unless JackThompson used Hua Hin Immigration also

I also did the transfer of stamps at an immigration office, separate from any extention, to save time when exiting at a land border. It took the gal a good 15 mins of paperwork-filling and data-entry into the computer to do the transfer.

At least one report came in of a fellow exiting at the border at Nong Khai, who was sent back to the local Immigration Office to do the stamp-xfer before being allowed to stamp-out at the border.

This will not affect the OP, if they are leaving from the Airport, where the transfer should be routine, but they should allow for some extra time for the Immigration / Stamp-Out process.

You were lucky to of found an office that would do the stamp transfer. Most offices will tell you to have it done on departure from the country.

Did you get the stamp transfer before or after the 30 day extension?

If you go to an office with both passports when you apply for the extension they will move the stamps and do the extension in the new one.

The transfer was done the day I got my Passport back. No extension was running at the time.

In fact, I made it a point to apply for a new Passport on a fresh 60-day entry, just to be sure any delay in the process would not leave me on Overstay. I applied on an "outreach" visit from my embassy, and used the mail-back option (saving trips to Bangkok), so had no passport for just under 3 weeks.

So it seems it can be done at least at 2 offices unless JackThompson used Hua Hin Immigration also

This was about a year ago, at Jomtien. Policies may have changed (as they often do, and vary by office / border-point, etc). Note that I also brought the letter from my embassy requesting the transfer.

Exactly how I did it, got a TV entered Thailand, then applied for and received my new PP back within 3 weeks, 2 days after that transferred my TV to my new PP then approx 5 weeks after that got my 30 day extension

Exactly how I did it, got a TV entered Thailand, then applied for and received my new PP back within 3 weeks, 2 days after that transferred my TV to my new PP then approx 5 weeks after that got my 30 day extension

They may have put permission to stay stamps in your new passport and possibly a notation about the visa you used to enter, but they can't physically transfer a visa to your new passport and assuming it was a SETV, it would have been used and no longer valid once you entered the country. And normally the stamps are put in the new passport when passing through immigrations at a border or airport.

I expect some of these reports about "visas" being transferred are actually referring to permission to stay stamps. Your legal presence in the country is dependent on the permission to stay, not an expired or used visa.

As someone else mentioned, visas fall under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and immigrations operate under the Ministry of the Interior.

Edited July 29, 20169 yr by Suradit69

Exactly how I did it, got a TV entered Thailand, then applied for and received my new PP back within 3 weeks, 2 days after that transferred my TV to my new PP then approx 5 weeks after that got my 30 day extension

They may have put permission to stay stamps in your new passport and possibly a notation about the visa you used to enter, but they can't physically transfer a visa to your new passport and assuming it was a SETV, it would have been used and no longer valid once you entered the country. And normally the stamps are put in the new passport when passing through immigrations at a border or airport.

I expect some of these reports about "visas" being transferred are actually referring to permission to stay stamps. Your legal presence in the country is dependent on the permission to stay, not an expired or used visa.

As someone else mentioned, visas fall under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and immigrations operate under the Ministry of the Interior.

The thread is about stamps for the OP being transferred which a number of posters have said is not possible at Immigration and can only be done when leaving the country

Myself and JackThompson have both achieved this at Immigration within Thailand so on this occasion it seems some of the advice being given to the OP is incorrect, that's not to say it can be achieved at CW but it can certainly be done at some other offices

Edited July 29, 20169 yr by darrendsd

Exactly how I did it, got a TV entered Thailand, then applied for and received my new PP back within 3 weeks, 2 days after that transferred my TV to my new PP then approx 5 weeks after that got my 30 day extension

They may have put permission to stay stamps in your new passport and possibly a notation about the visa you used to enter, but they can't physically transfer a visa to your new passport and assuming it was a SETV, it would have been used and no longer valid once you entered the country. And normally the stamps are put in the new passport when passing through immigrations at a border or airport.

I expect some of these reports about "visas" being transferred are actually referring to permission to stay stamps. Your legal presence in the country is dependent on the permission to stay, not an expired or used visa.

As someone else mentioned, visas fall under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and immigrations operate under the Ministry of the Interior.

The thread is about stamps for the OP being transferred which a number of posters have said is not possible at Immigration and can only be done when leaving the country

Myself and JackThompson have both achieved this at Immigration within Thailand so on this occasion it seems some of the advice being given to the OP is incorrect, that's not to say it can be achieved at CW but it can certainly be done at some other offices

I don't think anybody said it can't be done. I wrote most offices will not do it. Two out of about 50 is not very many.

It is a certainty it will not be done at CW unless doing it with a 30 day extension application,

My advice is not to bother trying to do it an immigration office unless you are certain they will do it.

2 reported on this thread Joe and can also be done at Nong Khai, maybe more will or won't do it

I find it strange that they all wouldn't do it as part of the conditions for a SETV is that it can be extended for 30 days, to do this they would have to stamp the new PP

Anyway it seems the OP is happy to be stamped at the Airport

2 reported on this thread Joe and can also be done at Nong Khai, maybe more will or won't do it

I find it strange that they all wouldn't do it as part of the conditions for a SETV is that it can be extended for 30 days, to do this they would have to stamp the new PP

Anyway it seems the OP is happy to be stamped at the Airport

They do it at Nong Khai because they don't do it at the bridge.

Not everybody gets a 30 day extension and if they do it would make sense to do the stamp transfer and extension at the same.

The OP has a METV and apparently is not interested in the 30 day extension. Many people with a METV are skipping the 30 day extension since the visa allows unlimited entries and it works out better to do get a 60 day entry verses the 30 day extension (other than for the last entry from the visa).

Prosit! I drink to your health with a glass of a rare Swiss wine. Enjoy your multiple stays in Thailand with your METV.

Roemerglut 2012.jpg

Thank you sir. Prosit !

2 reported on this thread Joe and can also be done at Nong Khai, maybe more will or won't do it

I find it strange that they all wouldn't do it as part of the conditions for a SETV is that it can be extended for 30 days, to do this they would have to stamp the new PP

Anyway it seems the OP is happy to be stamped at the Airport

Thank you. Yes, I am more then happy to stamped at the airport. I did one land border crossing and after that "glorious" experience have sworn that unless I am dying I will never use a land border to exit or re-enter Thailand. To each their own. Different strokes for different folks. Land border is not mine and I accept and love my realities

Peace out.

Thank you for all the "real, knowledgeable" people who read my post and "genuinely" has helped me. I appreciate each one of you for taking the time to read my post and answer accordingly.

I also "must" give "honorable but useless mention" to the "pedantics/professorial types" of this forum who likes to answer "theoretical" questions which they "some how" saw in my post which had no mention of SETV or Land Crossings !!. SMH ! SMH , Lol

Peace out boys/girls/ladies and gentleman.

I have gotten my answer and can now enjoy my wine, stay in Thailand and travels in/ out of Thailand by air and air only

The visa cannot be transferred. The METV in your cancelled passport remains valid for travel to Thailand until the visa expires, ie you must travel with both passports until then.

Thanks a lot for your guidance.

I was so worried because I have a trip coming up next Wednesday to Malaysia .

So I will have no problem re-entering Thailand as long as I have both my passports ! Is that correct ?

Just wondering , Where will Immigration in Thailand and Indonesia stamp the exit and entry stamps? Surely not in my old cancelled passport. Has only 1 page left.

Can you please shed some light regarding this.

As I said, I am very worried that they will not allow me to re-enter Thailand !!

The first time you depart the country you will show both passports at departure immigration. The officer will transfer you current entry stamp to the new passport and stamp you out of the country in it. Then you will use both passports when you enter the country to use your valid visa in the old one and the officer will stamp you into the country in the new one.

Thank you Ubonjoe for reading my post & your (as usual) "on the point" answers.

I noticed not every poster took the time to read my Original Post . Because some of their "well intended" answers has no bearing to my post and only can/will confuse a "newbie" like myself and fellow "inexperienced" newbies .

Anyways, thank you again, sir. Be Blessed .

Thank you for all the "real, knowledgeable" people who read my post and "genuinely" has helped me. I appreciate each one of you for taking the time to read my post and answer accordingly.

I also "must" give "honorable but useless mention" to the "pedantics/professorial types" of this forum who likes to answer "theoretical" questions which they "some how" saw in my post which had no mention of SETV or Land Crossings !!. SMH ! SMH , Lol

Peace out boys/girls/ladies and gentleman.

I have gotten my answer and can now enjoy my wine, stay in Thailand and travels in/ out of Thailand by air and air only

Thank you for bringing it to our attention that the CW office in Bangkok will not transfer a permission-to-stay stamp to a new passport as a stand-alone operation. Per UJ, we now know this is a common policy with many immigration-offices. As a result of this discussion, many can find and read this thread in the future and make plans accordingly.

Immigration does NOT tranfer VISAS espwcially if thy wer acquied outside of thailand from a Thai consulate.

What they in ffact usually do  is to put an entry in your new oassport with written details of the original visa and your old passport number.

Now if the old VISA is in your old passport and is still valid they may want to see both passports when you enter or exit Thailand.

If when you get a new passport, and your visa in your old passport expires soon, they may write that information and the expitation date in your new pasport.

This will be written in Thai with a new permission to stay stamp in your new passport.

But to immigration the most important part of what they do is to change your old passport numbrt to the new passport number in your immigration database entry.

Many people never see this action, but in fact, it is the most importrant [art of the who;e process, at least to Thai immigration. That is what takes maybe 10 minutes, and why you have to wait until they return your new passport to you.

i went through the whole process in June 2015, wit my new passport and form letter from the U.S. embessy, and i happened to see it done from where I was sitting.

Technically, the man was correct, they don't in fact "transfer your visa" to your new passport

Edited August 2, 20169 yr by IMA_FARANG