Hi everyone,

 

I'm really hoping someone can provide me with a some advice. I'm a teacher in Chanthaburi, here on a Non-B visa, and last week I discovered that I had lost my passport. I immediately travelled up to the visa application centre in Bangkok and declared my passport lost and then applied for a new one. I was informed that the standard processing time is 4-6 weeks. Now unfortunately my Non-B visa/work permit is due to expire on the 5th October (next week) so it's pretty certain that my new passport won't arrive in Bangkok in time to get the visa/permit extended. I went to my local immigration office and explained the situation (as did the director of my school) but they informed me that they couldn't extend my visa without the new passport and that I would have to pay an overstay fine after 5th October. I was a little shocked that they suggested this as the only option as it's basically telling me to break Thai immigration law. If my passport took the maximum of 6 weeks to arrive that would mean paying a fine in the region of 15,000 baht plus run the risk of being caught on overstay with no passport. (I have coloured copies of both my visa and every page of my passport, as well as my work permit booklet). And then there's the likely chance that my new passport could take even longer than 6 weeks to arrive.

 

I have a job and responsibilities here that I don't want to have to leave behind. I've though about exiting the kingdom on an ETD to Cambodia and then returning again as that would give me the 30 day exemption, but I'm still unsure as to whether that is even doable and the British embassy haven't been very helpful. 

 

I'm in a complete nightmare situation; I'm stressed and completely unsure as to what to do? Nothing is clear and nobody from an official channel seems willing or able to help. 

 

I just wanted to post this here to see if anybody has had a similar experience or can recommend some type of solution/option. 

 

I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this and responds. Thanks in advance.

Edited September 28, 20169 yr by sbatch9

You can obtain an ETD from the British Embassy.

 

https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document

 

Just my opinion and thoughts...

• If you have a police report confirming the lost passport and proof of applying for the replacement it is highly unlikely you would face prosecution for overstay. That said, I wouldn't risk it.
• I assume you originally entered with a Non 'B' but have since extended your permission to stay based on your work and that permission expires on October 5th. Clearly you can't apply for a new extension without the new passport and it would be down to the Immigration office whether or not they allowed you to apply for the extension late having paid the overstay fine. If you do go on overstay you can't legally work.
• If you get an ETD you should be able to exit and re-enter (not all borders) under the Tourist Visa Exempt Scheme (30 days), but if I were you I would take advice form a visa run company as they would know which borders will allow it. If you re-enter as a tourist you cannot legally work.
• If you go the ETD route once you have the new passport you will need to get a new Non 'B' visa from a Thai Embassy/Consulate in a neighbouring country. That will give you permission to stay for 90 days and you can apply for a new 1 year extension within the last 30 (maybe 45) days.

If you are actually on an extension of stay (it is not a visa) obtained at immigration you should of applied for a ETD so that you could apply for your new extension on or before the 5th of October.

Not much help, but my new UK Passport took three weeks to arrive and that was last month .