Hello everyone,

  I have a friend who has a U.S. passport here in Thailand. She has a trip to Laos scheduled next month and she is down to the last pages in her passport. She just heard that immigration will

not apply a VISA on the last pages of her passport as they're not valid pages for VISAs. Has anyone encountered this problem and/or can anyone suggest what she can do? She is praying that the only option is not canceling the trip as she has friends scheduled to come over from the U.S. for the trip to Laos.

 

Thanks in advance,

apply for a new one in Thailand

steve187

 

Hi,

  Thanks for your fast response. Just to make clear, you mean for her to apply for a new U.S. Passport in Thailand right?

1 minute ago, steve187 said:

apply for a new one in Thailand

 

That is what she should do. Check out the US embassy website for details.

 

Start here https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/

 

She can apply for a new passport at the US embassy in Bangkok or the consulate in Chiang Mai. It takes less than 2 weeks to get one.

Info here: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/

I was just in the US embassy in Bangkok and saw a notice that they no longer add pages to passport books, which they did before (I had them add some).  If that is true getting a new passport would seem to be the only option.  The steps for how to do it are clear enough on the website; it takes two weeks to process, and as I remember costs around 3000 baht.  

 

That lead time doesn't include the delay in scheduling an appointment at the embassy to submit the paperwork, which would take as long as it takes depending on how booked up they are.  She might want to look into it now.

3 minutes ago, joninisaan said:

steve187

 

Hi,

  Thanks for your fast response. Just to make clear, you mean for her to apply for a new U.S. Passport in Thailand right?

 

OK thanks for info and fast response. I really appreciate it.

The US stopped adding pages in December 2015.

 

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

That is what she should do. Check out the US embassy website for details.

 

Start here https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/

 

Thank you for your help. Ill let my friend know.

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

She can apply for a new passport at the US embassy in Bangkok or the consulate in Chiang Mai. It takes less than 2 weeks to get one.

Info here: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/

Thanks for your added information. Ill relay it to my friend.

3 minutes ago, honu said:

I was just in the US embassy in Bangkok and saw a notice that they no longer add pages to passport books, which they did before (I had them add some).  If that is true getting a new passport would seem to be the only option.  The steps for how to do it are clear enough on the website; it takes two weeks to process, and as I remember costs around 3000 baht.  

 

That lead time doesn't include the delay in scheduling an appointment at the embassy to submit the paperwork, which would take as long as it takes depending on how booked up they are.  She might want to look into it now.

Thanks  for responding. I was just telling my friend to get added pages as my past passports had additional pages placed in my passport free of charge. Too bad they dont offer this service anymore. I wonder why they stopped it as my friend from the UK was envious of me as they never had that service but U.S citizens had.

There must be information about it online but I've not seen any.  There is a notice posted saying that behind the counter beside the entrance / exit to the US citizen services office in the embassy.

19 minutes ago, honu said:

There must be information about it online but I've not seen any.  There is a notice posted saying that behind the counter beside the entrance / exit to the US citizen services office in the embassy.

Since every 90 days, I do a border hop in Laos as this way I dont have to take off from work as I can go to Laos on Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday which as the immigration office is open only Mon-Fri, my new passport which I got in 2015 will have my pages pretty much all used in 5 years so instead of my passport being good for 10 years, it will be good for only about 5 years. Bummers.

It is possible to get a passport with additional pages in it initially, per that being mentioned on the notice.  It wasn't clear if I could have did that (I didn't know about the change in time anyway), or if for some reason that version isn't available when renewal is processed overseas.  

 

I saw that notice of the change during the process of renewing my passport; there was nothing on the local embassy pages about it.

Getting extra pages is illegal now (US). Have to get new one.


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I just received my new US passport from the consulate in Chiang Mai.  $110 and was processed in a week.  Additional pages are no longer available, but the new passport has more pages.

 

The consulate in CM is fast and friendly.  No pictures of the new president-as some people have asked!