Visa and Passport Question

Anything and everything about Thailand
Post Reply
RichLB
Posts: 1217
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 4:13 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 88 times

Visa and Passport Question

Post by RichLB »

I have to renew my retirement visa in April, but I noticed my passport expires in January 2019. How long must the passport be valid to renew your visa - I hope it's not one year. Also, when I renew the passport, how long does it take to get it back along with the various stamps, TM7, etc.? Does the US Embassy handle the inclusion of those stamps or will it require a trip to immigration. I know I worry needlessly about picayune things, but any answers will relieve my nervousness. Thanks.
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21459
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Visa and Passport Question

Post by Gaybutton »

The passport is required to have at least 6 months validity left.

If you get a new passport, the USA embassy will provide documentation for you to take to immigration. They will also invalidate your old passport, but you will still get to keep it.

With the documentation, your new passport, and though not required, you might as well bring your old passport anyway, a trip to immigration will be necessary and they will restore everything necessary to your new passport - no fees.

In other words, it's very simple, but it does require going to immigration.

Also, you can apply for a new passport at a USA embassy outreach, but you will still have to go to the embassy in Bangkok to get it once they have it.
puan
Posts: 249
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:56 pm
Has thanked: 29 times
Been thanked: 21 times

Re: Visa and Passport Question

Post by puan »

Gaybutton wrote:Also, you can apply for a new passport at a USA embassy outreach, but you will still have to go to the embassy in Bangkok to get it once they have it.
Or the embassy will mail you the new passport.
User avatar
mahjongguy
Posts: 756
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 1:07 pm
Has thanked: 19 times
Been thanked: 55 times

Re: Visa and Passport Question

Post by mahjongguy »

When you go to renew your annual extension and your passport expires in less than one year, the new extension will end on the expiration date of the passport. If you purchase a Re-Entry Permit, that too will expire along with your passport.

So, if you renew in April, on your current passport, you will lose about three months of extension. That's only 25% of the 1,900 baht fee, no big deal, but it will reset your annual renewal date to January. That may or may not matter to you.

Generally, if only for simplicity's sake, you're better off getting your passport renewed first.
User avatar
2lz2p
Posts: 957
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:08 am
Location: Pattaya, Thailand (Jomtien)
Has thanked: 148 times
Been thanked: 108 times

Re: Visa and Passport Question

Post by 2lz2p »

All responses are correct - I agree with mahjongguy's suggestion to renew your passport before your extension of stay - it will require a trip to the ACS in Bangkok to apply (appointment necessary) for a new passport - you will retain the old one (but, if you arrange for them to mail it to you, it is my understanding they will hold the old passport so it can be cancelled (hole punched in it) and returned with the new one). You can pay the fee for the new passport in US dollar, Thai baht, or credit card if you do it at the ACS in Bangkok (no bank draft requirement as they now do for outreach visits).

The new passport will be available for pick up in about 2 weeks (they send you an email when it is ready - no appointment needed to pick up a new passport - they will then cancel your old one when you pick up the new one). If you are using an Embassy income letter, you could obtain it when you pick up your passport, BUT for the income letter, you will need to make an appointment at ACS. When completing the "letter" - you will need to insert the information from your new passport. When I did this a couple years ago, I made the appointment for the income letter and on arrival also showed the guard out front my email to pick up the passport - they mark off the appointment, but also add your name on another line showing you are picking up a new passport. After getting my new passport, I completed the income letter and went through the notarization process - fee $50 USD or you can use baht or credit card.

When you pick up your passport, they will also give you another letter from the Embassy addressed to Immigration advising that a new passport has been issued - Immigration will require this letter before they will transfer the "information" from your old passport into the new one.

Immigration has an application form (unnumbered) for transferring the information - it requires some information about the old passport and the new one - they will also want photocopies of pages from your old passport (good idea to have the original old passport with you in case they want to compare it to the photocopies) and a photocopy of the face page from your new passport. There is no fee involved and depending on how busy they are, may be able to do it while you wait - or they will tell you what time to come back to pick it up.

When you go in for your annual extension, you will only need photocopies from the new passport - face page and page with the new stamps (the stamps are not identical to the ones in your old passport, but they do include information re your Visa (used when you made your first one year extension of stay), further extensions, and latest entry into Thailand. If you have an existing Re-Entry stamp (single not used or multiple), I'm not sure if they transfer that to the new passport, but if they don't ask them as I believe you can still use it if it has not expired by showing the old passport and the new one when re-entering.

As mahjongguy mentions, if you do your renewal using your old passport, your extension of stay will be until the expiration date of the old passport - and you will pay the 1,900 baht fee. This will also be your next annual renewal of your extension date - when you will go through the renewal process again and the fee will be another 1,900 baht - your next extension will be due one year later.
User avatar
mahjongguy
Posts: 756
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 1:07 pm
Has thanked: 19 times
Been thanked: 55 times

Re: Visa and Passport Question

Post by mahjongguy »

2lz2p nailed every detail.

I can only add this reminder: your new passport will have a different number. You will need to go to the bank branches where you opened your accounts and show them the old and new passports for entry into their system. If not, your next attempt to conduct a transaction will not go well.

You might want to do the same for other accounts in your name, e.g. TrueVisions or your Internet provider.
Up2u

Re: Visa and Passport Question

Post by Up2u »

I just returned from Bangkok, picked up my new passport and got my income affidavit. Everything was like
2lz2p described.
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21459
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Visa and Passport Question

Post by Gaybutton »

2lz2p wrote:You can pay the fee for the new passport in US dollar, Thai baht, or credit card if you do it at the ACS in Bangkok (no bank draft requirement as they now do for outreach visits).
Not only is there no requirement for a bank draft at the USA embassy, they won't even accept a bank draft. The bank draft applies only at outreaches. At the embassy, it's cash or credit card only.

A friend recently found that out the hard way. He had obtained a bank draft for the outreach, but couldn't make it to the outreach. He ended up having to go to the embassy in Bangkok to do whatever he was going to do at the outreach, only to be told they won't accept the bank draft - cash or credit card only.

Why won't the embassy accept the same bank draft they now insist on for the outreaches? Beats me. Just another addition to my "I Don't Get It" list.
Post Reply