I am soooooooo stupid.

[puan]

Need some advice...and what to expect.

As I said....I am sooooo stupid. I have washed my passport. I know...I should have checked my pants pockets.

Status:
I am here on a retirement visa. I am in Pattaya.
I have been to the US Embassy and have ordered new, replacment passport due to arrive in a few days.
Condition of the old, washed passport is that the cover photo page is ok but almost all of the the stamps from Pattaya Immigration are smeared and not legible. I have photocopies of some of the stamps but not all. The departure card ok but the stamped date not legible.

Here is the question:
Has anyone experienced this or knows of someone who has experienced this situation?
What should I expect when I go to Pattaya Immigration with old AND new Passport AND the standard letter from US Embassy that comes with a renewed passport?

Any insights will help me sleep a little better knowing what to be prepared for.
Thanks.

[thewayhelooks]

I got a new Australian passport last month. Last week, I went to Immigration so they could transfer the retirement visas for the last four years into the new passport. There is a form to fill out and copies of my visas and front page of old and new passports to present. I also had to get a stamp in the old passport from my embassy in Bangkok stating that this passport had been cancelled and had been replaced by passport number 123456. Maybe your letter from the US Embassy will suffice. I guess you should explain the situation at the front counter and present them with whatever copies you have of the old visas and see what they say. What is the condition of the stamp they put in on your last arrival in Thailand? I don't know what records they have of your old visas. That's all I can suggest.

[mahjongguy]

I don't think the OP should expect any problems. Immigration will handle it.

One thing to remember: the new passport will have a new number. You will want to provide that to any banks where you have an account.

[RichLB]

Passports are lost/stolen quite often and your embassy will replace it (for a fee). Your washed passport has more information in tact than those who suffer thefts or loss. Immigration will solve the problems you're worried about with no problem.

[Alex]

I agree, it's not a big deal, it happens all the time. As long as your permission to stay doesn't expire while waiting for the new passport, that's nothing to worry about.

[Gaybutton]

What should I expect when I go to Pattaya Immigration with old AND new Passport

When you go to pick up your new passport, the embassy will take your old one, punch holes in it or otherwise invalidate it and give it back to you. So, since apparently you still have the old passport, make sure to take it with you when you go to pick up the new one.

People lose and damage their passports frequently. It's nothing new to the embassy and nothing new to immigration. You don't need to explain anything at all to immigration. You're going to walk in with a new passport. They're going to treat it as a new passport. The embassy letter will be the same letter they give when people get a new passport when the old one will expire. As long as you already have a visa, they'll just transfer your visa to the new passport and put in a replacement departure card. They have your departure card on record and simply print out a new one. If you tell them anything about something lost, just tell them you lost your departure card.

While you're there, do a new 90-day address report. Now they'll have everything they need, including your new passport number, on record and you'll be good to go - with a new passport and 10 year validity, along with 90 days before you have to bother with the address report.

[christianpfc]

That makes me wonder: what happens to banknotes when you wash them, and is there a paper and ink that would survive washing machine?

(Related not so funny story: a Thai friend has a passport but is not aware of it's importance*. He once spilled liquid on it, and now you can see water damage and brown color. That might be one of the reasons why he was not granted a visa to Europe to visit his boyfriend there. *Not just his passport. His salary letter (or how do you say in English?) from last month looks as if a bus has driven over it.)

[mahjongguy]

... is there a paper and ink that would survive washing machine?

Most countries' banknotes are more cloth than paper. They survive a wash fairly well. At the very least, they will still be good enough to exchange at a bank.

[Gaybutton]

Considering that it costs US $100 for a passport, wouldn't it be nice if they make them waterproof? I would think most people needing a new passport because of damage, it was probably water that caused the damage - whether accidentally laundering them, getting caught in a heavy rain, swimming with it, somehow just accidentally dropping it into water, or whatever.

[Alex]

I think the main problem are the stamps. The ink will bleed, making the stamps illegible and soiling visa stickers. The passport as such seems to survive a spin in the washing machine pretty well.

As for bank notes, and Thai ones in particular, I've washed them by accident (loose change put in my back pocket) on more than one occasion. They feel a bit different after drying them, but remain intact.