Renewing a US passport.

[migrant]

I need to do this and, of course, it's been 10 years since I last renewed. Do they send you the old passport back? If not what about the Thai visa stamped in there, etc?

When I went in to renew my visa last Nov they only renewed it until my passport expired so I need to renew the passport and the visa so worry if they don't return the old passport what I need to do.

Thanks!

[PeteC]

Yes, they return the old passport. In fact, they may give it back to you on the spot with the cancel stamp in it. Truthfully I forget the exact procedure and it well may have changed as has been 9 years for me. They mail you (EMS) the new passport so cancelling the old one has to happen while you're there, or....they send it back with the new one.

I guess good idea to make copies of what you need to carry with you before you go to the Embassy.

Check the Embassy web site as all details there, as well as the appointment procedure.

[PeteC]

Further.....when you go to Thai immigration with the new passport, they'll use most of the first page with a large special stamp with the data from the old passport. They have to switch over your arrival card (TM6) and note your arrival details on this first page, your old passport number etc., as your entry stamp is now gone and lives in the old passport. I forget if there is a fee for this, there probably is.

[HHTel]

Covered that procedure at the beginning of the year. 500 baht for the transfer. It was the same 10 years ago!!

[migrant]

Thanks Guys!! They said it could be done all by mail, and I have time, so will give it a go

[PeteC]

I have to do the same after New Year, and I'm assuming Covid will still be with us. Let us know how the mail-in procedure goes if that is what you choose to do, and any niggles with the process of course.

[HHTel]

I didn't know you could do the immigration procedure by mail. I renew my passport via KeyVisa who provides an excellent service. You only need to leave the house once to EMS the package at the post office.
KeyVisa does the rest including the Embassy verification letter and you receive the new passport by mail.

I realise this is about a US passport and I think that KeyVisa only handle UK passports but I'm not certain. If not, I'm sure there must be an equivalent agent doing the same for US passports....... I may be wrong of course.

[benmo]

I use Hua Hin thai visa services. They pick up at house. Excellent service

[KhunLA]

Easy enough to do by self, just follow instructions on website. Imm transfer of old visa used to be a free service, though heard of many being charged for it. Last time I did it, 8 ish yrs ago, tried to charge me and I refused to pay, knowing it was listed as a free service. May have changed since then.

[migrant]

It looks pretty easy

how-to-passport-by-mail_brochure.pdf

(454.75 KiB) Downloaded 17 times

[Scout]

Thanks Guys!! They said it could be done all by mail, and I have time, so will give it a go

This last early December, in preparation for renewing my annual “permission to stay”, based upon my original OA visa, I bought my annual Thai health insurance policy. The policy commenced on my original entry date, January 10th. As soon as I had my insurance certificate, 1st week of December, I assembled my renewal package and only then noticed my Passport would expire on March 3rd. Panicked, I researched renewal options, verified that renewal by mail is the ONLY option (trip to Embassy is not an option). I was concerned that with holidays and all, my new passport would not arrive prior to my January 10th immigration renewal deadline. I decided to apply for my renewal using my old, soon to expire passport. The immigration officer immediately caught this and informed me that my options were to renew my passport first, or to renew my annual “permission to stay” which would now expire on my passport expiration date, March 3rd. Being worried about how long it would take for my new passport to arrive, I decided to pay the 1900 baht to renew my permission to stay until March 3rd in order to buy more time. I also immediately mailed my old passport of to be renewed. Less than 3 weeks later, around Christmas, my new passport arrived, along with my old, cancelled, passport. I then took my new passport (and old) to immigration to have my old visa information transferred to the new passport. The copy lady was very helpful in getting me the proper form and required copies. The fee for the transfer was 500 baht. In my 8 years here dealing with Hua Hin immigration, this is the only transaction I’ve ever had for which I did not receive a receipt.

I then assembled my 2nd renewal package and proceeded back to immigration. This time I was processed by one of the trainee girls, who immediately picked up on my insurance certificate expiring on January 10th 2022. She pointed this out to me, then renewed my permission to stay to also expire on January 10th 2022. This cost me a 2nd 1900 baht fee. Bottom line, the passport renewal by mail worked flawlessly and was completed within the time they advertise on the website despite the holiday season. For a brief few weeks my Thai immigration renewal date shifted from January 10th to March 3rd, then back to January 10th.

[brianks]

I live in the South so did Passport renewal less than a year ago by mail. Took two weeks and new passport returned with old one and a letter to immigration to transfer the information to the new passport. Took it to immigration and information was transferred to new passport at NO CHARGE.

It's easy. Just follow the instructions on the Embassy website.

[migrant]

Thanks All!!

[Jack_Batty]

I did it in January and I couldn’t believe how easy it was. Thai Post had my packet delivered at the US Embassy five hours after I dropped it off at the post office, and I had my new passport delivered to my front door about 12 days later.