I have been thinking about this as some people talk about transferring the stamp into a new passport.

I asked during my last 90 day report if it was possible to get an extension in my old passport, valid until Sept this year, then I would come to Immigration with my new passport to have the stamp transferred. Answer: No way. You need a passport that has a validity of at least one year after your application.

So I got a new passport 5 months before expiry date. When at the Immigration office they had to transfer more things than just putting a new stamp in my new passport, maybe that explains the difference.

SanukJoe wrote: I asked during my last 90 day report if it was possible to get an extension in my old passport, valid until Sept this year, then I would come to Immigration with my new passport to have the stamp transferred. Answer: No way. You need a passport that has a validity of at least one year after your application.

Interesting answer SJ.

It is contrary to my understanding, and hopefully incorrect, as I will be applying for an extension in September for a passport which expires in May 2015.

Does anyone else have recent experience of obtaining a 12 month extension (or not) in a passport which had less than 12 months validity at the time of the application?

Logically, I cannot see that Thai Immigration would give a visa extension that would be valid beyond the expiry date of your passport. I would think it highly unlikely, if not inconceivable; unless possibly they just didn't notice the passport expiry date.

(When I am doing my 90 day reports, they [even] restrict the next reporting date to the expiry date of my visa, if it would fall after my visa expiry date.)

Incidentally, I renewed my UK passport a couple of months back, in anticipation of its expiry late September 2014. My visa expires early September. When presenting the old and new passports for the visa details etc to be transferred to the new passport, no fee was due or charged, which I've always understood to be the case.

jackspratt wrote:

SanukJoe wrote: I asked during my last 90 day report if it was possible to get an extension in my old passport, valid until Sept this year, then I would come to Immigration with my new passport to have the stamp transferred. Answer: No way. You need a passport that has a validity of at least one year after your application.

Interesting answer SJ.

It is contrary to my understanding, and hopefully incorrect, as I will be applying for an extension in September for a passport which expires in May 2015.

Does anyone else have recent experience of obtaining a 12 month extension (or not) in a passport which had less than 12 months validity at the time of the application?

Copied from Thai Visa,


According to the New Regulation from August 13, 2013,
when submitting application for Visa Extension if the validity of passport of the applicant is not longer than one year left before expiry,
the extension of stay will be permitted not exceeding the expired date of passport.
After the renewal of your passport of obtaining a new passport,
you have to re-apply for Visa Extension by submitting required document and paying extension fee ( 1,900 Baht ).
In case of overstay, the fine is 500 Baht per day.

jackspratt wrote:

SanukJoe wrote: I asked during my last 90 day report if it was possible to get an extension in my old passport, valid until Sept this year, then I would come to Immigration with my new passport to have the stamp transferred. Answer: No way. You need a passport that has a validity of at least one year after your application.

Interesting answer SJ.

It is contrary to my understanding, and hopefully incorrect, as I will be applying for an extension in September for a passport which expires in May 2015.

Does anyone else have recent experience of obtaining a 12 month extension (or not) in a passport which had less than 12 months validity at the time of the application?

Yes, They will only extend up to the end date of you Passport

OK, that makes sense.

I guess you then just make a new application when you get your new passport, which will take you up to the balance of the 12 months ie the date of the visa.

So the choice becomes whether to "waste" the balance of your passport validity, or pay the fee for the "extra" extension.

So the choice becomes whether to "waste" the balance of your passport validity, or pay the fee for the "extra" extension.

No, not so.

Certainly as far as UK passports go, one can renew them up to 6 months early, thus the new passport will extend for 10 years from the original expiry date of the one its replacing. I would think Oz passports will be the same. In which case you extend your Thai visa on it's normal expiry date.

Also that way was cut off, when I asked the Dutch embassy to supply a passport starting at the old expiry date, not possible, so I lost 5 months of validity. Is not too bad as the new passport is valid for 10 years.

I asked the officer of Udon Immigration exactly this: Can I have an extension until Sept 14 (expiry date passport) and then come again with my new passport and new application (including 1900 baht)? Answer: No, extension is for one year and should be stamped in a passport that is valid during the time of the extension.

I think in general the best way is to ask the local Immigration office.

I have just compared my previous (cancelled) Oz passport with my current one. The previous one expired in October 2008, but because it was nearly full, and I was traveling a lot for work, I renewed it in May 2005.

The new one is valid from May 2005 - May 2015.

Decisions, decisions.

Brian, thanks. I had a feeling it was now 9 months, but I couldn't quickly find the answer so went with the 6 months.

Re SanukJoe's point, - there is nothing to stop anyone applying for a visa extension of less than one year, - e.g. 3 months, 6 months, or 9 months. The application form asks how long you want. It doesn't specify one year.

Arjay, did you ever try that successfully? Or anyone else for that matter?

It might be a bit silly to pay 1900 baht for a 4 months extension.....

A few years back I had to apply for a new passport over 1 year early because the current one was full.
My new passport ran/runs from July 2009 to April 2020....ie.10 years and 9 months,so I got most of my lost time back,if that helps ?

SJ, I have experienced it in the context of Non Imm B and Non Imm Ed visas. When the my employer/school hadn't got their act together with work permit paperwork, I was given a 1 month extension to allow them more time. On another occasion they gave only 6 months to coincide with some other event (that I can't recollect).

My daughter has been given less than 1 year on her education visa.

With my own Non Imm "O" I have always applied for the max 1 year.

The application form asks how long you want. I see no reason why one can't apply for a shorter period, to coincide with the expiry of something like a passport. Noted that one would be paying 1900 baht for the shorter period.

Zidane wrote:A few years back I had to apply for a new passport over 1 year early because the current one was full.
My new passport ran/runs from July 2009 to April 2020....ie.10 years and 9 months,so I got most of my lost time back,if that helps ?

I had a similar experience with current Passport......Issue date Sept 2008/ Expiry date June 2019.
I will be 78 then....hope things will have changed by then, regarding two trips to BKK

SanukJoe wrote:

kopkei wrote:the 500 baht for transferring the visa to the new passport was also all ready coffee fund money ...
as they did this with me too and no receipt ....the visa transfer is supposed to be free....TIT...

You got this a bit wrong. It's not about transferring the visa to a new passport. It's about transferring the old passport dates to the new passport, i.e. stamping, writing info about the previous extensions, officially declaring the new passport for valid.
I remember last time new passport, in Nongkhai, they wanted me to go to the office, let me wait a while, then transferred necessary info to the new passport, paid also 500 baht.

Paid the said fee also and no receipt,should have complained and tis me again on forum

pomps wrote: ................ and tis me again on forum

You have been reported to the mods for using a highly deceptive, alternative ID on the forum.

Several years ago in Bangkok, at renewal I moved my renewal date to one month earlier for personal convenience. They cooperated in giving me an 11 month extension that time.

Had stamps transferred from the old passport to the new one very recently. No need to fill out any forms, but did hand over a 500. Much better to receive a wai from the immigration officer (!) than to worry about hassles at a later date.

For what it is worth ... I went to extend my Non-Immigration Visa - "Retirement" this morning. For the first time in 7 years I had to produce my savings account bank book updated as of today in addition to today's letter from the bank verifying what the current balance is and has been for the past three months. I had to go back to the bank and deposit some money in the account so that the bank book would reflect a balance as of today, not as of last month, in addition to the previous bank letter issued 30 minutes earlier. All ended well but you may want to consider this in your preparations.

Pop's here, been awhile but will do a bit of posting today. Did my Retirement 1 yr extension today. I n and out in 15 mins.
Here's what I had, by the I'm an American so this may not be the same for other countries.

1. Copy of passport (1st page and pages with the Non-O visa stamped and your last extension)

2. Income statement (Certified) from the American Embassy.

3. Map showing how to get to my house (residency)

4. COPY OF MY YELLOW BOOK.

5. Form TM 7 completed with photo attached.

They had me sign papers that I understand the requirements needed for extension and the laws/penalties for overstaying.

That all she wrote. If your Income Statement from the Embassy doesn't add up to the require monthly income, then you will need your bank book and statement from the bank.

Now this is my experience, you could have a different experience than I.