Visa and Passport complications!

[greenhorn 7]

Hi Gents,

 

Seeking some advice for a "friend" in need/trouble.

 

Has 15 days left on his visa and didn't realise his passport expires in April, so doesn't have 6 months left on it...

So can't exit the country to renew visa.

 

What are his best options (hopefully precluding flying).

 

Any help and advice will be truly appreciated.....

 

Regards,

 

Gh.

[MM 6,562]

From what country is the passport? He might be able to renew his passport at his country's embassy here in Thailand within the 15 days.

 

Depending on the visa type, he might also apply for an extension at the local immigration office.

 

I think we need more information.

[greenhorn 7]

He's a British passport holder. Apparently the Embassy has farmed out passport matters to Consuls? Is that correct?

He is currently on a retirement visa.

He's unfortunately let his acct slip below 800k for 3 months.

[papillon 695]

He's a British passport holder. Apparently the Embassy has farmed out passport matters to Consuls? Is that correct?

He is currently on a retirement visa.

He's unfortunately let his acct slip below 800k for 3 months.

 

I think Bangkok has transferred passport renewals to Hong Kong. I had to fly back to England when my passport ran out of pages because HK would have taken too long to process it.

[Siam Sam 964]

Time to go to the Embassy.

[greenhorn 7]

Thank you for the bad news..... I guess this is heads up to all retirees who forget to maintain their acct b

alances and fail to keep their passports up to date.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Thank you for the bad news..... I guess this is heads up to all retirees who forget to maintain their acct b

alances and fail to keep their passports up to date.

 

Does he not have any regular income from the UK at all?

[greenhorn 7]

Retired chap with pensions....

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Retired chap with pensions....

 

If he has pensions, it's irrelevant that his Thai deposits dropped below 800k as long as his combined income (deposit and pensions) meets the 800k threshold. All he requires is a letter from the Brit Embassy confirming the amount of his pensions (original paperwork needed to confirm the income) and a letter from his bank/copy of passbook entries confirming his balance.

 

IIRC, if you are applying for an extension based on a 'combination of income and funds', there is no minimum seeding period for the "funds" part. Don't quote me though.

 

A quick trip to see the nice guys at immigration would be my first port of call.

[jacko 8,822]

Hi Gents,

 

Seeking some advice for a "friend" in need/trouble.

 

Has 15 days left on his visa and didn't realise his passport expires in April, so doesn't have 6 months left on it...

So can't exit the country to renew visa.

 

What are his best options (hopefully precluding flying).

 

Any help and advice will be truly appreciated.....

 

Regards,

 

Gh.

What type of Visa are we talking of here?

He most certainly can exit the country if the passport has not expired........ but with under 6 months on it he may not be able to enter another foreign country. He could go ahead and renew his retirement extension although the money in the bank may not be sufficient, does he have a pension income to supplement the 800k retirement requirement? My thoughts being, renew retirement extension, then send off for a new British passport. It is all done by mail and he can stay in Thailand...then when the new passport arrives, the retirement extension is simply transferred.

 

If immigration are unwilling to extend the retirement visa into the old passport, with just 6 months validity, then appeal to them for a solution, or go see an agent like Key Visa. Generally Immigration are prepared to be helpful in these cases.

 

Time to make some effort!

Edited December 9, 2012 by jacko

[greenhorn 7]

Thanks for the advice.... I'll forward it on to him....

[Grandpollo 366]

He's a British passport holder. Apparently the Embassy has farmed out passport matters to Consuls? Is that correct?

He is currently on a retirement visa.

He's unfortunately let his acct slip below 800k for 3 months.

 

Consulates are always the place where passport and visa matters are dealt with unless there is only an embassy in a country in which case there will be a consular section inside the embassy.

 

I am not sure every country has the 6 month rule. Use TIMATIC to see. I suspect he'd be able to fly to HK and do this.

 

Jacko makes a lot of sense unless the 6 month requirement applies to retirement visa extensions to the Thai immigration department.

 

A final option is to get a friend in the UK to do the renewal for him by sending the old passport and the application and a letter authorizing that and using only FedEx or DHL to send it. Less than flying anywhere. That would only make sense if the Thai immigration want a valid passport as part of the visa renewal. If they don't care then Jacko's advice works.

[jacko 8,822]

Consulates are always the place where passport and visa matters are dealt with unless there is only an embassy in a country in which case there will be a consular section inside the embassy.

 

I am not sure every country has the 6 month rule. Use TIMATIC to see. I suspect he'd be able to fly to HK and do this.

 

Jacko makes a lot of sense unless the 6 month requirement applies to retirement visa extensions to the Thai immigration department.

 

A final option is to get a friend in the UK to do the renewal for him by sending the old passport and the application and a letter authorizing that and using only FedEx or DHL to send it. Less than flying anywhere. That would only make sense if the Thai immigration want a valid passport as part of the visa renewal. If they don't care then Jacko's advice works.

The key thing to remember is that if you renew your UK passport while in Thailand, you actually only need send them copies and can retain your original.... you send package off to Hong Kong and then they send it off to the UK...the new passport arrives in Thailand directly from the UK, and Hong Kong waste more of your money by sending a receipt by courier to you. Edited December 11, 2012 by jacko

[Paul BRS 64]

Renewed my non im. B. visa last week. My passport expires next year Sept. So they only gave me 11 months.

 

I was under the impression that Honk Kong could supply a new passport and was going to take a trip there. No i hear they send it to the uk i will do it via post.

 

Paul.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

I am not sure every country has the 6 month rule. Use TIMATIC to see. I suspect he'd be able to fly to HK and do this.

 

 

HK only requires validity to cover your stay - up to a maximum 6 months.

 

I believe the visa/permission to stay situation is that the actual visa can be valid beyond the expiry date of the passport, but the permission to stay, either initial or extension, cannot ... i.e. you can be issued a 1-year multi entry visa on a passport with only six months validity, but your permission to stay will not exceed the validity date of your passport. Of course, the same visa can be used with the new passport.

Edited December 11, 2012 by CheshireTom

[greenhorn 7]

Thanks chaps for all the advice.

My friend's Thai visa was renewed at the border for only 15 days. He had 5 months left of his passport. So he didn't have the luxury of renewing in Thailand (sending it to HK? Philipines?), as it would have taken too long.

 

He returned to UK, touching down at LHR at 6am.... off to the passport office in Victoria for 11am.. issued new passport 3-4pm. Didn't fancy using the Thai Embassy, think he said there was a 4-7 day turn around on the visa. So he booked an appointment at the Thai Consulate Hull, and was in and out in 30 mins with a Multiple Entry visa.....

 

Thanks again.

[jacko 8,822]

All is well that ends well.

So, until 2023!

[greenhorn 7]

Copy that!

 

Hopefully this is a heads up to other board members.....keep on top of visa and passport dates...

[papillon 695]

Thanks chaps for all the advice.

My friend's Thai visa was renewed at the border for only 15 days. He had 5 months left of his passport. So he didn't have the luxury of renewing in Thailand (sending it to HK? Philipines?), as it would have taken too long.

 

He returned to UK, touching down at LHR at 6am.... off to the passport office in Victoria for 11am.. issued new passport 3-4pm. Didn't fancy using the Thai Embassy, think he said there was a 4-7 day turn around on the visa. So he booked an appointment at the Thai Consulate Hull, and was in and out in 30 mins with a Multiple Entry visa.....

 

Thanks again.

 

Interesting that they allowed him into Thailand with less than 6 months left on his passport.

 

I wonder if they'd have let him continue to get 15 day stamps until his passport expired completely?

[greenhorn 7]

I think he went on an unsuccessful visa run. I think he crossed at Poipet or Savanakhet.... where he was refused entry... then back at Thai border, they saw he had 4-5 days left and then issued a 15 day visa.... so he could sort himself out.

[papillon 695]

I think he went on an unsuccessful visa run. I think he crossed at Poipet or Savanakhet.... where he was refused entry... then back at Thai border, they saw he had 4-5 days left and then issued a 15 day visa.... so he could sort himself out.

 

I've done many border runs for 15 day stamps and thought that should be what happened.

 

He was very lucky the Thais let him back into Thailand after stamping him out. He was stuck in 'No Man's Land' between the two border checkpoints.

 

He was very lucky not to end up in a Thai Immigration Detention Centre waiting to be deported.

[greenhorn 7]

I think he still had 4 or 5 days left on his visa......a bit close to the wire...

[papillon 695]

I think he still had 4 or 5 days left on his visa......a bit close to the wire...

 

Yes, it's crazy. British citizens should be allowed to travel to any country without needing any visa

[greenhorn 7]

There was a time......when the sun never set on the Empire...