TB Immigration Information Letter No. 059/23: Immigration Nakhon Sawan and transferring from old to new passport
Reporter: Nico
For information: My retirement visa expired on October 31st. I applied for a new passport in September 2023 and received it in October 2023.
I then went to the Immigration Office in Nakhon Sawan with my old and new passport. In addition to the usual forms, I also had to complete the TRANSFER STAMP TO NEW PASSPORT FORM and then the retirement visa was renewed.
No request was made for a letter from the embassy regarding the new passport. Also, the TRANSFER STAMP TO NEW PASSPORT FORM did not ask for additional documents as with the downloadable form (probably because I had already submitted the necessary copies for renewing the retirement visa).
I can send a copy of the TRANSFER STAMP TO NEW PASSPORT FORM issued by the Immigration Office in Nakhon Sawan if requested. It differs slightly from the downloadable form.
Reaction RonnyLatYa
Thanks.
As I thought, that letter from the embassy is no longer required. Since last year I thought. The forms on the general immigration website are used, but it often happens that a local version is also available. Everyone should even check in their local office to see if that is the case.
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Transfer costs in Hua Hin. Prachuap Khiri Khan 500 baht without proof…
Of course without proof because it is normally free.
When I renewed my BELGIAN passport and asked the embassy to attach 'the confirmation letter that the passport was genuine', I was informed that this was no longer necessary. This was 1 year ago.
During the conversion from old to new, Chumphon immigration, this was no longer requested. The conversion was free.
As a Belgian, I also had my retirement visa transferred to my new passport at Immigration Nakhon Ratchasima last July. The Belgian embassy did not issue any document for Immigration, except for the old and new passport. Immi didn't ask for it either.
The document 'Transfer stamp to new passport' that is on the general immigration website was completed by me in advance and issued together with the old and new passport. That was enough.
The transfer was free of charge.
In my Dutch passport, comments were placed in box 14 on the page above the ID page: “This passport was issued to replace the passport with number….” In Dutch and English language.
A few months ago I went to immigration Phrae with my old and new passport. I didn't have anything with me other than my passports. So I needed a copy of the complete passport, but because I was on my bike they did that themselves. I had to fill out the transfer stamp to new passport form and then she asked me for a document from the Embassy regarding the new passport. They were going to call me when the passport was ready and I had to bring the document from the Embassy. Three days later I received a call that the passport was ready and that I could pick it up. I handed over the passport application document with photo and fingerprints from the Embassy and had to pay 500 bath (no proof). After this I received my new and old passport back.
It is not even that document that the embassy used to supply with the new passport.
The document in question states that the embassy confirms that the new passport No. …… is the old passport with No. ……. replaces.
The document you have given is only an application for a passport and does not mean anything in itself.
So they just asked for something without knowing what it should actually be… But as long as they are satisfied with it.
And transferring is normally free, but yes... arguing is pointless because then they will come up with something else.
My last valid passport was issued in January 2016 and on page three you can find the details of the old passport.
It can be assumed that the Dutch Embassy does this for everyone who applies for a passport there.
Free and never had any further questions at Immigration in Nakhon Ratchasima with transfer stamp.
Indeed, and that has been the case with Dutch passports for several years. I immediately thought that was a good solution when it was introduced. Good solutions are often simple and one should not always look too far.
It is not only useful when transferring residence data at immigration, but it can also avoid problems with banks if this information is included.
For example, not so long ago I read a story about someone who had problems with their new passport at a Thai bank.
In Belgium (I don't know in the Netherlands) it is not unusual for someone to have 3 first names. The one chosen by the parents and then supplemented with usually the first names of godfather and godmother.
Depending on your town hall, it may now be the case that you either write the 3 first names in full in the passport, or only write the first 2 first names in full and only the first letter of the third.
What had happened now?
In the old passport the 3 first names were written in full, but in the new passport the municipality had only written in full the first 2 first names and only the first letter of the 3rd.
Not a problem in itself, you would think, until the Thai bank sent a message a while back that they had to present themselves. They wanted a recent facial photo because this is necessary to identify you for online transactions above 50 Baht and because they had probably also seen that the passport they had had expired in the meantime.
A problem arose at the bank when they showed the new passport, because according to the bank there was a different name in the passport because the third first name had been abbreviated to just the letter.
I don't know how it ended up because I haven't read anything since.
But such an entry would probably have solved such a “problem” immediately.
Actually, I don't think it would be such a bad idea to mention that as standard in every passport.