Thailand Visa question No. 235/21: CoE with old and new passport
Questioner: Lonnie
I have previously asked the question of how to proceed when applying for a CoE. It is about applying for a CoE with an old and a new passport. My old passport, stamped to the last page, with a valid residence permit and re-entry permit until May 4, 2022, which I have renewed annually since my 2018 Non-imm O visa, based on retirement. And my new passport, which says on the 1st page that “this passport has been issued to replace the passport number, and then the number. In 3 languages, including English.
I've been in contact with the embassy twice, they say I can't upload 2 passports. To my question from then, July 16, 2021, I received a number of useful answers, such as making a PDF folder of it. This seems possible to me.
But Sander, with his CoE description gave me a new idea, which I would like to know if my thinking is correct?
Can I enter Thailand on a visa exemption on my new passport, and then when I am home in Khon Kaen, have my residence permit and re-entry permit transferred to my new passport? (the re-entry permit may not be that important, although not used, I hope not to have to go back and forth again before May 4, 2022).
So buy a return ticket of 30 days, go to Thailand on my new passport, go to the immigration office in Thailand as soon as possible, have my residence permit transferred, and then change my flight ticket, because I want to stay until the beginning of June.
As I understand it, I do not have to comply with the 40.000/400.000 insurance, and the covid insurance can therefore be taken out for 1 month, although I do not even have to do that, because I still have a valid until January 1, and I hope to travel in November.
If this way is possible and reliable, it would be almost 600 euros cheaper for me to get to Thailand this year. That would of course be very nice. What do you think, can this be done this way, or am I making a fallacy, or are there other catches? Or do you recommend something else?
If anyone else has experience with this, I hope they can comment as well. Many thanks for your answer and also for the answers of any others.
Reaction RonnyLatYa
If the embassy says that it is not possible with two passports … well. Maybe it will work with such a PDF folder.
And otherwise indeed leaving on Visa Exemption is a possibility.
You can then try immigration with your two passports upon entry. At most you can get a no, but it may well be that they will accept that there, I think.
If that doesn't work, try again at your local immigration office and if they also say no, then you should submit a new application there.
Basically whatever you had in mind.
https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/8-1.pdf
Good luck and let us know what the result was.
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Your COE does not state on the basis of which visa it was issued. Only your flight numbers and where you go into quarantine or sandbox.
It seems to me that if you apply for the COE on the basis of a visa exemption and bring your old passport with a valid period of residence, you will simply receive this period of residence again. The relevant immigration officer does not know that the embassy assumed visa free entry when issuing the COE.
You can upload a PDF when applying for the COE. This can consist of several pages.