Can I transfer my DTV visa to a new passport when my old one is full?

@Stuart ********

that’s not how it works in Thailand.

@Seb *******

you are confused about the difference between an EXTENSION OF STAY <- which can be transferred to a new passport

and

a real VISA from a thai consulate outside the country <- which CANNOT be transferred to a new passport

@Tod ********

I transferred a visa to a new passport 2 years ago because the original had to be handed in upon renewal. That was done at the immigration office in Chaengwattana with a letter from the embassy confirming a passport swap. If you get a new passport outside of Thailand that’s a situation I can’t speak to. Especially if your country lets you keep the old passport and cuts a corner off. Some won’t let you do that.

@Seb *******

you didn't move a visa 😛 if you look at your stamp it will say "extension of stay" you can't move visas

and you CAN use passports no matter if they're cut OR cancelled to show a valid visa and get stamped in on a new passport as long as the old visa is valid for

I don't know any country that makes you turn IN an old passport when you renew, US punches holes in them,UK cuts the corners but they give them back to you. I have 4 or 5 old US passports

@Tod ********

it was a new 1Y ED Visa obtained at the Embassy abroad. The passport got severely damaged by a stupid TG checkin agent in Phuket three months later. 🙄 Emailed them for instructions and was told to get a letter from the Embassy and bring the new passport to the office. They didn’t print a new label, but put a stamp in it that lasted for the remaining 9 (well 8 at that point) months. The passport was retained at the Embassy in BKK and I wasn’t allowed to keep it. Should have used my German one because with them it’s indeed not a problem. Will see how this works in 3.5 years when the one with the DTV expires and 1.5Y remaining validity being left on it.

never seen that happen, you're lucky, AND immigrations usually doesn't fool with that at all It'd be an MFA thing because they are the ones that run the consulates that sell the visas and immigrations wouldn't have any way to check that you had a year long multi-entry visa from a thai consualte, only MFA would

Keep in mind that ONE isolated instance is hardly a blanket statement that they transfer VISAS to passports 🙁 😉

How about we chalk your experience up to some aberration and leave it at that?

Immigrations inside the country doesn't move VISA stickers to new passports, you show BOTH passports to get in/out of the country for the duration of the visa in the old passport

@Toni ******

you are confused, VISA stickers cannot be transferred to a new passport. You can transfer EXTENSIONS OF STAY stamps, re-entry permit stamps, but not visas

@Tod ********

what do you mean by visa sticker? Theres no visa on my passport, only entry stamp.

@Toni ******

you cannot transfer a VISA to a new passport period, That transfer stamp form is to transfer EXTENSIONS of STAYS

@Tod ********

ah you mean the passport number in visa?

@Toni ******

how about you post an image of a stamp they transferred to a new passport

@Tod ********

what stamp? Entry stamp? Thats the only stamp i have

@Tod ********

i could ask tomorrow when i drive past, but that wouldnt be ebough either.. how about if i record audio?

@Toni ******

nope, I mean they don't move visas, they move extensions of stays at the immigration office, that's it

@Andrew ******

you are confusing a yearly extension of stay with a real VISA, the only VISA they transfer to a new passport is Elite

@Andrew ******

Advise me how I can be incorrect. The DTV is a 5 year visa. Either sticker or PDF via email. What can they transfer?

@Stuart ********

so have you ever actually transferred a visa to a new passport when your current passport expires? I’ve done it 3x

@Andrew ******

I don't believe you've EVER transferred a VISA to a new passport unless you hold an Elite visa (that is the only sticker visa that they move to a new passport)

I think you MIGHT have transferred an extension of stay from the immigration office from one passport to a new one

@Tod ********

I had a visa, my passport expired. Got a letter from my embassy + new passport. Took it to immigration, visa was transferred. I had to do that 2x once in a 1 month period because I needed a temporary passport to renew my visa in time and then when my new passport arrived I had to transfer again. Il try to find my old passport and upload a picture of it. It may very well be an extension of stay based off the visa I had, not debating that.

Thanks for being diligent and calling me out almost 24 hours later 🫡

@Andrew ******

doubtful you had a VISA transferred but you could have had the ENTRY STAMP from the original visa along with an extension of stay transferred 🙂

sorry I just noticed this train wreck of a thread full of mis-information so was going down the list of commenters

nothing personal 😛

@Tod ********

but also this stamp for immigration

@Andrew ******

that looks like the entry stamp from the previous passport

being moved to the new one

@Tod ********

I just checked. You were correct, I need to carry the previous passport aswell according to the stamp.

@Andrew ******

Yep, that is the stamp the embassy gives you saying you swapped passports in country

and

that is what lets any valid visa from the old passport be used when you enter, by showing both passports when you stamp in and they stamp you in on the new passport

Sorry to have replied so late to your comment, i will try to be more attentive 🙂

Take care thanx for responding (y)

@Andrew ******

I can guarantee you 99% that you have never transferred a visa from an old passport to a new one. The 1% is there because of if it was a visa issued in country it could have been transferred.

I suspect what you are referring to is transferring an extension of stay stamp put in your passport by immigration in Thailand and having that transferred.

Many people confuse the fact that they came here with a visa and now have a stamp that it’s still the “visa” that they are on. They aren’t. That visa was used and is done and dusted. They are on extension of stays granted by immigration. Those stamps are transferable.

@Gerry *******

What can they transfer? They cant transfer a sticker. They can’t update the PDF evisa that was sent if you via the evisa system.

They can and will transfer extention of stat stamps issued in Thailand and indeed visas issued in Thailand but cant transfer visas issued abroad from the MFA.

@Stuart ********

I've never done it. but it's very well documented.

Do you really think they can't update their systems to relate an existing visa to a new passport number?

The PDF isn't the visa. The visa is in the database.

When we're all going through the auto gates at BKK (my last exit was through an automatic gate), visa stamps and pdf hard copes become 100% irrelevant.

Most Thai embassies in western countries are already only issuing e-visas.

@Gerry *******

The PDF is 100% the visa. The sticker in your passport - if obtained at a consulate that doesn’t yet use the evisa system - is the visa. Neither can be transferred to a new passport.

There may well be a notification on the immigration computer system about a valid visa in an old passport but 100% I wouldn’t rely on the immigration officer either checking that or even interested in it.

You use both passports until the visa expires.

@Stuart ********

auto immigration gates can't read your pdf or sticker, yet they work almost perfectly...

@Gerry *******

Good luck trying one of those with a new passport and a visa from a old passport. Perhaps miracles will happen. I won’t hold my breath that long.

@Seb *******

cheers.