What can be done when a UK citizen in Thailand faces visa issues due to a stolen passport and is unable to extend her Non-O visa?

Question

I have a young person under my care from the UK who has had her passport stolen, the photo page ripped out, then anonymously returned. A new passport has been applied for but the issue comes with the thai visa.

She entered with a Non-O volunteer visa which must be extended to the full year this December. As she has a damaged passport, this cannot be done. Immigration have said they will not give her a temporary extension until the new passport arrives, and said she must pay the 500b overstay fine every day until her passport arrives. The passport will take around 4-6 weeks making this fine extremely high.

Anyone have any suggestions on what we could ask immigration to encourage them to take pity on her and provide a temporary extension to avoid having to pay the fine? Also, she can’t leave the country to wait it out as she has no ID to travel and needs to be here to collect the new passport in person anyway.

Complicated i know!

Ask Thailand · Answer

A UK citizen in Thailand has faced complications after her passport was stolen and the photo page ripped out. She is currently on a Non-O volunteer visa that needs to be extended by December but cannot do so due to the damaged passport. Immigration authorities require her to pay an overstay fine of 500 baht per day until her new passport arrives, which could take 4-6 weeks. Suggestions from community members include trying to obtain an emergency passport to leave and re-enter, although it could still complicate her situation with the visa extension. Others suggest waiting for the new passport and paying the fines, noting that the maximum overstay fine is 20,000 baht.

Ellie ******* · Answer

Thank you, members. how to get an emergency/temporary passport is out of the scope of this group.

Good luck with OP's youngling.

If you have any questions regarding the visa/extension of this case, please contact one of the moderators to re-open this post.

Roger ******** · Answer

She needs to apply for help from the UK Embassy.

Sefton ******** · Answer

Options are leave to the home country.. or pay the fee.

Getting an extension on a damaged or temporary travel permit is unlikely.

Anton ***************** · Answer

Can't she get a temporary emergency passport and get an extension in that one?

Aydan ******** · Answer

[mention redacted] [mention redacted] As far as I understand, the issue is if she gets an emergency passport to leave, she cannot enter Thailand on that passport to be in country to pick up her passport that’s already set to be handed to her in Bangkok.

Bob ********** · Answer

She can get an emergency travel passport to leave and wait it out

Ellie ******* · Answer

Sadly, visa/extension-wise, she has no other choice but to wait for her new passport and get an extension by paying an overstay fine.

(BTW, the overstay fine itself is a maximum of 20K baht regardless of how long she would be...)

Or if her nationality allows she can get an emergency/temporary passport with which she can travel, not the one that only can go back to her home country like an emergency travel document). She gets one, leaves Thailand, and enters Thailand again doing the whole visa process again from scratch.

What can be done when a UK citizen in Thailand faces visa issues due to a stolen passport and is unable to extend her Non-O visa?

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