Answered3 years ago
What can I do about my passport filling up with immigration stamps while traveling in and out of Thailand?
Any way around this? I fly in and out of Thailand every month. I am on an LTR remote working. Every month I get stamped in until 2028. But my passport is filling up with stamps. Any ideas to get around this? Thanks
Answer summary
The post discusses the issue of passports filling up with immigration stamps for individuals frequently traveling in and out of Thailand, particularly on an LTR remote working visa. Community members suggest that there is no way around getting stamped at each entry, and they discuss options such as getting a new passport with more pages, asking immigration officers to use existing stamp pages, or using post-it notes to indicate stamp preferences. The conversation includes insights on the challenges of managing passport stamps and the regulations regarding extra passport pages.
53 repliesnewest first
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Paul *******
I travel, mostly to neighboring countries and almost always by land, nearly every month. This means either stamps or stamps + visas, so my passport fills up within around 3 years. Sometimes i visit 3 or 4 countries on one trip. I do try to use e-visas where possible (if available) to save pages, even if they are sometimes slightly more costly than paying in cash on arrival. However, the cost of replacing a passport due to becoming full is much higher than the extra US$6 an e-visa might cost.
Ivan ************
If you can get them to do 8 stamps per page that would be 3 pages per year presuming monthly travel to Singapore or Netherlands where they don't stamp passports. Stick a post it on the page you'd prefer they use, they won't always do it but it increases the chances. You can ask nicely as well, don't complain if they don't but if you ask they may help. Also if your passport is filling up, they can go back and put the stamps on older pages, there's no rule they always have to go forward.
John-Paul ******
Large US Passport Book come with 50 visa pages. Loose picture actually difficult to see unlike older ones with actual color pics. And where is the eagle on above the pic page? Shame it is gone.... not as pretty.
Michael *******
I wish i had that problem.
Chris ****
I would like to know how to get officers to stamp on a page that already has stamps while not alienating them or risking rejection. Let us know if you figure out the right words and action to do this.
Ivan ************
@Chris ********
post it note on the page you'd prefer them to use and ask nicely, I have done this when near full and never had a problem.Paul *******
@Ivan ***********
You can tell them. However, normally they aren't allowed to stamp over existing old stamps.Paul *******
@Ivan ***********
Correct and that has been my experience too. Lao immigration is similarly flexible. Some other countries may be less so.Ivan ************
@Paul ******
yes they won't stamp over an existing stamp. But often will squeeze on an existing page if there is just about room. I have several pages in my old passport when it was getting close with 8 stamps, which is the max that will possibly fit, because I asked around that time if they could squeeze them in.Chris ****
@Paul ******
cool. Before Covid the pages were filling up fast. In Vietnam I asked if they could use an existing page with room. Had it prepared…so they stamped me on a new page to put me back in line lol.
Eri ************
I ask to stamp an arrival stamp (triangle one) at the corner of the page😆
Say "passport pages are expensive" officers are usually nice.
Say "passport pages are expensive" officers are usually nice.
Av **********
Get a new passport
Frank **********
Stop traveling so much 5555.
Jo **********
OP@Frank *********
i would love too but that’s my workPaul *******
@Jo *********
What do you do?Jo **********
OP@Paul ******
advanced water treatment for big citiesFrank **********
@Jo *********
I understand. I just joke with you.
Greg *********
Get a 64 page Passport normal is 32 page
Paul *******
@Greg ********
Not an option for Australian passport holders anymore. They scrapped the 64 page passport a few years back. However, Belgium still issues one, but it's like 4 times more expensive than the standard 32 page passport, which is ridiculous!
Garrett ***********
@Greg ********
US passports are all 54 pagesJohn-Paul ******
What country is your passport? If US you CANNOT get extra pages like on old days. You need a new one... large Book. If overseas that takes 4 to 6 weeks to receive.
David *********
@John-Paul *****
ok. Been a long time since I did get extra pages. Just renewed and got extra page book. Took about 2 weeks via mail to US embassy.John-Paul ******
@David ********
took mine 5 weeks to get to me. 2 weeks?! Who did you sleep with...lolJo **********
OP@John-Paul *****
i go back to the Netherlands frequently so I can get a new passport in one day. So when it becomes full I can get a new one. would rather not as it’s linked to my work permit in Singapore
Julane *******
@Jo *********
We lived 13 years in SG. Always got our passports directly at our Embassy. Passports filled up fast esp for my husband...every 3 years. You have an IC number that stays with you. When we moved to NL for 2 years, we returned and had the same IC number.
Michael ********
@Jo *********
Doesnt matter with Singapore easy to update and i have 2 passport your IC numbers only really important one which doesnt change
John *******
@Jo *********
do you go back to the Netherlands frequently for work?Jo **********
OP@John ******
yesJo **********
OP@John ******
sureJohn *******
Can I PM you have some questions
Slaninova *********
No any idea, we have the same problem. Many officer they stamp to place which more easy for them not for user. 😅
Milan *******************
Same issue, flying in & out about 10 times in the last 3 months. I ask them every time to find a page that already contains stamps and to use that page instead of a new one
Adrien **********
@Milan ******************
the last office stamped on page 14 when I had only 2 pages left (*****
). Blessing to him.Jo **********
OP@Milan ******************
i go back to the Netherlands frequently so I can get a new passport in one day. So when it becomes full I can get a new one
Carlo ******************
Get a new passport with more pages...
Todd *********
Some countries will do this. Others… not possible
David *********
Not sure if you can send passport off for additional pages, may just have to get new passport and ask for the one with more pages. That is what I did.
Carlo ******************
@David ********
same here...Stuart *********
There is no way around it. You get a stamp on each entry.
Perhaps one day they’ll switch to electronic entry or such but probably not in our lifetime.
Perhaps one day they’ll switch to electronic entry or such but probably not in our lifetime.
Paul *******
@Stuart ********
They already have for Hong Kong and Singaporean passports and will be forced to, by international convention in the years to come. When exactly, who knows, but by 2030, passport stamps will probably become a thing of the past.Besides, I hear Thailand is already issuing e-visas.
Jo **********
OP@Paul ******
exactly i go back to the Netherlands I don’t even need to show my passportStuart *********
@Paul ******
This is a Thai visa site. What they do in Timbuktu is pretty irrelevant for this site.Paul *******
@Stuart ********
To get an extension, all the information is in the computer system, so they would simply present their passports.Paul *******
@Stuart ********
Well, there seems to be quite a few things you're not up to date on.Back around 2017-18, Thailand added Hong Kong and Singaporean passports to the autogate approved nationalities when entering by air through Suvarnabhumi airport and provided they arrive on 30 day visa waivers as part of a trial. I haven't heard of other nationalities being added since, though the plan is to eventually allow just that. Perhaps things were disrupted by Covid, though that isn't really an excuse, considering Thailand apparently managed to rollout e-visas in 2021, which was during Covid.
Laos for its part greatly improved the old temporary vehicle entry procedure during Covid, which was rolled out immediately following their reopening last year. Thailand by contrast did nothing; the old TM
***
/4 forms and the separate 1 page customs form are all still used. They're fine, but the procedure is too slow. Moreover, TM3 and TM4 are largely the same thing, and you have to fill out everything in duplicate! So 8 sheets of paper (TM2 is double sided and requires a signature on the back).Stuart *********
@Paul ******
I’ve never heard of auto gates here. How would a Singaporean get an extension?Paul *******
@Stuart ********
Yes but e-visas have started to be issued haven't they? I have never seen one, because I either get my visas in Laos or via extension in country, but I understand that Thailand does do e-visas, so they're already moving in the direction of no more passports stamps. It's happening and all countries have to abide by the changes the international system makes.
It's a gradual, transitionary process that will take a few years to be completed.
Kuala Lumpur airport now allows some foreigners to use e-gates, meaning
Paul *******
Stuart Cumming Did you misunderstand my comment? Thai immigration doesn't stamp Hong Kong and Singaporean passports arriving on visa exempt anymore if they use the autogates!!
Jo **********
OP@Stuart ********
it’s also like that if you buy something simple like a lamp. Must sit down and get 4 computer print outs.Jo **********
OP@Stuart ********
Stuart you are correct I was just giving you a polite hard time!Stuart *********
@Jo *********
Have you been to a Thai immigration office recently? Same procedures of copy of this, copy of that that they’ve been doing for 20+ years. It’s all computerised but still you need that crap.Jo **********
OP@Stuart ********
not necessarily. What happens elsewhere is very likely to come here. You can stick your head in the sand.Jo **********
OP@Stuart ********
also i need to always keep the paper of the electronic visa with meJo **********
OP@Stuart ********
i thought the same but wanted to be sure 🙏Activity
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