What can I do about my passport filling up with immigration stamps while traveling in and out of Thailand?

@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.

@Ivan ***********

Correct and that has been my experience too. Lao immigration is similarly flexible. Some other countries may be less so.

@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.

Can I PM you have some questions

@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

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!!

@Paul ******

I’ve never heard of auto gates here. How would a Singaporean get an extension?

@Stuart ********

To get an extension, all the information is in the computer system, so they would simply present their passports.

@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).

@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.