What should I do if I can't get an education visa due to a full passport in Thailand?

Aug 16, 2017
7 years ago
Brian *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
The plan was to get my education visa today. I left at Nong Khai and was not allowed into Laos based on a full passport. I have three blank pages (USA passport) but they don't say 'Visa's' like the other pages. It was a hassle to get back into Thailand and they wouldn't give me a new Visa. I am on the final day of my SETV and I already got the 30 day extension. What is the best strategy to keep my Visa good while I get a new passport? Thanks
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user faced an issue obtaining an education visa because they were denied entry into Laos due to a full passport, despite having three blank pages that were not recognized as 'visa pages'. As their current visa is expiring, they seek advice on how to maintain legal status in Thailand while applying for a new passport. Suggested solutions include seeking an emergency travel document from the US Embassy or considering a border run to a nearby country that doesn’t require a full visa page for entry, such as Myanmar. Several commenters provided their experiences and recommendations regarding passport page requirements and emergency travel options.
Tod *********
and now the O/P has enough good information to hustle to the US consulate and apply for a new passport and possibly get the emergency travel document to border-bounce and get a 30 day visa exempt entry stamp while he waits for the passport too..

NOTE: they DO NOT add pages into US passports anymore. :/

To stop this thread from comin' off the rails we're done.
Troy *********
Why did you not know your passport was running out of pages? very silly move mate.
Ivan ************
FFS it looks like it has free pages, how was he to know that blank page doesn't count.
Brian *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
So I was under the impression that I had three full pages left. I always stay on top of my visa situation and take it seriously. This is nobodies fault but my own, however I had no idea those pages were just for show!

I'm flying back to chiang mai in an hour, I have an appointment tomorrow morning at the American consulate. I will get a new passport, I'm not sure yet what will happen until it arrives.
Jeremy ********
the US Embassy is worthless...the Passport they will tell you takes 14 - 21 days but in reality, it takes more like 10 working days...they are held to a higher morality than anyone else so they have to tell you the right thing to do not the obvious thing to do as they do not want to have anything come back to them that could jeopardize their status... Robert Lagas but he can always depart Thailand go to Guam [closest US Territory] pay the expedited fee for a passport get it in 24-48 hours and come back to Thailand...
Robert *******
To avoid overstay after 23 Aug, ask the Consulate for the Emergency Travel Document and use that to get a Visa Exempt stamp or new Tourist Visa. I do not think they can give you a new passport that quick.
Robert *******
Where did you get that information
@Jeremy *******
? He is allowed to stay in Thailandt till 23 Aug according the stamp he showed. He is not on Overstay and the best way to get a new passport is your Consulate or Embassy.
Jeremy ********
the Embassy will be of no help at all, best case scenario don't tell them your visa and overstay situation....because all they will say is you're screwed and you need to turn yourself into the immigration office for processing
Brian *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
This shows my problem. Please be aware of this so it doesn't happen to you. There are an additional two blank pages after this but because they do not say 'Visa's' they don't count.
Ivan ************
Brian and if you are really, really tight, fly to Hong Kong- you can fly reasonably cheap direct from CNX and they don't stamp your passport at all. But I imagine you have space on other pages for four stamps somewhere.
Ivan ************
@Br***
I would look through your passport and see if you have any room at all on other pages. That page on the left, for example, definitely has room for at least one entry/exit stamp, on the top left.

If you do, and I imagine you do, I would then do a border run to Mae Sai/Tachileik. I have in the past got both the Burmese and Thai immigration there to REALLY squeeze stamps into corners of pages, where even some of the stamp was off the page.

Point is- you should be able to do a border run to a country that does not need to affix a full page visa, as long as you can squeeze in four stamps (exit Thailand, enter Myanmar, exit Myanmar, enter Thailand) somewhere.

This is presuming you haven't done two border runs already this year.
Lloyd ********
This passport only has 17 usable pages :-(
Jeremy ********
theres your problem you either have the old Passport or you were cheap and did not pay the extra money to get the 52 page passport...pay the extra money to get the 52 pages next time
Jeremy ********
Take a flight to Malaysia, Indonesia, etc, Guam or the States, go to the Embassy/Post office (Guam) to acquire a new passport and hang out there until it's issued....

or take the over stay at ฿500 per day and run the risk of getting caught....

in Guam or the states you can get a new full 10 year passport via an express service in 24-48 hours for a nominal fee
Jeremy ********
You are wrong they still have the services at a nominal fee...
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Francis ********
There is a big back log on passports because people now need them to go to Canada. People are now renew the ones they got 10 years ago when the law changed
Francis ********
No you can't get it in that time it takes almost 1-2 weeks in the states
Jonny *******
I was in a similar situation in 2013. It's true, they will no longer add pages to your passport, but a new passport takes about two weeks to process. When I had a similar problem, the US embassy issued me an emergency passport. It's processed quickly, valid for only one year, and you have to cancel it when your real (new) passport is fully processed by the embassy after about two weeks.
Noel *************
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Brian *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
I just got a van to Udon, now I need to decide to go to BKK or Chiang Mai (where I've been staying). I am going to school and have all the paperwork for an ED Visa.

Can anyone confirm the extra pages are possible?
Lloyd ********
7 day "refusal" of extension means you HAVE to leave the country at the end of those 7 days.
Brian *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
While I did take a TEFL course which included teaching 6 lessons I am not now nor have I ever worked in Thailand.

I got a 7 day extension in Nong Khai, but I'm not sure how to proceed.
Mike *****
As i understand USA embassey will put extra pages in your passport while you wait.So a quick run to Bangkok
Richard *******
@Lloyd *******
is correct, this was stopped in January 2016.
Lloyd ********
I think they stopped that a few years ago.
Lloyd ********
Your permission to stay runs out today, and you don't have any "stampable" pages left. Possibly an emergency travel document from your embassy, then a border hops while waiting for your new passport.
Lloyd ********
Ellis, you had a "visa" page free, the OP does not.
Ellis ******************************
I was let into Laos with ONE full page left in my passport which was used for the Laos visa.
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