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What should I do if I received my Thailand visa in a canceled passport?

Thailand visavisa transfercanceled passportpassport issuestourist visaembassy communication
Jan 15, 2018
7 years ago
Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
HELP!! Im in a mess and don't know what to do...

I applied for a tourist visa by post to thai embassy in London. Royal mail lost my letter so I immediately got a new passport, after my passport was cancelled and my new one came royal mail called saying they found it weeks later and sent it to the embassy.

I've just received my visa but in my now cancelled passport. How do I go about getting this visa in my new passport or do I have to completely reapply? Money's tight so don't want to waste the £35 I paid to get the visa... I called the embassy but no help, I emailed but they are rubbish at replying. I'm leaving in a few weeks so need a solution quick!

Can I send both passports and them transfer the visa to my new passport and then destroy my cancelled one??

Thanks!
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TLDR : Answer Summary
A user faced an issue where their tourist visa was issued in a canceled passport after a delay caused by Royal Mail losing their original application. They sought advice on how to handle this situation, including whether they could transfer the visa to their new passport or had to reapply entirely. Various suggestions from the community included reapplying for the visa, entering Thailand on a visa-exempt entry, and explaining the situation to the embassy. The discussion highlighted the importance of keeping both passports when traveling, as well as the complications surrounding canceled passports and visas.
Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks everyone! Im going to reapply just makes my life easier then and I know where I'm at :)
7 years ago
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Tod *********
At least you still have a couple weeks before your flight here Good Luck
@Em***
, :)
7 years ago
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Tod *********
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Rmala *******
It seems to me that you needed to inform the Thai Embassy that a lost passport may arrive and if so, do not grant visa on ot but that you will be sending in your new passport. In your case what's done is done (and I don't knkw what to do now) nut just putting it down here for future reference of others who may face a similar situation. Regards and hope you find a way out.
7 years ago
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Yaniv ********
Don't think that is true as I still have both my old.passprot with me even after sending them.from Thailand for renew
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@Em***
, I would say if you're unwilling to get another single entry tourist visa you could take
@Jona****
's advice. Fly in on a 30 day visa exempt entry and extend that by 30 more days once you're here for 1900baht.
7 years ago
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Jonathan *******
You can come to Thailand at get the 30 day visa exemption stamp when you land, then extend it at immigration for another 30 days (1,900 Baht) so you can 60 days that way. Maybe that would be easier.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
good suggestion (y)
7 years ago
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Tod *********
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Jonathan ****************
"Examiners should not cut or stamp any pages other than those mentioned above. This should not invalidate any visas contained in the passport but it is the responsibility of the applicant to check whether the visas remain valid for travel."

So unfortunately, if the embassy is saying you need to reapply, it looks like you need to reapply :/

********************************************************************
7 years ago
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Tod *********
Unfortunately the people who said just bring the single entry visa in the old expired passport are wrong :/ The ONLY visa you can have in an expired passport that works for entry is a multi-entry visa that was previously used. That's when you show both passports and get stamped in on the new one but carry the old one until the visa expires
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thai embassy replied to my email saying the opposite what you have all said... now confused!
7 years ago
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Paul **********
Always welcome. Have a safe trip 😀
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Such a good idea thanks! :)
7 years ago
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Paul **********
Emily, carry your canceled passport with you and try to use the visa in it at Immigration, if they reject it then just ask for a visa exemt. When you land you will need to fill out an arrival card. Fill out 2, one with the visa number and the other one without. If your visa is rejected just hand over the other card to the Immigration Officer and ask for a visa-exemt entry. They can just cancel out the visa number but they might also ask you to go and fill another arrival card in then you lose your place in the queue... The second card pre-empts this.
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Yeah they can be quite amusing there, I called the other day and was talking to a lady... mid sentence she put me hold for half an hour then went through and she said sorry we can't help and hung up! Anyway I think that's what I'm going to do as I can't get a 100% confirmed answer
7 years ago
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David *******
@Emily *******
 they are a world to themselves there, I went in person to try to sort out best options for me, got two different answers there and gave up, that was after no reply to emails ended up coming on here and getting advice from Tod :-) As they suggested you may be better off going on exemption and extending it, they may loose your new passport otherwise lol between not so royal mail and the embassy.
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I know! I was even more surprised getting another email straight back after I replied to that one! (Ending up completely going back on what he said and it was okay to use my cancelled passport) haha
7 years ago
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David *******
wow I would print off and frame that reply, sell it on ebay thats a rare occurence getting an email reply.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
that makes perfect sense. :/ apply again
7 years ago
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Tod *********
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Emyr ***************
Front and back only
7 years ago
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Emyr ***************
@Emily *******
 ,, no,passport office did it when I got my new passport
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Did you cut it yourself?
7 years ago
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Emily ********
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Emyr ***************
7 years ago
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Emyr ***************
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
So just to confirm I'll cut the corner off like this and should be all good?
7 years ago
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Tony *********
Dont cut the corner of maybe they can make the passport with the visa in workable again and cancel the passport with out the visa. That's why i go in person to get my visa.

I'll dont like my passport in the post.
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I've called a few times and they weren't any help on what to do surprisingly...
7 years ago
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Robert *******
If you trust advice on facebook from random strangers, yes. It is against the law to make changes to a passport, so again inform the office where you applied for the new passport and ask them what to do.
7 years ago
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Robert *******
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Francis ********
My wife has an expired passport with a USA visa in it she uses it every time we enter the USA
7 years ago
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Robert *******
Contact your passport office and just explain the old passport is found and has now a valid visa for Thailand in it. They will give advice what to do.
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I did and they said they couldn't help and gave me a number to contact visa/immigration which I did and weren't any help either!
7 years ago
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Emily ********
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Jon ********
If £35 is a struggle then why not save more money and plan your trip to Thailand when you have enough to travel? Unless you are planning on "begpacking" across asia..
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks!
7 years ago
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Emyr ***************
@Emily *******
 ,, 14 month’s ago I was in the Uk on a month’s holiday (been living in Thailand now for 5 years) ,,,, I went to get a new passport in Liverpool as my old passport was full,but still had nearly 7 months remaining on it , they cancelled the old one and cut the corners and gave me a new passport,,, I went into the immigration office in Thailand to renew my visa (marriage)this week and they wanted photocopy’s and information from my OLD passport as well as details from my new passport,,,, even though immigration had transferred all the old details into my new passport when I got back to Thailand over a year ago,,,so DONT throw away your OLD passport ,, hope that helps 👍
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I don't plan to do that lol I lost a lot of money getting a new fast track passport and getting a train all the way to newport, it's not just the £35 but lost a few hundred in this mess
7 years ago
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Emily ********
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
In england it's illegal to keep cancelled passports... not expired, especially travelling with it. That's my problem
7 years ago
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Derek **********
It is not illegal! I have passports cancelled and handed back to me by embassy staff..
7 years ago
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Paul **********
Please cut the corner of the front cover to void the canceled passport.
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hm okay thanks for your help, it makes sense but I was told otherwise... will try calling the embassy again and double check
7 years ago
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Paul **********
It will be needed so YES u bring both passports
7 years ago
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Paul **********
@Emily *******
 yes 🙂
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Okay so you suggest when I travel I bring both? And show my visa in my cancelled passport if needed?
7 years ago
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Paul **********
I have UK passports and I’m sorry it’s never illegal to keep old passports — trying to use them is
7 years ago
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Paul **********
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Ted *******
It's not illegal to keep your old passports but I wouldn't be surprised if you have to notify the passport service you have found it and cut the corner off
7 years ago
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Paul **********
It’s not like ur trying to use the passport — ur only using the visa in it
7 years ago
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Paul **********
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Paul **********
Jus show old passport with visa — it’s not a drama
7 years ago
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Richard *******
@Paul *********
 Tell me about it, they lasted me 3-4 years at a time, the new ones ran out way too quick and just looked so common ;)
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I know! I've always wanted to start a collection with all my stamps in :)
7 years ago
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Paul **********
Never throw them away they are your life’s travel history 🙂
7 years ago
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Paul **********
7 years ago
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Paul **********
Which reminds me — I wish they would bring back those amazing 94 page book passports — made u feel special!
7 years ago
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Paul **********
Old passports new passports with same visa situation
7 years ago
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Paul **********
Old passports
7 years ago
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Paul **********
@Aaron *******
 yes or stick big red stickers on the cover CANCELLED
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks everyone :)
7 years ago
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Aaron ****************
They like to cut the corners off cancelled or expired passports the send it back to you, should maybe tell them you've found it and ask them what to do with it.
7 years ago
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Paul **********
@Emily *******
 you have to bring it ok because it has your visa in it
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Okay I'm definitely wrong then, it's just what the passport office had told me... will bring it with me when I go
7 years ago
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Aaron ****************
Yer I have all my old passports, cancelled and expired,
7 years ago
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Paul **********
@Richard ******
 I often need the old passports for banks etc where I have used the old passports to open accounts etc. many reasons to keep old passports
7 years ago
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Richard *******
@Emily *******
 Not true, I have all my old passports, some expired and some were cancelled.
7 years ago
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Paul **********
@Emily *******
 this isn’t getting through to you ? Just check with your embassy then. They will tell you the same thing
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
But I can't keep this passport, so I'd have no other proof of having a visa
7 years ago
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Paul **********
A visa doesn’t expire because the passport it’s in is lost stolen or expired
7 years ago
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Paul **********
@Emily *******
 as said a visa can outlive an expired passport they are two separate things
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Sorry I worded it wrong, it's illegal to keep cancelled passports, of course you can keep expired passports
7 years ago
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Paul **********
Check with others here but I have never had any drama at all and I fly regularly
7 years ago
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Paul **********
@Emily *******
 whoever said it’s illegal —? If it has a valid visa in it all the countries I have travelled through — particularly Thailand never had any problem - in fact Bangkok helped me link the visa in my expired passport to the new passport at the immigration desk. Why would it ever be illegal to keep your old passports I have about 12 of them.
7 years ago
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Emily ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
It's illegal to keep your old passports though... surely my visa needs to be in my passport that's valid?
7 years ago
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Emily ********
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