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What should I do if my passport is damaged before traveling to Thailand with a student visa?

US PassportVisa IssuesThailand ImmigrationEmergency PassportStudent VisaNON-ED Education VisaPassport RenewalExpedited Passport Services
Jun 11, 2023
2 years ago
Paige ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hello — I have a USA Passport, University NON-ED Education Visa (One-Year), & Multiple Re-Entry Stamp. However, while back in the United States my passport unfortunately sustained significant water damage 😭 Visa & other stamps can be seen & recognized quickly, but some of the ink is completely washed out. The pen marks with expiration dates are still very clear. But, I know that it will not be accepted for international travel or by immigration. So I have a few questions:

1. What is the fastest way to get a new passport? Through a local post office or going to a consulate/embassy directly? My flight leaving the USA is on July 24.

2. Is it even possible to get my visa or any of those stamps back? Through contacting my university or the consolate/embassy?

All wisdom appreciated!! Thank you!
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is seeking advice on managing a damaged US passport with a NON-ED Education Visa while preparing for imminent travel to Thailand. Key concerns include: the fastest way to obtain a new passport, whether a damaged passport would be accepted at immigration, and the possibility of recovering visa stamps. Suggestions from the community highlight the importance of expediting passport renewal, presenting both the damaged and new passports at immigration, and the validity of emergency travel documents. Several users share personal experiences and additional tips about passport application processes and timelines.
Richard *********
in the US u can pay for expedited serivce. Other wise its 2-4 months

carry both passports

on arrival in Bangkok ( or anywhere ) immigration will transfer relevant stamps over to new passport and stamp u in on new one

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2 years ago
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NaTasha ***************
If it helps, it doesn't take too long to get a new passport from inside Thailand, you can get all the paperwork done at Bangkok Bank (any location), and send it in yourself, with no meetings at the embassy. I did it from koh phangan, it took less than 3 weeks. But if youre in the US then maybe my answer doesn't help at all... Sorry to hear
2 years ago
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Richard *********
@NaTasha **************
 NO idea what ur talking about Passport issued thru Bangkok Bank???

only thing u need is a Bank check issued thru a bank to pay for sending ur passport to you , otherwise its all handled by the US embassy

and as he is in the states WHY bother replying?
2 years ago
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NaTasha ***************
@Richard ********
 ya the bank helped me organize all the documents to help me ship it to the embassy as i said. Anyways im sure its useful for someone out there to know for future reference so why bother being a jerk?
2 years ago
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Richard *********
@NaTasha **************
 WHY: cause banks dont deal with passports an to suggest anyone to go to a bank seek help is crazy!

filing out info for a us passport is dam easy

*****************************************************************************
2 years ago
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NaTasha ***************
@Richard ********
 i dunno call me crazy but they helped me at no cost, it was easy and not time consuming
2 years ago
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NaTasha ***************
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Paige ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@NaTasha **************
 Thanks so much, NaTasha. Yes, unfortunately I am still in the USA and will have to apply for a new passport here. But, thank you for taking the time to respond and offer suggestions ☺️
2 years ago
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Paige ********
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VaiAna **********
Good luck w that . My daughter from the US applied for a US passport . It showed up alright but a delivery truck ran over it . She paid $200 to expedite and then when she contacted them they asked her to pay again for the passport .
2 years ago
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Paige ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@VaiAna *********
 Yikes! Passport things are so tricky!!
2 years ago
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VaiAna **********
@Paige *******
 yes it is especially with the agents that work at the passport agency
2 years ago
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VaiAna **********
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A*
You are an American citizen? If so you apply for your passport with local passport office. Takes about 3 months. But some places may be faster you need to figure out what is faster. Once you get that, just enter Thailand with your old passport. They will have all data and will let you in.
2 years ago
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Mark *********
USA Emergency travel document? "Temporary passport / provisional passport/emergency passport of nationals exempted from the Visa Scheme for 30 days is accepted by the Immigration Bureau in Thailand. However, the passport must have a validity of not less than six months upon returning to the residence country". I would've thought you would likely get hit by the full-on carrying cash and return ticket things though. Why not check timescales re a full US passport, re Emergency Travel document, but also double check with Thai embassy.
2 years ago
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Bennett ********
@Mark ********
 The emergency passports work - they are valid for one year. After you travel you can apply for normal passport replacement at the US embassy in Thailand. I used one when moving to Thailand - I got it in one day from US embassy in Hong Kong where I lived at that time. Not sure where you would get the emergency passport in the US though.
2 years ago
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Mark *********
@Bennett *******
 That sounds great. Thai Embassy in Bern made it sound almost too easy. Back in USA the quote is 1-3 days, Form I-131, Application for a Travel Document, US Citizenship and Immigration Service. As best I see application might be online or attending a local office which you find by contacting the information centre. There is a long list of what events aren't covered as an emergency. It has to be stressed that missing first day attendance at Kasetsart WOULD wreck the ED Visa application. Definitely check how long to get a new passport the straightforward way, including does US have an "emergency" pay extra service. If it isn't going to happen then emergency travel document as a Plan B, perhaps later, including if a US passport has been ordered but it is failing to come in time.
@Paige *******
2 years ago
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Paige ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bennett *******
 I just found the website — It looks like there are some offices to obtain an Emergency Passport in a few different major US Cities! Thanks so much for your help!!
2 years ago
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Bennett ********
@Paige *******
 Mine was full, no room for my Thai visa. I was moving in a week. I emailed the US embassy in a panic & they told me to come the following day for emergency passport. I had never heard of it, but apparently it’s common to those in the travel industry - I carried my old passport along, no questions from airlines, hotels, immigration in Thailand.
2 years ago
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Bennett ********
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Av **********
Please be aware that even expedited passports are taking 4 months to get...Also keep in mind that a damaged passport is not valid to confirm your identity. So make sure you have other documents to proove that as that passport is now null and void for that use as well.
2 years ago
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Paige ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Av *********
 Thank you so much!! That is really helpful information. Do you know what documents & how many are needed to do that? Do they have to be the original documents or can they be copies? Unfortunately, some of those original documents are in BKK currently 😬
2 years ago
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Paige ********
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Kool *******
It takes an average of 3 months to get a new passport in the USA. If you haven't applied for it yet there is no way you'll get it before the end of July.
2 years ago
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Nate ***********
@Kool ******
 be aware he's not getting a new passport he's renewing an old passport it does not take 4 months. Ask for expedition and pay for it.
2 years ago
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Kool *******
@Nate **********
 it takes an average of three months, as I mentioned, not four months as you misread.
2 years ago
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Nate ***********
@Kool ******
 It took me less than 4 weeks, recently - as a reveal, expedited service, filled in application online and submitted it at the post office. What was odd was they sent me the new passport almost immediately, but it was 3 months before the old passport and passport ID card was returned to me.
2 years ago
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Nate ***********
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Nate ***********
@Kool ******
 - May be true for new passports but he's not getting a new passport -he's renewing an old one. Ask for expedited service and pay for it and you'll be fine. If I remember correctly there is a travel date question on a renewal form be sure to fill yours in, maybe even a week or so before your travel.
2 years ago
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Nate ***********
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Mikkel *******
Get a new passport as quickly as you can. Show both passports when you enter Thailand by air. Go to immigration after to get the stamps transfered.
2 years ago
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Paige ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Mikkel ******
 Would you advise showing them my old passport first & telling them I’d go to immigration the next day to get them transferred over to my new passport? Then defaulting to visa exempt if that doesn’t work?
2 years ago
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Paige ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thank you so much! Yes, truly studying Kasetsart University — Thail Language Program.

Is there a way to get an emergency travel passport? Or is that only for specific purposes? I will need to begin my semester right away when I get back to BKK. Which I am worried about missing; especially since it is attached to my ED Visa.
2 years ago
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Mikkel *******
@Paige *******
 if you have a valid extension, supported by attending a real uni here, don't worry. Just get a new passport, as you said, even if readable, when water damaged it's no good. Then just show both the old, invalidated passport (snipped/holed/whatever they do to an American passport to mark that), and the new passport at passport control. Just explain its new and old passports. Hand over showing the page with the reentry stamp maybe. They will see it in their system too and just stamp your new passport with a "stay until" date, that will be the expiry date of your current one year stamp. After that, after arriving in Thailand, you go to the immigration office that gave you that stamp, and get it transferred to the new passport.
2 years ago
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Mikkel *******
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Tim *******
The immigration office has copies of everything.
2 years ago
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Tim *******
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