# How to resolve a passport issue



## lakerman

Well, Murphy's Law finally got me.
I entered Thailand on Feb 7 at Suvanarbhumi Airport. I had acquired a 2 month Tourist Visa while in the US and it required entry by 19 March. Well, the immigration guy at the airport apparently overlooked the Visa and the stamp in the passport says "until 8 March". 
There is no writing on the Visa like there is on my wife's passport. She is Thai travelling with a US passport/visa. Her passports says until 7 Apr

As I planned to stay in Nong Bualamphu until April 1, I went to Udon to the immigration office. They told me come back tomorrow as some lady, who wasn't there, might be able to reolve it. Due to the expense of travelling there/lack of car, etc. we didn't go. Is there a way of resolving this or should I ignore it? I guess I heard overstaying costs 500 baht a day but I hardly think that I should have to go that way since it was the immigration guy's error. One of the immigration guys in Udon said go back to Suvarnabhumi. Hardly what I wanted to hear.
Suggestions? thoughts? Has anyone had this happen to them?


----------



## cooked

They are telling you to go back to Swampy because they don't know how to handle your problem. Sounds like you need an envelope with ' ฿5 000.-' marked on it.
Telling Thai Immigration that they made a mistake definitely isn't the way to go. You should call Udon and then go back there. 
Otherwise you _will_ be paying ฿500.- a day for overstay up to ฿20 000.- maximum, getting a little red stamp in your passport at the same time.


----------



## stednick

lakerman said:


> Well, Murphy's Law finally got me.
> I entered Thailand on Feb 7 at Suvanarbhumi Airport. I had acquired a 2 month Tourist Visa while in the US and it required entry by 19 March. Well, the immigration guy at the airport apparently overlooked the Visa and the stamp in the passport says "until 8 March".
> There is no writing on the Visa like there is on my wife's passport. She is Thai travelling with a US passport/visa. Her passports says until 7 Apr
> 
> As I planned to stay in Nong Bualamphu until April 1, I went to Udon to the immigration office. They told me come back tomorrow as some lady, who wasn't there, might be able to reolve it. Due to the expense of travelling there/lack of car, etc. we didn't go. Is there a way of resolving this or should I ignore it? I guess I heard overstaying costs 500 baht a day but I hardly think that I should have to go that way since it was the immigration guy's error. One of the immigration guys in Udon said go back to Suvarnabhumi. Hardly what I wanted to hear.
> Suggestions? thoughts? Has anyone had this happen to them?


I had this happen to me, well, not exactly but something similar. I had Thai immigration stamp my passport incorrectly. Many years ago. I may have the exact details wrong, but, if I remember correctly, when I entered Thailand (Don Muang) the immigration agent stamped my "departure by" date as yesterday's date. As per his stamp I needed to leave the day before I arrived. I didn't notice this until we were getting ready to leave the airport (just before we got in the cab). Immediately returned to the immigration lines, however, the agent that stamped my passport had departed. I went to one of the immigration agents who refused to do anything about it saying it wasn't his mistake or his problem. Anyway he waved me away, I stood fast, after about five minutes (seemed much longer) he finally realized I wasn't leaving until the issue was resolved, he, in a most unThailike way, grabbed my passport, furiously scribbled something in Thai in my passport and stamped it with the correct date, thrust it back to me and shooed me away. Issue resolved.

I would advise you to rectify the problem BEFORE you go to the airport for departure. You don't want to be forced into paying an overstay fine just so you can board your plane. Realize you're the only one that has anything at stake in this issue.

Good luck.


----------



## joseph44

Plan a trip to Udon's Immigration around the 7th of March and get an extension of 30 days for THB 1,900. This will cover your stay until April 1. 

Suvarnabuhmi Immigration made the mistake in overlooking the visa and you made the mistake for not checking the "permission of stay" stamp.


----------



## lakerman

Thanks for the suggestions. I like the idea of going to Udon to get a 30 day extension. Can I get a 30 day extension by going to Udon or do I have to do a border crossing to get it? I hear about 15 day and 7 day extensions but it sure would be better to only have to go to immigration only one more time.


----------



## joseph44

AFAIK, you can extend a tourist visa (60 day visa) with another 30 days at any immigration as long as the visa is still valid (and that is the case). 
Not 100% if this also counts for single entries, but maybe that someone else knows. 
If your visa has a stamp which says "USED". You may have to do a few border runs.


----------



## lakerman

Joseph44: My Visa appears to have been totally untouched/ignored when I arrived in BKK. On the other hand, my wife's visa has an arrival date stamped on it and the word used appears to be scribbled on it. The predicament that I find myself in is that since the visa was ignored, my passport was treated as though I did not have a visa so the arrival stamp shows "until 8 March 2013". I'm thinking that an extension by immigration might only be 7 days, not 30 because the Visa was not exercised. I might be able to get around it because my wife is Thai but she traveled in on a US passport and I'm not sure she can reinstate her paperwork sufficient to satisfy immigration. What a pain.


----------



## cooked

Yes indeed, pleading insanity won't help here. Please call Udon now and explain what went wrong. Ask if you should come now if it will help. Money will change hands and you will feel a new man when you walk out of there. 
I say this because a friend of mine had a similar problem and apart from being relieved of some of his money he is now here legally.


----------



## lakerman

cooked said:


> Yes indeed, pleading insanity won't help here. Please call Udon now and explain what went wrong. Ask if you should come now if it will help. Money will change hands and you will feel a new man when you walk out of there.
> I say this because a friend of mine had a similar problem and apart from being relieved of some of his money he is now here legally.


I think this is what I'm going to do but it will be the first week of March just in case I do pay for a 30 day Visa, I could then stay until April 1. Lakerman


----------



## lakerman

Problem resolved. My wife and I went to Udon immigration again (after making an advance call). They initially told me that we had to go do a border crossing and then my wife convinced them that they had previously told us that the problem could be resolved in Udon if the right person was there). The person who interviewed us then went to see the "inspector" I think he was called. A few minutes later we got to talk to him, explained the situation and he agreed to help us without ANY exchange of money. In a matter of a couple minutes, my passport was restamped and I was on my way. Being respectful and insistent, plus having a reasonable person to deal with did the trick. I'm now a happy camper!! Lakerman


----------

