Wet passport

[BadWingman]

I have a current problem and thought I would create this topic to seek any advice from others that have had the same problem and (hopefully) report on the outcome.

 

I'm on an ED visa. I did my last 90 day extention today on my current visa. (have already done 3) I had a shiny new stamp in my passport saying I was legal until the 30th Nov?

 

We got home and unbeknown to myself the GF decided to wash my backpack. She had taken everything out including the protective plastic wallet the passport is normally in and dropped the bag in a tub full of water and washing powder.

 

A short time later I decided I wanted to look at my new stamp and looked for my passport. Yep you guessed it. It was still in the bag and soaking wet.

 

First looks were not good. The new stamp which was only hours old and had hardly time to dry had run badly. I pegged it up against the fan and waited........Might have swore a lot as well. Poor girl, I made her feel pretty bad and it was an accident.

 

I rang the school I'm enrolled with and they said I need to go to the Australian embassy to have the passport evaluated. (I'm guessing to see if a new document needs to be organised and then the stamps transferred into the new one. Fuck what a PITA.

 

My latest check on the passport is as follows: Crinkly pages due to the water but it is structurally sound including the photo page. Some stamps have run quite badly and the latest stamp which is the one I am worried about is just readable. But then I am trying to read it. At the moment its under a wooden block under the bed frame in an effort to iron the pages a bit.

 

So chaps - Any advice appreciated. My plans are to visit a couple of the visa shops tomorrow to see what they recommend. Also if need be go to immigration and see if they will re stamp it. (I still have the blue receipt which shows the date and amount I payed. 1900 baht today)

 

Will report back!

[crossfield]

Done the same, not a problem maybe just replace the passport when you get a chance

[BadWingman]

Done the same, not a problem maybe just replace the passport when you get a chance

 

Thanks for the reply. Replacing the passport would not be a problem if I was going home but I want to extend my ED visa for at least another year.

[redfred]

Im just guessing but i think that if you went back to immigration with your receipt they should re-stamp it

for you, maybe take the GF with you as she might be better at explaining.

Hope all goes well

fred..

[Ohyesuare]

I would listen to the advice of your school and go to the embassy, you will probably have to get a new passport. Any damage, missing pages invalidates it usually. I once left my passport in a pocket of a pair of shorts that got washed on the day I was due to fly somewhere. The pages had come loose from the main cover but other then that was in great condition, tried gluing it back into the cover and you could barely tell what happened.

 

The passport officer noticed the glue and said the passport is no good and cancelled it, but they let me fly out on my other passport or else I would have been fucked.

[Edge RIP]

I did all that, only I put it in the washing machine myself, just a couple of months into 17 months worth of Retirement Extension (don't ask) .

 

I spread all the pages, much as you have and then put it under a leg of the bed for a few days with sheets of paper inter leaved.

It wasn't too bad, apart from the date of the Multi Re-Entry permit was very faint.

A couple of times they scrutinised it for ages, one got a second opinion and one gave me a 30 day waiver stamp, which eventually he corrected.

Last time, on my last entry before renewal, the lady made a big fuss about it. She wasn't impressed with my usual "falang ting tong songkran" explanation, but let me in.

Now I've got new stamps I expect I'll lose it again.

 

Given what you've said, my first stop would be Immi' to see if they'll re-make your Visa stamp.

 

The only other important stamp is your last date of entry and stamped Departure Card, which hopefully survived?

.

[BadWingman]

 

 

The only other important stamp is your last date of entry and stamped Departure Card, which hopefully survived?

.

 

Last date of entry survived. Stamped departure card date is very faint but just readable. (by me anyway)

 

Heading out now to see what can be done!

[PattayaFanatic]

What is with us and passport issues?555

I left my passport at money changers twice already.

[BadWingman]

Headed out and first stop was Key visa. (recommended by a few friends). Darren was not at all surprised by a wet passport and has seen many in his time.

 

His opinion whist the visa extension stamp isn't in great shape, it is still readable. Apparently the hand written reference number that is written on the stamp (didn't run at all) can be used to back track. Is somehow tied to my visa.

 

If I had plans to travel in and out it would be wise to have the passport replaced and visa transferred to avoid immi delays, but I'll take his advice and just carry on as per normal.

[Cnut the lesser]

have you had a look at DFAT site re damaged passports?

 

If no will talk tonight

If yes will talk tonight

[sbf]

Why not just go to the Australian Embassy in Bangkok and get a new passport - application to passport ready is only about a week. Then take the receipt for the visa extension along with a photocopy of all pages from the old passport to immigration and get the stamp put in the new passport. You are fully legal again then and can travel outside Thailand whenever you need to.

[BadWingman]

Why not just go to the Australian Embassy in Bangkok and get a new passport - application to passport ready is only about a week. Then take the receipt for the visa extension along with a photocopy of all pages from the old passport to immigration and get the stamp put in the new passport. You are fully legal again then and can travel outside Thailand whenever you need to.

 

You are right. I guess it comes down to my level of comfort with how it is. DFAT website says minor damage (ie acceptable) is water damage where the stamps are still readable. If they are not then its major damage and a replacement is warranted. Of course at my expense and travel time.

 

It is also subject to one person ( I suspect) Making a judgement. Also that person won't be working immigration. After what I was told yesterday I am happy proceeding on with life. If I wasn't would go the new passport routine.

[tequilareef]

Around 15 years ago I had a passport get wet from spilling some water on it. It made all the stamps barely readable and I had a problem when I went on my visa run to Penang, Malaysia. Back then the visa stamps where all ink so it made it difficult to read anything. The immigration officer going out of Thailand into Malaysia scrutinized it heavily but eventually stamped my passport and let me through. She told me I was lucky because some immigration officers would not have let me through. I had 3 days in Penang and I must say I was worried coming back into Thailand. Sure enough I was given some further grief coming back into Thailand with the immigration officer basically telling me the same thing, get a new passport.

 

I ended up going to the American Embassy with weeks of my return and got a new passport. Even the staff at the US embassy said I was lucky to have survived two immigration checks. One thing is for sure, you don't want to chance anything when it comes to government agencies so it's best to bite the bullet and get a new passport.

[BahnKhamin]

Same thing happened to me once. The official RULES for passports is that your passport is damaged and now invalidated. I did not have trouble in another country, I almost got denied entry back into the USA. They started talking about sending me to an American Embassy somewhere to get a new one. Lukily for me I have another passport and when I whipped out that one the let me in and told me to get my tourist passport replaced.

[phuketrichard]

get a new one; 

I accidently washed my gf passport 2 months ago and we flew down to KL to get her ed visa.  got in ok but at the embassy they said we had to get a letter verfiying the passport was good, It was durng ASEAN so the Cambodian embassy was closed.  IT was a thrusday so would have taken 4-5 days in KL...  fuck that and flew her back to Camboida to get  anew one.

 

I have had mine washed/wet twice in the past 35 years and always went and got a new one asap.

 

Even if u go to the australian embassy and they say its ok that does not mean that the thai embassy will give ya a visa

 

You just never know if they will stamp u in or give ya a visa an not worth the hassle.

[key visa thailand]

If your visa is got from overseas and after dry you cannot read it, then it is finished.

 

If your long stay visa was given in Thailand they normally write the visa number in pen above the ink stamp so for argument sake in Chonburi Immigration on a retiremement might say 15431/56 which means your visa was number 15431 awarded in 2013/2556. If you speak nicely to the Immigration office that gave you the visa will give you the visa back in your now dried or new passport,

 

But this is why you should always copy your face page of your passport and your visa stamp, months ago I Offered for members only to do a credit sized laminated copy for free, and nobody took up the free offer its not like falangs to not get something for free,

[SLEUTH]

If you go to your embassy and Thai immigration as suggested and recommended, be sure to ask them to get a copy of acceptance in writing as some unscrupulous border officials on your next trip may see it as a "bonus" excuse.

[key visa thailand]

If you go to your embassy and Thai immigration as suggested and recommended, be sure to ask them to get a copy of acceptance in writing as some unscrupulous border officials on your next trip may see it as a "bonus" excuse.

Great info and completely correct,