If your passport is lost or stolen in Thailand, do three things in this order: get a police report from the Thai police, apply to your own embassy for a new or emergency passport, and then take the new document to a Thai immigration office so your entry stamp or visa can be transferred into it. Only then are you ready to fly.
It is a stressful few days, but the process is well established. The steps below follow the official guidance of the US Embassy in Bangkok and the UK government, which we use as models; most other embassies work in a similar way, but check your own embassy's page for its forms and fees. Facts were checked in October 2026.
Lost passport in Thailand: the essentials
- Step 1
- Police report from the station nearest the loss (Tourist Police hotline 1155)
- Step 2
- New passport or emergency travel document from your embassy or consulate
- Step 3
- Thai immigration office transfers your entry stamp or visa to the new document
- UK emergency travel document
- £125, apply online, usually ready 2 working days after applying
- Bring
- Police report, passport photos, a copy of the lost passport if you have one, your travel plans
Step 1: Search once, then report it to the police
Before you report it, retrace your steps once: your hotel's reception and safe, the last taxi or Grab trip (the app shows the driver), the rental shop that took a copy, the restaurant where you paid. Do not spend days on it. Once a passport is reported lost or stolen it is cancelled, and the US Embassy warns that it cannot be used again even if it turns up later. The UK says the same: you will be refused entry if you try to travel on a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
The US Embassy tells its citizens to get a police report from the Thai police station near where the loss happened, or the one nearest to you, and lists the Tourist Police hotline, 1155, as the number to call. Ask the hotel to write the station's name in Thai or call ahead for you if language is a problem. Take any proof of identity you still have, such as a driving license or a photo of the passport on your phone. Ask for a copy of the report for your insurer as well as the original you will give to the embassy.
The passport is gone the moment you report it. A passport you have reported lost is cancelled for good. If you find it in a bag pocket the next day, it is no longer valid for travel; use the replacement and hand the old one to your embassy.
If your passport was stolen together with your wallet, block your cards at once; our guide to using cards in Thailand covers what to do when you have no card left. For other emergencies, our list of emergency numbers explains when to call 191 and when to call 1155.
Step 2: Your embassy issues a new or emergency passport
Most countries have their embassy in Bangkok, and a few also have a consulate elsewhere, such as the US consulate in Chiang Mai. Your embassy's website will tell you which documents to bring and whether you need an appointment. The two models below show how it typically works.
US citizens. The US Embassy asks for the original police report and the two forms for a lost passport (DS-64, the statement about the loss, and DS-11, the application), with the fee paid online in dollars. If you have travel plans within the next two weeks, it asks you to contact the embassy with your itinerary so it can consider faster processing.
British citizens. If your last UK passport was issued on or after 1 January 2006, you can apply online for an emergency travel document (ETD). Key points from the UK government:
- The fee is £125 and is not refundable. A relative or friend can pay for you if your cards were stolen with the passport.
- You need a digital passport photo that has not been used in an earlier passport, a phone number and an email address.
- The document is usually ready to collect two working days after you apply, but it can take several weeks in some cases, for example for a child under 16.
- It is normally valid for one single or return journey, through at most five countries, and only if you travel within six weeks.
- Your travel dates and countries may be printed on it, so do not book a flight until you are told how and when to collect it. Changing plans means reapplying and paying again.
Other nationalities. Visitors from Singapore, Malaysia, China, Europe and elsewhere should check their own embassy's page for its emergency travel document or replacement passport. An emergency document of the UK type is meant for one journey, so if you are staying longer, ask your embassy whether a full replacement passport is the better choice.
A copy of your passport saves a lot of time. A photo of the photo page and of your latest Thai entry stamp, stored in your email or cloud account, helps the police, the embassy and Thai immigration. Do it before your trip, not after.
Step 3: Transfer your entry stamp at Thai immigration
This is the step many travelers miss. The US Embassy explains that Thai immigration law requires entry and exit stamps, and any Thai visa, to be transferred into a new passport, and that this is done at a Thai immigration office, not at the embassy. Take both the new passport and the cancelled one if you still have it, together with the police report. The US Embassy has not issued "linkage letters" for this purpose since 10 April 2023; it says the new and cancelled passports are enough. Other embassies may still provide a letter, so ask yours.
We could not reach the Immigration Bureau's own page on this, and the rules for an emergency travel document (as opposed to a full passport) are not stated officially. Before you book your flight home, ask the immigration office nearest you what it needs to see at the airport, and how long the transfer takes. This matters most if your stay is close to running out; our page on overstaying in Thailand explains why even a short overstay is worth avoiding.
What changes for long-stay visitors
If you live in Thailand on a long-stay visa, the loss affects more than the flight home. Your visa and any re-entry permit must be moved into the new passport at immigration. The first 90-day report after you get a new passport cannot be done online, according to the Immigration Bureau (2024 page), so go in person and check the current rule with your office.
Flying home or onward
When you have the new document and the stamp, you can leave. A few points to keep in mind:
- No departure card. The Thailand Digital Arrival Card is for arrivals only; the official guidance describes it only for entering Thailand, so you do not fill one in when you leave.
- Update your bookings. Airlines and travel agents may hold the old passport number. Change it in the booking before you check in.
- Check the countries on your route. The UK government reminds ETD holders to check that every country they leave, enter or pass through accepts the document, including any visa needs.
- Expect to hand it over. If your destination is the UK, border control keeps the emergency document on arrival, and other countries may do the same.
If you plan to come back to Thailand soon, apply for a full passport once home. Entering Thailand again later needs a normal valid passport; our guide to the visa exemption covers the current entry rules.
How to avoid losing it in the first place
Hotels need to see your passport at check-in, but there is rarely a good reason to leave it with them; our older article on whether hotels need your passport explains why and how to refuse politely. The UK Foreign Office adds that police may ask to see your passport, that a copy of the photo page is usually accepted, and that you should never hand the passport itself to a scooter or jet-ski rental shop as a deposit. Holding passports against claimed damage is one of the common scams in tourist areas.
Check whether your travel insurance covers the costs of a replacement document and any change of flight, and keep the police report for the claim.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a police report to replace a lost passport in Thailand?
Yes, in practice. The US Embassy asks for the original Thai police report, and most embassies and insurers need one. Get it from the police station near where the loss happened or nearest to you; the Tourist Police hotline is 1155.
How long does an emergency passport take in Bangkok?
It depends on your country. For British nationals the UK government says an emergency travel document is usually ready to collect two working days after an online application. US citizens with travel within two weeks should contact the embassy with their itinerary.
Do I need to get my Thai entry stamp transferred?
Yes. The US Embassy says Thai immigration law requires entry and exit stamps and Thai visas to be transferred into the new passport, at a Thai immigration office. Bring the new passport, the old one if you have it and the police report.
Can I use my passport if I find it after reporting it lost?
No. A passport reported lost or stolen is cancelled. The US Embassy says you will not be admitted to Thailand on it, and the UK warns that you will be denied entry if you try to travel with it.
Can someone else pay for my emergency travel document?
For British nationals, yes. The UK government says a relative or friend can pay the £125 fee if you cannot pay through the online service, for example because your wallet was stolen with the passport.
Sources
- US Embassy and Consulate in Thailand – Replace a lost or stolen adult passport (checked October 2026)
- US Embassy and Consulate in Thailand – Transfer of Thai visa and entry/exit stamps (checked October 2026)
- GOV.UK – Travel urgently from abroad without your UK passport (checked October 2026)
- GOV.UK – Emergency travel document: how to apply (checked October 2026)
- UK FCDO – Thailand travel advice: entry requirements (checked October 2026)
- UK FCDO – Thailand travel advice: safety and security (checked October 2026)
- Immigration Bureau – TDAC frequently asked questions (checked October 2026)