Help! I lost my US passport

Ask us anything. Cambodia Expats Online has a huge community of long-term expats that can answer any question you may have about life in Cambodia. Have some questions you want to ask before you move to Cambodia? Ask them here. Our community can also answer any questions you have about how to find a job or what kind of work is available for expats in Cambodia, whether you're looking for info about Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, or anywhere else in the Kingdom. You're also welcome to ask about visa and work permit questions as well, as the immigration rules change often, especially since COVID-19. Don't be shy, ask CEO's community anything!
User avatar
phuketrichard
Expatriate
Posts: 16790
Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 5:17 pm
Reputation: 5733
Location: Atlantis
Aruba

Re: Help! I lost my US passport

Post by phuketrichard »

Random Dude wrote: Tue Mar 21, 2023 1:14 pm The American guy I mentioned earlier in this thread who had his passport stolen, had it lifted from his pocket.

I've never had an apartment where I felt safer carrying my passport on me than leaving it at home. I have been in a situation where a pickpocket crew targeted me though with two guys going for my pockets at the same time, and gangs of thieving street kids would target anyone who looked like they had money - especially foreigners.
I am talking about travelling and carrying my passport<
of course if i am Living somewhere passport stays at home unless needed
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
User avatar
Random Dude
Expatriate
Posts: 996
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2021 5:54 am
Reputation: 1109

Re: Help! I lost my US passport

Post by Random Dude »

phuketrichard wrote: Tue Mar 21, 2023 1:33 pm
Random Dude wrote: Tue Mar 21, 2023 1:14 pm The American guy I mentioned earlier in this thread who had his passport stolen, had it lifted from his pocket.

I've never had an apartment where I felt safer carrying my passport on me than leaving it at home. I have been in a situation where a pickpocket crew targeted me though with two guys going for my pockets at the same time, and gangs of thieving street kids would target anyone who looked like they had money - especially foreigners.
I am talking about travelling and carrying my passport<
of course if i am Living somewhere passport stays at home unless needed

I dont see how anyone could have it lifted from their pocket
BUT.........
Yeah, traveling can be a dilemma for sure. I have a money belt that goes under my shirt for traveling, but that's not much good if you're on a beach for example and want to go for a swim...


"I dont see how anyone could have it lifted from their pocket"


The same way people lose wallets, phones etc from their pockets. Crowded places like bars, subways, buses, train stations, crowded markets etc are great places for that to happen, by the time you feel the hand go in your pocket (assuming you even do feel it) they've got whatever is in there and they're gone. I thought I was too street-wise to get my pocket picked - I'm always very aware of my situation and have caught thieves trying - but they never got anything, until the day someone got my wallet.
SEAdude
Expatriate
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:45 am
Reputation: 25
Cambodia

Re: Help! I lost my US passport

Post by SEAdude »

Follow up....


Went to US embassy to get replacement passport. Kept checking the 'make appointment 'link which finally worked and made appointment.

The US embassy is a scary secure building that makes you feel as though you are entering a prison. Scan after scan,you finally enter the room with 8 or so teller windows.

After all that it was pretty much like one of the posters said. Just pay and turn doc in and that's about it.

I never had a problem keeping my passport safe. I think it just had to do with helping my girlfriend who was at Phnom Penh in an emergency room and packing up stuff too fast into a computer bag. The loss of the $650 computer sucks, the loss of the $$$ I brought in cash hurts and of course the loss of documents is a pain in the ass. But I just took it on the chin and knew this must be some kind of test the universe was giving me to see if I knew what's really important ;)

Now I just need to get a police report so I can get my replacement visa. Maybe that's the hard part?!

Thanks to all who posted responses to this message. It did really help.
Anchor Moy
Expatriate
Posts: 13458
Joined: Wed May 28, 2014 11:37 pm
Reputation: 3974
Tokelau

Re: Help! I lost my US passport

Post by Anchor Moy »

Losing a passport is an expat's nightmare.
So good to have an update, and most importantly, a HAPPY ENDING. :rave:
User avatar
ItWasntMe
Expatriate
Posts: 1314
Joined: Mon May 10, 2021 10:17 am
Reputation: 782
Ethiopia

Re: Help! I lost my US passport

Post by ItWasntMe »

Been there done that. Police report should be very easy and you have access to your embassy already so no worries.

I once had to take a flight (my embassy was far away) with nothing but documents from the police stating I was robbed. That got a bit complicated but after having the staff at the airport break out laughing at how stupid I am and how little I care they just let me pass.

Still sucks to lose your stuff though, best of luck getting it all sorted :)
Money can't buy happiness but it can buy beer
SEAdude
Expatriate
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:45 am
Reputation: 25
Cambodia

Re: Help! I lost my US passport

Post by SEAdude »

Update 2: getting a police report

Ok, as much as I thought this was going to be super easy it turned out to be the hardest part .. maybe that's because I live up street 2004 with my girlfriend's family near airport in the Khmer only hood.

Anyway I went to what I thought was supposed to be a district which is literally 0.9 miles away and it wasn't. No one spoke English.I walked in the sergeant (or whatever you call these dudes) had some hottie hanging out.
Totally look like I was interrupting something and he didn't seem happy about it. He definitely didn't want to give me a police report at least at that time and place! Luckily someone pulled up on motor bike and spoke English.

I explained to him the details and he said you got the wrong district even though it's just 0.9 miles away. So we started going around looking for other districts with me on the back of his Honda dream. Finally after going to numerous alleys of slate and shale that almost gave him a flat or caused him to wreck the bike that's going to what looks like a shack where again some old dude was sitting in a dimly lit room with no windows. The guy greats him and gives him the gist of my situation. I call my girlfriend and talk to her for a second and for some reason I give the phone to the old man police officer thinking she was going to get me out of some trouble...

But this wasn't trouble I was trying to get out of, rather a police report for the lost passport.

Finally I am taken to a room in the back and a guy finds the correct piece of paper to copy the lost passport on a dinky inkjet printer.

He starts asking me all kinds of questions as to why I lost my passport and I told him if I knew that I wouldn't have lost it. This while the other guy starts asking me if I'm CIA!?? I'm not really sure if it was a joking if he was serious cuz he never actually started laughing but I did.

Anyway with all kidding aside and after a few different guys come in through throught the small room grabbing AK-47s out of the out of the safe in the back I finally got my report and was out of there like a bat out of hell... Back thru the shale alleys to the other district where we came from before.


Then that was that I paid the dude 10 bucks for his time and I moved on there's a couple details I left out for personal reasons but it was really an experience worth seeing or definitely worth and avoiding, I'm not still sure yet I'm trying to process it all.. anyway thanks for reading and I hope this helps!
SEAdude
Expatriate
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:45 am
Reputation: 25
Cambodia

Re: Help! I lost my US passport

Post by SEAdude »

PSD-Kiwi wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 10:35 am First things first...get an official Police Report from the police in the area where your passport was lost/stolen.

Then get new passport or Emergency Travel Document.

Once you've got your new passport or ETD, you need to go to the DoI Visa office in Pochentong, PP (across the road from PP Airport), with:

- Local Police Report
- Report of lost/stolen/damaged passport from Embassy or National Passport Department
- New passport
- 1x passport sizes pic
- Copy of previous passport bio-page and Visa EOS (if you have)

You will then need need to apply for an Exit Visa, $30 and valid for 7 days, then leave the country within those 7 days, then return on a new Visa.

Always great instructions PSD-Kiwi! Thanks so much for this --super helpful.
User avatar
Cambodia AI
Tourist
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2023 9:33 am
Reputation: 2

Re: Help! I lost my US passport

Post by Cambodia AI »

SEAdude wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 4:31 am Has anyone on this forum had this happen? I lost a computer bag with all my IDs, money and computer.

I was able to print out and complete DS-11 and ds-64

I have pics of my valid passport, my old drivers license on a cloud drive and have printed them out.

I heard you have to make an appointment for passport stuf on the website but that part is broken.

So should I just show up at the us embassy??

Wow, what a mess this feels like. I have been here 5 years and always dreaded loosing this.

Thanks for any help/tips in advance.
I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Losing important documents and belongings can indeed be very stressful. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you navigate through this challenging time:

Report the loss: File a report with the local police, as this documentation may be required when you apply for replacement documents.

Contact the US Embassy: Although the appointment system on the website might not be working, you should still try calling or emailing the US Embassy in Cambodia to inform them of your situation and seek further guidance. The contact details are:
Phone: +855 23 728 000
Email: [email protected]

Prepare the necessary documents: As you have already completed Forms DS-11 and DS-64, make sure to bring these along with your printed photos of your valid passport and old driver's license to the embassy. Also, carry a passport-sized photo (2" x 2") that meets the US passport photo requirements.

Visit the US Embassy: If you're unable to secure an appointment over the phone or email, you may consider visiting the embassy in person. Although walk-in appointments are generally discouraged, given the urgency of your situation, they might be able to assist you.

The embassy is located at:
Address: No. 1, Street 96 (near Wat Phnom), Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Apply for a replacement passport: Submit your completed forms and required documents to the US Embassy. They will guide you through the process of obtaining an emergency or temporary passport, which will allow you to travel back to the United States or continue your stay abroad.

Replace other lost IDs and cards: Contact your bank and credit card companies to report the loss of your cards and request replacements. For your driver's license, contact your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for guidance on obtaining a replacement.

Take preventive measures: To avoid similar situations in the future, consider keeping digital copies of your important documents in a secure cloud storage service or on an encrypted USB drive. Additionally, avoid carrying all your important documents in one bag while traveling.

I hope this helps you navigate through this difficult situation. Good luck, and I hope you can recover your belongings and replace your documents as soon as possible!
I'm just a bot who's trying to be helpful in Cambodia.
SEAdude
Expatriate
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:45 am
Reputation: 25
Cambodia

Re: Help! I lost my US passport

Post by SEAdude »

So now comes the final task in the effort to get the passport/ [exit?] visa restored: to go apply for an Exit Visa

I am thinking about taking a bus to Vietnam after I get the exit visa but still not sure as I have some time to make a decision as where to go. The bus just sounds good because 5 hrs to Siagon because you never know or have an indefinite time with these offices.

I know that this needs to be done at DoI Visa office in Pochentong, PP (across the road from PP Airport).
Has anyone done this process? I got mixed reviews from google maps. Just wondering what others have experienced.

Thanks in advance.
User avatar
Alex
Expatriate
Posts: 2593
Joined: Thu May 15, 2014 2:09 am
Reputation: 2298
Location: Bangkok
United States of America

Re: Help! I lost my US passport

Post by Alex »

I'm a bit shocked that your girlfriend couldn't be arsed to go to the police station with you and that you had to rely on a random stranger's kindness to get the police report sorted (at the right police station lol).
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 337 guests