Myanmar CI → PJ change checklist (Thailand) — stamps, DOE & docs

CI → PJ in Thailand: apply in person, transfer Immigration stamps, notify DOE. Doc list + pitfalls; confirm fees on official channels.

Changing a Certificate of Identity (CI) to a PJ passport means a Myanmar worker in Thailand applies for a passport with Myanmar authorities in Thailand, then updates Thai Immigration and Department of Employment (DOE) records so the visa / stay stamps and work permit match the new book. You usually do not need to return to Myanmar — but the worker must appear in person. This page is a practical checklist — not legal advice and not a politics article. Fees, queues, addresses, and document packs change; always reconfirm with the receiving Myanmar agency, your Provincial Employment Office (PEO), Immigration, or DOE hotline 1506 (press 2) before you travel or pay anyone.

CI vs PJ (high level)

Topic	CI	PJ (passport)
Issued by	Myanmar authorities via CI service centers in Thailand	Myanmar authorities / embassy channels in Thailand
Work in Thailand	Yes (with matching work permit / stamps)	Yes (with matching work permit / stamps)
International travel	Limited / purpose-specific	Normal passport use (confirm with Immigration)
Typical renewal cycle	Often shorter	Often longer

Neither is “always better.” If your CI still has long validity and you have no travel plans, many HR teams renew the work permit first, then plan a CI→PJ change. Pair this checklist with:

Three blocks — do not stop after Block 1

Public labour-company guides (e.g. Exworker — Change CI to PJ, last updated Sep 2026) describe three continuous blocks. Missing Block 2 or 3 is a common reason the next renewal fails.

Block 1 — Apply for PJ with Myanmar authorities in Thailand (in person)

Book / confirm the appointment channel used this round (daily queues are limited).
Appear in person for photo / biometrics / data collection.
Ask the officer for the collection date and write it down — compare it with when your old CI expires.
Keep every slip and photograph every page of the old and new books.

Do not let the old CI expire while you wait for the new PJ. Start early if queues are long.

Block 2 — Transfer visa / permission-to-stay stamps at Immigration

The new PJ is blank. Stay rights still sit on the old CI until Immigration transfers them.

Bring new PJ + old CI (originals + copies of data and stamp pages).
Use the Immigration form your local office specifies.
Check what stamp type you actually hold (MOU / Cabinet-resolution groups often do not hold a standard Non-Immigrant B). Supporting docs vary by stamp type — confirm with Immigration or the PEO before you go.
Photograph the new stamp pages before you leave.

If you skip this block, checkpoint checks and the next work-permit renewal often fail because the book you hold has no stay stamp.

Block 3 — Notify DOE so the work permit matches the new document number

The work permit is tied to the travel-document number. After CI→PJ:

Notify DOE / file the travel-document change so the registration matches the PJ you actually hold.
Confirm the timeframe and employer supporting docs with the PEO for your province — details vary by area and Cabinet-resolution cycle.
Keep the receipt / acknowledgment for e-WorkPermit and later renewals.

Public guides stress: getting a new book and stopping there is the root cause of “system number ≠ document in hand” at the next renewal.

Documents — starting list (confirm before you travel)

Treat this as a collection starter, not a guarantee. Confirm the live list with the Myanmar receiving agency and your PEO / Immigration.

Worker side (commonly requested in public guides):

Current CI (still valid) — original + copies of data and stamp pages
Old PJ if you held one before (public guides often say expired not more than ~5 years; if older, extra identity docs may be needed — confirm)
Myanmar ID (front/back copies) and household registration (copies of relevant pages), if available
Work permit and/or non-Thai national ID (pink card), if held — originals + copies
Recent passport-style photos (size/quantity as the agency specifies)
Other civil docs if relevant (name-change, marriage, child’s birth certificate)

Employer side (often needed for stamp transfer + DOE notification):

Company registration / authorized director ID copies (or individual employer ID + household registration)
Power of attorney if someone acts for the employer
Any employer letter the local Immigration / PEO asks for this round

Fees: MMKHub will not invent official Myanmar passport fees, Immigration transfer fees, or agent mark-ups. Private labour companies publish their own service packages — those are not official government fees. Confirm every fee on the official channel or with HR before you pay strangers on Facebook / LINE.

Pitfalls to avoid

Pitfall	Why it hurts	What to do
Name spelling differs across ID / household / CI / work permit	DOE / Immigration cannot link records	Compare photos of every book before the appointment
Starting with only weeks left on the CI	Queue delays / rejections leave no buffer	Start months ahead when possible
Old PJ expired too long ago	Extra identity proof may be required	Check this with the receiving agency first
Stopping after collecting the new PJ	Stay stamps + work-permit number still on the old book	Finish Blocks 2 and 3 the same week if queues allow
Full queues / wasted travel day	Lost wages + transport cost	Book first; take multiple workers only with confirmed slots
Paying random “CI→PJ agents”	Mark-ups and fake receipts	Prefer employer HR / licensed labour company; keep your own copies

How this ties to the current renewal window

Public summaries of the 14 Jul 2026 Cabinet renewal window describe work-permit filing by 11 Dec 2026 (with later stay/work dates into 2027 — confirm live dates on DOE / e-WorkPermit). Plan CI→PJ with that renewal cycle, not against it: do not miss the e-WorkPermit deadline while waiting for a passport queue. See the e-WorkPermit renewals checklist.

What MMKHub will not guess

We will not invent this round’s exact Myanmar appointment address, passport fee, Immigration transfer fee, or DOE notification deadline. Prefer:

Your employer HR / licensed labour company
Provincial Employment Office / DOE 1506 (press 2)
Local Immigration office for stamp-transfer forms
Primary Myanmar / Thai labour announcements when published

Orientation sources used while drafting (re-check before you act): Exworker — Change CI to PJ · MMKHub CI center visit checklist · Exworker CI reopen summary (DOE letter 0316.5/15536).

Disclaimer: Info only. MMKHub is not a law firm, immigration agency, DOE office, embassy, or recruitment agency. We do not sell CI→PJ appointments. Rules and fees change — confirm on official Thai / Myanmar channels and with your employer before you pay or travel.