ImageDude

30 minutes ago, Canuck1966 said:

The passport I require is the first one ever for my daughter. None of the cutting is required

They still won't do it and I've been stuck here for almost 2 additional months

They took the money out on 12th March, absolutely scandalous

Scandalous indeed. I have no idea what is involved with processing a passport application, but it can't be that difficult or complicated enough to cause these delays. Have they stated that your daughters passport is ready to be sent, but they won't send it until VFS Global reopen? It seems it is not ok for you to request a break from the normal procedure. But in my case it is ok for them to do it. I can't make them understand that demanding I submit my old passport before they will process my application has exposed me to the legal ramifications of residing in Thailand without a passport, visa or ID.  They just do not care.

27 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Have you asked why they can't send direct to you, just like in the good old days?

See post #32.

On 5/12/2020 at 5:14 PM, prakhonchai nick said:

Earlier this month HMPO debited my credit card fro 2 applications made in March. This suggests that HMO are working and my passports are being processed.

Is there any news on VFS re-opening anytime soon?

I received this reply to my query about my application status yesterday. Already 2 months and it is still being looked at!

HMPO Service <[email protected]>

Wed 13/05/2020 14:39:

===========================================

From: HMPO Service
Sent: 1589377026
To:
Cc:
Subject: Re: HMPO Passport enquiries
Message_ID:
X-TSID:
-------------------------------------------


 

Dear Mr

Thank you for your enquiry regarding your passport application.

Your application reference number is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Thank you for your email about your passport application. I can confirm that we received your application at our Liverpool office on 13 March 2020 and is currently still being looked at.

We do not need anything further at this stage, but if the Passport Officer needs additional information, they will contact you.

In response to the latest corona virus measures relating to social distancing and necessary travel, HM Passport Office has reduced its staffing levels to ensure that these measures are followed. Applications will take longer than usual. Please do not book travel without a valid passport.

Standard applications do not have a guaranteed service standard, and we are unable to confirm how long applications will take at this current time. We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause you.

Thank you,

Customer Service E-Mail Team

I emailed them for a status check now that they are in possession of my old passport since 4th May (although they have never acknowledged this!). I sent emails on Thursday 8th May, Friday 9th May and Monday 11th May and so far all my correspondence has been ignored. On a positive note I had a reply from my MP yesterday. He has said to leave it until Friday and if I hear nothing from HMPO, then, I should let him know and he will be on the case and make enquiries.

10 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

Ms Priti Patel                                                                                                                                                                

Home Office                                                                                                                                                                                

2 Marsham Street                                                                                                                                               

London

SW1P 4DF

 

 

Thank you. I already did that last week. I received an automated reply stating they endeavour to reply within 20 days. I also copied in my constituency MP in the UK and the British Embassy Bangkok who did reply with unhelpful advice. One piece of advice was I could show my receipt for my passport renewal application to Thai Police if stopped and needed ID as a way of explaining to them why I have no passport! Yeah right!

10 hours ago, theoldgit said:

@ImageDude I note that the member of the “Customer Support Management Team” hasn’t felt it necessary to personalize his response with his name.

Actually there is a name, in fairness I deleted it along with my own name. I have 3 emails from 3 different members of the said “Customer Support Management Team” who all put their name to the replies. It's not necessary to publish names on this forum, it would be of no help, Hopefully they will eventually be held accountable but I have my doubts.

I forgot to post this reply that I received after submitting to HMPO my perceived understanding of the passport renewal procedure from Thailand. It appears that HMPO has very different ideas concerning this issue. I would point out that my passport has not expired, I foolishly stated to them "expiring passport" not realising that maybe the recipient may not be able read! I had also copied and pasted the relevant page on UK Gov. website which was subsequently ignored. 

HM Passport Office <[email protected]>

Tue 28/04/2020 12:11

Dear Mr

Thank you for your enquiry.

We need to receive your expired passport at the issuing office before we are able to proceed.

You state that “My agent that submitted the application on my behalf and will have the expired passport for me to collect when my new one arrives”

This is not the process. If your agent does have your expired passport please request that he submits it to the issuing office at Liverpool when services resume. When it is received we will cancel it and remove the corner.

H M Passport Office

101 Old Hall Street

Liverpool

L3 9BD

On this occasion you must contact the Foreign Office directly for further guidance.

If you require any further information, please contact us through our helpline on +44 (0)300 222 0000 or via e-mail [email protected] Text Relay Prefix 18001

Kind Regards,

Customer Service Management Team

Her Majesty's Passport Office Operations

Her Majesty's Passport Office

26 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

The British Embassy have been very vocal on Coronavirus - but strangely quiet on passports. 

 

They are obviously aware than an increasing number of British expats will have issues with upcoming extensions.

 

 

HMPO are as much use as a chocolate fireguard in responding to emails about the issue.... they simply come back with a stock answer that does not deal with the question. 

 

HMPO should immediately 'automatically' extend 2020 passport dates by 3 months and also consider sending current passport renewals direct to the applicant via DHL. Unusual circumstances call for lateral thinking and I don't see any evidence of that from HMPO or BE - who should be pushing HMPO along the above lines. If I am doing them a disservice, and they are actually doing something, then they should announce the fact. 

From my own recent experiences, neither HMPO or BE are doing anything to alleviate the current passport renewal issues. I truly hope I never need their services in an emergency situation.

15 minutes ago, pontious said:

I completely agree. If I remember correctly @ImageDude was twice emailed to say his application would not progress until he sent them his passport.

4 times in fact.

 

Not one person in HMPO decided to see if there was anything different about the procedures from Thailand.

Correct.

 

He even sent, I think, the relevant page regarding retention of passports and they ignored it.

Correct again.

 

He will now, or eventually end up with both passports in VFS until they open. He will then have to arrange a third party to pick them up. The BE has not mentioned anything about the problems people are having with VFS closing. Facebook, Twitter, website -nothing.

To the poster who asked why can,t they courier to home address -

 

they normally reply VFS has to cut the corners off the old passport. This is 2020 not 1920.!!

In my case I have an email stating that it is HMPO Liverpool who will cut off the corner of my old passport not VFS,

I have a nice collection of emails now and will eventually collate all the evidence in the complaint I will make. However, it seems that HMPO are not answerable to anybody and therefore untouchable. Time will tell.

47 minutes ago, dabhand said:

Your case is quite disgraceful. That both HMPO  and  BE are giving no support on a matter that leaves your personal safety in Thailand at risk is an absolute nonsense.

 

I have been following this thread with incredulity and note that an earlier poster (now strikingly MIA) was insistent that HMPO, once reminded of the special circumstances of passport retention issues in Thailand, noted that 'would have saved a lot of bother'. Almost as if the blame was yours for not realising that HMPO are staffed by a bunch of you know whats, who need reminding of a rule that should be quickly located and understood. But, to compound the idiocy, completely ignore the rationale behind that clearly laid out rule and still insist upon the old passport being despatched.  WTH!!

 

Then, the BE moves into their usual, couldn't give a F mode. That I know too well from the Income Letter saga. Still painful to me, and no doubt many others, due to ongoing cost and hassle issues.

 

The current Ambo seems to be keen to present himself, via video, as the caring, sharing image of the UK diplomatic corps. But, as usual, the expression 'all fur coat and no knickers' comes to mind...... Not having any passport available in Thailand in these troubled times should have fired up some meaningful response. What an absolute shower. 

 

Apols for the rant but I can't imagine what my  state of mind would be should I have been in your position. Initially I would have considered the virus issue as a clear mitigating circumstance but recent actions by the main players have kicked that well into touch.

 

Best of luck and really hope you push this into major complaint territory and get the result you fully deserve. 

 

Thank you for concern and support.

After sending my old passport to HMPO Liverpool I checked DHL Tracking until my passport was delivered to HMPO Liverpool and was signed for receipt. I then contacted HMPO Liverpool to point out that they were now receipt of my old passport and explained yet again the dangerous position they had left me in. I asked them to please expedite my application. This is their reply.

HMPO Service <[email protected]>

Tue 05/05/2020 14:53

===========================================

From: HMPO Service
Sent: 1588686749
To:
Cc:
Subject: Re: HMPO Passport enquiries
Message_ID:
X-TSID:
-------------------------------------------
Dear

Thank you for your email about your current application.

Unfortunately, HMPO cannot expedite and overseas app and there are no urgent services available.
Diplomatic missions (British Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates) overseas can assist in emergencies. Details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document

Regards,

Customer Service Email Team

Unfortunate indeed! I have now sent numerous emails to HMPO Liverpool stating the position that they have put me in. At no time amongst all the replies I have received has anybody ADDRESSED THE ISSUE of being in THAILAND with NO PASSPORT.

5 hours ago, Canuck1966 said:

This is getting to be beyond a joke now, they took out the passport cash on 12th March and still waiting.

Surely they can organise a way of getting passports straight to people's Thai addresses?

It seems from the website that The British Embassy in Bangkok is pretty much working normally (So why aren't VSF Global???). Yesterday I tried to enlist the help of the British Embassy Bangkok to find a solution to what has become a massive problem for us. As I expected I was given a bunch of links, of which, none were relevant or useful to this situation. I was just fobbed off going round in circles until I was dizzy. Frustration and anger, do not even begin to describe how I felt. I have given up trying before it makes me ill. I am just going to sit on my ar5e and wait it out as my head hurts from continuously banging it against a brick wall! Peace.

1 hour ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Sorry to sound dumb but you said that you submitted your application through VfS in Chiang Mai in March.

 

If I understand that correctly, why was your old passport required ?

Check the whole thread, you will discover the answer.

On 4/26/2020 at 8:18 AM, brewsterbudgen said:

Do you know for sure that the HMPO offices in the UK have re-opened?

 

"Staff working for Her Majesty's Passport Office believe their lives are being put at risk because of demands that they return to work.

Many have been asked to go back next week, despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the BBC has learned.

On Tuesday, staff were told by a Home Office scientific adviser 80% of people would get Covid-19 in the end and "we can't hide away from it forever".

The Home Office said it was maintaining social distancing at passport offices.

When and how to get staff back into the workplace are questions employers will increasingly have to grapple with across the UK.

Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) has centres in Belfast, Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport and Peterborough.

The Tuesday conference call was addressed by Myrtle Lloyd, the HMPO chief operating officer."

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52219930

I sent my passport via DHL Courier service and it was received and signed for yesterday 4th May. So obviously someone is there. Whether they are actually dealing with passport renewals other than emergency ones, I have no clue. I just have to sit it out and wait now.

23 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

 

How is your passport 'winging it's way' to them ?

 

 

I have sent it by DHL Courier (With tracking). DHL are still operating although they said there may be some delays. I just called them for a quote, made a bank transfer, and they collected it from my home next day.

4 hours ago, Martinpeter said:

Hi/.

It;s been over 4 weeks since, my passport should have been issued.  VFS still closed now. I hope they will open again after next week, when some restrictions are being lifted!

 

still waiting! waiting!

 

Lets hope, we get emails soon for collections! -

 

I would suggest you contact HMPO Liverpool for a status report on your application. If it is any help, my application was submitted to VFS Global in Chiang Mai on the 10th March 2020 and I know that HMPO Liverpool have received it.

On 4/26/2020 at 3:07 PM, brewsterbudgen said:

I cannot see any reason whatsoever why VFS will not re-open once the Emergency Decree is lifted on 30 April.  To be honest, I don't know why they closed, as offices have been able to function fairly normally for the last month.  Maybe it was because HMPO in the UK closed?  

I don't think HMPO are completely closed, but they are working with minimum personnel and restricted practices. Indeed I hope they are not closed as my old passport is winging it's way to them. In fact they contacted me in response to my inquiry about my application status, stating that they had received my application but needed my old passport to proceed. So somebody is working at this time.

This is the automated reply received each time I have emailed them sometimes more than once a day. 

15 minutes ago, pontious said:

I am getting confused with the email dates. The above showed posts from TOG and OJAS showing the GOV.UK website saying you keep your passport in Thailand. You sent that to HMPO. You say you got no auto response . Have you received any reply to this specific email yet?

Yes, I received a reply the same day. It just said that if I had a complaint I should address it through the complaints procedure and gave me a link. I have done that but don't expect any reply anytime soon. 

3 hours ago, blackcab said:

 

VFS do this immediately before you take possession of the new passport, on the day you collect the new passport from them.

 

 

My guess would be that they want to cancel your old passport because VFS are not available to do this.

 

 

Three possible options: 1. To VFS; 2. To you; 3. To the British Embassy. Let us know the answer.

I agree with what you are saying, but I shouldn't have to guess the reason why. If they have put interim measures in place then surely they have a responsibility to publicise the fact on the website or give me an explanation when they told me I had to return my passport to them.

1 hour ago, pontious said:

Thanks for posting the link. I suggest anyone interested in this topic should click the bbc news link because there is much more to read than that quoted by BB. I don,t know, and cannot be bothered to check but I expect Thailand is the only VFS visa office which is bolted to British Passport Applications and when they closed the Visa,s section, as did many other counties, they failed to reason in Thailand it would affect Passport Application, as well. 

Myrtle Lloyd the HMPO the Chief Operating Officer  says renewing Passports is regarded as delivering 'Critical Service,s' . If it is providing that then the Passport Section in VFS in Thailand should reopen to provide the  same 'critical services'. Not visa's - just passports. It cannot be 'critical service' in UK but not at the other end.

Further in the article staff have said they are  happy a skeleton staff are processing passports that are needed for ID reasons. That is us is it not. Not for Easter holiday's.. That is what they upset about.

I have been following that BBC news myself. None of that is addressing this issue here in Thailand. I am led to believe that the procedure For VFS Global-HMPO Application Centres in Thailand is that they accept the UK Citizen's passport renewal application including passport. They cancel the said passport by snipping off the right hand corner and return the passport to the applicant to be used for legal ID purposes only. That information is on the UK Gov. website and that is the procedure I have followed. Nobody at the UK HMPO is explaining why, in my case, there has been a change to that procedure and they want me to send them my old passport. I have no objection to doing that but I would have liked an explanation. VFS Global have been paid to handle this passport service on behalf of the UK Gov. and they appear have just vanished into thin air. It begs the question now, when UK HMPO receive my passport and process the application. Where are they going to send the new passport, to me at my address in Thailand or to VFS Global who currently are out of the frame???

33 minutes ago, TenDreams said:

I have had no updates on mine. 

Agent claims he applied, no verification/receipt (around last week of March). 

HMPO say they have no record of the application (been contacting them weekly for last few weeks). 

Have not tried to contact VFS BKK where application was apparently made.

I have had my current, unexpired returned to me by the agent. 

 

When I made my inquiry to UK HMPO they told me the same in that they could't find my application at that stage, it had been submitted to VFS Global Chiang Mai on March 10th 2020 which is 3 weeks before VFS closed and headed for the hills. I just waited and 2 weeks later UK HMPO contacted me to say they had now received my application and it was at this stage they asked for my old passport to be sent to them, in order to process the said application. You know the rest. If indeed it is illegal to not be in possession of a passport in Thailand, then UK HMPO have instructed me to break Thai Law!

5 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Do you know for sure that the HMPO offices in the UK have re-opened?

 

"Staff working for Her Majesty's Passport Office believe their lives are being put at risk because of demands that they return to work.

Many have been asked to go back next week, despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the BBC has learned.

On Tuesday, staff were told by a Home Office scientific adviser 80% of people would get Covid-19 in the end and "we can't hide away from it forever".

The Home Office said it was maintaining social distancing at passport offices.

When and how to get staff back into the workplace are questions employers will increasingly have to grapple with across the UK.

Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) has centres in Belfast, Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport and Peterborough.

The Tuesday conference call was addressed by Myrtle Lloyd, the HMPO chief operating officer."

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52219930

They were working with a reduced staff and complying to social distancing and there would certainly be delays in processing applications. The last correspondence (email) I had from them was on Friday 24th. Again telling me to send them my passport and if I had any complaint to make I should make it through the Gov UK website facility.

17 hours ago, OJAS said:

Agree with you 100%. This is what the Embassy actually said to me in responding to a recent enquiry confirming that emergency travel documents could not be issued to anyone without firm travel plans!

 

We would suggest approaching the local immigration to discuss the implications of your passport and visa situation. They may be able to suggest alternatives given the current circumstances.

 

Personally, I  am left seriously wondering whether HMG, collectively, is, in fact, more than happy for @ImageDude and others in a similar predicament to his to, in effect, be offered up as sacrificial lambs on the high altar of Passport Security, given that this, presumably, must, in their view, always be the paramount consideration when it comes to renewing passports, regardless of the exceptional times in which we are currently living. 

I am not a conspiracy theorist by any stretch of the imagination, but I am beginning to think that there is more to this problem than meets the eye. Has HMPO been having some problems with passport renewal applications via HMPO Application centres in Thailand? Do HMPO not like applications being submitted by a third party agent? I have no clue. Do HMPO figure me for a prominent player in an International crime syndicate? ????????????  I can't believe that HMPO are just being vindictive with me. There has to be a logical reason. There were other posters on this thread who were experiencing similar problems but are not giving any progress reports on their own applications. Maybe they have their passports already and I really have been singled out. Who knows? Any way I have no choice I have sent my passport to UK HMPO via DHL Courier, hopefully it will get to it's destination eventually! If not, come to visit me in the IDC! ????????

32 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

 

Incredible if they don't admit their mistake, it's their rule in the first place.

 

I would actually copy your email to the British Embassy for their information, the Ambassador recently received a number of communications from British Nationals concerned that Life Certificates, or whatever they call them now, were not reaching the intended receipients and there was a danger that State Pensions would be suspended, a phone call was made and the DWP agreed to suspend these letters for the duration.
Seems there is a former DWP staff member on his team who knew who to call, maybe there is a former HMPO team member on his team who would know who to call, if only to remind the HMPO of their own advice and save HE any unneccassy hassle. 

I already did that yesterday but have not yet received a reply. 

When I first posted about this issue, there were other posters who had passport renewals in at the same time. To them, are you experiencing any difficulties with your application? Or have I been singled out for some reason?

I emailed the information from the UK Gov website about keeping the old passport to HMPO Liverpool this morning. I did not receive the normal automated reply, so maybe they are fed up with hearing from me and blocked my emails!

7 hours ago, OJAS said:

Click on the following link:-

 

https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/overseas/information/thailand/renew/adult

 

and then scroll down to the section headed "Making your application" - under which you will find it in the 4th paragraph.

Thank you. I have forwarded the info to HMPO, but they are not going to change their minds. 

It looks like I have hit a brick wall. HMPO are not changing their stance on this issue despite being given the reason that the old passport was not submitted with the application.

From: HMPO Service
Sent: 1587550859
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc:
Subject: Re: HMPO Passport enquiries
Message_ID:
X-TSID:
-------------------------------------------

Dear Mr

Thank you for your response,

I can confirm we will need the old British passport to be send into the office before we can renewal and post your new passport. I do understand this is not the best circumstances at the moment, we will leave your application open until we get your old passport.

Thank you,

Customer Service E-Mail Team