terak69

Seems fine with me, apply online and get it sent to the Brit embassy here.

at twice the price of ordinary application - extortion & you do not apply online, you download form, send it to Hong Kong & they send it to uk if they do not loose it

Bloody hey! No UK income tax when non-resident but complaining about an occasional fee to keep you that way? How much worse could it be? Same as the Yanks and taxed on world-wide income regardless of where they live!

I still pay income tax so I am allowed to complain - As it was said earlier the Thais produce similar passport and sell it for 1000 baht, says it all really

If this minor 'change' upsets so many people, what on earth will they do when they request that all passport applications and renewals require a face-to-face interview with the applicant?

In the UK!

It's not the 'minor changes' that upset me - it's the idiotic system they intend to use & the inevitable price increases. Face to face interviews, I do not think could ever happen unless uk becomes a dictatorship, maybe next year then

Nice video, presumably made by the Teletubbies team. Not so nice is the 150 knickers punch up the froat for pensioners renewing old 40-quid passport - for the enormous privilege of not having to live in the UK.

Ah, but our shiny new passports will be more 'secure'? Presumably that means we pay the (very wonderful) UK secret police to put all our personal data on an embedded passport microchip, & if the Vogons are still not happy, they can grope in our underpants, or force us to strip in the airport. Believe, work, obey. B******s. OGT

spoke to some one in Rawai - it cost him 9000 baht to renew uk passport

Fell sorry for you UK citizen.

How do you accepts this.

First Hong Kong, now UK.

Next year....

Can't you get decent consular service in Thailand?

Decent consular service - expensive passport service, as someone quoted we pay for the Pimm's etc

From Thailand you can send photocopies in lieu of passport - why it goes via Hong Kong, maybe keeps 2 mp's in expenses somewhere in the uk until they actually think of sending them directly to uk. That might be next years directive

The application doesn't go via Hong Kong, it goes to Hong Kong where the passport is produced.

As I read it, that at some time in the future you will apply directly to the UK, they will produce your new passport and send back. I renew mine in the UK when I'm there, almost half the price.

Of course Thailand can produce a 50 page passport, complete with a biometric chip in a few days, doe 1000 Baht - Amazing Thailand.

So the new service DIDN'T start on the 1st April ??

God Almighty, I nearly lost the will to live watching that video.

I could never understand why the British Government, once they accepted the principle that photocopies could be sent in lieu of the actual passport, could not have all applicants from overseas send their passport applications directly to the UK instead of a regional centre, via a courier like DHL or Fedex?

Alan

From Thailand you can send photocopies in lieu of passport - why it goes via Hong Kong, maybe keeps 2 mp's in expenses somewhere in the uk until they actually think of sending them directly to uk. That might be next years directive

Well I watched the Janet and John get a new passport video clip, am I the only one that finds it patronising?

No date for moving he entire operation back to the UK, but when they do they will find it very difficult to justify any higher costs for applicants from overseas, save for courier costs, but no doubt they will somehow do so.

I was under impression it started April 1st (can you believe)

Seems fine with me, apply online and get it sent to the Brit embassy here.

at twice the price of ordinary application - extortion & you do not apply online, you download form, send it to Hong Kong & they send it to uk if they do not loose it

see attached - similar propaganda of thieving uk government

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/474043-renewing-uk-passport/page__p__4484672#entry4484672

it's all the same rob the uk's give to mp's & immigrants

If genuinely unable to travel, get a Hospital doctors medical Extension letter - this should give a date when they think you can travel & visa can be extended until that date

The only view - visa run !! out of country & re enter get new 60 days - the only way on a tourist visa

so it is not possible to renew a uk passport in the uk embassy in bangkok???

NO - that is too logical and uk cannot rip you off as much there. I might be mistaken but I seem to remember reading that you can have it checked in Bangkok and forwarded to Hong Kong and re-forwarded to the uk where it will be printed next to the other passports of the cheaper variety (ie uk persons - opps what are we ??) - probably all checked over and resent back to Thailand by an illegal immigrant

I sent an email asking why the uk passport office was stealing from us reply below-

Thank you for your e-mail enquiry regarding the passport fee charged at Foreign and Commonwealth consular offices abroad.

It might help if I explain that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) are separate organisations with separate finances.

FCO provides consular assistance overseas to British Nationals. Their passport fee covers the full costs involved in the issuing and manufacturing of a British Passport. HM Treasury rules require FCO to recover the costs from fee income, not general taxation.

Their fee is necessary to ensure costs are fully recovered. Costs have increased as the consular network has had to expand to keep pace with the demands being placed upon it, by an ever-increasing number of British Nationals travelling and living overseas. This results in general cost movement and increase in staff numbers. In addition to this, the passport fee covers enhanced security world-wide to protect staff and customers.

I hope that this clarifies the situation.

Claire Hamer

Central Customer Service Team

Identity and Passport Service | Newport Regional Office | Olympia House | Upper Dock Street |

Newport | NP20 1XA

Strange how Claire never mentioned that your passport fee's also keep consular staff in Pimm's, Champagne cocktails and scottish smoked salmon.......

How true !!! it's just another angle for 'rip off uk' - Why the passports have to be sent to HK & then uk is beyond me - more chance of being lost !!

More Pimm's anyone

I sent an email asking why the uk passport office was stealing from us reply below-

Thank you for your e-mail enquiry regarding the passport fee charged at Foreign and Commonwealth consular offices abroad.

It might help if I explain that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) are separate organisations with separate finances.

FCO provides consular assistance overseas to British Nationals. Their passport fee covers the full costs involved in the issuing and manufacturing of a British Passport. HM Treasury rules require FCO to recover the costs from fee income, not general taxation.

Their fee is necessary to ensure costs are fully recovered. Costs have increased as the consular network has had to expand to keep pace with the demands being placed upon it, by an ever-increasing number of British Nationals travelling and living overseas. This results in general cost movement and increase in staff numbers. In addition to this, the passport fee covers enhanced security world-wide to protect staff and customers.

I hope that this clarifies the situation.

Claire Hamer

Central Customer Service Team

Identity and Passport Service | Newport Regional Office | Olympia House | Upper Dock Street |

Newport | NP20 1XA

Nationalities qualified for 30 day stamps for air arrival can use them indefinitely. In and out all you want, no limitations at all, except the number of pages in your passport.

Why does the number of pages limit this ?? Can a new passport not be applied for ?? - I have heard RUMOURS that some entry points are getting difficult after 6 VOA's, but as I said RUMOUR

Interested in the cunning plan

It all seems ok, but if you cannot get single O, then get Tourist Visa & convert from that when 50. This conversion will cost an extra 2000 baht as you have to convert from TR to O first, but you will get 15 months out of it. Partner can piggy back subject to marriage certificate being proved.

I did in Vientiane last month & did not need proof of onward ticket, in fact never been asked with all 3 TR's

Immigration offices tend to only deal with overstays if under 40 or 42 days - it tends to be the actual in/out ports that deal with the bigger ones. Then you also have to have a ticket to your home country, but unless someone knows different..............................................

Pattaya - Phuket - Bangkok - - - - same same but different - we should know by now !!

True... I went to Phuket Immigration on April 28th and used a US Embassy letter for income. They have required a copy of an ATM card, front and back for at least about a year as I had to get a copy at the office last year, so it's not a new requirement. The year before it was not required... This year I copied the ATM card and blacked out my security code on the back of the ATM card copy. As mentioned, they said they want to see that you can get your money here... I have brought Thai bank statements in the past, but they never want to look at them with an Embassy letter. Let us know if this changes, as I recently read a thread George posted about this. Something from one of his legal sponsors saying US, Canadian and Aussie citizens may require more proof as their Embassies don't require proof of income to get an income letter... The head of the Phuket Immigration Office whom I talked to on April 28th said nothing about any new requirements. She asked if I could come back later as it was more than 45 days before my extension expires. I was leaving for 2 months and would be gone on my renewal day. I showed her my airline ticket and she said China Airlines doesn't have any authority. But I explained to her very nicely my situation and she said okay this time... We'll see what they come up with next year. Even an Immigration officer I know there jokes about the requirements changing every year!

You should only have to photocopy the front of the ATM card

How are you going to leave country without a valid passport ???

Most immigration offices in that case also want a copy of your bank book. If you don't have a Thai bank account, copies of ATM slips are also accepted.

Suspect this will be the case in Phuket too (or will be soon).

Currently only want to see bank book if using money in bank - if using consulate letter for 100% of funds no need to show bank book

Not true at Phuket Immigration. They want additional proof you spend money here. The consulate letter alone is not sufficient.

I renewed my retirement visa in early March. Used consulate letter for 100% of funds and still had to get letter from bank showing balance along with copy of bank book. This was in pattaya.

Pattaya - Phuket - Bangkok - - - - same same but different - we should know by now !!

Sorry if I'm coming across as a bit uninformed, but what is the procedure for the 2X Tourist Visa assuming you get one?

You stay in Thailand for 60 days, visit your local immigration office for a 30 day extension costing 1900 baht, and then what?

Would I have to enter and leave in Laos again in order for the 2X portion of the visa to become active, or could I go to any country (say Myanmar) to get my 2X visa stamped for another 60/90 days?

And I assume you have to check into immigration again after 60 days again in order to extend to the full 90 days?

Thanks!

totally correct 60 plus 30 @ immigration, leave country & re enter before visa expiry date & get another 60 plus 30

Can it be a joint account with my name and my wife's name on it?

Only if you have twice the required money in it - immigration class the money as half half - the wife classes it as hers !!! hmmmmmm !!!

Retirement extension of stay requires 65k income or 800k in bank account 2/3 months or a combination meeting 800k total.

Marriage extension of stay requires 40k income or 400k in bank 2 months.

Isn't marriage renewal 3 months as well ??