rikki

It looks like it

Of course noone told me about it until it was almost too late

It being a month since my application at Trendy, I yesterday called HMPO hotline in UK, where Chloe could not give me a Reference number for my passport, but promised that she would email the relevant department who would email me the Reference number

Last time I went to get an extension to My 30 day Visa exemption/VoA on Medical grounds I took the letter from the Doctor in English and Thai, but was told that I needed to get another form which they gave me filled in at the hospital.

Does anyone know the official name/number of this form?

I need to get a new one and the hospital dont seem to know what I'm talking about, nor can I get an answer from Chiang Mai Immigration on the phone.

With some major passport renewal and Visa problems, I emailed ChiangMai Consulate over a week ago,and still have not heard from them

So I emailed the British Embassy and hoping they will reply before its too late.

Their automatic reply included " the Consular Team will reply to you at the earliest opportunity within the Embassy’s 20 working days timeframe"

So how long should I wait before I telephone them or drop in?

yeah done all that, photos have a white background I guess that will be ok though

They could possibly be rejected. 5-10% grey or cream is the requirement. Not worth the stress not to get them done properly.

My photos had a blue background, so I was told to go back outside to get a white background.

There is a machine outside the door that costs 250bt for photos

I called the UK HMPO hotline again today to ask for an Application Process Reference Number.

MARK there told me that there was no such thing, and he could not give me any reference number, even though I told him that I had rang up on 16june, 3 days after my application had been received by HMPO UK,, and was told then to ring up on 18 june to get a Reference number

The scale of the problem is immense.

From today's Guardian:

"there were currently 480,000 applications being dealt with"

So the PM stated last week that there was a backlog of 30000 passports....

And 3.7million applications this year? Hardly surprising that 10% of the population would want a new 10 year passport at any given time, is it?

I got a DHL ref No,at my Trendy appointment and was told to call them in a day or two to get a tracking number, Whether or not that will count as a Reference for HMPO I do not know

Ref No DHL 93xx xxxxxx Number +44 300222 0000

So is that a UK DHL phone number?

The number they gave you is the HMPO UK Hotline.

The DHL Number will, I guess, be the package number carrying your application to Liverpool HMPO..

OK I tracked it, it was signed for by R.Moron at Liverpool on June 11

Actually it arrived in Liverpool on 13 June, my mistake.

I got a DHL ref No,at my Trendy appointment and was told to call them in a day or two to get a tracking number, Whether or not that will count as a Reference for HMPO I do not know

Ref No DHL 93xx xxxxxx Number +44 300222 0000

So is that a UK DHL phone number?

The number they gave you is the HMPO UK Hotline.

The DHL Number will, I guess, be the package number carrying your application to Liverpool HMPO..

OK I tracked it, it was signed for by R.Moron at Liverpool on June 11

I got a DHL ref No,at my Trendy appointment and was told to call them in a day or two to get a tracking number, Whether or not that will count as a Reference for HMPO I do not know

Ref No DHL 93xx xxxxxx Number +44 300222 0000

So is that a UK DHL phone number?

Latest from BBC:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-27829953

Looks like the BBC may do a report on this.

You can leave details of your experience etc in the form at the bottom of the page

It's 100% cambodian registered in my name so can be transferred to your name so you can go riding all around SE Asia

Road Legal Enduro Race bike,only one race.

Please contact for more details

I got a DHL ref No,at my Trendy appointment and was told to call them in a day or two to get a tracking number, Whether or not that will count as a Reference for HMPO I do not know

Yamaha WR250F 2008 Enduro Plated 170000k bt

Cambodian registered/plate, imported from California.Currently Temp. import in Thailand
Alloy frame.Electric start. New camchain and Ti valves.Recent new forkseals, tyres
handguards, yzf exhaust,alloy bashplate
Excellent bike, strong ,fast,

Injury forces reluctant sale
In Chiang Mai

More pics soon

When I visited the Embassy the very helpful consular officer gave me a hard copy of the relevant complaints procedure re passport services.

It may be worth some guys putting their experiences down in writing and sending it off to the relevant people - I will be doing so when I eventually receive my passport. I was told that I should copy my comments/complaints to [email protected] since my comments relate to the system in general rather than one specific issue. A prime example is that we are told that we can expect "special provisions and services for people with disabilities" - I would like to know specifically what special provisions are in place for aged and infirm UK residents in Thailand, particularly those who live some distance from Bangkok.

living in Chiang Mai, and currently on a Visa on Arrival extension on medical grounds(doc says I'm not fit to travel as I have a leg injury),

I emailed HMPObangkok to ask if it was strictly necessary for me to go to bangkok for the interview.

I dont believe they read nor understood my email, they simply responded with

"For apply passport renewal the applicant need to apply in person in Bangkok, Thailand only."

It would help them to be taken seriously if they can write english properly

Why e-mail HMPO Bangkok - it's VFS. You need to contact HMPO in UK.

You can quote from their published guidelines:

"What you can expect from us

We aim to provide a high standard of customer service in all our dealings with customers. You can expect:

• staff to be polite, helpful and professional

• passports to be issued in line with our published standards

• details on your passport to be correct and your supporting documents to be returned promptly

• registration certificates to be issued in line with our published standards from the General Register Office (GRO)

• special provisions and services for people with disabilities

• clear and helpful explanations from our staff if you are denied a British passport because of citizenship or on other grounds"

I contacted HMPO UK via the form on the website, I couldnt find an email.

I explained that I had an injury and asked if it was absolutely necessary to go to bangkok twice

This was their reply;

"If you wish to apply for, renew or replace a British passport and you are resident outside of the UK you will need to use the following link:

www.gov.uk/overseas-passports "

Which wasn't very helpful

PopAce

I went in to a different branch and got the English letter there. They must have got all confused at my (old) branch.

Also Ram hospital said the had a Dept for that called HomeCare , will be open in

the morning

Thanks for info on Driver Licence. Would've saved me a trip

SCB said they could not supply me with a statement showing my address.

I asked my Thai bank for a statement showing my address in English and they said that they could not do it.

So I guess it'll have to be a letter from the hospital

I wont be eligible for a Residence Permit on a Visa Exemption will I?

Or can I get a letter in english from the Drivers Licence Office with my address?

I had 30 days extension, I emailed trendy straightaway for the earliest appointment, and trendy gave me an appointment for 13 days later

thats good.

I do not have room in my passport for another entry stamp,now since immigration used the whole last page for an extension on medical grounds.

I am hoping I will need a couple more of these extensions.(though I dont know where they can put them)

I was going to fly out and get a new tourist visa but it is not possible

So I can get a bank statement from my thai bank, in English, with my current Thai address, and that will do for Residence Evidence?

I am currently on a Visa on Arrival extension

When I visited the Embassy the very helpful consular officer gave me a hard copy of the relevant complaints procedure re passport services.

It may be worth some guys putting their experiences down in writing and sending it off to the relevant people - I will be doing so when I eventually receive my passport. I was told that I should copy my comments/complaints to [email protected] since my comments relate to the system in general rather than one specific issue. A prime example is that we are told that we can expect "special provisions and services for people with disabilities" - I would like to know specifically what special provisions are in place for aged and infirm UK residents in Thailand, particularly those who live some distance from Bangkok.

living in Chiang Mai, and currently on a Visa on Arrival extension on medical grounds(doc says I'm not fit to travel as I have a leg injury),

I emailed HMPObangkok to ask if it was strictly necessary for me to go to bangkok for the interview.

I dont believe they read nor understood my email, they simply responded with

"For apply passport renewal the applicant need to apply in person in Bangkok, Thailand only."

It would help them to be taken seriously if they can write english properly

If the Passport Office, or whoever makes the rules, are in a position to operate in such a way as to force expats into staying illegally in Thailand, how is it that thai law allows them to do this?

Why dont we hear about them being prosecuted?

I am told by immigration that I need 2 forms filled in at the hospital to apply for an extension. One of which is TM7

What happens when you are too sick to travel when your visa runs out?

If you broke a leg and cant walk, can you get a visa exemption or something with a letter from the doc?

If you are currently on a Visa on arrival, and need to get a tourist visa from another country, to stay in thailand a bit longer, is there a procedure to follow to get an extension based on the advice of the doctor?

Or you have to jump in a wheelchair to the nearest border/airport?