connda

Ok - finally paid for the Courier Pass Back envelope. I got the QR Code option to actually work - Hallelujah! Received an email "receipt" notification for the envelop that is printed in Thai. I guess I send the US Embassy in Bangkok what has been sent to me - in Thai. Checked the "Purchase" in the Thailand Post Mart and it is set to "Waiting" whatever that means. But I have receipts of payment from both the bank (in English) and from the Thailand Post Mart (in Thai). Whatever - the Order Number is clearly written on the Thai receipt and essentially that's all they need I'm assuming and the product clearly states it's a Courier Pass Back envelope for the US Embassy Bangkok. Ok - now to print the "Checklist" and check this one off. A full 2 hours this morning in US Passport Renewal Hell. What fun! 👿

I've spent the entire morning trying to purchase the Courier Pass Back envelope. Multiple problems. First - trying to sign up but it won't accept my email address. Finally used the Sign in using Google account option. Second: I've tried purchasing with a Thai debit card. I get to CardX/SCB screen where my mobile phone correctly show and it indicates it will send an OPT - but then fails saying the transaction information is not correct. It's a good debit card. I'm at a loss. Tried internet banking, but the 1-2-3 pukes out at an "Enter a phone number" written in Thai. Other payment options don't work, probably because I'm a foreigner. So - what are my other options to purchase a Courier Pass Back envelope which I can't seem to purchase online.

Mods can move it to wherever it fits best. I put it in here because other this is where other threads like this have been placed: https://aseannow.com/topic/1316179-american-passport-renewal-process/ https://aseannow.com/topic/1319506-usa-passport-renewal-question/

Tomorrow I'm going to a studio which has done portraits for us. Non-english speaker but we'll figure it out. I'm taking the guidelines, my old photo that is good, the dimensions, a link to the State Department's guidelines and I'll print out a Thai translation as well. And I'll take a tape measure. And we'll stay there until I'm satisfied that we have pictures that fit the State Department's requirements. I didn't do that today, I should have. So I take some responsibility because I know better that to trust people who say the know what they are doing. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

I'm not going to name who they are (Thai defamation) but they are supposed to be experts. But I'm not sure that I got the "regular" staff photographer. The staff seemed confused about what they were doing, and my wife who was talking with them was absolutely livid when we left. I was not a fun trip to Chiang Mai.

I've been reading through old US Passport Renewal threads and obviously the process is not fun. But unfortunately this year is the year I need to do it and this is the time I need to do it. So onward with questions as what looks to be a straightforward process, given what I'm reading in pass threads, is anything but intuitive. I'd like to get the application filled out and mailed out by next week. So I'll start the questions: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I read the paying the $130 application fee via Pay.gov does not work here in Thailand. I've just done a test run to see if Thailand shows up or not. It seems to show (see screenshot). So has anyone who has done a renewal recently been able to successfully submit this form? (I'm not punching it in yet and paying as I want to see what other surprises I run into while filling out the application). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Regarding pictures: I had US Passport pictures made today in Chiang Mai. Got them home and measured them. They are suppose to be: The correct size of a passport photo is: 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) Head must be between 1 -1 3/8 inches (25 - 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head Mine are 2.25 x 2.25 inches Head is 1 1/2 from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head Obviously the picture I received do not fit the requirements. So - off to a different photo store to try again tomorrow. I knew this was going to be an issue. No surprises at all - it is an issue. How do you go to a place that says they understand how to correct print US passport photos - and then they botch it? 😕 Welcome to US Passport Renewal Hell. I've checked the US Passport picture that I had made in 2015 (yeah, I still have it). Measured the photo and it is exactly the correct measurements. Tomorrow I will check to make sure that photos have the correct measurement before leaving the shop - and - I won't be using the place I had today's photos made again. And I'll take the "good" passport photo with the "bad" one for comparison, and bring a tape measure too boot. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Regarding the Thailand Post Courier Pass Back envelope fee ฿100 THB: What forms of payment does this application take. I read another post where someone could not get the application to accept a payment. So what sort of payments are accepted. Right at the moment I can't find out because - I can't create an account. Surprise, surprise, surprise - Welcome to US Passport Renewal Hell. 🙄

Just had it happen today at 7-11. Guy with in front of me ends up fiddling with his phone for a minute. The waiting cashier opens the second register and rings me out (paid with cash) and then goes back to Mr. "Convenient" Mobile Banking. 30 second transaction for me; dude was still playing with his phone as I left.

But but but - you were on your death-bed for a year and it managed to keep you out of prison. Then after a month of wearing medical props during your first month of parole - A MIRACLE! Tony's as healthy as can be! Hallelujah - Buddha Be Praised. Miraculous! It's good to be in the billionaire class!

Watch them make and exception to the exception: "Except for foreign men married to Thai women - no exception for you farang." Wait for it!

"By dialling 179 followed by their ID card number and pressing call, users can quickly verify whether their mobile banking name matches their SIM card registration." "Solly farang - not for you foreign scum!"

That's because 29+ million SIM card users are people in the same family units - morons!

Wow! That really gave the public some time 'eh?

Wait until we hear from mobile operators - "No can change name on 150 THB SIM. Farang must buy 700 THB SIM for self." Wait for it!

This is fubared beyond belief as a tosses people like me whose SIM is registered in my wife's name under the bus. So each and every single individual in a family unit needs to go get their own freaking SIM now? Definitely fubared beyond belief. Good job Thailand! What utter idiocy. What's next - farangs can't register their own SIM cards? Wait for it! I don't put it past them. I guess my SCB account, which closed their web portal and force everyone to "Go Mobile", will be getting a lot less love and my BKK account will be getting a whole lot more attention. Hopefully Bangkok Bank keeps their Bualuang iBanking web portal open. Thanks Thailand for again making my day!

Anger Management.

They'd be better off promoting Cis-Gender Month as they'd have a deeper economic base to appeal to.

If you keep thoroughly hydrated with plenty of beer, you'll never pee dark yellow (well, until your liver is finally shot). So - bottom's up! 🍺 Signed, I. P. Freely

And a Fascist Conspiracy Theorist.

Ok - I'll play. The WHO is softening up the plebeians and commoners of the world to accept the coming Bird Flu Pandemic which will kill 1 out of 4 people globally. As such, Bio-Level 4 labs are busy creating a Bird Flu Virus candidate with maximum lethality to be "accidentally release" although any claim of a lab-leak will be branded "Conspiracy Theory" as the Natural Zoonotic Mutation Theory will be floated on every cable new network in America and therefore the world and will be endorsed by Anthony Fauci's embalmed corpse. The source of the alleged zoonotic leap of the "Chicken Plague" from chickens to man will occurred somewhere in Texas and patient zero will be discovered to have been a "Far-right wing, Cis-gender Christian MAGA supporter who only uses two pronouns and had and illegal copy of TikTok loaded on her iPhone" and who ate under-cooked chicken at a church BBQ and became infected the day before taking a 30 day "Round The World MAGA Tour" and unfortunately and inadvertently infecting the entire planet. However Moderna and Pfizer will have already outguessed the deadly virus (having been given genomic samples of the most deadly form created in the labs to date) and will surprise the world at its Warp-Speed 2.0 Vaccines which will be ready to be injected into the arms of every human and domesticated pet in the world - by force if necessary. 100 million people will die of coronary failure within two weeks of taking the shots but which will be attributed to a combination of Sun Spot activity, a Coronal Mass Ejection, Gamma Ray Bursts from Alpha Centuri, and the killer "Chicken Plague" itself. In the confusion of mass panic, hundreds of thousand of people will climb tall buildings and throw themselves to their deaths whilst crying, "The Sky Is Falling!!! The Sky If Falling!!!" The End 🐔 Epilogue: A 2029 investigation found that the small percentage of humans who hid from the forced vaccination campaign experienced nothing worse than a mild flu-like infection although the 1 billion humans who died were all vaccinated. As of 2030 the MSM claims that anyone who doubted the lethality of the "Chicken Plague" are Conspiracy Theorists and that the "Un-Vaxxed" were solely responsible for all of the "Chicken Plague" deaths due to being "Unsymptomic Spreaders" The Hunter Biden Administration's Presidential Task Force is urging Congress to turn Conspiracy Theorists and the "Un-Vaxxed" into human compost in order to save the mental health of the population of Oceania (once known as the US, UK, and EU) as well as to save the planet from the coming Ice Age considering the now accepted conspiracy theory of geo-engineer (or "chem-trails") has cause global cooling on a scale that some eminent climate scientists believe the fiction movie, Snowpiercer, may actually become fact by 2050. And of course, composting Conspiracy Theorists and the "Un-Vaxxed" won't change the weather, but it will appease the blood lust of plebs who are looking for someone to blame for the pandemic chaos. How's that?

Bob Moran at his finest.

Not sure about Propiomazine but you can get Hydroxyzine OTC at any drug store. https://www.drugs.com/compare/hydroxyzine-vs-promethazine

I personally believe that every person who is pro-conscription and who has not previously served in their country's military, regardless of their age, should immediately be conscripted to serve their county just like they are asserting that "young people" should be required to do. Likewise - every war-hawk who believes that "young people" should be conscripted and sent to fight "the enemies of the State" should be immediately conscripted, handed a rifle, given a few weeks of basic training, and sent to the front - regardless of age! This goes double for government bureaucrats and politicians. If you're Pro-War and have never served in the military? You need to be voluteered to go to the front and fight for whatever b******t reason that you're all to willing to send your country's youth to fight. If the bureaucrats and politicians were suddenly put into harm's way - they'd all sing a different tune and look for diplomatic solutions. Happy Memorial Day Signed, An Anti-War US Veteran

Yep. I can conduct an transaction with cash in 15 seconds. 30 seconds if the cashier has to break a 1000 THB. Pet peeve here too.

bob smith

The Thai government doesn't seem to understand the real negative effects of their pursuit of more and more tax revenue. This is one thing that I've read and reread by expats in this forum regarding their future purchases of big ticket items - they aren't going to make major purchases. Of course - in a vicious cyclical manner - taxation creates an environment where those who are taxed make fewer purchases resulting in less VAT revenue which results and the government thinking up more "novel" methods of taxation - like the cluster-foxtrot that we are now experiencing here. Dear Foreigner scum - You never become real resident of Thailand because we think you all be national security risk to Thailand. Foreigner bad. "Ai farang!" But we make you Tax Resident so you pay your fair share like every Thai citizens....which you'll never be! Now foreign scum, pull out wallet and give us money like real Thai citizen.....which you'll never be. 🙄 Dear Thailand - We planned on purchasing a new car <enter other big ticket items here> this year, but now due to your decision to tax us like Thai citizens -- which we'll never be -- we're putting off all major purchases due to you taxing us like Thai citizens.....which you'll never allow us to be. So - please feel free to kiss the Value Added Tax from those major purchase(s) we'd otherwise make (and all other future major purchases we'd otherwise make) good-bye 👋 as well as any taxes from funds we remit to Thailand -- as we simply won't be bringing foreign funds into Thailand except for those funds needed for basic needs. If you want to tax us like Thai citizens - then open up access to permanent residency to those of us whom you label as "Tax Residents." Quid pro quo.