connda

Actually you don't. You go to the Thai Post Mart and purchase the Courier Pass Back envelope for the Bangkok Embassy. After purchasing it the Thai Post Mart sends you an email receipt with an order number. You print this receipt out, write the order number down on your Passport Renewal checklist, and print out a copy of the receipt and include it in your renewal package. The primary issue with this process is payment. I could not get a debit card or Internet payment option to work. Finally was able to get the QR Promptpay option to work with my bank's mobile app. This is the primary way to pay for the return postage as per the instructions from the U.S. Embassy site regarding passport renewals. So this is THE alternative and it's they way the Bangkok U.S. Embassy wants you to do it. https://www.thailandpostmart.com/product/1013460000929

5-year visas available for digital nomads, boxers and chefs students In the meanwhile: Screw you foreign men who have been married to a Thai woman and living in Thailand between one to two decades. Show up every year and PROVE TO US that you are married to your mongrel wife whom we detest as much as you - farang. Simply amazing.

Well, got everything done except the pictures which I'll do tomorrow and to buy a "Black Pen" to make my signature. Thailand - The Land Of Blue Pen Signatures, so I don't own a black pen. USA - The Land Of Black Pen Signatures (I guess) The instructions says, "Use black ink only" so black in it will be. And they give you a whopping 5/16 of an inch space to write your (itsy-bitsy tiny teeny weeny) signature.

So, why do you need to send two passport pictures if you are only sending one DS-82 Renewal application. Or am I missing something here. Are you suppose to send two DS-82 applications (although the checklist does not state to do so) Signed, Still confused 😕

Mods - can we keep this on topic: US Passport Renewal. Please! Thanks.

What place was that? You're talking with someone with short-term memory issues.

I looked online last night and Thailand is on the U.S. Pay.gov site, so I should be able to pay directly via that site using my U.S. credit card. But thanks for the "heads up." I'll keep that in mind if I run into problems.

Ok! I can buy that. Sorry, but I'm cursed with an over-analytical mind that tends to shred things and then reads between the lines. That's probably what it is. I should offer to edit their webpage to make it clear. It would be easy enough: Note: Do not use a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you are applying for a passport in Thailand. You may only use the Thai Post Office Courier Pass Back Envelope which can be purchase via the Thailand Post Mart website. There - fixed it.

I'm getting my information right the link you supplied. It's not made up. See screenshots: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/instructions-for-ds-82-processing-by-mail-and-online-fee-payment-for-u-s-citizens-residing-in-thailand/ Step 7: Return envelope (image): Checklist - See "Note" in bright red (image): So we are prepaying for the Courier Pass Back Envelope - but - Note: Prepaid envelope cannot be accepted if you are applying for a U.S. passport in Thailand. And I'm applying for a U.S. passport in Thailand! I ain't making this up - just writing down what I'm seeing. Signed, Totally Confused 😕

If you can't understand it, then you are simply incapable of independent thinking and analyses of Geo-politics. I can't help you. I can't help ideologues who can only perceive one side of an argument or dispute - which is why the Ukraine conflict is where its at. If you can only see one side, or if you only accept one side's narrative - you'll never understand. Sorry. Now I'll let the "Rage against Russia" continue unabated.

This has been in the public domain since published by Wikileaks. Then US Ambassador Bill Burns sent this diplomatic cable on Feb 1, 2008: "NYET MEANS NYET: RUSSIA’S NATO ENLARGEMENT REDLINES Foreign Minister Lavrov and other senior officials have reiterated strong opposition, stressing that Russia would view further eastward expansion as a potential military threat. NATO enlargement, particularly to Ukraine, remains “an emotional and neuralgic” issue for Russia, but strategic policy considerations also underlie strong opposition to NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia. In Ukraine, these include fears that the issue could potentially split the country in two, leading to violence or even, some claim, civil war, which would force Russia to decide whether to intervene." Source: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08MOSCOW265_a.html and various other internet links if you search on "Nyet means nyet: Russia's NATO enlargement redlines" This is in response to the security assurances against NATO expansion given to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev from George H.W. Bush, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Helmut Kohl, Robert Gates, François Mitterrand, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, and Manfred Woerner and various other US, British, French, and German leaders and diplomats. The promise by U.S. Secretary of State James Baker on on February 9, 1990 was that "NATO would not move one inch to the East" in return for the Soviet pull back allowing for the reunification of Soviet occupied East Germany with West Germany. https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2017-12-12/nato-expansion-what-gorbachev-heard-western-leaders-early This was reiterated by Putin on February 10, 2007 at Munich Security Conference, and again during a December 17, 2021 meeting with the US where Russia forwarded a proposed draft security agreement precluding NATO's expansion to Ukraine and the deployment of the military alliance's weapons which Russia considered to be an existential threat and which was rejected by US. The logic here was Russia didn't want NATO and NATO weapons deployed on it's border. Imagine if an alliance of Russia, China, and BRICS+ nations push up against the US border and threatened to deploy weapons to Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean? What would happen? Exactly what happened in 1962 "Cuban Missile Crisis." This could have been avoided had the West been sincere about the two Minsk Agreements, but both France and Germany had signed in bad faith. They never planned to allow them to be implements. Instead as this quote for Reuters, "Putin had been asked about remarks by former German chancellor Angela Merkel, one of the agreements' sponsors, who told the Zeit magazine in an interview published on Wednesday that the 2014 agreement had been "an attempt to give Ukraine time" - which it had used to become more able to defend itself," in other word they signed the Minsk Agreement to give Ukraine time to built its military - not to seek a peaceful resolution to the then civil war in Eastern Ukraine. Then there was one last chance to settle this diplomatically during the Russian - Ukraine peace talks in April 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey which were acknowledged and initialed by both side - until Boris Johnson showed up and torpedoed the negotiations - then it was "War On!" So don't say this was unprovoked. It could have been resolved by not expanding NATO all the way up to Russian-Ukraine negotiations in April 2022. There is a long history with the West reneging on it's promises and guarantees to Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union and openly seeking the complete break-up of Russia, which would be an existential treat to any other country on Earth. Again - there is no way the US would allow a military alliance of foreign countries to place bases on its border - that would be a provocation for war. But it is always different when the US and the West is doing that to other sovereign countries. For those 87% of you? You don't study history or Geo-politics. 86% of you read and watch Western news and all you get is the "official accepted narratives" which support Western unipolar expansionism globally. And all you do is parrot the slogans: "Russian aggression," and "Unprovoked war." Sloganism is propaganda people. And it's effective when applied to people who can't think or do analysis on their own. Don't ya'll ever stop to think that sovereign countries that are not aligned with Western countries (like Thailand) don't want any other country's militaries on their borders threatening them to do their bidding? Now before you call me, "Putin's Puppet?" No - I'm Anti-War veteran. I believe in diplomacy. I believe in peaceful resolutions to conflict. And there are two sides to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, not just one. And this could have been put to bed in April 2022 with Ukraine just ceding Crimea to Russia and accepting neutrality. Now? This could well end up in WWIII and global nuclear war. I swear that many of you 87% want exactly that - World War. Then what are you gonna do? Because when World War comes, China will come down on Russia's side, and China will then exert it's own influence over Asia and South East Asia as it takes back Taiwan and all its claims in the South China Sea. Why not - the West will be stretch across the globe in a multi-front war which it is not prepared to fight - which leaves only nukes. Then we all die. Seriously - Where do you plan on going when the war breaks out and Chinese troops arrive in Thailand? Gonna try to bribe your way on to one of the over-packed flights out of Thailand, and then go fight for your homeland? Or stay here and fight an insurgency against the Chinese? I seriously doubt it. But really - what are you going to do, because most of you want war. Best of luck with that.

The same can be said for Americans as we often tend to come off as rough and gruff and overly assertive to foreigners.

Like the SAS guy who punched a gas station attendant and the blokes who attacked a Thai cop: Anger Management kids. Maybe Anger Management classes should be a requirement for testosterone filled guys under 50 years old in order to get a visa to come to Thailand. 🤔

Word salad - it has me confused Mr. Drake. Just don't know.

Well after checking off my prepaid Courier Pass Back envelope on my checklist, I see this confusing line: "Prepaid envelope cannot be accepted if you are applying for a U.S. passport in Thailand." Didn't I just provide them with a Pre-paid Courier Pass Back envelope? So according to the instructions: 1) You must used the Prepaid Thai Post Office Courier Pass Back envelope if applying for a U.S. Passport in Thailand - but - 2. "Prepaid envelope cannot be accepted if you are applying for a U.S. passport in Thailand." Man - this is right out of Joseph Heller's Catch 22. Can anyone take a stab at explaining the Catch-22 meaning of these conflicting statements? Thanks!

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!"