British Passport Renewal in Bangkok

[thairat]

1st off let me say, that this topic seems quite dynamic, and older posts may no longer be relevant.

 

 

I am about to apply for childs passport renewal in Bangkok.

 

I am already in Bangkok, and would like to know what form, (cash, money order, credit card) and how much (which currency) and amount  is required for a standard child's passport?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[blackcab]

You need to download the payment form from the internet, complete it with relevant card details and hand it in at the same time as the application:

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/190989/OS_Payment__Instruction_07.13.pdf

 

The cost, including the courier fee is £88.51. Your card will be debited in GBP.

[ubonjoe]

You can find all the info you need by going through the steps here. https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

You have to make an appointment to do the application.

[thairat]

Quote

You have to make an appointment to do the application.

 

Wow, that is a blow, I didnt realize this, I confirm, what you say.......OK reboot!

 

Time to scramble!

Thank you ubonjoe!

 

thairat

 

[thairat]

I attempted to make an appointment via email and got the following response.

 

Quote

 

Thank you for your email.

 This is an automated response.

 This email address is ONLY for booking an appointment to submit a passport application. You’ll need to schedule an appointment by email. Include your first name and last name and 3 alternative dates and times from 8:30 to 16:00, Monday to Friday except public holidays (Bangkok time). You will receive an email confirming your appointment.

 

Her Majesty’s Passport Office have advised that some customers applying for their passport from outside of the UK have been provided with incorrect guidance relating to the supporting documents required in support of their passport application.

 This only affects customers born in the UK.

Prior to your passport application appointment, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-passport-supporting-documents-group-2 for the correct information. HM Passport Office apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

 Please note that the Visa Application Centre will not be able to respond to any passport enquiries, please use the GOV.UK website or passport advice line.

 Getting help with my passport application?

All details on how to apply for a passport and how long it will take can be found at:                  

http://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports 

How do I get further help?

 

Advice on how to apply for a passport and what supporting documents you need to provide can be found by country at:                       

http://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

 If after reading that advice carefully you have further questions you should contact the Passport Advice Line on 0044 300 222 0000 rather than your local Embassy or High Commission.

The Passport Advice Line is open at the following times:

Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm (UK time)
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, 9am to 5:30pm (UK time)

 Best regards

UK Visa Application Centre

HM Passport Office Local Service Provider, Thailand

 

I addition from the UK website

Quote

You’ll need to book an appointment by email. Include your first name and last name and 3 alternative dates and times. You will receive an email confirming your appointment.

 

From this response I dont know if my request for an interview was accepted or not! If not, then what format do they expect? Yes, first name, last name and three dates in any format!, so the program will try to figure out what I'm requesting, without human intervention?

 

"This only affects customers born in the UK."   What do they mean by This?

 

Not impressed with the instructions, or dissemination of the required information.

 

Help appreciated!

 

Thairat!

 

 

 

[thairat]

The implication, is from the automated response no, appointment was made, since the program couldnt parse my appointment request into three date time combinations!

 

Wonderful, nothing like a personal touch!

 

Disappointed, but getting used to it!

 

Thairat

[thairat]

As I have limited time in Bkk, is it possible to contact them directly, either in person or by phone?

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, thairat said:

The implication, is from the automated response no, appointment was made, since the program couldnt parse my appointment request into three date time combinations!

 

Since it is a holiday today I would not expect a reply back for the appointment until tomorrow.

 

4 minutes ago, thairat said:

As I have limited time in Bkk, is it possible to contact them directly, either in person or by phone?

Not that that I am aware of.

[thairat]

Thank you Joe.

 

No surprises here, do you interpret the automated response to be negative,  or a wait and see?

 

regards

Thairat

[Swimman]

1 hour ago, thairat said:

"This only affects customers born in the UK."   What do they mean by This?

If that is read in context with the remainder of the email the meaning is clear. 

 

"Her Majesty’s Passport Office have advised that some customers applying for their passport from outside of the UK have been provided with incorrect guidance relating to the supporting documents required in support of their passport application.

 This only affects customers born in the UK." 

Not everyone with a British Passport is UK born. 

[thairat]

45 minutes ago, Swimman said:

If that is read in context with the remainder of the email the meaning is clear. 

 

"Her Majesty’s Passport Office have advised that some customers applying for their passport from outside of the UK have been provided with incorrect guidance relating to the supporting documents required in support of their passport application.

 This only affects customers born in the UK." 

Not everyone with a British Passport is UK born. 

So you are suggesting that if you used the on-line questionnaire to provide information regarding how to apply for a passport AND that questionnaire asked "were you born in the UK", then you may have received incorrect guidance? Otherwise how could they determine which groups of people received incorrect guidance.

 

If as you suggest, is correct interpretation, it would have been more clear to include  "This only affects customers born in the UK."  to be a part of the paragraph to which it refers.

 

Anyway thank you for your response.

 

thairat

 

[bluesville]

I just renewed my passport, I sent them an email and they replied asking for 3 dates and times I could attend.

 

I replied with dates the same week and got given a time 2 days later.

 

Appreciate that it might not fit in with you, but it won't necessarily be a long wait.

 

 

[OJAS]

13 hours ago, thairat said:

If as you suggest, is correct interpretation, it would have been more clear to include  "This only affects customers born in the UK."  to be a part of the paragraph to which it refers.

And it could perhaps have also been made clearer that this only applied to first-time passport applicants and not to those renewing existing passports (as I assume to be the case). If this is now the standard automated response to all emails seeking appointments at VFS it might well result in much unnecessary confusion and alarm.

[thairat]

 

16 hours ago, thairat said:

This email address is ONLY for booking an appointment to submit a passport application. You’ll need to schedule an appointment by email. Include your first name and last name and 3 alternative dates and times from 8:30 to 16:00, Monday to Friday except public holidays (Bangkok time). You will receive an email confirming your appointment

 

Wouldn't it be appropriate to mention, "You will receive an email to establish an appointment, and following submission, receive another email to confirm, within XX days."

[thairat]

3 hours ago, bluesville said:

I just renewed my passport, I sent them an email and they replied asking for 3 dates and times I could attend.

 

 

Thank you bluesville, it a much clearer picture now.

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, thairat said:

 

 

Wouldn't it be appropriate to mention, "You will receive an email to establish an appointment, and following submission, receive another email to confirm, within XX days."

Would be even better, I think, if VFS introduced a calendar-based system for making appointments, rather like the Embassy has done.

[bluesville]

5 hours ago, thairat said:

 

 

Thank you bluesville, it a much clearer picture now.

 No problem, good luck.

 

[thairat]

I obviously missed something, now I see that British passports are handled by a private agent VFS, at the Trendy Building, Sukhumvit Soi 13, in Bangkok.

 

Is credit card the only acceptable form of payment? I'm not exactly happy writing all my credit card details on a submitted form.

 

Thanks for all the help, an invaluable source of information!

 

 

[theoldgit]

8 hours ago, thairat said:

I obviously missed something, now I see that British passports are handled by a private agent VFS, at the Trendy Building, Sukhumvit Soi 13, in Bangkok.

 

Is credit card the only acceptable form of payment? I'm not exactly happy writing all my credit card details on a submitted form.

VFS have been handling the receipt of passport applications for some time, obviously they are not involved with the actual passport production process, that's done in the UK.
You can only pay using certain credit or debit cards, the cards are processed in the UK.

[thairat]

I went on-line to determine the cost and passport payment options TODAY, and ended up on a completely new BETA webpage! Sigh!!

 

https://passportapplication.service.gov.uk/ips-olc/

 

I didnt go past this point on the web page, so dont know if passports applications can be done on-line and using a courier instead of going to Bangkok.

 

To get to this webpage, I already entered info that I was applying in Thailand.

 

 

Edited April 18, 2018 by thairat
complete info

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, thairat said:

I went on-line to determine the cost and passport payment options TODAY, and ended up on a completely new BETA webpage! Sigh!!

 

https://passportapplication.service.gov.uk/ips-olc/

 

I didnt go past this point on the web page, so dont know if passports applications can be done on-line and using a courier instead of going to Bangkok.

 

To get to this webpage, I already entered info that I was applying in Thailand.

 

 

Strange! I have just gone through the various steps on the GOV.UK website myself and ended up with the following link which, as well as giving current price details, still states (unfortunately) that we need to apply in person at VFS's Bangkok office:- 

 

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

[Swimman]

Online applications for a British Passport cannot be made from Thailand- The forms have to be downloaded.  https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports  Go to the site and follow the instruction precisely.  You will find details of the cost etc are detailed in the download 

[evadgib]

Of interest to the board:

Gemalto awarded the new passport contract

Gemalto UK Ltd have been awarded the UK passport manufacturing and personalisation contract by Her Majesty’s Passport Office today.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gemalto-awarded-the-new-passport-contract

[OJAS]

On 4/19/2018 at 4:21 PM, evadgib said:

Of interest to the board:

Gemalto awarded the new passport contract

Gemalto UK Ltd have been awarded the UK passport manufacturing and personalisation contract by Her Majesty’s Passport Office today.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gemalto-awarded-the-new-passport-contract

Given that Gemalto have a presence in Thailand, might this open up the possibility of new passports being printed locally once again, I wonder?

 

https://www.gemalto.com/companyinfo/offices-locator?country=Thailand