British passport renewal - Thailand or Australia?

[TSF]

I'm in Thailand on my UK passport, on annual retirement extensions. I also have Australian citizenship & an Aussie passport. My UK passport is getting near full and next year I'll be spending a few months in Australia. So where would be the better location for me to apply for my new UK passport? Here in Thailand or while I'm in Perth? Is one place easier than other? Will the total cost be the same?

[ubonjoe]

Here you would have to apply for the new passport and pick it up in person in Bangkok.

In Australia you could apply online for it.

Your choice but I think I would do in Australia since apparently you will have ample time to do it.

Go through the steps here for info.https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

[OJAS]

Well it seems to be a toss-up between online renewal from Australia at a cost of £105.86:-

 

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

 

and antediluvian renewal from Thailand at a cost of £118.51, with 2 enforced route marches from Pattaya to an office building with an exceedingly silly name somewhere in deepest, darkest Bangkok thrown in for good measure:-

 

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

 

So, all in all, a bit of a no-brainer, I think!

 

But, on a more serious note, please be aware that you will need to provide copies of your Australian passport with your renewal application, whichever route you choose. In this connection it will be important to ensure that your name as stated in your Australian passport exactly matches that stated in your British passport, since, otherwise, HMPO will almost certainly insist that you change your Australian passport name to your British passport one, according to reports which I have seen on here, with inevitable resultant delays to the renewal process.

[TSF]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Here you would have to apply for the new passport and pick it up in person in Bangkok.

In Australia you could apply online for it.

Your choice but I think I would do in Australia since apparently you will have ample time to do it.

Go through the steps here for info.https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

Thanks ubonjoe, yes I thought doing it in Oz would be the better option but just wanted some opinions.

 

What happens when I get my new UK passport (in Oz) then a month or 2 later fly back to BKK and I still have a current retirement ex + a multi-re-entry stamp in my old (now cancelled UK passport)?

[TSF]

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

Well it seems to be a toss-up between online renewal from Australia at a cost of £105.86:-

 

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

 

and antediluvian renewal from Thailand at a cost of £118.51, with 2 enforced route marches from Pattaya to an office building with an exceedingly silly name somewhere in deepest, darkest Bangkok thrown in for good measure:-

 

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

 

So, all in all, a bit of a no-brainer, I think!

 

But, on a more serious note, please be aware that you will need to provide copies of your Australian passport with your renewal application, whichever route you choose. In this connection it will be important to ensure that your name as stated in your Australian passport exactly matches that stated in your British passport, since, otherwise, HMPO will almost certainly insist that you change your Australian passport name to your British passport one, according to reports which I have seen on here, with inevitable resultant delays to the renewal process.

Thanks OJAS for your detailed reply. Yes, I guessed doing it in Oz would be better but just wanted confirmation, which you have done. So it will be cheaper and much easier to renew while I'm in Perth.

 

And yes, I only have one first name and one family name, both my UK and Oz passport have identical names.

 

As I travel a lot I'll get the jumbo 50-page passport, so that'll be another 10 quid. 

 

Thanks again for your advice and the links.

[ubonjoe]

19 minutes ago, TSF said:

What happens when I get my new UK passport (in Oz) then a month or 2 later fly back to BKK and I still have a current retirement ex + a multi-re-entry stamp in my old (now cancelled UK passport)?

You will show both passports on entry to the country to use the valid re-entry permit in your old passport. Immigration will then stamp you into the country in the new passport.

Then you would go to immigration to have your stamps transferred to your new passport.

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Then you would go to immigration to have your stamps transferred to your new passport.

@TSF - Jomtien may well require you to have obtained the British Embassy's misleadingly-titled "visa transfer" letter for this purpose. Normally those renewing in Thailand are handed a proforma for this purpose when collecting their replacement passport from VFS in Bangkok, which they then complete as necessary. In your case, however, you can either obtain this proforma at Embassy Reception between 8am and 6pm Mondays-Fridays, or email them with your Thai address at [email protected] if you would like to receive the proforma by post:-

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand

 

and scroll down to the heading "Transferring your Thai Visa for replacement passports"

 

[TSF]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You will show both passports on entry to the country to use the valid re-entry permit in your old passport. Immigration will then stamp you into the country in the new passport.

Then you would go to immigration to have your stamps transferred to your new passport.

Thanks again ubonjoe. Very helpful.

[TSF]

2 hours ago, OJAS said:

@TSF - Jomtien may well require you to have obtained the British Embassy's misleadingly-titled "visa transfer" letter for this purpose. Normally those renewing in Thailand are handed a proforma for this purpose when collecting their replacement passport from VFS in Bangkok, which they then complete as necessary. In your case, however, you can either obtain this proforma at Embassy Reception between 8am and 6pm Mondays-Fridays, or email them with your Thai address at [email protected] if you would like to receive the proforma by post:-

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand

 

and scroll down to the heading "Transferring your Thai Visa for replacement passports"

 

Thanks again OJAS, very helpful info. I guess after I enter Thailand on the new passport I'll email them and have the proforma posted to me.