U.K. passport renewal

[Mahseer]

Just spotted this in Citylife which states there is now a VFS Global office open here on Huay Keaw Road to handle UK passport renewals. Haven't tried it just throwing it out there as may be of interest.

 

https://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/news/british-passport-renewals-now-available-chiang-mai/

[brommers]

Does not look like it is in any way comparable to services provided by others such as visa service agents. As a British Passport holder I can only state that the type and convenience of services provided by the British Home Office are antideluvian and utterly consumer unfriendly. Just look at the simplicity of the NZ online renewal process and you will see a sensible and easy to use secure system. What the UK requires is an expensive, complex, old fashioned paper based abortion. But then who was Home Secretary when this was implemented? Theresa May, that bovine idiot!

[beau thai]

VFS have been there a few years now and I have used them for visas in to uk but for passport renewal I used AssistThaiVisa who got the job done to my satisfaction anyway.

Good luck

[mat999]

VFS Global are terrible if you don't get lucky with their usually broken website, zero customer support, thousands and thousands of terrible reviews online. Really ruined our plans to visit the UK with a UK visit visa for my wife. But I need a new UK passport. They charge £55 and say it takes 4 weeks. AssistThaiVisa charge 5,500 Baht (currently £138) and it takes up to 6 weeks. 

 

Anyone renewed a passport with VFS since they started doing it in Chiang Mai? Any advice or experiences shared would be much appreciated as I am nervous about using them again and would rather use a reputable local company. But VFS are well under half the price and faster as official agents, so it is tempting.

Edited June 1, 2019 by mat999

[sanemax]

27 minutes ago, mat999 said:

VFS Global are terrible if you don't get lucky with their usually broken website, zero customer support, thousands and thousands of terrible reviews online. Really ruined our plans to visit the UK with a UK visit visa for my wife. But I need a new UK passport. They charge £55 and say it takes 4 weeks. AssistThaiVisa charge 5,500 Baht (currently £138) and it takes up to 6 weeks. 

 

Anyone renewed a passport with VFS since they started doing it in Chiang Mai? Any advice or experiences shared would be much appreciated as I am nervous about using them again and would rather use a reputable local company. But VFS are well under half the price and faster as official agents, so it is tempting.

What problem did you have with VFS ?

Its the UK passport office that charges money for the new passport and they are responsible for how long it takes to issue it .

  

Edited June 1, 2019 by sanemax

[eyecatcher]

We have used VFS twice for uk visas and honestly it was a doddle and very well organised with appointment times.

However the application form is a three day challenge even for uk citizens let alone foreign nationals.

 

The passport service represents excellent value for the bumper passport and i think if you need to travel in the interim they organise emergency passport for you.

[Mahseer]

3 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

i think if you need to travel in the interim they organise emergency passport for you.

You're implying you have to surrender your present passport when applying for new. Is that correct?

 

Logic says the present passport remains valid until new received at which time 'old' is cancelled but we are dealing with U.K. government here.

[eyecatcher]

1 hour ago, Mahseer said:

You're implying you have to surrender your present passport when applying for new. Is that correct?

 

Logic says the present passport remains valid until new received at which time 'old' is cancelled but we are dealing with U.K. government here.

No, even when you apply for a new passport at home you have to post your old one off, which they stamp as cancelled on every page and i think they cut the corner off....then send it back to you.

Extra security and evidence you are genuine i suppose.

 

Your new passport becomes valid with an extra 6 months at least in most cases., so your issue month will necer be the same as exp month

[NotEinstein]

I renewed my passport 18 months ago and had to provide a colour copy of every page (including unused). I retained my passport for use until collecting the new one, at which time the old one was invalidated by having the corner cut off.

[Mahseer]

1 hour ago, eyecatcher said:

No, even when you apply for a new passport at home you have to post your old one off, which they stamp as cancelled on every page and i think they cut the corner off....then send it back to you.

Thanks. I had 2 valid passports for decades while working offshore but couldn't remember if I surrendered or not while renewing but have several here with the front cover top corner cut off. 

 

Cheers

[flashlight92]

I'm a female UK national and want to renew my UK passport with VFS in Chiang Mai in November. I'll be there for 4 months as a tourist. Can I still apply or it only for people living there all year ?

 

I spend all year in SE Asia and do not visit the UK. I normally send the renewal to the UK and get my new passport sent to the UK Honorary Consul in Penang but this seems easier. Cheers

Edited August 28, 2019 by flashlight92

[flashlight92]

Thanks for the info. I'll contact them and see if I can renew with them.

[Tonypandy]

On 6/1/2019 at 9:51 PM, mat999 said:

VFS Global are terrible if you don't get lucky with their usually broken website, zero customer support, thousands and thousands of terrible reviews online. Really ruined our plans to visit the UK with a UK visit visa for my wife. But I need a new UK passport. They charge £55 and say it takes 4 weeks. AssistThaiVisa charge 5,500 Baht (currently £138) and it takes up to 6 weeks. 

 

Anyone renewed a passport with VFS since they started doing it in Chiang Mai? Any advice or experiences shared would be much appreciated as I am nervous about using them again and would rather use a reputable local company. But VFS are well under half the price and faster as official agents, so it is tempting.

And Assist Thai visa would have gone to VFS and got your new passport there. The difference in price is your agents fees.