UK Passport Renewal By Post

[JetsetBkk]

Has anyone used the services of "keyvisathailand.com"?

 

Everything I've read is that you must turn up in person in Bkk to present your documents and to collect your new passport.

It would be great if it's legal.

 

[theoldgit]

I understand that Thai Visa Express and Key Visa have been running this service for some time, I've never heard any complaints or suggestions that the service is illegal, or heard any member complain that they have encountered any problem.

[brewsterbudgen]

Their service is completely legal. You authorise them to deliver the application and then collect your new passport. I believe they use their own staff to do this, not the mail.

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[OJAS]

The only sort of situation which I can see using an agent possibly proving problematical in practice is if you were unexpectedly to find that you needed access to your old passport while it was in the agent's hands, in connection with a BIB ID spot-check, posting mail at your local post office, conducting business at a bank branch, filing a 90-day report in person, etc.

[Moonlover]

5 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Their service is completely legal. You authorise them to deliver the application and then collect your new passport. I believe they use their own staff to do this, not the mail.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 

I can certainly confirm your second sentence. It can only be done in person, either by the passport holder, or by a representative holding a letter of authority.

 

I travelled all the way from Udon Thani, twice of course, when I renewed mine 3 years ago. If these agents had been around back then I would certainly have used them.

[worgeordie]

Just sent my passport and form to my daughter in UK,

she paid and sent from PO to UK passport office,returned

to her address,and she returned to me.no way i was going

to go to Bangkok twice.

regards Worgeordie

[brewsterbudgen]

Just sent my passport and form to my daughter in UK,
she paid and sent from PO to UK passport office,returned
to her address,and she returned to me.no way i was going
to go to Bangkok twice.
regards Worgeordie

What would have happened if you had had to produce your passport for the Thai police or Immigration while it was in the UK?

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[worgeordie]

Just now, brewsterbudgen said:

What would have happened if you had had to produce your passport for the Thai police or Immigration while it was in the UK?

Sent from my SM-A500F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

The same thing could have happened if I left it in Bangkok, in 30 years

I have never been asked to see my passport while on the streets,also

have Pink ID, and well worth the slight risk,of going to Bangkok 2 times

from up North.

regards worgordie

[jonwilly]

Assist Thai Visa did my UK Passport renewal the other year. B5K if I remember right.

 

john

[Moonlover]

4 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

57 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Just sent my passport and form to my daughter in UK,
she paid and sent from PO to UK passport office,returned
to her address,and she returned to me.no way i was going
to go to Bangkok twice.
regards Worgeordie

 

4 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

What would have happened if you had had to produce your passport for the Thai police or Immigration while it was in the UK?

Sent from my SM-A500F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

And how did you get hold of the letter that Immigration require from the FCO in order to transfer your visa stamps?

[brewsterbudgen]

The same thing could have happened if I left it in Bangkok, in 30 years
I have never been asked to see my passport while on the streets,also
have Pink ID, and well worth the slight risk,of going to Bangkok 2 times
from up North.
regards worgordie

Me neither. But I'm not sure I would take the risk. If you do it in Thailand you retain your passport throughout the process.

Did you have an issues presenting a virgin passport to Immigration or Passport Control at an airport?

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[worgeordie]

No problem getting stamps transferred at Immigration,but had 

to get letter from British embassy BKK, basically asking them to do it,

it was free.

regards worgeordie

[JetsetBkk]

31 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

No problem getting stamps transferred at Immigration,but had 

to get letter from British embassy BKK, basically asking them to do it,

it was free.

regards worgeordie

You had to ask the Embassy in BKK for a letter that requested Thai Immigration transfer the stamps? 

 

I thought the last time I renewed my passport I simply took the old and the new passports to Immigration in Phuket and they did it.

 

I don't recall presenting a letter to Immigration in Phuket.

 

[worgeordie]

2 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

You had to ask the Embassy in BKK for a letter that requested Thai Immigration transfer the stamps? 

 

I thought the last time I renewed my passport I simply took the old and the new passports to Immigration in Phuket and they did it.

 

I don't recall presenting a letter to Immigration in Phuket.

 

If you get the passport renewed in Bangkok,when you get your passport back

you will also get a letter from British Embassy asking Immigration to transfer

stamps from old passport to new,as I renewed in UK,I did not get a letter so

had to ask Embassy BKK for one,maybe Phuket don't need the letter,as every

immigration office seems to have its own made up rules.

regards worgeordie

[JetsetBkk]

2 hours ago, worgeordie said:

If you get the passport renewed in Bangkok,when you get your passport back

you will also get a letter from British Embassy asking Immigration to transfer

stamps from old passport to new,as I renewed in UK,I did not get a letter so

had to ask Embassy BKK for one,maybe Phuket don't need the letter,as every

immigration office seems to have its own made up rules.

regards worgeordie

OK, thanks. I think I'll go to Phuket Immi tomorrow and ask them.

 

[JetsetBkk]

On 8/29/2019 at 10:02 PM, JetsetBkk said:

On 8/29/2019 at 7:19 PM, worgeordie said:

If you get the passport renewed in Bangkok,when you get your passport back

you will also get a letter from British Embassy asking Immigration to transfer

stamps from old passport to new,as I renewed in UK,I did not get a letter so

had to ask Embassy BKK for one,maybe Phuket don't need the letter,as every

immigration office seems to have its own made up rules.

regards worgeordie

OK, thanks. I think I'll go to Phuket Immi tomorrow and ask them.

On thinking about it a bit longer, maybe I did get a letter from UK Embassy in Bangkok about transferring the stamps. Not sure though as it was, er, hmm, about 10 years ago.  

 

At Phuket Immigration today the volunteer helper said I could get a "Proof of Address" certificate by completing a TM30 and provide a photograph. This sounds to me like a "Residence Certificate" with your photo in the bottom left of the page. Trouble with that is that it is all in Thai - no good for UK Passport people. 

 

And I don't know why he gave me a TM30 form to complete as there is another form "Application For Check Immigration Data To Issue Residence Certificate" specifically for "Certificate of Residence" - I know, I have an old copy that I used for updating my address in my pickup registration book.

 

I'll see what happens on Monday.

 

[OJAS]

9 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

my address in my pickup registration book.

Might not this also do the trick if less than 12 months old (although, as in the case of a proof of address/residence certificate, a certified English translation would presumably be required)?

[Golden Triangle]

I used the agents next to Big C on the Suckhamvit rd, can't remember the name, very efficient, take a couple of Passport photos with you, sign the forms, they fill them in for you, then sit back and relax, they do the 2 runs to BKK for you, and when you get your Passport(s) back you also have the Embassy letter to take to immigration to get the stamps moved, and should you need your passport during the process they have it in their safe so a quick call and you're good to go. 5k Baht, very good value for money. 

[essox essox]

last Oct I went to Trendy House with all my paperwork...

Then received a mail to say can collect new passport, so went Bkk again and signed/collected new passport..

Easy and DO NOT have to pay agents fees !!!

[theoldgit]

1 minute ago, essox essox said:

last Oct I went to Trendy House with all my paperwork...

Then received a mail to say can collect new passport, so went Bkk again and signed/collected new passport..

Easy and DO NOT have to pay agents fees !!!

Yes, easy and negates the need to pay agents fees, at least if you live within a couple of hours travel of Trendy, not so easy or cost effective if you live in the sticks in the extreme parts of the country.

[JetsetBkk]

 

4 hours ago, OJAS said:

13 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

my address in my pickup registration book.

Might not this also do the trick if less than 12 months old (although, as in the case of a proof of address/residence certificate, a certified English translation would presumably be required)?

Nice idea, but here is the list of "Evidence of name and address and/or residency" as specified in "Table A" of "Applying for a passport from outside the UK - Supporting Documents":

 

Name and address and/or residency evidence
Please provide one of the following:
• visa or resident permit (or colour photocopy)
• tax record eg a letter from a tax authority
• educational record eg school report
• employment record eg official letter from your employer
• letter sent to you from a central, regional or local government department
• medical/health card
• voter’s card
• immigration documents.

 

I don't have any letters from the government and I don't think a copy of my pickup's registration book would suffice. 

 

And you're right, it would have to be translated and certified (Notarized?). We can't expect these UK types to be able to read Thai.

[JetsetBkk]

4 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

I used the agents next to Big C on the Suckhamvit rd, can't remember the name, very efficient, take a couple of Passport photos with you, sign the forms, they fill them in for you, then sit back and relax, they do the 2 runs to BKK for you, and when you get your Passport(s) back you also have the Embassy letter to take to immigration to get the stamps moved, and should you need your passport during the process they have it in their safe so a quick call and you're good to go. 5k Baht, very good value for money. 

I would do that in a heart-beat if there was one like that in Phuket. 

[JetsetBkk]

4 hours ago, essox essox said:

last Oct I went to Trendy House with all my paperwork...

Then received a mail to say can collect new passport, so went Bkk again and signed/collected new passport..

Easy and DO NOT have to pay agents fees !!!

So what did you provide as "evidence of address or residence"?

[JetsetBkk]

4 hours ago, theoldgit said:

4 hours ago, essox essox said:

last Oct I went to Trendy House with all my paperwork...

Then received a mail to say can collect new passport, so went Bkk again and signed/collected new passport..

Easy and DO NOT have to pay agents fees !!!

Yes, easy and negates the need to pay agents fees, at least if you live within a couple of hours travel of Trendy, not so easy or cost effective if you live in the sticks in the extreme parts of the country.

Yes, it's going to cost me a minimum of 6,000 baht for the trips to Bkk. But that's no big deal. What bothers me the most is the possibility of not having the correct documents and having to go back again and wasting another day.

 

Why the heck can't Trendy answer a few simple questions by email. Jesus wept, we're in 2019, not 1920.

 

[phuket Mike]

I used this guy in BKK I was in Chiang Mai at the time - https://www.facebook.com/markssendingmaching/ I used a copy of my Thai Driving Licence (address on the back) as proof, Mark was very helpful, providing a details checklist and checking everything before taking it to Trendy. Cost was 5k passport was sent back to me via EMS.

[BLACKJACK2]

28 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

Yes, it's going to cost me a minimum of 6,000 baht for the trips to Bkk. But that's no big deal. What bothers me the most is the possibility of not having the correct documents and having to go back again and wasting another day.

 

Why the heck can't Trendy answer a few simple questions by email. Jesus wept, we're in 2019, not 1920.

 

Because Trendy are only a handling agency, any questions need to be submitted on the government website.

 

When I applyed for my son's renewal the first application was rejected (no countersignature) so had to reapply, it can get expensive and time consuming, that was 4 trips from Kanchanaburi plus 2 applications. Don't blame anyone for using an agent I would next time.

[JetsetBkk]

26 minutes ago, BLACKJACK2 said:

Because Trendy are only a handling agency, any questions need to be submitted on the government website.

 

When I applyed for my son's renewal the first application was rejected (no countersignature) so had to reapply, it can get expensive and time consuming, that was 4 trips from Kanchanaburi plus 2 applications. Don't blame anyone for using an agent I would next time.

But I thought they checked your documents before sending them to the UK. If so, they should know what "Evidence of address" documents from Immigration are acceptable? But maybe I'm wrong and they don't know. 

 

And the gov.uk web site has no email address for enquiries - you have to phone them at ~1.50 a minute.

 

[Phuketshrew]

4 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

I would do that in a heart-beat if there was one like that in Phuket. 

I am in the process of renewing my sons UK passport with KeyVisa. Sent it EMS from Phuket to their office in Pattaya.

[JetsetBkk]

58 minutes ago, Phuketshrew said:

I am in the process of renewing my sons UK passport with KeyVisa. Sent it EMS from Phuket to their office in Pattaya.

Excellent! Can you say what document you provided as "Evidence of address and/or residence"?

 

I'm going to get a "Proof of Address" document (sometimes called a "Residence Certificate") from Phuket Immigration, but it'll have to be translated and notarized if it's in Thai - which all my previous ones were.

 

[JetsetBkk]

4 hours ago, phuket Mike said:

I used this guy in BKK I was in Chiang Mai at the time - https://www.facebook.com/markssendingmaching/ I used a copy of my Thai Driving Licence (address on the back) as proof, Mark was very helpful, providing a details checklist and checking everything before taking it to Trendy. Cost was 5k passport was sent back to me via EMS.

I'm in email contact with him now. He's already answered a couple of questions:

1. the necessity to get the evidence of address translated, and

2. that he will get from UK Passport Office the letter to get stamps transferred by Immigration.