Renewing UK passport in Bangkok

[dayo202]

how do I made a appointment to renew my UK passport in Bangkok ?.

is there website , email address  or phone number I can contact to made appointment ?

[theoldgit]

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

[tinca tinca]

53 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

Nor apparently do you understand how to infer a general rule of human behaviour (bureaucrat-avoidance) so  it can be applied in hundreds of scenarios across the world

what the hell are you  talking about, I just made a statement regading myself......

[parryhandy]

1 hour ago, britishjohn said:

Well I do have a lease and Thai bank statements but since none of those items are mentioned in their list I assumed they would not be acceptable.

They should be more than enough. My evidence was a hotel discount membership letter which was the only thing that had been sent to my home. I also used a residence certificate from immigration years ago that by the time had been written and translated had no less than 3 errors (according to my bilingual daughter)but still was sufficient. Hint- they (Liverpool) cannot check or verify anything you send them only that the address actually exists. 

Edited February 20, 2020 by parryhandy

[parryhandy]

18 minutes ago, tinca tinca said:

just take a utility bill that you have paid recently that is proof of address, it is as simple as that, why dont you go to Trendy house and seek info from there Soi 13 Bangkok, or google "what is required to renew Uk passport " get the info from the horses mouth !!

your joking right ?? VFS will not reply to emails or phone calls  as they are just unnecessary, unaccountable middle men who just post your application to the UK. The utility bill will work if it's got your name on it which i'd imagine is quite rare for farangs.

Edited February 20, 2020 by parryhandy

[britishjohn]

5 hours ago, OJAS said:

As @Jip99 has already pointed out, HMPO do appear to be pretty flexible in what docs would be acceptable. Might be worth your while contacting them if you had nothing else other than your health insurance docs to offer and your mind needed to be set at rest on this whole matter - please click on link below for details as you could go about doing this over the phone or online:-

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-passport-office/contact/passport-advice-and-complaints

 

Doubt whether your undated HMRC doc would do the trick, though. Incidentally, do you file annual tax returns with them? If so, then their documentation relating to your latest return would be ideal for this purpose.

 

I did file a UK tax return for 2018/19, although I got an accountant to do it for me this time since I had moved here and didn't want any cock ups. I didn't received any copy of the documents but I suppose I could request them.

[britishjohn]

3 hours ago, parryhandy said:

your joking right ?? VFS will not reply to emails or phone calls  as they are just unnecessary, unaccountable middle men who just post your application to the UK. The utility bill will work if it's got your name on it which i'd imagine is quite rare for farangs.

I did go to the Trendy building today and had a quick chat with someone in their enquiries room. She seemed to think my visa and extension would be ok but said she couldn't say for sure as she is not the officer. So a bit of a pointless trip. 

 

A lot of people here seem to have used all sorts of documents with their address on which is surprising since the guidelines states : 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'm also surprised people are saying they do require proof of address, since they only require one document and if a visa is acceptable, as far as I am aware they don't normally have an address on them.

 

I'll just take a whole bunch of stuff, including visa, bank statements ,utility bills etc and hope for the best.  Worst case I suppose I'd have to go to immigration and request a residency certificate.

[Jip99]

2 hours ago, britishjohn said:

I did go to the Trendy building today and had a quick chat with someone in their enquiries room. She seemed to think my visa and extension would be ok but said she couldn't say for sure as she is not the officer. So a bit of a pointless trip. 

 

A lot of people here seem to have used all sorts of documents with their address on which is surprising since the guidelines states : 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'm also surprised people are saying they do require proof of address, since they only require one document and if a visa is acceptable, as far as I am aware they don't normally have an address on them.

 

I'll just take a whole bunch of stuff, including visa, bank statements ,utility bills etc and hope for the best.  Worst case I suppose I'd have to go to immigration and request a residency certificate.

 

Your bank statement (if the address is in English) will be perfectly adequate.

 

Remember, with VfS you are not dealing with the organ grinder and their low-level staff will simply ask "is that what you want to submit?".

Edited February 20, 2020 by Jip99

[puchooay]

3 hours ago, britishjohn said:

I'm also surprised people are saying they do require proof of address, since they only require one document and if a visa is acceptable, as far as I am aware they don't normally have an address on them.

Is this clear enough?

[Jip99]

10 hours ago, Canuck1966 said:

Cut out the middleman

Just send your passport to a friend or relative in the UK.

They can forward it on to Liverpool and then back to you in Thailand

Your only cost will be a bit of postage each way and the 75 quid renewal.

You can do the whole thing online (inc pics) and no docs are required.

 

Except that UKPO have previously confirmed that it is illegal because you are making a false declaration......their words, not mine.

 

The absence of an exit stamp from Thailand might be a giveaway if UKPO staff are on the ball.

Edited February 20, 2020 by Jip99

[Jip99]

For anyone who would like an external reference for the provision of address evidence, see below.

 

https://www.keyvisathailand.com/services/renewing-uk-passport-thailand/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-bjyBRCcARIsAFboWg3cNNShlNS5uiHRmO2wLARSfvvQi2VT58ZVa-7lz3YJJfb2Qq61LeMaAgI6EALw_wcB

 

 

https://www.richardbarrow.com/2019/06/a-quick-guide-to-renewing-your-british-passport-in-bangkok/

[Canuck1966]

On 2/20/2020 at 9:24 PM, Jip99 said:

 

Except that UKPO have previously confirmed that it is illegal because you are making a false declaration......their words, not mine.

 

The absence of an exit stamp from Thailand might be a giveaway if UKPO staff are on the ball.

I know several people who have done it. Just need an address in the UK to send the passport back to

[Jip99]

5 hours ago, Canuck1966 said:

I know several people who have done it. Just need an address in the UK to send the passport back to

 

I also know people who have done it. However, it is important to understand the potential risks - as highlighted below in the email I had from HMPO:-

 

 

"The Home Office advise that for security purposes a passport must not be taken over a border without the holder in possession.

If you post your passport to a residential address in another country it potentially could be retained by the Border Agency and cancelled, This could influence that actual granting of a UK Passport as there is no absolute entitlement.

The package you use could also be damaged during the delivery process and be compromised or end up in the possession of a 3rd party which could lead to identity theft.



To confirm the notes on the declaration form that you need to read before signing;



When the application form is completed and signed by yourself, if you are not resident at the address you provide, you are making a false statement for which you could be prosecuted and a potential prison sentence.

If the passport is lost in transit or has a delivery issue you will need to attend in person to collect it. As you possibly will not have any other travel documents to return to the UK it would leave you in a difficult position.



Taking the above into account and you state that the action you are suggesting will save time and money, the repercussions of being caught are severe."
 

 

[brewsterbudgen]

2 hours ago, Jip99 said:

 

I also know people who have done it. However, it is important to understand the potential risks - as highlighted below in the email I had from HMPO:-

 

 

"The Home Office advise that for security purposes a passport must not be taken over a border without the holder in possession.

If you post your passport to a residential address in another country it potentially could be retained by the Border Agency and cancelled, This could influence that actual granting of a UK Passport as there is no absolute entitlement.

The package you use could also be damaged during the delivery process and be compromised or end up in the possession of a 3rd party which could lead to identity theft.



To confirm the notes on the declaration form that you need to read before signing;



When the application form is completed and signed by yourself, if you are not resident at the address you provide, you are making a false statement for which you could be prosecuted and a potential prison sentence.

If the passport is lost in transit or has a delivery issue you will need to attend in person to collect it. As you possibly will not have any other travel documents to return to the UK it would leave you in a difficult position.



Taking the above into account and you state that the action you are suggesting will save time and money, the repercussions of being caught are severe."
 

 

And when you receive your 'virgin' passport back, how will you get your Extension stamp transferred to the new passport without the letter provided by the British Embassy in Bangkok?  Not to mention, the risk of being in Thailand with no passport while the new one is being processed.

[britishjohn]

On 2/20/2020 at 8:34 PM, puchooay said:

Is this clear enough?

Well actually no, not enough. Your arrow points to the "and" when it should be pointing to the "and/or"

[puchooay]

37 minutes ago, britishjohn said:

Well actually no, not enough. Your arrow points to the "and" when it should be pointing to the "and/or"

Then I guess you are a little hard of understanding.

 

Here goes. "And" refers to the one document plus one document requirement. That means, I'm sure you did maths at school, 2 documents as in 1+1=2. That is how many documents my post refers to and how many documents are required.

 

The "and/or", which you mentioned, refers to the different types of document that you can provide for the second document required. That is the document that proves you reside in the country from which you are applying and has no bearing what so ever on the first document, as we can see from the previous use of the word "and", meaning "in addition to".

 

So, if you don't have residency in Thailand, which I believe could be confirmed by a stamp in your passport and a residency book/document, then you will need to use some other kind of evidence. 

 

The types of document that you can use for this have been explained many times in this thread.

 

So there you have it. Photo identity "and/in addition to/ accompanied with/also/as well as" proof of address. TWO documents. One with a photo and one showing where you live in Thailand.

 

I hope this clears things up for you.

Edited February 23, 2020 by puchooay

[Jip99]

I just can't wait for the next post.....................????

[OJAS]

On 2/20/2020 at 12:45 PM, parryhandy said:

VFS will not reply to emails or phone calls  as they are just unnecessary, unaccountable middle men who just post your application to the UK.

And equally unnecessary, I think, is the requirement to provide proof of address in the first place - especially since HMPO won't send your replacement passport to it. Pure bureaucracy for pure bureaucracy's sake on HMPO's part: nothing more, nothing less.

 

Were it not for this ridiculously nonsensical requirement, this thread would never have been, of course!

[tinca tinca]

On 2/20/2020 at 12:45 PM, parryhandy said:

your joking right ?? VFS will not reply to emails or phone calls  as they are just unnecessary, unaccountable middle men who just post your application to the UK. The utility bill will work if it's got your name on it which i'd imagine is quite rare for farangs.

I SAID "take a UTILITY BILL" it is proof of address, never said send a MAIL or MAKE a PHONE CALL.....!!!!!!!!!!!

[tinca tinca]

all information regarding renewal of UK passport is contained within THE BRITISH EMBASSAY website.

When I had to renew mine, in October 2018 I used the info, did what it said one had to do AND went to Trendy House for my appointment COLLECTED NEW PASSPORT 3 weeks later. SIMPLE !!!

[Theicemaiden]

10 minutes ago, tinca tinca said:

all information regarding renewal of UK passport is contained within THE BRITISH EMBASSAY website.

There's no need to search the British Embassy website, all the information is available via the direct link posted last week in post Number 32.

[brewsterbudgen]

11 hours ago, OJAS said:

And equally unnecessary, I think, is the requirement to provide proof of address in the first place - especially since HMPO won't send your replacement passport to it. Pure bureaucracy for pure bureaucracy's sake on HMPO's part: nothing more, nothing less.

 

Were it not for this ridiculously nonsensical requirement, this thread would never have been, of course!

I would think proof of address in the country from which you are applying is required in an effort to reduce fake applications and passport fraud.  

[tinca tinca]

58 minutes ago, Theicemaiden said:

There's no need to search the British Embassy website, all the information is available via the direct link posted last week in post Number 32.

look I am NOT going to go back and read previous posts I AM SAYING ALL INFO IS ON THE SITE....the original poster should have used his/her brain to glean info regarding getting a new passport.

That is what i did..............no need to ask on TV I NEVER DID and got mine within 3 weeks !!!!!! END OF STORY ...

[thonglorjimmy]

16 minutes ago, tinca tinca said:

look I am NOT going to go back and read previous posts I AM SAYING ALL INFO IS ON THE SITE....the original poster should have used his/her brain to glean info regarding getting a new passport.

That is what i did..............no need to ask on TV I NEVER DID and got mine within 3 weeks !!!!!! END OF STORY ...

And there’s you taking the time and trouble to read and make comments on this thread, not one of which is really helpful.

By the way there’s really no need to shout!

Edited February 24, 2020 by thonglorjimmy

[theoldgit]

Post flaming other member removed

[OJAS]

4 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I would think proof of address in the country from which you are applying is required in an effort to reduce fake applications and passport fraud.  

To the best of my knowledge, though, proof of address is not required in the case of those countries from where renewal applications can be submitted online - such as Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines in this part of the world.

[SantiSuk]

On 2/20/2020 at 12:27 PM, petedk said:

I had a few problems regarding renewal of passport and used the above link for guidance as it was impossible to contact anyone in Bangkok 

 

The person I chatted was friendly enough, but I received no more advice than I could read on their website, so I feel it was a complete waste of time and I am glad I didn't make the phone call/

 

Regarding proof of address. Yes, they do ask for it. Luckily I had my employment contract, but I also had a health check-up report from the hospital. They would have accepted that.

 

My biggest problem was getting an appointment. For various reasons it took me 3 to 4 weeks to get an appointment and then I had to wait 14 days.

 

I had an appointment last Thursday at 13.05 and I arrived 20 minutes early for my appointment and stood at the back of a long queue of all Asians. A security guard approached me and guided me through to the office and I got in immediately and was finished within 10 minutes (Before the official opening time). No problems at all and the girl was extremely polite and helpful. So mush so that we had a good laugh because I sat at the "disabled" window and I asked why she put me there.

 

My only fear now is that there is a 4 week processing time and my passport expires on March 2.

[emboldened emphasis added by me]

 

On 2/20/2020 at 12:27 PM, petedk said:

 

 

Does it currently take 3 to 4 weeks to get an appointment to renew a UK passport or were your "various reasons" peculiar to your personal circumstances? Once you get an appointment is another 14 day wait inevitable?

 

I am a British citizen living in Thailand and plan on taking my Thai family to the UK and Germany in late April, which I do most years during the school Summer break that ends mid May. My 'Thaiglish' daughter's UK passport expires on May 20 and I was planning to renew it before travelling just in case a passport that was about to expire might cause problems at a UK or German border. If it takes 3 to 4 weeks to get an appointment to renew her passport and there is then a 4 week processing time then I have virtually run out of time already!

 

Anyone else who has very recently been through the UK passport renewal process might be able to provide valuable personal experience on the total time needed from start to receipt of passport. Does anyone know if there are any paid-for fast-track passport renewal facilities at Trendy - similar in concept to those that are available for UK Visa applications for my Thai-only family members (wife and adopted daughter)?

 

I plan on using my daughter's Thai national ID card as proof of address (we'll need to get a replacement to put it on a basis that meets the less than one year recency requirement). It will need to be translated thereafter. The rules say that a translation should inter-alia be made by someone who is a member of a 'recognised professional organisation'. Do translation agencies in Trendy provide such confirmation; it has never been a requirement applying to documents I have had translated (albeit mostly for visa purposes) in the past.

[theoldgit]

Whilst I can’t help you with the renewal of her UK passport, your daughter should have no problem entering Germany on her UK passport providing you/she can demonstrate that her passport will still be valid for the total length of her stay, 

The rules allow any EU national to enter and remain in an EU State as long as their passport hasn’t expired, ie there’s no minimum validity time as there would be for a third country national, such as the US, Australia and the like.

Although the UK has now left the EU, there is a transition period until 31 December whereby UK nationals can still take advantage of the EU rules.

That is my understanding of the current position, though you might like to double check with the German Consulate.

[SantiSuk]

Many thanks Oldgit. Yes, I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that it will be easier to get confirmation from UK Border (costs money to get an answer I think if I have to enquire of the UK Border/Visa agencies rather than Passport Office staff) and the German embassy in Bangkok (free and helpful IME) that there would be no problems at their respective borders on entry if I arrive with confirmed flights out of those countries within the period of my daughter's passport validity.

 

My other concern was that the airline taking me into the UK will want to see, at Bangkok check-in, my daughter's UK passport (we can check out of Thailand with her Thai passport but it will not contain a UK visa so I normally present both to the airline and just the Thai passport at outbound Thai immigration) and the airline may have its own rules on 'margins of validity', but I can probably nix that risk by using British Airways as opposed to a non-Brit carrier (BA is cheap again for obvious reasons of the global travel downturn), having a return flight and quoting UK border's hoped-for confirmation at them if they quibble.

[theoldgit]

There would be no problem entering the UK with the UK passport, but you’re right airline staff, who are not up to speed with the rules, might cause you a problem.