US Passport Renewal by mail - How long did it take you?

[rwilem]

4 hours ago, Dickp said:

Mailed my old passport on 20 April received new and old passport 4 May 2021. Real good service.

This is the situation for a renewal? You are required to send your current passport along with the renewal application to the embassy?

 

As opposed to my past in-person renewals, you still kept possession of the current passport. 

 

So one is left without possesion of their passport for what could be a period of up to about three weeks? 

 

If that is the case, gotta plan a time frame for a period where you think you won't need it for anything.

 

Personally, the embassy's a short walk for me. No sweat to submit and pickup in the past, and good to have your passport for the just-in-case scenarios. OK, a measure in response to ongoing covid-19 crisis, I understand. 

 

 

[rwilem]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

Whether we want to admit it or not, if it's been 10 years since you last renewed your U.S. passport, then a person's appearance has significantly changed. 

I think what those instructions were getting at was if your appearance has changed a lot compared to the appearance of the photo in your passport, you need to apply for a new one. No matter for how much longer the passport is valid. 

 

How might that be enforced? Probably the most likely way is that it would be noticed and then mandated during a U.S. entry or exit interaction.

 

Certainly, for every passport renewal a new, updated photo is required, you are most correct.

[unblocktheplanet]

Tangentially, can a US citizen apply for renewing a passport card by mail to the Embassy here?

[skatewash]

10 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Tangentially, can a US citizen apply for renewing a passport card by mail to the Embassy here?

 Yes, takes up to six weeks to receive the passport card.  Only takes 2-3 weeks for the passport book.  Both can be sent in by mail (same envelope), but if you are doing both you need to pay for two return envelopes because they will be sent back separately.  It's all spelled out here:

https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/adult-passport-renew/

 

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, skatewash said:

Yes, takes up to six weeks to receive the passport card.

I'm not American. Have had passport card explained before but don't recall it's purpose. Is it useful? Vaguely recall that things changed with it's usefulness.

Can you clarify.

[skatewash]

33 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I'm not American. Have had passport card explained before but don't recall it's purpose. Is it useful? Vaguely recall that things changed with it's usefulness.

Can you clarify.

 

The passport card is a US government-issued photo ID that proves US citizenship.  It doesn't have a purpose for international travel except in a very limited sense allowing entry into the US from Canada, Mexico, and some Caribbean islands by land or water, but not air.  The passport card is the size of a credit card and can be easily carried.  It's primary use for someone living in Thailand is for those occasions when you need a government-issued photo ID.  It helps satisfy some bizarre requirements that sometimes arise like showing 2 photo IDs (mostly having to do with some business in the US). Basically, it functions for ID purposes like a state-issued driver's license or identity card.  It is valid for 10 years.

By no means does anyone need the passport card in the sense that people need the passport book, but it can prove invaluable when you need to prove your identity.  

It's difficult to remember all the times it can come in handy.  One example, you visit a museum and can get the use of a free audio tour headset but they want you to leave a photo ID as a deposit.  I'm a lot more comfortable leaving my passport card than I am my passport book in those kind of situations.  My passport card is basically worthless, losing my passport book would be a serious problem.

Interestingly, there's no connection between your passport number (in the passport book) and the ID number that appears on your passport card.

[DrJack54]

16 minutes ago, skatewash said:

.

Rather than just give you a "like emote" to your explanation, I want thankyou for such detailed reply. Very detailed explanation. Can pass that on to anyone in future. Thanks.

 

Can you forward this to my inept Oz embassy along with fact that USA way back issued it's citizens with letter for covid extension when it was required. Oz gov did not. (This later comment tongue in cheek)

[Bangkok Basha]

22 hours ago, dingdongrb said:

Thanks for the prompt reply.

 

Yes, I read on the US Consulate website that's what they are saying but wanted some actual experiences. I'm getting in a tight window for my extension renewal and wanted to be sure I receive the new passport before my extension renewal date.

 

Do you know, do I need to have a passport with 6 month validity in order to renew my Thai visa extension?

 

[Bangkok Basha]

Just now, Bangkok Basha said:

 

I have renewed U.S. two passports in the past six months. Both took 2 weeks to be returned by the embassy. I used EMS to mail them in, and paid for EMS delivery for return. 

[fredwiggy]

Just got mine back after two weeks. US passport. Wasn't expiring but out of pages for my upcoming visa renewal.

[fredwiggy]

9 hours ago, rwilem said:

This is the situation for a renewal? You are required to send your current passport along with the renewal application to the embassy?

 

As opposed to my past in-person renewals, you still kept possession of the current passport. 

 

So one is left without possesion of their passport for what could be a period of up to about three weeks? 

 

If that is the case, gotta plan a time frame for a period where you think you won't need it for anything.

 

Personally, the embassy's a short walk for me. No sweat to submit and pickup in the past, and good to have your passport for the just-in-case scenarios. OK, a measure in response to ongoing covid-19 crisis, I understand. 

 

 

Copies of all pages work for banking, 90 day reports and showing ID to road blocks, as far as I've experienced.

[mtls2005]

8 hours ago, skatewash said:

The passport card is a US government-issued photo ID that proves US citizenship.

 

It is also RealID-compliant.

 

IMO, for $3/year worth it.

 

 

[RocketDog]

14 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

 

That info is a little confusing it you are writing about this drop down.

 

The instructions for the form states you need to submit a photo with the application.

Yes. That's exactly what I am referring to. So you are saying it's wrong. Interesting. 

Confusion abounds and there's enough to go around. 

Thanks

[skatewash]

22 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

Yes. That's exactly what I am referring to. So you are saying it's wrong. Interesting. 

Confusion abounds and there's enough to go around. 

Thanks

No confusion.  You always need a new photograph for a new application for a new passport.  However, you may need to get a new passport, before it expires or runs out of pages, just because your appearance has changed so significantly that it becomes an issue.  I suspect you would be made aware of this latter reason when you attempt to use your passport.

[RocketDog]

10 minutes ago, skatewash said:

No confusion.  You always need a new photograph for a new application for a new passport.  However, you may need to get a new passport, before it expires or runs out of pages, just because your appearance has changed so significantly that it becomes an issue.  I suspect you would be made aware of this later reason when you attempt to use your passport.

That makes sense. Thanks. 

In my case a new photo will be necessary for me. 

Apparently I became significantly more 'hansum' shortly after moving to the Kingdom, or so I've been told by numerous female acquaintances. Surely they wouldn't lie about that! 

[Kwarium]

Some good info here, thanks. Got me wondering about when it’s best to renew. Usa.gov says to renew 9 months before expiration.

 

Q- Is the date on the new passport based on the old passport’s expiration or the date the new one is issued?

 

If the latter, it would seem 2-3 months before expiration would be plenty early. Of course, if one needed 6 months validity for travel that would then make more sense for 7-8 months before expiry.

 

Two weeks turn around seems excellent to me! Kudos USA!

 

PSA- Added a calendar event to renew in my smart phone since it is way smarter than me! ????

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, Kwarium said:

Some good info here, thanks. Got me wondering about when it’s best to renew. Usa.gov says to renew 9 months before expiration.

Q- Is the date on the new passport based on the old passport’s expiration or the date the new one is issued?

If the latter, it would seem 2-3 months before expiration would be plenty early. Of course, if one needed 6 months validity for travel that would then make more sense for 7-8 months before expiry.

The normal recommendation is to get a new passport at least 6 months before it expires. I think the 9 months is allowing for 3 months to get the new one.

If on a extension of stay immigration will only issue one up to the day your passport expires.

The new passport's validity starts from the day it issued.

[skatewash]

3 minutes ago, Kwarium said:

Some good info here, thanks. Got me wondering about when it’s best to renew. Usa.gov says to renew 9 months before expiration.

 

Q- Is the date on the new passport based on the old passport’s expiration or the date the new one is issued?

 

If the latter, it would seem 2-3 months before expiration would be plenty early. Of course, if one needed 6 months validity for travel that would then make more sense for 7-8 months before expiry.

 

Two weeks turn around seems excellent to me! Kudos USA!

 

PSA- Added a calendar event to renew in my smart phone since it is way smarter than me! ????

Validity is based on when the new one is issued and lasts for 10 years.  It is not based on your old passport's expiration date.

Two weeks is good service, especially when you consider that all US passports are issued in the US and must be sent back to US Embassy Bangkok and then mailed back to you.

Something to consider on the timing of when you should renew your passport if you are on a long term extension of stay (for example, annual retirement extension), Thai immigration will not give a permission to stay day past the date your passport expires.  Maybe an example will illustrate how this works:

Your passport expires in July. 
Your current permission to stay ends in June. 
If you go to renew your extension of stay now in May you will only get a new permission to stay to July 2021 (one month) as that's when your passport expires. 

If you had renewed your passport before applying for the extension of stay you would have received a new permission to stay to June 2022 (a full year).

 

Even though current passport processing is only taking around 2 weeks, I would allow an entire month (4 weeks) for processing.

In my opinion, you should apply for your new passport one month prior to the earlier of these two events:

1) the date you plan to apply for a new extension of stay at Thai immigration
2) the date six (6) months before your passport expires

Putting the date you apply for a new passport in an electronic calendar is a great idea.

[Kwarium]

@ubonjoe

@skatewash

I’ll bet the passport expiry date has messed up a few extensions! Hoping others read your replies and take heed!

 

I changed my calendar event to a month earlier for good measure!

 

 

[skatewash]

More advice ????

At any immigration in office in Thailand I believe you can apply for any annual extension of stay thirty (30) days before your current extension expires.  At some offices you can do so forty-five (45) days before your current extension expires (Phuket, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, for example).

Apply as early as you can.  Why?  Because you lose nothing and gain something useful.  The new extension starts from when your old extension of stay expires, so you lose no days by extending early.  You gain time to correct any problems that may crop up expectedly or unexpectedly.

For example, you go to immigration 30 days before your current extension of stay expires to apply for your new annual extension of stay.  Immigration informs you that they will only give you two months permission to stay  because your passport expires in two months.  No problem, don't make the application that day and instead go get your passport renewed.  You have time to do that because you're 30 days away from when your current extension of stay expires.

Another example, you go to your bank to get your 12-month statement for your retirement extension.  Your bank informs you that it will take a week to get you a 12-month statement from the bank's headquarters in Bangkok.  No problem, you can easily wait the week to get your statement because you're 30 days away from when your current extension of stay expires.

My annual retirement extension expires at the end of April every year.  I go apply for my retirement extension in March because I don't want to have to deal with Songkran office closures in April.  Anytime the immigration office is closed for a holiday it's usually pretty busy the days immediately before and after that day.  I avoid all that by going a month early in March.

If you go early to apply for your extension of stay, time is on your side.

[erkho]

It took me 10 days from mailing it to receiving it AT MY HOUSE. I was stunned but that is absolutel fact! It was issued and mailed from Washington to Bkk embassy two days later. You can follow it, I’m sorry I don’t remember how but it’s easy to find out and it’s very very fast.

[OJAS]

14 hours ago, skatewash said:

The passport card is a US government-issued photo ID that proves US citizenship.  It doesn't have a purpose for international travel except in a very limited sense allowing entry into the US from Canada, Mexico, and some Caribbean islands by land or water, but not air.  The passport card is the size of a credit card and can be easily carried.  It's primary use for someone living in Thailand is for those occasions when you need a government-issued photo ID.

 

If only the UK government were prepared to issue us Brits with a similar ID card! Unfortunately the vociferous anti-ID-card lobby back in the UK seem determined to ensure that this will never ever happen in all probability. ☹️

 

As a consequence, the official view is that we Brits need to carry our passports around with us at all times in Thailand, in case we are stopped for ID checks. And this requirement is quoted by the relevant powers-that-be back in the UK as justification for the IMHO cumbersomely bureaucratic procedures which are inflicted on us Brits at passport renewal time and necessitate a couple of physical trips to an office building with an extremely silly name* located somewhere in deepest darkest Bangkok from wherever we live in Thailand (except that those living within striking distance of Chiang Mai can go to an office there instead), (1) to submit our renewal documentation in person, and, after a few weeks (2) to collect our replacement passport, again in person. Those who are physically unable (or for whatever reason unwilling) to make these 2 trips are usually required, in practice, to shell out extra for an agent to do the necessary on their behalf.

 

Reading this thread and the relative ease and grace with which you Americans are faced at passport renewal time when compared to all the nonsense which the powers-that-be back in the UK have chosen to inflict on us Brits therefore makes me extremely green with envy!

 

*The name of this particular office building is "Trendy", something which the British passport renewal "experience" from Thailand most definitely is not IMHO, relying in part as it does on delivery methods which predate the introduction of the Penny Black in the UK in 1840!

 

[mtls2005]

The turnaround here is IMPRESSIVE.

 

Back in the U.S. it's ~ 12 weeks or more, currently.

 

 

[skatewash]

3 minutes ago, OJAS said:

 

If only the UK government were prepared to issue us Brits with a similar ID card! Unfortunately the vociferous anti-ID-card lobby back in the UK seem determined to ensure that this will never ever happen in all probability. ☹️

 

As a consequence, the official view is that we Brits need to carry our passports around with us at all times in Thailand, in case we are stopped for ID checks. And this requirement is quoted by the relevant powers-that-be back in the UK as justification for the IMHO cumbersomely bureaucratic procedures which are inflicted on us Brits at passport renewal time and necessitate a couple of physical trips to an office with an extremely silly name* located somewhere in deepest darkest Bangkok from wherever we live in Thailand (except that those living within striking distance of Chiang Mai can go to an office there instead), (1) to submit our renewal documentation in person, and, after a few weeks (2) to collect our replacement passport, again in person. Those who are physically unable (or for whatever reason unwilling) to make these 2 trips are usually required, in practice, to shell out extra for an agent to do the necessary on their behalf.

 

Reading this thread and the relative ease and grace with which you Americans are faced at passport renewal time when compared to all the nonsense which the powers-that-be back in the UK have chosen to inflict on us Brits therefore makes me extremely green with envy!

 

*The name of this particular office is "Trendy", something which the British passport renewal "experience" from Thailand most definitely is not IMHO, relying in part as it does on delivery methods which predate the introduction of the Penny Black in the UK in 1840!

 

Yes, Americans get very good service in my opinion with respect to passport processing for those of us who live in Thailand.  We effectively get expedited service (two weeks processing time) without paying any extra because we are living outside the US.  People renewing their passports while in the US face significantly longer (10-12 weeks) processing time, unless they pay extra for expedited service.

[LivingNThailand]

On 5/22/2021 at 7:37 AM, flexomike said:

Not sure about the six months, but your extension would only be valid until the day or passport expiration

Yes,  My neighbor went in to get his extension and they only gave him 3-4 months because of the expiration date wasn't at least a year.  Had to go back after he got his new passport and do everything over again.  His wife was not too happy about that.
 

[dingdongrb]

4 hours ago, Kwarium said:

PSA- Added a calendar event to renew in my smart phone since it is way smarter than me! ????

I do that for many things:

- Driver license renewal

- Visa extension

- 90 Day Reporting

- Auto Registration

- Auto Insurance

- Debit Card expiration

[Andy from Kent]

On 5/22/2021 at 7:31 AM, dingdongrb said:

Thanks for the prompt reply.

 

Yes, I read on the US Consulate website that's what they are saying but wanted some actual experiences. I'm getting in a tight window for my extension renewal and wanted to be sure I receive the new passport before my extension renewal date.

 

Do you know, do I need to have a passport with 6 month validity in order to renew my Thai visa extension?

 

Are you facing the consequences of the  "3 P" rule?   Or is it the "5P" rule?

 

P i s s Poor Planning Prevents Proper Performance.

[dingdongrb]

7 minutes ago, Andy from Kent said:

 

Are you facing the consequences of the  "3 P" rule?   Or is it the "5P" rule?

 

P i s s Poor Planning Prevents Proper Performance.

Looks like a '6 P' rule.....  (It took more than 1 hand to count them)

[Andy from Kent]

1 minute ago, dingdongrb said:

Looks like a '6 P' rule.....  (It took more than 1 hand to count them)

 

I never  claimed math was my strong point.     ????

[rwill]

On 5/22/2021 at 7:43 AM, dingdongrb said:

Passport expires Oct 11 and Visa extension expires July 29th..... However I need to do my 90 day on June 9th. (I will do it 7 days early as allowed.) So, I'm going to send off my passport renewal immediately after the 90 day and hope I receive my new one before my extension is due.

Make sure to keep some copies of it before mailing it off.