Applying for a retirement visa on a soon-to-expire passport

[EricTh]

3 hours ago, StevieAus said:

The simple answer then is to plan ahead and renew your passport in time it’s not hard they last for ten years.

Or are you one of the many on this site who what the rules written to suit your circumstances ?

My daughter holds a UK passport and we renewed it recently which wasn’t hard and hers only lasts for five years.

Did the millions who died of Covid planned for it? 

 

In case you forgot, Covid restricted air travel a while back and embassy processing of passports took much longer than pre-Covid times.

 

I am sure you have precognitive powers of Covid and perfect memory and never forgets things..... NOT.

Edited June 12, 2021 by EricTh

[Myran]

17 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

You dreamt it.

No, he didn't. They did it up until 2013.

[StevieAus]

2 hours ago, EricTh said:

Did the millions who died of Covid planned for it? 

 

In case you forgot, Covid restricted air travel a while back and embassy processing of passports took much longer than pre-Covid times.

 

I am sure you have precognitive powers of Covid and perfect memory and never forgets things..... NOT.

Covid has nothing to do with it it’s called planning ahead.

Anyway on a more practical note there are agents who will do it for you if traveling is the issue.

A good one who advertises on this site

You have to pay but despite what many in this world think nothing is free.

Good luck.

 

[champers]

Worth noting that if applying for a new UK passport it is now valid from date of issue and not from the date of expiry of your old passport. The sooner you apply the more time you lose off your 10 years. Leaving it till the last minute risks an overstay fine. Shafted every which way you turn.

[Rawairat]

From my own experience, I applied 2.5 months before mine expired through an agent in Pattaya who, despite explaining my situation sat on it for over 2 weeks before submitting it to VFS in Bangkok. VFS took another week to process it and send it on to the UK. The end result was I had to pay 11 days overstay because I was late applying for my retirement visa renewal. 

If you do use an agent apply a lot  earlier or you could end up losing out. I could paid the airfares, had a couple nights in Bangkok and still have money left over.  It is 10 years away but I won't use that agent again, never even got an apology and he took weeks to answer phone calls or emails when I was trying to get information. It was always "don't worry" until it was too late then I got nothing.

[EricTh]

4 hours ago, Rawairat said:

From my own experience, I applied 2.5 months before mine expired through an agent in Pattaya who, despite explaining my situation sat on it for over 2 weeks before submitting it to VFS in Bangkok. VFS took another week to process it and send it on to the UK. The end result was I had to pay 11 days overstay because I was late applying for my retirement visa renewal. 

If you do use an agent apply a lot  earlier or you could end up losing out. I could paid the airfares, had a couple nights in Bangkok and still have money left over.  It is 10 years away but I won't use that agent again, never even got an apology and he took weeks to answer phone calls or emails when I was trying to get information. It was always "don't worry" until it was too late then I got nothing.

How much is the fine for 11 days overstay?

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, EricTh said:

How much is the fine for 11 days overstay?

It is 500 baht a day so that is 5500 baht. The maximum is 20,000 baht.

[WaveHunter]

On 6/10/2021 at 7:20 PM, ubonjoe said:

That is correct.

Why not just renew the passport right now (on an expedited basis through the Embassy)?  

 

Just a thought...I am American so I don't know what the rules are for UK passports, but American passports can be replaced on an expedited basis.  Perhaps a call to your Embassy could clarify if it's possible before the due date for visa renewal here in Thailand? 

 

If it could be done you might lose a few months on the life of the new passport, but that sounds like a fair trade-off if it save having to re-apply for a new Thai Visa.

Edited June 12, 2021 by WaveHunter

[ubonjoe]

19 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Just a thought...I am American so I don't know what the rules are for UK passports, but American passports can be replaced on an expedited basis. 

Not if applied for at the embassy in Bangkok. It only takes about 2 weeks to get new US passport and it done by mail now.

[LivingNThailand]

On 6/11/2021 at 2:19 PM, Dazinoz said:

I think some farang have been too long in Thailand and learn the Thai way of blaming someone else and not themselves.

 

I agree with you and I have just renewed mine over a year early. A bit of time wasted but I wanted to make sure everything right for next visa extension renewal,

Just sent mine in one year in advance of expiring.  Why sweat it. Who know what is going to happen six months from now.

[WaveHunter]

12 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Not if applied for at the embassy in Bangkok. It only takes about 2 weeks to get new US passport and it done by mail now.

Two weeks isn't so bad and would solve the Op's problem if UK offers same.  Just curious...are you sure the US embassy  can't do it on a special expedited basis?  I had to request a new passport once (when I was in the US) and needed it really fast for an unexpected overseas trip.  It was provided to me as an expedited  delivery in only a few days.

[LivingNThailand]

12 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

Just a thought...I am American so I don't know what the rules are for UK passports, but American passports can be replaced on an expedited basis.  Perhaps a call to your Embassy could clarify if it's possible before the due date for visa renewal here in Thailand? 

I'm an American too.  I'm pretty sure that the embassy website said no expediting passports from Bangkok embassy.   I did it once a long time ago when I lived in the US, but I had to go to the Federal building and they charged me a bunch of money.

 

I mailed it to BKK about 10 days ago.  They said two weeks return.  We will see.

[LivingNThailand]

From the US Embassy website

 

Please note:

• There are NO “expediting services” overseas.
• Extra pages cannot be added in U.S. passports, you must renew your passport if it is full.

[WaveHunter]

22 minutes ago, LivingNThailand said:

I'm an American too.  I'm pretty sure that the embassy website said no expediting passports from Bangkok embassy.   I did it once a long time ago when I lived in the US, but I had to go to the Federal building and they charged me a bunch of money.

 

I mailed it to BKK about 10 days ago.  They said two weeks return.  We will see.

My same experience; had to go to Fed office and very expensive.  Two weeks though is not so bad.  I think the op said the visa needed to be renewed within a month, so if UK can turn it around in two weeks, he might just get it in time if he moves on it like RIGHT NOW.

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

I think the op said the visa needed to be renewed within a month, so if UK can turn it around in two weeks, he might just get it in time if he moves on it like RIGHT NOW.

They do not offer a expedited service. It can take 3 weeks or more to get a new passport after applying for it in person in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.

[LivingNThailand]

In case anyone is interested about my USA Passport Mail renewal.

 

Day 1:  Mail passport, application and bank draft to American Embassy in BKK

 

Day 16: Received an email from the US Embassy saying that the passport is in the mail and a tracking #

 

Day 18:  Received passport delivered to my home by Thai Post EMS.(signature required)

 

Next week going to immigration to get stamps and the Land Transportation Office to get new driving license with new passport # on it.  Should be painless... I hope.

 

Very easy.  But glad to see it! ????