Renew UK passport in Thailand - new or same passport number?

[madmitch]

On 7/20/2021 at 7:50 AM, ubonjoe said:

According to the above announcement the Chiang Mai office is still open.

https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/th/en/news/information-about-the-uk-visa-application-centres-in-thailand

Thanks. I have written to VFS explaining that I urgently need my daughter's passport. I'd like to think they could utilise the Chiang Mai office, though as I'm in Phuket they'd need to waive their usual pick-up rules and courier it to me. I'd be happy to pay for a DHL from Liverpool direct to my home. Let's see what they come back with

[OJAS]

10 hours ago, madmitch said:

Thanks. I have written to VFS explaining that I urgently need my daughter's passport. I'd like to think they could utilise the Chiang Mai office, though as I'm in Phuket they'd need to waive their usual pick-up rules and courier it to me. I'd be happy to pay for a DHL from Liverpool direct to my home. Let's see what they come back with

I think that you would be better off raising your points with HMPO, since they are responsible for the cumbersomely bureaucratic procedures which have been inflicted on us poor Brits at passport renewal time since 2014 - and which the COVID pandemic has now brought into sharp focus as being totally unworkable in practice. VFS are merely their agents in that regard. You can contact HMPO through completing their passport enquiries form:-

 

https://eforms.homeoffice.gov.uk/outreach/Passport_Enquiries.ofml?_ga=2.171280867.2124134922.1626837669-1983836778.1623461427

 

[madmitch]

18 minutes ago, OJAS said:

I think that you would be better off raising your points with HMPO, since they are responsible for the cumbersomely bureaucratic procedures which have been inflicted on us poor Brits at passport renewal time since 2014 - and which the COVID pandemic has now brought into sharp focus as being totally unworkable in practice. VFS are merely their agents in that regard. You can contact HMPO through completing their passport enquiries form:-

 

https://eforms.homeoffice.gov.uk/outreach/Passport_Enquiries.ofml?_ga=2.171280867.2124134922.1626837669-1983836778.1623461427

 

Thanks. I'll await a response from VFS and if it's not satisfatory I will contact HMPO. No doubt they will quote the warning message that you should not book travel until you have received the new passport but they know as well as antone that this is impractical. They say the same with visas; but you then need proof of travel to get the visa!

[OJAS]

2 hours ago, madmitch said:

Thanks. I'll await a response from VFS and if it's not satisfatory I will contact HMPO. No doubt they will quote the warning message that you should not book travel until you have received the new passport but they know as well as antone that this is impractical. They say the same with visas; but you then need proof of travel to get the visa!

A point which has subsequently occurred to me is that, if you sent your enquiry to a Bangkok-specific VFS email address, there may well be no-one around to deal with it at the present time since they'll all be at home twiddling their thumbs until such time as the office re-opens.

 

One would like to think that, following the passport renewal shambles this time last year (which, of course, was made even worse by both Bangkok and Chiang Mai offices being closed), HMPO have come up with alternative contingency plans for the renewal of passports from Thailand in the event of any repeat incident. Guess we'll soon find out if they have (although I'm personally not hopeful that they've even given a nanosecond's thought to this possibility). 

Edited July 22, 2021 by OJAS

[madmitch]

4 hours ago, OJAS said:

A point which has subsequently occurred to me is that, if you sent your enquiry to a Bangkok-specific VFS email address, there may well be no-one around to deal with it at the present time since they'll all be at home twiddling their thumbs until such time as the office re-opens.

 

One would like to think that, following the passport renewal shambles this time last year (which, of course, was made even worse by both Bangkok and Chiang Mai offices being closed), HMPO have come up with alternative contingency plans for the renewal of passports from Thailand in the event of any repeat incident. Guess we'll soon find out if they have (although I'm personally not hopeful that they've even given a nanosecond's thought to this possibility). 

I used the general customer services account. That could be located anywhere. No response yet, so I'll get onto HMPO. I'll post the outcome of this on here.

 

[madmitch]

VFS has reopened. Limited hours (and of course two holidays this week). Hopefully that's good news!

[patman30]

On 7/15/2021 at 4:23 PM, KannikaP said:

A new passport every three years?

on average, yes
passport used to fill up really quick when first here with monthly visa runs,
plus i travel quite a lot anyway (usually)
you would be surprised how quick they fill up even the larger size
and i did also lose one that was only 25% used

[Liverpool Lou]

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Edited July 25, 2021 by Liverpool Lou