I was on a Non-O visa based on marriage, I got my 1 year extension but that finishes on Nov 22nd 2021, I sent off for a replacement for a damaged Uk passport at the start of September, If my British passport doesn't come back in time (before 22nd Nov) am I required to leave the country?

 

So I would have to get an emergency travel document form the British Embassy and fly out of Thailand, thats my only option?

Mate, should have thought about this a bit earlier and plan accordingly.

If the embassy issued a emergency passport you could use it apply for a new extension of stay. Immigration would reinstate your current extension and etc to it.

Have you contacted the HMPO about your new passport to find out when it will be sent.

2 minutes ago, RafPinto said:

Mate, should have thought about this a bit earlier and plan accordingly.

I think he did do it early enough. He applied for the new passport over 2 months ago.

6 minutes ago, RafPinto said:

Mate, should have thought about this a bit earlier and plan accordingly.

Passport got damaged, couldn't really predict that happening, applied for new one within days of it getting damaged

"If the embassy issued a emergency passport you could use it apply for a new extension of stay."

 

Really? My memory of Emergency Passports when I was an Immigration Officer was that they were single sheet documents issued for the purpose of travel only, and surrendered on arrival in the UK. I can't imagine Thai Immigration endorsing an extension on one. The info on the British Embassy website suggests that the system is just the same:-

 

You can apply for an emergency travel document if all the following apply:

you’re a British national

you’re outside the UK

your passport has been lost, stolen, damaged, is full, has recently expired or is with HM Passport Office or a foreign embassy

you do not have time to renew or replace your passport before you travel

you can provide proof of your travel plans, for example booking confirmations (or detailed written travel plans if you cannot book ahead)

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

If the embassy issued a emergency passport you could use it apply for a new extension of stay. Immigration would reinstate your current extension and etc to it.

Have you contacted the HMPO about your new passport to find out when it will be sent.

Can I really do that? on the website https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document it says

 

"emergency travel document (sometimes called an ‘emergency passport’)"

 

Is this really a document that immigration can reinstate my current extension into?

1 minute ago, STD Warehouse said:

Is this really a document that immigration can reinstate my current extension into?

No. See above

Just now, Eff1n2ret said:

No. See above

So my original questions remains, theres nothing else I can do but leave thailand?

12 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I think he did do it early enough. He applied for the new passport over 2 months ago.

My apologies.

Use every means possible to hassle HMPO into getting your passport to you before 22nd Nov.

7 minutes ago, STD Warehouse said:

Can I really do that? on the website https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document it says

"emergency travel document (sometimes called an ‘emergency passport’)"

Is this really a document that immigration can reinstate my current extension into?

A ETD is not the same as emergency passport. Unless they stopped issuing them I am aware of people getting one at the UK embassy.

I think  you could stay on a ETD if immigration was to issue you a extension using it.

16 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

A ETD is not the same as emergency passport. Unless they stopped issuing them I am aware of people getting one at the UK embassy.

I think  you could stay on a ETD if immigration was to issue you a extension using it.

Okay thanks for that info.

 

Ive got an Australian passport as well (duel national) that doesn't help me in any way, does it?

41 minutes ago, STD Warehouse said:

So my original questions remains, theres nothing else I can do but leave thailand?

Brits in Thailand warned of up to 11 week wait for passport renewals - Page 3 - Thailand News - ASEAN NOW - News, Travel & Forum

If I might make a suggestion, I was intrigued to notice on the attachments to the above topic that the British Embassy has a "HMPO Officer". May I suggest that you ring the British Embassy and ask to speak to this person. If they exist as a separate entity from the VFS operation they should be able to use their contacts at HMPO to expedite your application. Otherwise your options are to ask VFS or to try and get some sense out of HMPO in the UK. The Embassy might also be able to clarify whether an Emergency Travel Document and Emergency Passport are separate entities as ubonjoe suggests.

4 minutes ago, Eff1n2ret said:

Brits in Thailand warned of up to 11 week wait for passport renewals - Page 3 - Thailand News - ASEAN NOW - News, Travel & Forum

If I might make a suggestion, I was intrigued to notice on the attachments to the above topic that the British Embassy has a "HMPO Officer". May I suggest that you ring the British Embassy and ask to speak to this person. If they exist as a separate entity from the VFS operation they should be able to use their contacts at HMPO to expedite your application. Otherwise your options are to ask VFS or to try and get some sense out of HMPO in the UK. The Embassy might also be able to clarify whether an Emergency Travel Document and Emergency Passport are separate entities as ubonjoe suggests.

Thank you, all very good suggestions

Why not go to your immigration office, explain your situation and see what they say?

With the use of an agent, I'm fairly confident you can get it done. It might cost but will probably be cheaper than going to the UK and back.

 

Still should be possible without agent though like UbonJoe said. Get to work and start contacting every relevant authorities.

 

Good luck!

1 minute ago, bbko said:

Why not go to your immigration office, explain your situation and see what they say?

I did, they said

 

"nothing we can say now, just wait and see if it comes"

Depending on "just how damaged" your damaged passport is, maybe it's worth exploring if immigration would be willing to still use it for your upcoming extension? If you explain the situation and happen to encounter a sympathetic IO, it might work. You'd then transfer to the new passport once it arrives. 

1 minute ago, Caldera said:

Depending on "just how damaged" your damaged passport is, maybe it's worth exploring if immigration would be willing to still use it for your upcoming extension? If you explain the situation and happen to encounter a sympathetic IO, it might work. You'd then transfer to the new passport once it arrives. 

Passport had to go back to the UK with the application I made at the start of September, so i dont have my UK passport.

 

I do have an Australian passport tho, duel national, but theres no visa or extension in that one of course it was in my Uk one

"I was on a Non-O visa based on marriage, I got my 1 year extension but that finishes on Nov 22nd 2021, I sent off for a replacement for a damaged Uk passport at the start of September, "

 

Hmmm, 11 weeks 5 days before Nov 22, cutting it fine. Might just do it.

 

Is the damaged passport still in your possession? As long as the data page is still readable, some immigration offices would probably agree to give you an extension in the old passport, even if there is significant water or other damage to the other pages.

When did they actually receive your application in the UK?  You can tell that as the very first thing they do is take your money, or you may have had an email from DHL tracking.  They currently quote an average 6 week turnaround for a damaged passport renewal.  From recent reports on here I'd expect it back in time.

2 hours ago, RafPinto said:

Mate, should have thought about this a bit earlier and plan accordingly.

i think he applied in plenty of time, but did you think that possibly the passport was only damaged a day of so before the application, easy to make a snide comment, not so easy to give good advice

 

op i would not start to worry until closer to the 22nd

3 hours ago, STD Warehouse said:

So my original questions remains, theres nothing else I can do but leave thailand?

Well you could have a short overstay and then work with that from there, your passport should arrive soon.

 

I suggest you phone them directly in the UK and speak to them, they will confirm where your passport is in the process of renewal.

 

When I renewed mine recently I phoned them after about 6 weeks and was told it had already been printed and it arrived in Bangkok about 4 days later.

 

Getting them on the phone is not easy, often if goes to an antomated service where you can enter your phone number - they do phone you back, even if you enter a thai number with the 66 code in front of it, even if it's a day or two later.

 

This should help you to decide. A few days overstay is not the end of the world, but it might be the end of your visa. I certainly wouldn't be booking flights just yet if I were you though.

 

Edit : I renewed my passport very recently and it took 7 weeks, at the time they were warning of 11 week wait times which is exactly the same as the advertised wait time right now. But mine was a straightforward renewal which I believe has less checks than other types of renewal.

12 hours ago, STD Warehouse said:

So my original questions remains, theres nothing else I can do but leave thailand?

As mentioned by @ukrules, doing a short overstay is another option, it's not ideal but if the overstay is only a few days and you already let your IO know your situation they might more understanding.

14 hours ago, STD Warehouse said:

I was on a Non-O visa based on marriage, I got my 1 year extension but that finishes on Nov 22nd 2021, I sent off for a replacement for a damaged Uk passport at the start of September, If my British passport doesn't come back in time (before 22nd Nov) am I required to leave the country?

 

So I would have to get an emergency travel document form the British Embassy and fly out of Thailand, thats my only option?

This is probably the 1st time in a yr I can say, "Too bad you're not American". Went to the embassy and applied for and received a 1 year, emergency passport in about an hour. An actual, trimmed down version of a full 10 yr passport with around 6 pages for stamp transfer and extension entry. ????

I plan to renew my passport at least 6mths before it expires because most airlines require 6 mths left but more importantly Immigration will only extend to the expiry date. Also as the UK is taking up to 12 weeks to currently renew I will check closer to the date how much before 6 mths I need to apply

11 hours ago, bbko said:

As mentioned by @ukrules, doing a short overstay is another option, it's not ideal but if the overstay is only a few days and you already let your IO know your situation they might more understanding.

Won't an overstay kill his extension of stay, meaning he can no longer do one? And would then need to leave the country and come in on a new visa or visa exempt and start all over?

 

For that matter if he leaves the country, since he can't get a re-entry permit that goes beyond his current extension of stay, he would likewise have to leave the country and come in on a new visa or visa exempt and start all over.

 

Getting an emergency passport would be best solution, assuming passport still has not arrived.

9 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Won't an overstay kill his extension of stay, meaning he can no longer do one?

No

Immigration will do the extension a few days late after the 500 baht a day fine is paid.

I aware of of immigration telling people to do that when they were a few days late getting their financial proof sorted out.