US passport renewal procedure

[bronzedude]

Is there a step by step procedure or process for doing a US passport renewal by mail? Where do I find the application? Where do I pay? What is needed to sent to the US embassy? Thank you in advance.

[KhunLA]

Too simple, as just did it last month.  Allow 3 weeks for total time, though will probably be less:

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

[TaoNow]

I plan to renew my US PP in January or February 2023.

 

Reading the US Embassy website, it seems they went to the mail-only procedure because of Covid.

 

I am not too happy about sending my PP in the mail and being without it for the three weeks it takes to process.

 

Does anyone know whether the US Embassy in Bangkok will go back to in-person processing of a new passport application, say, starting in 2023?

 

I would prefer visting the American Services section in person to do that.

[ubonjoe]

51 minutes ago, TaoNow said:

I am not too happy about sending my PP in the mail and being without it for the three weeks it takes to process.

 

Does anyone know whether the US Embassy in Bangkok will go back to in-person processing of a new passport application, say, starting in 2023?

Many people have done the application without a problem. I am not seen any reports of anybody having a problem doing it by email. You can use a copy of your passport if asked for it. 

I doubt they will drop doing them by mail. They started doing them by mail to reduce the numbers of people doing them in person.

[Foghorn]

And a uk one took me 16 weeks , my child’s Thai one took 3 days , I think illegal immigrants in uk get quicker than British citizens 

[DFPhuket]

I also recently renewed by mail. You are provided clear instructions and if you follow them to the letter it works fine. You're told to use registered mail and when I dropped my passport off at the Phuket post office I was given the tracking code and could follow the progress. It arrived at the embassy the next day.

 

When the passport was back, the embassy provided a tracking code so I could watch as it made it back to me. All very easy. 

[swm59nj]

Just go on the US Embassy website.  You will find all you need to do on there.  I’m guessing you have internet access? . 
I recently did it .  It was easy and took about three weeks to process.  

[kevin612]

Make an appointment then you are good to go. Make sure you keep everything when you receive the passport, stupid immigration also asked me for the renewal letter as well. Bangkok US embassy is great and helpful.

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, kevin612 said:

Make an appointment then you are good to go. Make sure you keep everything when you receive the passport, stupid immigration also asked me for the renewal letter as well. Bangkok US embassy is great and helpful.

You cannot make an appointment for a new passport unless you have lost one.

Source: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/acsappointment/

[kokesaat]

I've yet to hear of a US citizen whose passport was lost in the mail upon renewal.  Renewal by mail is a sign of the times.......and, in my opinion, a welcome one.

[rwill]

Renew mine about 2 months ago by mail.  Easy to do.  I had no problems.

[Tracyb]

I understand your concern about sending in your passport and being without it for the two to three week period.  I just renewed my U.S. Passport using the mail method to the embassy in Bangkok.  Before I mailed it in I copied every page…the main info page and all pages that had any stamp on it and saved the copies until the new and old passports arrived back by EMS.  It does take a leap of faith but it worked fine for me and as others have mentioned here they had no problems either.

 

When you get the new passport be sure to bring it …and the letter the embassy gives you with the new passport….to your local Immigration office to get your visa or extension info and other pertinent permits, etc. transferred into the new passport.

 

just be meticulous in following the instructions provided on the embassy website and you’ll be fine!

[flexomike]

4 hours ago, kevin612 said:

Make an appointment then you are good to go. Make sure you keep everything when you receive the passport, stupid immigration also asked me for the renewal letter as well. Bangkok US embassy is great and helpful.

why would you call Immigration stupid, it is needed as part of the process to get stamps transferred to new passport, stupid comment

[kevin612]

12 hours ago, flexomike said:

why would you call Immigration stupid, it is needed as part of the process to get stamps transferred to new passport, stupid comment

The second time I went back there, the officer didn’t ask me for that letter. So it is totally up to the immigration officer.

[JimGant]

On 10/28/2022 at 10:46 AM, TaoNow said:

I would prefer visting the American Services section in person to do that.

Well, just "lose" your passport. Just remember to cross your fingers when you fill out the lost/stolen form. Better yet -- take a statistics course on probabilities to ease your concerns about mail renewals.

[OJAS]

20 hours ago, Foghorn said:

And a uk one took me 16 weeks , my child’s Thai one took 3 days , I think illegal immigrants in uk get quicker than British citizens 

Yes, we Brits in Thailand are definitely treated as second-class citizens when it comes to passport renewals. I understand that the State Department prioritises passport renewal applications submitted by American expats over applicants living in the States. Quite the reverse in the case of us British expats who, I think, are deliberately placed at the back of the passport renewal queue by His Majesty's Passport Office!

 

And, of course, no question of us Brits being able to submit our passport renewal applications by post. No, instead we are required to make 2 trips in person to a VFS office in Bangkok or Chiang Mai, firstly to submit our application docs and secondly to collect our new passports eventually. The only way of avoiding these trips is by shelling out an extra 5,000 THB for an agent to perform them on our behalf. ????

 

I am currently in the process of renewing my British passport, having made my first trip to Bangkok for this purpose last week. My fingers are now firmly crossed that I shall be able to collect my new passport some time before its expiry date....????

 

Why on earth are we Brits living in LOS unable to renew our passports with the ease and grace of our American cousins is IMHO one of life's great mysteries.

 

Edited October 29, 2022 by OJAS

[blackshadow]

WHY not ask american embassay ???????????????

[BonMot]

Visit the

DL the documents

Study them a bit

Be prepared with all your vital information

Pay online or as I did bank draft (email embassy for x rate)

Send by Thai Post

 

Mine went post office to embassy and back to me in 12 days

 

[JimGant]

36 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Why on earth are we Brits living in LOS unable to renew our passports with the ease and grace of our American cousins

'Cause you lost the Revolution.  ????

[Foghorn]

34 minutes ago, JimGant said:

'Cause you lost the Revolution.  ????

We’ve lost everything, including our country , the government hate expats because they’re not getting our business so they hammer us any way they can