How long to renew UK passport.

[kwilco]

How long is it taking to renew a passport using the agency in Bangkok these days?

Anyone know if it is quicker from Australia?

[CharlieH]

Latest reports and there are a few already in existing topics in this forum, 6 weeks from UK.

[KhaoYai]

  On 1/28/2023 at 10:13 PM, CharlieH said:

Latest reports and there are a few already in existing topics in this forum, 6 weeks from UK.

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That's pretty good - UKPA are quoting 10 weeks for people who live in the UK.

[theoldgit]

I applied on 23 December and received my new passport in just under three weeks, there are a number of similar reports.

 

The VFS staff are still advising twelve weeks, but the young lady who dealt with my application added that there seemed to be an improvement in turn around times of late.

[Gottfrid]

Oh Dear! Great Britain again! They just can´t speed it up, can they? I get my passport 7-10 days after application. That´s when you come from a country who gives service to their citizens.

[OJAS]

  On 1/29/2023 at 3:50 AM, Gottfrid said:

Oh Dear! Great Britain again! They just can´t speed it up, can they? I get my passport 7-10 days after application. That´s when you come from a country who gives service to their citizens.

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So which lucky citizen of which country are you?

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

  On 1/29/2023 at 6:48 AM, OJAS said:

So which lucky citizen of which country are you?

 

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Don’t feed the turnip ????

[OJAS]

  On 1/29/2023 at 6:54 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

Don’t feed the turnip ????

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Mind you, I do think that he has a point when it comes to the shambles of a passport renewal process which we Brits living in LOS are required to endure!

 

[kwilco]

  On 1/29/2023 at 7:19 AM, OJAS said:

Mind you, I do think that he has a point when it comes to the shambles of a passport renewal process which we Brits living in LOS are required to endure!

 

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Not only  the LOS - since Brexit te whole thing has become chaotic - half the workforce has gone home so they have fewer trained operatives, ad then they had to source the new passports from France etc....but I was hoping they had got their poop together by now. 

In fact it looks as if those living abroad are getting theirs quicker than applicants in the UK itself

[Gottfrid]

  On 1/29/2023 at 6:48 AM, OJAS said:

So which lucky citizen of which country are you?

 

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That would be Sweden. You know, the ones that are in the frontlines of technology

[OJAS]

  On 1/30/2023 at 2:20 AM, Gottfrid said:

That would be Sweden. You know, the ones that are in the frontlines of technology

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Hmm, looks like 2 physical trips are also needed in your case - but to the Swedish Embassy instead of a rundown office block with an extremely silly name (assuming that Google has translated the following link from Swedish to English correctly):

 

https://www.swedenabroad.se/sv/om-utlandet-för-svenska-medborgare/thailand/hjälp-till-svenskar-utomlands/pass-utomlands/förnyelse-av-pass-för-vuxna/

 

That said, there are also options of making these trips to consulates in Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai or Hua Hin instead. Only a Chiang Mai alternative is available in the case of us Brits.

 

Also, no wild goose chases needed of Thai professional photographers with usually a minimal grasp of the English language for mug shots complying with over-fussy requirements since all applicants are photographed on site at the time of application.

 

But most significant, of course, is the claimed 2-4 weeks' wait for new passports.

 

So, on balance, Swedish passport renewal procedures do, I will accept, appear to be an improvement over the nonsense which we Brits are required to endure. But I would hardly describe them as being hi-tech as you seem to imply! For that you can't, I think, beat the Irish:

 

https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/thailand/passports/how-to-apply-for-a-passport/

 

 

[OJAS]

  On 1/29/2023 at 9:26 AM, kwilco said:

Not only  the LOS - since Brexit te whole thing has become chaotic - half the workforce has gone home so they have fewer trained operatives, ad then they had to source the new passports from France etc....but I was hoping they had got their poop together by now. 

In fact it looks as if those living abroad are getting theirs quicker than applicants in the UK itself

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The fundamental passport renewal shambles which those of us living in LOS are required to endure has been around for much longer than Brexit - since 2014 in fact!

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-british-passport-services-in-thailand-2

 

[brewsterbudgen]

  On 2/1/2023 at 3:59 AM, OJAS said:

The fundamental passport renewal shambles which those of us living in LOS are required to endure has been around for much longer than Brexit - since 2014 in fact!

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-british-passport-services-in-thailand-2

 

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True, but I think his point is that the appalling delays being experienced are post-Brexit.  I renewed my passport in Bangkok in 2015 and it only took a couple of weeks.  

[transam]

I wonder if UK PP's being printed etc, in Poland has anything to do with delay's...

[Polar Bear]

  On 1/29/2023 at 12:44 AM, KhaoYai said:

That's pretty good - UKPA are quoting 10 weeks for people who live in the UK.

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I did my Mum's application for her in January in the UK. I filled the forms in online, she posted off her passport, and she got the new one back 10 days later. 

[kwilco]

  On 2/1/2023 at 3:59 AM, OJAS said:

The fundamental passport renewal shambles which those of us living in LOS are required to endure has been around for much longer than Brexit - since 2014 in fact!

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-british-passport-services-in-thailand-2

 

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Between 2010 and 2017, I had 3 UK passports. They kept changing the system until all possible went to London.

The first 49 page ran out and was replaced by a small passport as they had no 49 page ones. The small òne quickly filled up and in 2017 I replaced it with another 49 page one.

I did that in the agency in Bkk. It took 5 DAYS!

[kwilco]

So my friend has just renewed his UK passport from Australia.

It was sent just around Jan 1st and received yesterday 31st Jan.

[Gottfrid]

  On 2/1/2023 at 1:40 AM, OJAS said:

But most significant, of course, is the claimed 2-4 weeks' wait for new passports.

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Got mine in 10 days

[transam]

  On 2/1/2023 at 7:03 AM, Gottfrid said:

Got mine in 10 days

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In the UK, the thread is about the UK.......

[Gottfrid]

  On 2/1/2023 at 7:06 AM, transam said:

In the UK, the thread is about the UK.......

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Yes! Sure the thread is about UK. I am comparing UK service in the matter to the country I come from. Which clearly shows that UK service suckz! So, what more did you have say? I am not in my right to point out that you have a bad service, a bad system and that your government treat you as the pest? But hey, Be proud. You are a Brit!

[transam]

  On 2/1/2023 at 4:07 PM, Gottfrid said:

Yes! Sure the thread is about UK. I am comparing UK service in the matter to the country I come from. Which clearly shows that UK service suckz! So, what more did you have say? I am not in my right to point out that you have a bad service, a bad system and that your government treat you as the pest? But hey, Be proud. You are a Brit!

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Passports,

Population of the UK, .........................near .....69,000,000...

Population of Sweden, around ......................10,000,000....

If the UK population was the same as Sweden, perhaps we would have a quicker PP service...

Yes I am proud to be an English Brit, makes me smile when other nations now have to learn to speak English to get bye......????

 

[kwilco]

  On 2/2/2023 at 7:36 AM, transam said:

Passports,

Population of the UK, .........................near .....69,000,000...

Population of Sweden, around ......................10,000,000....

If the UK population was the same as Sweden, perhaps we would have a quicker PP service...

Yes I am proud to be an English Brit, makes me smile when other nations now have to learn to speak English to get bye......????

 

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On behalf of the British, I'd like to apologise for those comments

[Gottfrid]

  On 2/2/2023 at 7:36 AM, transam said:

Passports,

Population of the UK, .........................near .....69,000,000...

Population of Sweden, around ......................10,000,000....

If the UK population was the same as Sweden, perhaps we would have a quicker PP service...

Yes I am proud to be an English Brit, makes me smile when other nations now have to learn to speak English to get bye......????

 

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Seems like Thailand is getting by quite well with the poor level of English. I think you are just overrating yourself. But, that´s a common thing in the UK.

I am pretty sure that if Sweden had a greater population, we would adjust to that, instead of using it as a poor excuse to hide behind. How´s that for English?

[youreavinalaff]

  On 2/1/2023 at 1:40 AM, OJAS said:

Also, no wild goose chases needed of Thai professional photographers with usually a minimal grasp of the English language for mug shots complying with over-fussy requirements since all applicants are photographed on site at the time of application.

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I have never had any issues getting photos to the required specifications. 

[Eff1n2ret]

  On 2/2/2023 at 2:24 PM, youreavinalaff said:

I have never had any issues getting photos to the required specifications. 

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If you have a printer it's not difficult to download a free app and print your own - but that doesn't invalidate Ojas' point that HMPO is way behind the times when, for example Thai Immigration can capture your image digitally, and as do Thai passport offices. In fact, Brits in the UK and many countries in the world can apply online and submit a digital photo. Why Thailand and a few other countries are excluded from this facility is a mystery to me.

[transam]

  On 2/2/2023 at 1:54 PM, Gottfrid said:

Seems like Thailand is getting by quite well with the poor level of English. I think you are just overrating yourself. But, that´s a common thing in the UK.

I am pretty sure that if Sweden had a greater population, we would adjust to that, instead of using it as a poor excuse to hide behind. How´s that for English?

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You mention Thailand, the Asian nations (ASEAN) have voted to communicate in English.........????

[kwilco]

  On 2/2/2023 at 1:54 PM, Gottfrid said:

Seems like Thailand is getting by quite well with the poor level of English. I

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You are making an unsubstantiated assumption about the level of English in Thailand  - most comments are based on one annual survey by EF based on people who took their test. Incidentally, this is a Swedish company and IMO they are VERY odd!

 

as for getting your passport seems that applicants for abroad are getting prioritised as since posting this acquaintances abroad seem to e getting theirs within 4 weeks.

however you =do have to fill in the forms correctly and supply the right documents. They check them in BKK before sending them off.

 

Th problem in the UK is that in many occupations around the country, trained operatives were from the EU and pre and post Brexit, have returned home leaving a gap of nearly 400,000 jobs in the workplace. The UK has failed to replace these people -

[Gottfrid]

  On 2/3/2023 at 8:57 AM, kwilco said:

You are making an unsubstantiated assumption about the level of English in Thailand  - most comments are based on one annual survey by EF based on people who took their test. Incidentally, this is a Swedish company and IMO they are VERY odd!

 

as for getting your passport seems that applicants for abroad are getting prioritised as since posting this acquaintances abroad seem to e getting theirs within 4 weeks.

however you =do have to fill in the forms correctly and supply the right documents. They check them in BKK before sending them off.

 

Th problem in the UK is that in many occupations around the country, trained operatives were from the EU and pre and post Brexit, have returned home leaving a gap of nearly 400,000 jobs in the workplace. The UK has failed to replace these people -

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Ok, of course it´s odd, because it´s not from the UK. I give you some reality! The UK have failed, period! 

[Gottfrid]

  On 2/3/2023 at 4:51 AM, transam said:

You mention Thailand, the Asian nations (ASEAN) have voted to communicate in English.........????

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Yeah, and there were no more problem with Sweden, then? As you suddenly put focus on Thailand. Sure they have voted! What´s the problem?

[kwilco]

  On 2/3/2023 at 3:37 PM, Gottfrid said:

Ok, of course it´s odd, because it´s not from the UK. I give you some reality! The UK have failed, period! 

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strange logic- not sure what your point is - I have actually worked for EF- and I left because the extraordinary work culture there - more like a cult that a college.

The UK has lost the lead in English in Thailand because of Brexit - there is a swing away from British English to American in some part and in others towards Chinese.

But I don't see how this has to do with your erroneous assessment of EL in Thailand.