Questions about renewing US passport in Bangkok

[Leveraged]

I would like to hear from anyone who has recently renewed their US passport in Bangkok. I live in Phuket and really like the idea of doing it by mail, but I dont at all like the idea of waiting 5 to 6 WEEKS for the privilege. 

If you recently did this, how long did it take? 

 

Am I interpreting the Embassy website correctly in that it can only be done by mail at this time? For the last 15 years ive been going there it was a same day walk in walk out operation, but now thats changed? I hope not. 

 

If you have done this recently please tell your story here so I can get an idea of whats in store. I travel alot for work and really cant be without a passport for a long period of time. 

 

Thanks. 

[JimTripper]

it's that long even in the usa submitting to passport center directly these days. when i did mine they had an expedited service, but i think it just saves a week or two and is not guaranteed (did not seem worth the extra cost to me really).

 

how did you get a new passport same day?? i think they all have to be mailed to processing in the usa.

Edited May 18, 2023 by JimTripper

[CMBob]

The info in the US embassy website about obtaining a new passport is rather clear (simply read it and you'll easily know if you have a special situation that allows an Embassy/Consulate appointment to apply for a new passport or if you are required to do it by mail).

Last time I got a new US passport was in December of 2021 and mailed (DHL) the stuff to Bangkok on a Monday morning and had the new passport (and old one) back in the mail 11 days later; however, recently they've been warning that it is now taking a few weeks.  The CM Consul General has said that new US passports applied for here in Thailand are done at a separate office than where it's done for applications made within the US and that's why it's actually quicker to apply for one here in Thailand.

 

In olden days, US passports were made here and you typically got the new one the same day or next day.  No more........they're all made in the US and delivered by diplomatic pouch back to the US Bangkok embassy.

[jaywalker2]

I applied on March 15 and received the new passport around April 20, shortly after Songkran. I applied at the embassy's consular services. They want you to do it by mail but they will accept in person applications, though it won't speed things up. It was just easier for me because I live nearby.

[lopburi3]

As I read normal replacement applications can be done in person or by mail - you would need appointment to do in person.  But now applications will take the same time as those done in USA so add a few weeks to the previous 10 days to 2 weeks.  Embassy is not clear on mail but suspect they return your passport (canceled) immediately and they do for applications done at Consulate Section.  So you would have your old passport during the wait.

 

Consulate has not issued normal passports for many years - all 10 year passports have to be made by special process on old Pease Air Force Base facility in NH from my understanding.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies/npc.html

[Leveraged]

46 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

I applied on March 15 and received the new passport around April 20, shortly after Songkran. I applied at the embassy's consular services. They want you to do it by mail but they will accept in person applications, though it won't speed things up. It was just easier for me because I live nearby.

I’ve been going to Bangkok embassy since they were actually sewing extra pages into your passport to add pages and it’s always been quick, usually same day or next day. I guess they removed In person renewals during the Covid stupidity and it’s just another service we won’t get back. 

[Leveraged]

2 hours ago, JimTripper said:

it's that long even in the usa submitting to passport center directly these days.

Didn’t use to be. You could pay for next day service in the USA, which I always did because my employer pays for all this. 

[lopburi3]

Just now, Leveraged said:

I’ve been going to Bangkok embassy since they were actually sewing extra pages into your passport to add pages and it’s always been quick, usually same day or next day. I guess they removed In person renewals during the Covid stupidity and it’s just another service we won’t get back. 

They stopped extra pages in 2015 and passports are no longer issued at Consulates (except for emergency) and must be ordered from USA.

[Leveraged]

23 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

So you would have your old passport during the wait.

Yeah but you can’t travel on a cancelled passport which seems like an incredibly stupid thing to do to Americans abroad. Who knows what kind of emergencies could come up, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised considering the American government couldn’t care less about citizens and taxpayers any longer. 

[Leveraged]

Just now, lopburi3 said:

They stopped extra pages in 2015 and passports are no longer issued at Consulates (except for emergency) and must be ordered from USA.

My last passport is from 2019 (out of pages) and was issued same day (or next day can’t remember) in Bangkok in person. 

[lopburi3]

1 minute ago, Leveraged said:

Yeah but you can’t travel on a cancelled passport which seems like an incredibly stupid thing to do to Americans abroad. Who knows what kind of emergencies could come up, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised considering the American government couldn’t care less about citizens and taxpayers any longer. 

If you need extra passport believe that is still an option (I used to have several).  

[Leveraged]

1 minute ago, lopburi3 said:

If you need extra passport believe that is still an option (I used to have several).  

That one has to be done within the USA I believe, it at least was not an option in Bangkok. I’ve always had to do it in the USA and I do have a second passport, but how do you leave Thailand on a cancelled passport? Can you do that?

[jaywalker2]

21 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

As I read normal replacement applications can be done in person or by mail - you would need appointment to do in person.  But now applications will take the same time as those done in USA so add a few weeks to the previous 10 days to 2 weeks.  Embassy is not clear on mail but suspect they return your passport (canceled) immediately and they do for applications done at Consulate Section.  So you would have your old passport during the wait.

 

Consulate has not issued normal passports for many years - all 10 year passports have to be made by special process on old Pease Air Force Base facility in NH from my understanding.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies/npc.html

The U.S. Thai Embassy site says that the passport process takes five to six weeks, which is what mine took. The waiting period for passport renewals done in the U.S. was 10 weeks for expedited service and longer for normal service when I applied.  So it's faster to do it in Thailand.  During the application process, you do not get to keep you old passport. You have to hand it over whether you apply by mail or in person.

[lopburi3]

1 minute ago, Leveraged said:

My last passport is from 2019 (out of pages) and was issued same day (or next day can’t remember) in Bangkok in person. 

Not unless limited validity.  They take application in person and then you had to return to collect or opt to have mailed to you a week to two later when Consulate received.  Authority listed as Department of State USA.  Not US Embassy Bangkok Thailand as with local issued passports from last century.

[Leveraged]

8 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

So it's faster to do it in Thailand. 

It used to be faster AND cheaper because it was same day/next day as standard, and the USA was weeks standard with a very high fee for next day service. 
 

Now apparently a week is the lowest according to this place I used to use and at a cost of $900!?! Dollars. 
 

https://checkout.rushmypassport.com/step-1?product=passport-renewal

What a joke. 

Edited May 18, 2023 by Leveraged

[Srikcir]

Renewed my passport Nov. 2022. Bangkok US Embassy required mailed in application, existing passport, receipt for prepayment (Pay.Gov) of new passport and Thai bank draft covering Thailand Post EMS mailing back of old & new passports. DHL refused to mail current passport to the Embassy and so mailed via Thailand Post EMS. 

Within 2 weeks received both old and new passports, and permission for transfer of immigration stamps from old passport to new passport.

Then went to BOI in Bangkok who was hosting a 10-year Long Term Resident visa (50,000 baht). BOI is at same location as Immigration office near MRT station. Had stamps transferred by Immigration, new passport stamped for 1 year (vs 90-day) annual report of residence for long stay, 5-year stamp to extend stay for another 5 years and a multiple re-entry stamp. About 2 hours with BOI and Immigration.

[schultzlivgthai]

Just got my email stating it will be mailed back to me, almost 4 weeks, they received it April 17th right before the long holiday. 2 others had it done earlier this year and it was only 10 days. 

[JimTripper]

3 hours ago, Leveraged said:

My last passport is from 2019 (out of pages) and was issued same day (or next day can’t remember) in Bangkok in person. 

That’s barely enough time to do the lamination. Are you talking about seeing new pages in or an entire new passport?

[Pink Mist]

The US passports can no longer have additional pages installed into the book at the Embassy here in BKK or anywhere else for that matter.

 

"The U.S. Department of State will no longer be adding pages to U.S. passports beginning January 1, 2016. Previously, U.S. passport holders had the option to pay for the insertion of 24 additional passport pages when valid passports lacked adequate space for entry or exit visa stamps. The decision to discontinue this service was made to enhance the security of the passport and to abide by international passport standards."

 

To mitigate the impact of no longer providing additional passport pages to frequent travelers, the Department of State began issuing 52-page passports to all applicants outside the United States starting October 1, 2014, for no additional cost. Applicants within the United States may choose a 28-page or 52-page book.

[lopburi3]

43 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

That’s barely enough time to do the lamination. Are you talking about seeing new pages in or an entire new passport?

Believe his memory is wrong as my last passport was 2018 and it had to be made in USA and returned by pouch to Embassy Bangkok about 10-12 days later for pickup.  New pages have not been added since 2015.

[keysersoze276]

8 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Embassy is not clear on mail but suspect they return your passport (canceled) immediately and they do for applications done at Consulate Section.  So you would have your old passport during the wait.

They don't.  They keep it at the embassy, uncanceled.  I was detained by police in BKK for not having a passport and called the embassy in BKK (which won't accept any calls apart from emergency services).  They allowed me to pick up my current passport, not cancelled.  I sent it by mail on April 17th and they the new one is in processing and they do not expect to have it back until after my extension of stay expires on June 9th and I will likely have to use my current passport to do a visa run.  I just picked up the current one today.  They said when my new one is ready I need to bring my old one in to be physically cancelled, obviously.  I also asked where my new one that is being processed is and they didn't know.  I called USA and was on hold for 1.5 hours and they said they do it at the embassy that I sent it to if I am overseas.  So, I suppose the person on the phone was wrong and it actually is sent to USA, as others have noted.

 

If you need your old passport for travel, I would suggest emailing them explaining your situation and ask if you could come in to pick up your current passport, assuming it is still valid for travel.  Perhaps you could even turn in your passport and get it back the same or next day if you had an appointment.  You don't NEED to send it by mail.  

 

p.s.  I went in today at midday in BKK and there was only one other person in the waiting room.  Staff was friendly and helpful, but I am not sure what is going on with these long appointment wait times and the push to do it by mail.

 

edit:  I just checked the status online and got the following message:  The U.S. Department of State has received your application for your passport book on 05/12/2023. We're now reviewing your application and supporting documents.  They received it almost a month after sending it.

Edited May 18, 2023 by keysersoze276
additional info

[JimTripper]

10 hours ago, keysersoze276 said:

They don't.  They keep it at the embassy, uncanceled.  I was detained by police in BKK for not having a passport and called the embassy in BKK (which won't accept any calls apart from emergency services).  They allowed me to pick up my current passport, not cancelled.  I sent it by mail on April 17th and they the new one is in processing and they do not expect to have it back until after my extension of stay expires on June 9th and I will likely have to use my current passport to do a visa run.  I just picked up the current one today.  They said when my new one is ready I need to bring my old one in to be physically cancelled, obviously.  I also asked where my new one that is being processed is and they didn't know.  I called USA and was on hold for 1.5 hours and they said they do it at the embassy that I sent it to if I am overseas.  So, I suppose the person on the phone was wrong and it actually is sent to USA, as others have noted.

 

If you need your old passport for travel, I would suggest emailing them explaining your situation and ask if you could come in to pick up your current passport, assuming it is still valid for travel.  Perhaps you could even turn in your passport and get it back the same or next day if you had an appointment.  You don't NEED to send it by mail.  

 

p.s.  I went in today at midday in BKK and there was only one other person in the waiting room.  Staff was friendly and helpful, but I am not sure what is going on with these long appointment wait times and the push to do it by mail.

 

edit:  I just checked the status online and got the following message:  The U.S. Department of State has received your application for your passport book on 05/12/2023. We're now reviewing your application and supporting documents.  They received it almost a month after sending it.

If you are picking up (and the new one is not being mailed to you directly), I would ask to hold my current passport until the new one arrives, or at least get a letter saying the passport is being held temporarily. Us citizens should not be abroad without possession of a valid passport.

[rachatewitom]

I just received my renewed US passport.  I submitted it in early April by mail (Thailand Post), at a time when the Embassy web site said to expect it to take 4-5 weeks.  Ultimately I received the new passport back during the 7'th week (from the day Thailand Post indicated my application had been delivered to the Embassy).  I noticed that during my 6'th week waiting, the Embassy updated the expected wait time from 4-5 to 5-6 weeks on their web site.  By the end of the process I was becoming quite nervous since it had already taken 2 weeks longer than expected,I had no idea of the status or how much longer to expect and I have a trip to the US coming up in a few weeks.  Fortunately the new passport did arrive.

 

I was unsure whether passport applications sent here to the embassy can be viewed in the US State Department web site for tracking passport applications.  As of around 4 weeks after my application was delivered that system knew nothing about my application, so I assumed that system is not used for applications outside the US.  But then during week 6 I checked again, and saw my application did now appear in that system, with a status indicating it had been mailed back a few days earlier (a message said for applications outside the US to allow up to 7 days for the Embassy to receive the new passport, and then they would forward locally).   At the beginning of this week I received an email with tracking info and saying my passport would be sent within the next 2 business days.  I was very relieved to receive my new passport yesterday.  I had hoped to do some regional travel before my US trip and there is now not sufficient time for that, so the delay was inconvenient but overall it was only a couple of weeks longer than expected.  I saw some reports online of other people who needed their US passports for various reporting with Thai immigration, and who didn't have it because their process too was taking longer than originally expected (fortunately I didn't have this problem.  It also let me see that I was not the only one having the time be longer than expected).

 

Coincidentally, a friend living in New York City mentioned to me late last week that he had just received his new passport through the mail there, 4 weeks after submitting the application at a US Post Office I NYC (and he did NOT pay for expedited processing);  so I think probably the State Department is reducing the wait time for renewals in the US (since when I was last there in February they were estimating renewals would take around 12 weeks).  (As others have noted, new passports renewed here must be printed in the US, so presumably the speedup there in the US will help applicants here out).