Good News regarding renewal of British Passport

[sandyf]

  On 7/24/2023 at 4:21 AM, BritTim said:

It was over a decade ago. They spent lots of money upgrading all the embassies in the region to ensure photos suitable for facial recognition, then introduced a system where, for a few years, you applied by courier to Hong Kong. Finally, to make the process more convoluted, they started using a third party where you apply in person in Bangkok, but still need to pay a courier fee as I suppose sending all the applications to the UK in a single bundle would be too complicated compared with sending them all individually (assuming they do). Of course, just allowing you to send the application directly to HMPO in the UK (cutting out the middleman and trips to Bangkok) is not an option.

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It was in March 2014 that overseas passports were transferred from the FCO to the HO. The Hong Kong arrangement came to an end and the VFS office at Trendy gave birth to a passport desk, one almighty fiasco followed.

I was  one of the first to apply in what had previously been a visa applicant only domain, and it showed. The service had to improve, certainly couldn't go the other way. After about 10 weeks I had to get the British Embassy to intervene and got the passport back 3 days before becoming an illegal. I was under consideration and immigration couldn't do anything without a new passport.

Bit reluctant to risk it again so may head back to the UK later in the year.

[sandyf]

  On 7/24/2023 at 6:47 AM, hotandsticky said:

I suspect that it is VfS quoting 11 weeks.... It is 'up to'....as per the attached.

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When I was in the UK in May the Passport Office were on strike and there were notices posted everywhere that renewals were taking about 10 weeks. There were items on the news of some taking much longer, all a bit hit and miss.

I am not sure where the dispute actually is at the moment or if it has been resolved but estimated renewal time would not be reduced until the threat of further industrial action has gone away.

[Burma Bill]

  On 7/23/2023 at 3:15 PM, Lite Beer said:

A shame we have to make 2 expensive trips to Bangkok to do it.

Rather a pathetic service in my view.

Used to be able to do it all by mail.

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Many years ago when I lived in Lanna, UK passports could be renewed at the British Consulate in Chiang Mai. Sadly the service is no longer available.

[FlybyWyre]

My passport was about 6 weeks which was obtained from a city office block with a strange name.

Many countries have embassies in BKKbut apparently the UK sold theirs for 500 million to Central Group

 

[brewsterbudgen]

  On 7/24/2023 at 9:15 AM, FlybyWyre said:

My passport was about 6 weeks which was obtained from a city office block with a strange name.

Many countries have embassies in BKKbut apparently the UK sold theirs for 500 million to Central Group

 

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The Embassy is now at St Louis BTS.  VFS operate from The Trendy offices but only deal with the admin for applications and renewals.  The passport itself is issued by HMPO in Liverpool.

[transam]

  On 7/24/2023 at 4:38 AM, sungod said:

Agreed, the individual courier fee is so unnecessary, the only advantage with going to VFS first is that at least they check your application before sending it off, less of a chance of getting it wrong.

 

It would be preferable just going to the Embassy of course.

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An agent does all that before they take it to VFS....????

[Yorkshire Tea]

Why can't the application be done on-line?

 

 

[transam]

  On 7/24/2023 at 11:23 AM, Yorkshire Tea said:

Why can't the application be done on-line?

 

 

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You tell us.................????

[Doctor Tom]

  On 7/24/2023 at 5:22 AM, BritTim said:

It is rumoured that they still do, though unclear what its purpose is these days.

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It has no purpose, except to provide a nice cushy overseas tour for diplomats. 

[sungod]

  On 7/24/2023 at 11:09 AM, transam said:

An agent does all that before they take it to VFS....????

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And charges you for it.

 

When someone in the UK calls you and says your application is not up to speed, telling them that Somchai the agent said its fine wont wash ????

[transam]

  On 7/24/2023 at 12:07 PM, sungod said:

And charges you for it.

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One pays for the service, yes...........They are in business, eh....???? 

I am a long way from BKK, I did everything at home at my desk, then one visit to the post office, they did all the printing of PP pages too.....No plane flights, taxi's, hotels, all for 5000bht..........

 

Can you tell me a better way..................????

 

[sungod]

  On 7/24/2023 at 12:13 PM, transam said:

One pays for the service, yes...........They are in business, eh....???? 

I am a long way from BKK, I did everything at home at my desk, then one visit to the post office, they did all the printing of PP pages too.....No plane flights, taxi's, hotels, all for 5000bht..........

 

Can you tell me a better way..................????

 

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And then VFS checks to make sure that your application is complete before it is sent off to the UK.

 

Or would you prefer the verification stage is skipped on your agents say so, and someone from the UK calls you and says the photo is not up to scratch.

 

Duh.....

[transam]

  On 7/24/2023 at 12:17 PM, sungod said:

And then VFS checks to make sure that your application is complete before it is sent off to the UK.

 

Or would you prefer the verification stage is skipped on your agents say so, and someone from the UK calls you and says the photo is not up to scratch.

 

Duh.....

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There is no "Duh" about it, if a problem the agent contacts you before THEY take the trip to VHS....

VHS CONFIRMS what is in front of them is OK, the UK just does their thing.

I think you are just fishing, but don't worry about it, hundreds of us have used a PP agent service, chill out, chap....????

[Yorkshire Tea]

  On 7/24/2023 at 12:25 PM, transam said:

There is no "Duh" about it, if a problem the agent contacts you before THEY take the trip to VHS....

VHS CONFIRMS what is in front of them is OK, the UK just does their thing.

I think you are just fishing, but don't worry about it, hundreds of us have used a PP agent service, chill out, chap....????

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It's a crazy system.  Surely we could submit all documents on line to passport office in UK, then when everything ok'ed & new passport received by VFS send passport to VFS in exchange for new passport (with old passport returned).  In the UK you apply on-line & then send your old passport to passport office.  No showing up in person.  Expats are treated as criminals here.

[sungod]

Couldn't give a toss what you or anyone else does, makes no odds to me.

 

Just puzzled why you are questioning the usefulness of VFS doing their checks, thats what the 'duh' is for.....

 

 

[transam]

  On 7/24/2023 at 12:33 PM, Yorkshire Tea said:

It's a crazy system.  Surely we could submit all documents on line to passport office in UK, then when everything ok'ed & new passport received by VFS send passport to VFS in exchange for new passport (with old passport returned).  In the UK you apply on-line & then send your old passport to passport office.  No showing up in person.  Expats are treated as criminals here.

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There is this system in the UK, BUT, they now have found out that crim's are using the system to get dodgy pp's, so a big turn around regarding searches.

 

So, online from a zillion countries around the world.....Hmmmmmmm.....

[Eff1n2ret]

  On 7/24/2023 at 11:23 AM, Yorkshire Tea said:

Why can't the application be done on-line?

 

 

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A very good question. A while back I went on the HMPO website and put in as my country of residence South Africa and Brazil. In both cases an online application is possible. I think there are many countries from where an online application is accepted. I don't know why Thailand is singled out for the cumbersome procedure that we have to endure.

[isaanistical]

  On 7/24/2023 at 6:44 AM, Lite Beer said:

It is actually nearer to 9 years.

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unless, like many people here, you travel a lot. Moving round this part of the world eats up passport pages; I've done them in 2-3 years (before the covid Panic, that is). Have renewed in Singapore and Aus on occasion, just to avoid the chaos here. Thanks, ambassador.........

[isaanistical]

  On 7/24/2023 at 12:36 PM, sungod said:

Couldn't give a toss what you or anyone else does, makes no odds to me.

 

Just puzzled why you are questioning the usefulness of VFS doing their checks, thats what the 'duh' is for.....

 

 

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duh or no duh.

It's a passport renewal application, not a PHD exam. What's so XXXX complicated that you need an agent to make sure you don't eff it up?

The argument against having to go to BKK or CM I recognise, but not the need for someone to ensure you haven't spelt your name wrong.

[Lite Beer]

  On 7/24/2023 at 1:34 PM, isaanistical said:

duh or no duh.

It's a passport renewal application, not a PHD exam. What's so XXXX complicated that you need an agent to make sure you don't eff it up?

The argument against having to go to BKK or CM I recognise, but not the need for someone to ensure you haven't spelt your name wrong.

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Yep the idea of using an agent is to save time and money.

[2long]

I've always been happy with VFS.

I believe that they say 'up to 11 weeks' considering #1 Covid and #2 school holidays clogging up the system back home. My mate just got his turned around (back in the UK) within a week. Now the schools are off, anyone that needed a passport for the summer will have got it. So turnaround times are likely to be shorter.

[Andycoops]

I got my renewal done over Christmas and NY, it was 3 weeks in all which was superb considering the bank holidays involved.

[bluemoon58]

  On 7/24/2023 at 5:10 AM, herfiehandbag said:

reveille

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As soon as I saw that word, I knew! Loving the profile pic! Miss those badgers! If you know, you know!????

[bluemoon58]

  On 7/24/2023 at 5:22 AM, BritTim said:

It is rumoured that they still do, though unclear what its purpose is these days.

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Yep, I concur! From what I see on their FB page it seems that they promote, advertise and support every minority or woke cause they can find instead of actually providing the services that British nationals deserve! 

[bluemoon58]

  On 7/24/2023 at 7:51 AM, sandyf said:

Bit reluctant to risk it again so may head back to the UK later in the year.

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If you do decide to go down that route, it's an absolute doddle. Just do all the online shenanigans and book your appointment with the nearest PP Office to you in advance and you're in and out in 10 minutes, new PP in hand. I found the online process simple. Did this in October last year.

[sungod]

  On 7/24/2023 at 1:34 PM, isaanistical said:

The argument against having to go to BKK or CM I recognise, but not the need for someone to ensure you haven't spelt your name wrong.

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Renewals every 10 years, yeah, must be a complete pain in the XXX

[sandyf]

  On 7/24/2023 at 11:23 AM, Yorkshire Tea said:

Why can't the application be done on-line?

 

 

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It can,  but you need to send old passport to Passport office so they can verify details.

Should the passport go astray you would need to contact local embassy so not surprisingly it is not encouraged.

[sandyf]

  On 7/24/2023 at 10:36 PM, bluemoon58 said:

If you do decide to go down that route, it's an absolute doddle. Just do all the online shenanigans and book your appointment with the nearest PP Office to you in advance and you're in and out in 10 minutes, new PP in hand. I found the online process simple. Did this in October last year.

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Cheers, read the info and seems straightforward, good to have confirmation.

[hotandsticky]

  On 7/24/2023 at 8:11 AM, sandyf said:

When I was in the UK in May the Passport Office were on strike and there were notices posted everywhere that renewals were taking about 10 weeks. There were items on the news of some taking much longer, all a bit hit and miss.

I am not sure where the dispute actually is at the moment or if it has been resolved but estimated renewal time would not be reduced until the threat of further industrial action has gone away.

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Yes, I can understand the official line - and VfS echoing that. 

 

Always sensible to be guided by that - but the recent evidence indicates that the turnaround time is now much quicker.

[sandyf]

  On 7/25/2023 at 6:19 AM, hotandsticky said:

 

Yes, I can understand the official line - and VfS echoing that. 

 

Always sensible to be guided by that - but the recent evidence indicates that the turnaround time is now much quicker.

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Not holding my breath on that. If the dispute is not resolved the turnaround time can turnaround even quicker.

The passport office strike involved the PCS and they are only on hold pending further talks

 

The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said targeted action this month will go ahead as planned, but any re-ballots for action are on hold pending the outcome of talks.

https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/who-is-on-strike-and-when/.