US passport renewal Bangkok - "Note: Prepaid envelope cannot be accepted if you are applying for a U.S. passport in Thailand "?

[Tom Vanderlay]

HI, I am about to attempt to get a renewal passport but came across this perplexing statement.  It appears after the instructions on how to prepay for an return envelope. 

It states, "Note: Prepaid envelope cannot be accepted if you are applying for a U.S. passport in Thailand"
 

I don't get it.  Isn't that what everyone is doing?  

 

If anyone has applied and gotten a passport through the mail via the US embassy in Bangkok, please let me how it went.  And if anyone knows what the above statement is referring to I would greatly appreciate it.  Many thanks.  

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

When I did it from Thailand last year, along with paying the regular passport processing fee, I seem to recall there was a second mandatory charge added on supposedly to cover the cost of them return mailing the new passport back to me here in Thailand.

[Tom Vanderlay]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

When I did it from Thailand last year, along with paying the regular passport processing fee, I seem to recall there was a second mandatory charge added on supposedly to cover the cost of them return mailing the new passport back to me here in Thailand.

Yes, it reads as follows:Thailand Post Courier Pass Back envelope fee 100THB here.  But then it says: 
"Note: Prepaid envelope cannot be accepted if you are applying for a U.S. passport in Thailand".
It is contradicting itself.  Mind boggling.  

[bendejo]

Perhaps it means you do not provide the envelope, instead you give them the 100b and the postage+envelope is covered.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by bendejo

[bamnutsak]

What that means is that you can NOT provide your own self-addressed, stamped envelope to be used to return your old and new passports.

 

Instead you must purchase a service, for 100 THB from Thai Post, who will mail the envelope to the Embassy on your behalf. You then provide proof of payment in your application package.

 

You can purchase this service on line, while some report you can also do it at a Thai PO counter, YMMV.

 

https://www.thailandpostmart.com/product/1013460000929/Courier-Pass-Back-envelope/

 

 

You also need to pay the $130 fee via Pay.gov, no more local Thai bank money orders.

 

There have been quite a few recent threads on this subject scattered about here in different sub-forums. A search would give more detail.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by bamnutsak

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

11 hours ago, Tom Vanderlay said:

Yes, it reads as follows:Thailand Post Courier Pass Back envelope fee 100THB here.  But then it says: 
"Note: Prepaid envelope cannot be accepted if you are applying for a U.S. passport in Thailand".
It is contradicting itself.  Mind boggling.  

I think the application site info is not specific to Thailand only. So if you were in the U.S., I believe you could take the prepaid envelope approach. But not for folks who are going to receive the book in Thailand.

 

Also, oddly in my case at least, living a stone's throw away from the US Embassy location in BKK, when my new passport arrived last year, it arrived via a regular, cheap EMS mailed envelope.

 

And INSIDE my EMS envelope, along with my new passport, was an UNUSED, PREPAID Thai post envelope..

 

So as far as I could tell, I was required to pay the add-on mailing fee basically for nothing.

 

I don't know.,, Maybe they handle the mailouts differently when the destinations are in some farther away areas within Thailand.  I just know how mine arrived only.

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[steveb5]

I didn't understand the same as you so I sent an email to the embassy and they clarified. You put all the documents and your passport in a envelope then go to the Post office and send it to them preferably EMS or register mail so you can track it. They will send it to the US and when the passport is received by the embassy they will send you an email and a tracking number from Thai post. The embassy didn't notify me when they received my documents so I sent them an email to confirm they received it. So I am waiting for my passport

[Tom Vanderlay]

Thank you all for your responses.  I figured out and confirmed (by email from US embassy) what you all have said.  Yes, it is referring to a personally obtained prepaid envelope not being accepted.  Wow, It's like they are trying to make it more difficult than it has to be. 

Oh wait....., forgot who I was dealing with for a second ......yep, makes sense.

I am about to pay.  Please confirm if you can. They DO NOT accept Thai debit cards (for the 130$ passport renewal fee), is that correct?  Thanks

Edited August 25, 2023 by Tom Vanderlay

[bamnutsak]

11 hours ago, Tom Vanderlay said:

I am about to pay.  Please confirm if you can. They DO NOT accept Thai debit cards (for the 130$ passport renewal fee), is that correct?  Thanks

I am fairly certain that you have to pay $130 at pay.gov. 

 

https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/790155895

 

Accepted Payment Methods: at pay.gov
Bank account (ACH)
Amazon account
PayPal account
Debit or credit card

 

 

Step 6:  Pay

On-line Payment only available in USD
Pay the $130 passport application fee via the U.S. government’s secure payment site. When click Continue to the Form; please select Thailand at Country field. After successfully paying the fee, you must print out the electronic payment confirmation you receive via email and include it in the package you send to the U.S. Embassy Bangkok.

If you are submitting a payment on behalf of another passport renewal applicant, please enter their name. All fields are required.

NOTE: You can only use this form to pay for one passport application at a time. Fee payments for multiple renewal applications must be submitted separately.

 

https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/instructions-for-ds-82-processing-by-mail-and-online-fee-payment-for-u-s-citizens-residing-in-thailand/

 

 

Step 8: Return envelope, an insured return envelope is required when you are applying for U.S. passport in Thailand. Please pay Thailand Post Courier Pass Back envelope fee 100THB here. (If the page appears in Thai, you may use a translate function into English at the top right corner of the page.)

The fee is non-refundable and the mailing information cannot be amended after paid; ensure providing the applicant’s full name and accurate returning address on both shipping and billing address. Then, includes a payment confirmation email in your application package. An actual envelope will be delivered to U.S. Embassy in Bangkok for returning your document.

The tracking number will be provided in a separate email from the vendor. You may trace your passport after the processing time has passed by using the tracking number here https://track.thailandpost.co.th/.

NOTE: Prepaid envelope cannot be accepted when you are applying for a U.S. passport in Thailand.

 

Step 9:  Mail all the items listed above to the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok.

You must mail your DS-82 passport renewal package to U.S. Embassy Bangkok per the address below via one of the following couriers (Thailand Post and DHL) or else your package will be rejected. Please ensure that you receive a tracking number from the courier for your mailed package. Do not send packages to the U.S. Consulate Chiang Mai, only the U.S. Embassy Bangkok processes mail-in passport renewals.

 

https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/instructions-for-ds-82-processing-by-mail-and-online-fee-payment-for-u-s-citizens-residing-in-thailand/

 

 

 

 

 

checklist-DS82-by-mail-online-payment-passport-card-included.pdf

[Tom Vanderlay]

 

I've not received a confirmation email from the Thai Post.  So I can't "includes" it in my application package.  I've tried to get in touch with the Thai post office to no avail.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Many thanks.  

[bluevalley]

You can simply print out the Invoice from the Order list page from the thaipostmart website. That page should include your THP invoice number, delivery address, and the tracking number.

Edited October 1, 2023 by bluevalley