Passport Collection From VFS Bangkok

[prakhonchai nick]

Quite disgraceful that new British passports can only be collected between 14.00 and 15,00hours. Difficult enough for those that have to travel long distances (ie Phuket) to collect a new passport, then have to hang around until 14.00hours to collect.

 

Thai citizens who apply for visas to foreign countries can have their passports returned by Courier/EMS Post.  BUT NOT US FARANGS!!!!!!!!!!!

 

VFS say that the have insufficient staff.   Easy solution  EMPLOY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!  Then allow passport collection throughout the whole day or post them out as Hong Kong used to do.

 

 

[Muhendis]

If you are some considerable distance from VFS, then it makes sense to use an agent.

[Alexander Sangster]

I agree 100%. I live in Udon Thani and last month I had to fly down to BKK to hand in my Passport Renewal application 

documents. Yesterday I received an e mail to inform me that my new passport has arrived Now I have to waste money and time to go pick it up. Yes there are agencies that can do this, but I would think they would be expensive.

At the moment I am pondering on what best to do. I  Will accept any good advise.

[billzant]

Requiring a double trip is so unreasonable especially for older people having to travel from rural areas. Have never used agents - maybe next time - but when all the costs were added up agent prices were just about worthwhile if they can be relied on.

[Pumpuynarak]

Just renewed mine with Mythaivisa agents. I live in Korat and the traveling down to Bangkok TWICE to submit and then pick up is something i am not going to do when for 11500bht which included the passport fee they will do for me, they even completed the forms i just signed them. The turn around time was 5 weeks from start to finish.

 

They were totally professional and i would'nt hesitate to recco them.

[Snackbar]

Welcome to a world of inconvenience 

[AhFarangJa]

17 minutes ago, Alexander Sangster said:

I agree 100%. I live in Udon Thani and last month I had to fly down to BKK to hand in my Passport Renewal application 

documents. Yesterday I received an e mail to inform me that my new passport has arrived Now I have to waste money and time to go pick it up. Yes there are agencies that can do this, but I would think they would be expensive.

At the moment I am pondering on what best to do. I  Will accept any good advise.

I have renewed both My, and my Son's passports over the last two years. As I live in Nakhon nowhere I used Key visa in Pattaya. 5,000 Baht each time. Way cheaper than two trips to Bangkok, and a lot less hassle. 

[AhFarangJa]

6 minutes ago, Pumpuynarak said:

Just renewed mine with Mythaivisa agents. I live in Korat and the traveling down to Bangkok TWICE to submit and then pick up is something i am not going to do when for 11500bht which included the passport fee they will do for me, they even completed the forms i just signed them. The turn around time was 5 weeks from start to finish.

 

They were totally professional and i would'nt hesitate to recco them.

I used keyvisa, 5,000 Baht, but I paid for the passport on line first.

[brianburi]

Good info on the pick up times, doing mine this September. 

Last time was done at the Trendy in '14.

Hardly a chore, once every ten years......

Miss out on two run ashore's and away from the dragon for two nights,  bring it on....

[Muhendis]

16 minutes ago, billzant said:

Requiring a double trip is so unreasonable especially for older people having to travel from rural areas. Have never used agents - maybe next time - but when all the costs were added up agent prices were just about worthwhile if they can be relied on.

Key Visa in Pattaya is reliable and prompt.

Sadly Darren, the owner, passed away some time ago which happened right in the middle of the process of getting my new passport.

As one might expect, this upset the apple cart a bit but the process still worked OK.

[Upnotover]

38 minutes ago, Alexander Sangster said:

At the moment I am pondering on what best to do. I  Will accept any good advise.

Send a friend.

[Peterphuket]

Don't expect too much from civil servants, they only 'work' for themselves, and have nothing to do with the rabble.

[theoldgit]

6 hours ago, Upnotover said:

Send a friend.

Indeed, from the VFS website:

“You must collect in person. If you’re unable to, someone else can go on your behalf:

 

Your friend will need to have your passport in their possession to enable VFS to cancel it, they can then courier it to the passport owner.

[theoldgit]

6 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

Don't expect too much from civil servants, they only 'work' for themselves, and have nothing to do with the rabble.

Not sure which Civil Servants you’re referring to, VFS staff certainly aren’t civil servants.

[Peterphuket]

1 hour ago, theoldgit said:

Not sure which Civil Servants you’re referring to, VFS staff certainly aren’t civil servants.

If that is the case, I am making a mistake, but in my opinion, anyone employed by the government is a civil servant?

[theoldgit]

23 minutes ago, Peterphuket said:

If that is the case, I am making a mistake, but in my opinion, anyone employed by the government is a civil servant?

Yes you’re mistaken, VFS are contracted by the UKPO to collect applications and pass them onto civil servants in the UK to process.

[prakhonchai nick]

My main point was the unreasonable times permitted for collecting new passports  14.00 - 15.00 hours! VFS are open all day, so why not able to collect anytime they are open?

[OJAS]

On 6/8/2024 at 6:42 AM, prakhonchai nick said:

My main point was the unreasonable times permitted for collecting new passports  14.00 - 15.00 hours! VFS are open all day, so why not able to collect anytime they are open?

 

Strongly suspect that VFS's hands are tied by their dimwitted masters in His Majesty's Passport Office back in the UK - who IMHO are to blame entirely for the complete and utter bloody shambles that it is the British passport renewal process from Thailand.

[OJAS]

On 6/6/2024 at 7:14 AM, brianburi said:

Hardly a chore, once every ten years......

 

Once every 10 years for the antediluvian bureaucratic nonsense we Brits in LOS are required to endure at passport renewal time is once every 10 years too often as far as I am concerned. Why on earth we are not permitted, in the 3rd decade of the 21st Century, to avail ourselves of HMPO's online passport renewal service - the use of which they are seemingly encouraging practically everywhere else - is a complete mystery to me.

[Hummin]

On 6/6/2024 at 1:31 AM, Muhendis said:

If you are some considerable distance from VFS, then it makes sense to use an agent.

or book a hotel