Passport validity - visa renewal

[1948wjm]

I currently have yearly extension based on marriage and will need to renew this in August 2025, my current Aust passport will expire in July 2026, will I have any problems when renewing my current extension in August 2025 ??  Thanks for your kind feedback.

[nomad22]

You will only get an extension good until the expiration date of your passport, not the full year.  So it's better to renew your passport before extending.

[DrJack54]

OP @nomad22 has posted correct answer.

If you wish to push the passport renewal off you can just opt to obtain next extension in Aug this year.

Would mean your extension valid till July 2026.

Your extension is for 11 and not 12 months.

As they say: up to you..

 

OP....I renewed my Oz pp last year. You can now do the process completely online.

Your  current pp is not posted with application. You maintain it.

Requires download form (Oz embassy Bangkok) has details.

Walk to post office and post to embassy.

Wait and new pp posted to your place of residence.

In my case from post to receive new pp was 20 days.

Walk in the park. No appointment no pickup etc 

[Moonlover]

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP....I renewed my Oz pp last year. You can now do the process completely online.

Your  current pp is not posted with application. You maintain it.

Requires download form (Oz embassy Bangkok) has details.

 

Oh I so wish our British counterparts would get themselves into the 21st century!

[couchpotato]

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP @nomad22 has posted correct answer.

If you wish to push the passport renewal off you can just opt to obtain next extension in Aug this year.

Would mean your extension valid till July 2026.

Your extension is for 11 and not 12 months.

As they say: up to you..

 

OP....I renewed my Oz pp last year. You can now do the process completely online.

Your  current pp is not posted with application. You maintain it.

Requires download form (Oz embassy Bangkok) has details.

Walk to post office and post to embassy.

Wait and new pp posted to your place of residence.

In my case from post to receive new pp was 20 days.

Walk in the park. No appointment no pickup etc 

Don't understand your 'completely online' quote.

If online why do you have to post a form at the post office and post to an Embassy??

Maybe a rewrite is required here?.

 

 

 

 

[connda]

36 minutes ago, 1948wjm said:

I currently have yearly extension based on marriage and will need to renew this in August 2025, my current Aust passport will expire in July 2026, will I have any problems when renewing my current extension in August 2025 ??  Thanks for your kind feedback.

You'll have no problems.  Your extension based on marriage will expire on the date that your passport expires.  I've just been though that.  The only oddity was that they gave me a two month "under consideration" which I sort of believe was to match up my extension to my previous extension expiration dates.  Should be no issues.  But check your expiration date when they hand you back your passport.  It should match your passport expiration.  If it doesn't, bring it to their attention. 

[DrJack54]

20 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

Oh I so wish our British counterparts would get themselves into the 21st century!

Your country is not alone.

Canada and USA (just to name 2) require old pp to be sent with application. 

Dark ages. 

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, couchpotato said:

If online why do you have to post a form at the post office and post to an Embassy??

Trolling? 

Obviously I was referring to appointments at embassy, VSF  etc .

OP, here is link to check out passport renewal via mail 

 

https://thailand.embassy.gov.au/bkok/Australian_Passports_Page.html

[connda]

23 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Your country is not alone.

Canada and USA (just to name 2) require old pp to be sent with application. 

Dark ages. 

Yep - and it's a sort of scary feeling not having a passport in hand as well as trusting the mail system to transport your passports.  However, been though that dog-and-pony show last year with a US PP renewal without a hitch.

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, connda said:

However, been though that dog-and-pony show last year with a US PP renewal without a hitch.

How long did it take? ~3 weeks? in total.

[Mburo]

19 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

Oh I so wish our British counterparts would get themselves into the 21st century!

Presently trying to renew my UK passport. The system is unbelievably antiquated. Loads of paper required, must go in person to VFS office in Bangkok, fill up payment form, wait one month, go back in person to VFS  office in Bangkok. Last year I renewed my EU passport sitting in my sofa in Hua Hin, delivered to my door ten days later by DHL. 

[Lite Beer]

1 hour ago, Mburo said:

Presently trying to renew my UK passport. The system is unbelievably antiquated. Loads of paper required, must go in person to VFS office in Bangkok, fill up payment form, wait one month, go back in person to VFS  office in Bangkok. Last year I renewed my EU passport sitting in my sofa in Hua Hin, delivered to my door ten days later by DHL. 

Get an agent to do it for you.

Saves time and money.

[Crossy]

43 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

Get an agent to do it for you.

Saves time and money.

 

+1 on using an agent to do the deed.

 

[zzzzz]

21 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Your country is not alone.

Canada and USA (just to name 2) require old pp to be sent with application. 

Dark ages. 

fyi:
IF  do ur US passport renewal in person in Bangkok, they allow you to keep ur current one and can than travel outside the country, it will be cancelled when u pick up ur new one
YES< u can do renewals in person, freind of mine did it 2 months ago, new one arrived 31 days later 

[hotandsticky]

2 hours ago, Mburo said:

Presently trying to renew my UK passport. The system is unbelievably antiquated. Loads of paper required, must go in person to VFS office in Bangkok, fill up payment form, wait one month, go back in person to VFS  office in Bangkok. Last year I renewed my EU passport sitting in my sofa in Hua Hin, delivered to my door ten days later by DHL. 

 

 

You don't have to attend in person, you can appoint a third party to submit and then collect the renewal.

[Surasak]

1 hour ago, Lite Beer said:

Get an agent to do it for you.

Saves time and money.

Which I am in the process of doing, one week into now. Only one problem in this, I have no ID other than photo copies for the length of time before new PP is returned. My Pin card was also taken for some reason. I do have a driving licence, but its 6 years out of date, so not much use.

[damian]

22 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Trolling? 

Obviously I was referring to appointments at embassy, VSF  etc .

OP, here is link to check out passport renewal via mail 

 

https://thailand.embassy.gov.au/bkok/Australian_Passports_Page.html

Also did this last month with 5 months remaining on the old passport. Online form is a snack. Get your photos done, fill it out, print it, send to Bangkok new passport arrived within 3 weeks. 

 

Very impressed how easy it was. 

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, damian said:

Also did this last month with 5 months remaining on the old passport. Online form is a snack. Get your photos done, fill it out, print it, send to Bangkok new passport arrived within 3 weeks. 

Indeed. 

One thing I suggest for pp renewal via mail (esp Oz) is in regards to passport photos you need to include.

 

Make sure they comply with the guidelines that are included with application instructions .

Avoid the cheap printshop joints. 

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, zzzzz said:

YES< u can do renewals in person, freind of mine did it 2 months ago, new one arrived 31 days later 

Yes however I'm thinking that is specific to USA embassy Bangkok.

The vast majority of folk throughout Thailand (including Bangkok) will do renewal via mail. 

 

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, damian said:

Also did this last month with 5 months remaining on the old passport. Online form is a snack. Get your photos done, fill it out, print it, send to Bangkok new passport arrived within 3 weeks. 

 

Very impressed how easy it was. 

 

Please share the process to get acceptable photos.

 

Any member resident in Chiang Mai aware of local photo shop / outlet where folks can get acceptable photos? Thanks.

[CM Dad]

16 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

Please share the process to get acceptable photos.

 

Any member resident in Chiang Mai aware of local photo shop / outlet where folks can get acceptable photos? Thanks.

The photo shop at Mee Chok Plaza.

[CMBob]

18 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

Please share the process to get acceptable photos.

 

Any member resident in Chiang Mai aware of local photo shop / outlet where folks can get acceptable photos? Thanks.

If you will simply go read the requirements on the Consulate/Embassy pages about passports, you'll know what's required.

A photo shop here (one typically will have a sign in the window mentioning passport photos) will ask you what you want, country

involved (e.g., some countries use a different size for passport photos), etc. and they'll know the requirements regarding size,

background, glasses on or off, etc.

If you simply google "Chiang Mai Passport Photos", you'll see several places in the area.

[damian]

40 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

Please share the process to get acceptable photos.

 

Any member resident in Chiang Mai aware of local photo shop / outlet where folks can get acceptable photos? Thanks.

Aus has very strict photo requirements.

 

On the website they have the requirements in Thai so you can print this out and give it to the photo shop. Of course bring your ruler to check everything when you go to pick them up.  

[scorecard]

2 minutes ago, damian said:

Aus has very strict photo requirements.

 

On the website they have the requirements in Thai so you can print this out and give it to the photo shop. Of course bring your ruler to check everything when you go to pick them up.  

 

Thanks.

Can you please share the name / location of a photo shop that does these photos in CM?

Appreciated.

[damian]

1 minute ago, scorecard said:

 

Thanks.

Can you please share the name / location of a photo shop that does these photos in CM?

Appreciated.

Mee chok plaza according to CM dad above.

 

I'm not in CM but just went to the local shop and gave them the Thai instructions. No issues except I had to get him to reprint on high-gloss photo paper as he printed them on matt.  

[sandyf]

12 hours ago, Mburo said:

Presently trying to renew my UK passport. The system is unbelievably antiquated. Loads of paper required, must go in person to VFS office in Bangkok, fill up payment form, wait one month, go back in person to VFS  office in Bangkok. Last year I renewed my EU passport sitting in my sofa in Hua Hin, delivered to my door ten days later by DHL. 

I was one of the first to use VFS when they took over from FCO back in 2014, passport took about 12 weeks to come back. Had to get embassy to intervene and came within 48 hour of being on overstay.

When It came up for renewal I went to the office in Liverpool and had a new passport within a few days, unfortunately the same day service was suspended at that point in time.

[JJ-Thailand]

On 2/10/2025 at 9:20 AM, 1948wjm said:

I currently have yearly extension based on marriage and will need to renew this in August 2025, my current Aust passport will expire in July 2026, will I have any problems when renewing my current extension in August 2025 ??  Thanks for your kind feedback.

Be aware that your visa extension will expire in July 2026, the same date as your passport. Make sure to have a new passport ready before July so you can move the stamps from the old passport to the new and make a new extension. If you overstay because you are not ready with a new passport you will be deported, no mercy.

[OJAS]

On 2/11/2025 at 6:54 AM, Lite Beer said:

Get an agent to do it for you.

Saves time and money.

 

On 2/11/2025 at 7:42 AM, Crossy said:

 

+1 on using an agent to do the deed.

 

 

Agree with you both, but it does IMHO underline the excessive cumbersomeness and awkwardness of the  procedures to which we Brits are subject at passport renewal time, when compared to other Western nations. From what I can gather from various reports on here over the years, nationals of no other Western country are subject to similarly cumbersome and awkward passport renewal procedures which require the services of an agent (at a not insignificant cost of around 5,000 THB, by the way) in order to make reasonably tolerable.

[OJAS]

On 2/11/2025 at 12:39 PM, CMBob said:

(e.g., some countries use a different size for passport photos),

 

Certainly makes a complete mockery of the claim persistently made by His Majesty's Passport Office back in the UK in the case of British passports that passports are produced according to international standards, I think!