US passport renewal

[jacey]

can i renew my US passport at the US consulate in Bangkok with walk in appointment instead of doing online

[DrJack54]

Any reason for not wanting to do it via mail option.

Several threads on that.

In person application you require an appointment 

 

https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/adult-passport-renew/

[zzzzz]

YES:  Its the US Embassy 
But renewing ur passport is not an option to get an appt> 
freind of mine did it 2 months ago,  he just walked in... no appt,
gave another reason ( he said to do a report of birth abroad) and he was allowed in 
the lady than still processed him although he had to fill out another form

took 31 days from that day till thye called him and told him new one was ready

By renewing in person, you keep ur current passport
if u mail it in, u need mail ur current one, so ur without a passport till ur new one arrives 

[DrJack54]

17 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

YES:  Its the US Embassy 

Walk INS not permitted for non essential purposes.

Perhaps you friend was lucky. 

Noted here: 

https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/acsappointment/ 

 

Link specifically states appointment required....

 

"Appointments are REQUIRED for all non-emergency services and are only made via the website, not by email. Please review the information below, and note that if no appointments are available online, it means we have no appointments available"

 

(Caps not mine) 

 

 

[hereforgood]

I renewed mine not long ago and was told the only option was renewing it by mail they told me they no longer take appointments for passport renewal it all had to be done through the mail. It was kind of a pain in the behind doing it that way because you have to go online to a website to pay for it you have to get a bank draft for the return of the passport to you or I did anyway. I hope they are now once again accepting appointments for renewal although I'm good for 10 years.

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, hereforgood said:

I renewed mine not long ago and was told the only option was renewing it by mail they told me they no longer take appointments for passport renewal it all had to be done through the mail

Assume you are referring to Bangkok.

That's good to know. Would be nice if including your pp with application was not required. No idea why it is required. 

Think CM has been via mail only for some time. 

[Presnock]

22 hours ago, jacey said:

can i renew my US passport at the US consulate in Bangkok with walk in appointment instead of doing online

read the Consulation instructions on passport renewal.  I did the on line and it was super easy with good service.

[WDSmart]

22 hours ago, jacey said:

can i renew my US passport at the US consulate in Bangkok with walk in appointment instead of doing online

I'm sure you can, but I did mine online with ease.

[hereforgood]

9 hours ago, WDSmart said:

I'm sure you can, but I did mine online with ease.

You can't do it online it's by mail and that's the only way it can be done based on the Bangkok US Embassy website. They're only accepting applications by mail have a look.

[DrJack54]

9 hours ago, WDSmart said:

I'm sure you can, but I did mine online with ease.

Walk In not available. Read the thread. 

[Jingthing]

Yeah, walk ins definitely not available.

Even though they say expect 6 to 8 weeks multiple reports say 4 weeks is more typical.

HOWEVER, due to the change in the U.S. government many federal workers will be leaving one way or another, and that will include embassy staff and passport renewal people.

In other words, I would not be surprised if it's going to take much longer than 4 weeks going forward. 

[zzzzz]

9 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah, walk ins definitely not available.

Even though they say expect 6 to 8 weeks multiple reports say 4 weeks is more typical.

HOWEVER, due to the change in the U.S. government many federal workers will be leaving one way or another, and that will include embassy staff and passport renewal people.

In other words, I would not be surprised if it's going to take much longer than 4 weeks going forward. 

yet my friend did it 2 months ago
so.....

 

[BrandonJT]

2 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

yet my friend did it 2 months ago
so.....

 

Then your friend either had an emergency or lied to the embassy.

[bamnutsak]

1 hour ago, zzzzz said:

yet my friend did it 2 months ago
so.....

 

 

 

Yes, so you say but your "friend" seems to have lied to gain access.

 

On 2/13/2025 at 3:49 PM, zzzzz said:

he just walked in... no appt,
gave another reason ( he said to do a report of birth abroad) and he was allowed in 
the lady than still processed him although he had to fill out another form

 

Maybe your "friend" was getting an emergency travel document, in place of a lost or stolen passport. What form did he have to fill out?

 

 

Did your "friend" have a completed DS-82? Photos? How did he pay? (credit card in USD or cash in THB). Did he leave his old/current passport?

 

Has your "friend" received his new passport? Was it mailed to him or did he return to pick it up?

 

 

If your report were first-hand it would be much more credible.

 

 

 

 

[jaywalker2]

On 2/13/2025 at 3:49 PM, zzzzz said:

YES:  Its the US Embassy 
But renewing ur passport is not an option to get an appt> 
freind of mine did it 2 months ago,  he just walked in... no appt,
gave another reason ( he said to do a report of birth abroad) and he was allowed in 
the lady than still processed him although he had to fill out another form

took 31 days from that day till thye called him and told him new one was ready

By renewing in person, you keep ur current passport
if u mail it in, u need mail ur current one, so ur without a passport till ur new one arrives 

 

On 2/13/2025 at 1:56 PM, jacey said:

can i renew my US passport at the US consulate in Bangkok with walk in appointment instead of doing online

I did a walk-in appointment, though it was a while ago.

 

On 2/13/2025 at 3:49 PM, zzzzz said:

YES:  Its the US Embassy 
But renewing ur passport is not an option to get an appt> 
freind of mine did it 2 months ago,  he just walked in... no appt,
gave another reason ( he said to do a report of birth abroad) and he was allowed in 
the lady than still processed him although he had to fill out another form

took 31 days from that day till thye called him and told him new one was ready

By renewing in person, you keep ur current passport
if u mail it in, u need mail ur current one, so ur without a passport till ur new one arrives 

They don't let you keep your passport, even if you do a walk-in. At least, they didn't let me keep mine. I can't remember what I made an appointment for but they didn't make any objection when I said I wanted to renew my passport. This was a lot easier for me because I live close to the Embassy. Appointments usually take a few weeks though. If you want to do it faster than that you have to check in every day and hope somebody cancels to create an opening. They won't let you walk in without an appointment, however.

[DrJack54]

16 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

I can't remember what I made an appointment for but they didn't make any objection when I said I wanted to renew my passport.

For DS-82 passport renewal it is done via mail.

Outlined in attached thread.

Passports for damaged/lost/minor etc is different.

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/

[bamnutsak]

36 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

I did a walk-in appointment, though it was a while ago.

 

Do you remember the month/year? This was for your current passport? Maybe the issue date would help define the month/year?

 

Did you return to pick up your new passport? Or did you purchase a Thai Post EMS slip in the open-air lobby?

 

38 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

Appointments usually take a few weeks though. If you want to do it faster than that you have to check in every day and hope somebody cancels to create an opening

 

You can't make an appointment for an adult passport renewal, you'd have to choose another option.

[jaywalker2]

2 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

 

Do you remember the month/year? This was for your current passport? Maybe the issue date would help define the month/year?

 

Did you return to pick up your new passport? Or did you purchase a Thai Post EMS slip in the open-air lobby?

 

 

You can't make an appointment for an adult passport renewal, you'd have to choose another option.

Now that I look, it was almost two years ago. I applied at the end of March 2023. The mail-in system was already in effect but I made an appointment using the reason "passport services besides adding pages". I lived near the embassy so it seemed silly to go through the hassle of a mail in.

 

They didn't make any objection, they were very nice. They said they'd still process walk-ins if they showed up but otherwise wanted people to use the mail-in system. I had to buy an EMS envelope at the thai post kiosk and write my address on it. They wouldn't allow a pick up. They also said they didn't allow you to keep your old passport anymore.

 

You have to think that there are some people who, for whatever reason, need to do it in person. I don't know what people do who are traveling around and don't have an address for the return EMS , for instance. I can tell you the consular services office was practically empty though.

 

 

[WDSmart]

15 hours ago, hereforgood said:

You can't do it online it's by mail and that's the only way it can be done based on the Bangkok US Embassy website. They're only accepting applications by mail have a look.

By "doing it online" I mean I filled out and submitted all the applications online - although I might have had to fax them. I don't remember. Anyway, yes, you do have to eventually send in your old passport and receive your new one by mail.

[zzzzz]

9 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

 

 

Yes, so you say but your "friend" seems to have lied to gain access.

 

 

Maybe your "friend" was getting an emergency travel document, in place of a lost or stolen passport. What form did he have to fill out?

 

 

Did your "friend" have a completed DS-82? Photos? How did he pay? (credit card in USD or cash in THB). Did he leave his old/current passport?

 

Has your "friend" received his new passport? Was it mailed to him or did he return to pick it up?

 

 

If your report were first-hand it would be much more credible.

 

 

 

 

answers are in my quoted text
he had all forms filled out but they made him redo a new form
paid in thai baht

YES, picked up passport in person

He is a freind for 35 + years here in Thailand

make of it what you want, i dont care

[Jingthing]

The policy is to do it by mail.

I suppose if you're willing to lie to be let in and you're near Bangkok anyway, you might try to replicate the story of a guy who did it in person. 

That won't be relevant to people outside Bangkok and people who are uncomfortable with lying to fool the screening people to get in (which may or may not work).

Because of this, I would say forget about doing it in person.

If it became a big thing for people to lie to get in, surely they would figure that out and put an end to that being a possibility entirely.

[bunnydrops]

A friend of mine died about a year ago. A few months later, his Thai wife asked me to help renew her PP. She had lived in the US for 20 years but for some reason when she got her PP, she wasn't given a full 10-year PP. She had to go in person to the embassy in Bangkok to apply, and then again to pick the PP up. It appears that her PP was not renewable and she had to apply for a new one.

[Jingthing]

There are specific cases where it is REQUIRED to come in.

Info on the embassy website.

For standard renewals, the policy is by mail only.

This is probably the cause of the confusion here.

I was talking about standard renewals.

[donmuang37]

On 2/14/2025 at 12:25 PM, Presnock said:

read the Consulation instructions on passport renewal.  I did the on line and it was super easy with good service.

I agree with Presnock.  I did mine online and by mail.  I just followed the instructions and got my new passport in about 3 weeks.  They also returned my old passport. Easy and  I appreciated not having to go downtown to get it. 

[zzzzz]

8 hours ago, donmuang37 said:

I agree with Presnock.  I did mine online and by mail.  I just followed the instructions and got my new passport in about 3 weeks.  They also returned my old passport. Easy and  I appreciated not having to go downtown to get it. 

thats fine for 99% , BUT for some, they need to travel out of Thailand and if ur passport is not in ur possession for  3-6 weeks
ur screwed>

( mine took 41 days)

[DrJack54]

3 hours ago, zzzzz said:

thats fine for 99% , BUT for some, they need to travel out of Thailand and if ur passport is not in ur possession for  3-6 weeks

Most passports are valid for 10 years.

I renewed mine last year with still having validity of almost 2 years.

Suited travel plans. 

Not difficult 

[zzzzz]

10 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Most passports are valid for 10 years.

I renewed mine last year with still having validity of almost 2 years.

Suited travel plans. 

Not difficult 

thats fine if ur  tourist or retired  here and can plan
some people live here AND still work outside the country
hence 3-6 weeks with out the PP is a hardship
OK?

[bamnutsak]

1 hour ago, zzzzz said:

thats fine if ur  tourist or retired  here and can plan
some people live here AND still work outside the country
hence 3-6 weeks with out the PP is a hardship
OK?

 

 

I think you can probably gain an appointment for an in-person adult passport renewal, and keep your current passport, provided you can prove your case for travel within the "up to six to eight week" stated timeframe (yes, it is less than that now based on first-hand reports). People who claim to have done this (see reddit) say they got their new passport in 2 - 3 weeks. Not sure if you have to return to pick up the new passport and get the old one canceled (holes punched, stamped CANCELED)?

 

https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/acsappointment/

 

Make an appointment

 

Passport services other than adding pages.

 

 

[zzzzz]

my friend just picked up his new us passport last week, took 31 days
they cancelled it when he went in for new one
He travelled twice out of Thailand on the old one, so if he had mailed it in , he would not have been able to leave the country 

Like i said , mail in works for 99% not 100%

[NickyLouie]

13 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Most passports are valid for 10 years.

I renewed mine last year with still having validity of almost 2 years.

Suited travel plans. 

Not difficult 

 

So is the new expiration date 10 years from the date it was issued, or were you given those 2 extra years of validity ?