British passport renewal in Bangkok

[kidneyw]

I just renewed my British passport using VFS Global in Bangkok. It took eleven weeks. A mate did his at the same time and it took nine weeks. In the UK, they used to renew passports in Liverpool, but now they do this in Corby. Think this might be the main problem, as they were unaware that we have to retain our passports in Thailand, thus the reason for photo coping all pages. In the end, I had to sign a paper saying I would return my lost passport if I found it.

Sent many emails, but each team did not seem to realise what had gone on before.

Reckon this will be my last passport renewal before I die, thank God. What a nightmare.

[OJAS]

Glad to hear that you finally managed to get your passport renewal woes sorted out. Given the extreme level of clueless idiocy on the part of HMPO's office in Corby with which you have been faced throughout this nightmare process, you may wish to consider lodging a complaint with HMPO about the unacceptably abysmal treatment you have been on the receiving end of, through following this link:

https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/help/what-do-you-want-to-do

 

[scubascuba3]

Yep, everyone must complain otherwise the rubbish service will continue

[brewsterbudgen]

It does seem astonishing that there seems to be no communication between VFS in Bangkok and HMPO in Corby.  I wonder how the agencies that deal with UK passport renewals in Thailand are coping?

[proton]

16 hours ago, kidneyw said:

I just renewed my British passport using VFS Global in Bangkok. It took eleven weeks. A mate did his at the same time and it took nine weeks. In the UK, they used to renew passports in Liverpool, but now they do this in Corby. Think this might be the main problem, as they were unaware that we have to retain our passports in Thailand, thus the reason for photo coping all pages. In the end, I had to sign a paper saying I would return my lost passport if I found it.

Sent many emails, but each team did not seem to realise what had gone on before.

Reckon this will be my last passport renewal before I die, thank God. What a nightmare.

 

Did mine while in the UK, took 4 hours and no photocopying of pages, they never even looked at the old one, just clipped the front and gave it back. 

[scubascuba3]

3 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

It does seem astonishing that there seems to be no communication between VFS in Bangkok and HMPO in Corby.  I wonder how the agencies that deal with UK passport renewals in Thailand are coping?

thai visa service on here had a handle on the problem a few months back

[OJAS]

4 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

It does seem astonishing that there seems to be no communication between VFS in Bangkok and HMPO in Corby.

 

For which the responsibility lies fairly and squarely with those clueless HMPO clowns in Corby IMHO. But, if perchance, they have, in fact, determined, for their inscrutable reasons, that fictitious police reports of lost and stolen passports (along with certified English translations + completed LSO1 forms) are now to accompany all passport renewal applications submitted from Thailand as a matter of course, then they also need to communicate this fact to those responsible for administering the gov.uk website so that those of us who are about to renew our passports are aware of this particular new requirement up front.

 

Personally I rule nothing out as far as HMPO are concerned when it comes to crass stupidity!