17 minutes ago, trucking said:

I was ....... then they decided to have a war right in the place I was planning to pass through ( Middle East , Dubai ). Result is that although it is still doable , will have to be a non stop flight and as expected I can no longer do the round trip for 27,000 as planned , more like 38,000 with EVA .....and of course that could change.

So everything on hold for a month. If situation does not improve , back to plan A with VFS. Luckily I have a few months in hand as current passport still good for another year.

Ah, okay, so you have plenty of time yet.

My passport doesn’t expire until November, but I am aiming to expedite it now because of the problems in the middle east.

Flights, and consequently postal and courier services have been significantly impacted already, so I am giving myself more than six months breathing space to be safe.

3 minutes ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

....so I am giving myself more than six months breathing space to be safe.

And that's exactly what people should do.

Many threads with concerns of running out of time.

Assume UK pp is 10 yr.

So anytime in last yr more than 6 months is safe m.o

On 2/24/2026 at 5:09 PM, brewsterbudgen said:

Perhaps a "new" passport should be seen as a "first" passport for pedants?

That is a really good way to describe your first passport, but it will mainly apply to children.

After that they will be 'replacements'.

5 hours ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

Thanks very much. I have an account with Bangkok bank, for 100 Baht it will provide a safety net; I will go and get a statement on Monday .... cheers

BTW your driving licence may show part of the address in Thai, Bangkok Bank noticed that and ensured the BB address was all in English

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

And that's exactly what people should do.

Many threads with concerns of running out of time.

Assume UK pp is 10 yr.

So anytime in last yr more than 6 months is safe m.o

I did mine approx 1 year early as I didn't want to be doing my extension 3 months later & only get 9 months until the end of the passport validity.

13 hours ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

I want to try using my Thai D/L first to see if it is accepted. However, I have noticed something strange with my Thai Licence; the translation into English on my licence is incomplete, or more like, bizarre. It just shows my house number followed by Hua Hin. My wife says the address on the licence is complete in Thai, showing the compound name and soi.

My Thai DL's are similar to yours.

The Thai address is complete, XX Moo Y, <tambon name>, <amphur name>, Buriram but the English is missing the "Moo Y" bit, so it looks like XX <tambon name>, <amphur name>, Buriram

13 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

BTW your driving licence may show part of the address in Thai, Bangkok Bank noticed that and ensured the BB address was all in English

Thanks, and yes, I mentioned in an earlier comment that my wife says my address is written in full in Thai on my licence, but in English only gives my house number followed by Hua Hin; that is why I went to get a bank statement yesterday that shows my full  address in English ……… cheers

1 hour ago, Mutt Daeng said:

My Thai DL's are similar to yours.

The Thai address is complete, XX Moo Y, <tambon name>, <amphur name>, Buriram but the English is missing the "Moo Y" bit, so it looks like XX <tambon name>, <amphur name>, Buriram

Yes, it’s really bizarre; my licence gives my full address in Thai including the development name and soi etc, but in English it just says:

80/145 (example number)

Hua Hin

Prachuap Khiri Khan

I will try using it so that I can pass on to others if it is accepted, but I am taking a bank statement with my address in English as back up

On 2/24/2026 at 4:06 AM, scubascuba3 said:

I don't understand why people pay an agent when it's so easy, plus you keep your passport unlike with an agent

Exactly, 12000 is quite a lot and i would never give my passport to anyone. A trip to BKK is quite nice for a change. I would only use an agent if i was physically unable to make the trip.

1 hour ago, henryford1958 said:

. A trip to BKK is quite nice for a change

That's for the application.

Then how about picking up the new pp?

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

That's for the application.

Then how about picking up the new pp?

another trip, i coincided it with my usual Bangkok trip and then an extra one, once in 10 years not a big deal?

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

another trip, i coincided it with my usual Bangkok trip and then an extra one, once in 10 years not a big deal?

You have a "usual Bangkok trip"

Many would not.

Agent for UK folk that live long way from Bangkok or CM is a no brainer.

As posted earlier Oz pp renewal can be done completely online + post

No idea why other countries cannot.

21 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You have a "usual Bangkok trip"

Many would not.

Agent for UK folk that live long way from Bangkok or CM is a no brainer

Agree completely; it is only because I can drive to Bangkok and back to Hua Hin quite comfortably in a day, that I am expediting the process myself. If I was further away, and had to factor in an overnight hotel stay and restaurant diner, I would take the agent route.

17 hours ago, wil iam not said:

That is a really good way to describe your first passport, but it will mainly apply to children.

After that they will be 'replacements'.

How the UK designates passport applications from "Applying for a passport from outside the UK: guidance notes" - Which type of passport do you need

Renewal

This applies if:

• your existing British passport isn’t damaged AND

• your name, date of birth, place of birth, gender, appearance and nationality hasn’t changed 

First British passport

This applies if you:

• have never had a British passport before

Replacement

This applies if:

• you want to replace a British passport that has been lost, stolen or damaged

Changes

This applies if you want to change your current British passport. You’re changing:

• your name, date of birth, place of birth, gender or nationality

• your photo (including where you cannot be recognised from your current passport photo)

26 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You have a "usual Bangkok trip"

Many would not.

Agent for UK folk that live long way from Bangkok or CM is a no brainer.

As posted earlier Oz pp renewal can be done completely online + post

No idea why other countries cannot.

A friend just did his Aussie passport, it wasn't 100% online, had to provide something manually, maybe the payment info, not sure

7 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

7 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

• your date of birth, place of birth

How can you change either of those?

12 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

How the UK designates passport applications from "Applying for a passport from outside the UK: guidance notes" - Which type of passport do you need

Renewal

This applies if:

• your existing British passport isn’t damaged AND

• your name, date of birth, place of birth, gender, appearance and nationality hasn’t changed 

First British passport

This applies if you:

• have never had a British passport before

Replacement

This applies if:

• you want to replace a British passport that has been lost, stolen or damaged

Changes

This applies if you want to change your current British passport. You’re changing:

• your name, date of birth, place of birth, gender or nationality

• your photo (including where you cannot be recognised from your current passport photo)

Well those all make sense, thanks.

4 minutes ago, wil iam not said:

How can you change either of those?

No idea, but there must be occasions when it happens and is relevant if the UK Passport application is stating it as a 'Change'.

1 minute ago, Bredbury Blue said:

No idea, but there must be occasions when it happens and is relevant if the UK Passport application is stating it as a 'Change'.

A bit like chnaging from Bredbury Blue to Ar5en0le Red !

Come on you Citizens.

34 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

A friend just did his Aussie passport, it wasn't 100% online, had to provide something manually, maybe the payment info, not sure

I renewed Oz pp recently.

It's done completely online including the payment.

Of course you have to obtain pp specified photos.

In addition requires visit post office for mail to Oz embassy in Bangkok.

My partner did that for me

Walk in the park.

20 days later new pp received at my condo.

Existing pp retained at all times.

Walk in the park.

Makes some countries seem living dark ages.

26 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

In addition requires visit post office for mail to Oz embassy in Bangkok.

That means it's not entirely online

19 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

That means it's not entirely online

19 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Read my first post.

I stated done online + post office.

Stop nonsense

22 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

That means it's not entirely online

Certainly rather more online than the Stone Age nonsense which HMPO have inflicted on us Brits, I think! What particularly struck me was how low-tech the VFS office where I submitted my last renewal application in 2022 was, with not a single computer terminal in sight. The paper form listing my vital statistics which the VFS staffer handed me for checking stated my birth year incorrectly. So to remedy matters she unscrewed a bottle of tippex, obliterated the date with its contents and, once this was dry, wrote the correct date over it. Definitely a throwback to the office environment of the 80's, which was a source of great amusement to me! 🤣

On 3/22/2026 at 8:44 AM, DrJack54 said:

That's for the application.

Then how about picking up the new pp?

I always treated that as another opportunity for a couple of nights in Bangkok. Previously, I have tried to coincide my passport renewal with UK and/or Schengen visas for the missus.

Each to their own.

Now I have a contact in the VfS building so I no longer attend.

On 3/22/2026 at 7:00 AM, henryford1958 said:

Exactly, 12000 is quite a lot and i would never give my passport to anyone. A trip to BKK is quite nice for a change. I would only use an agent if i was physically unable to make the trip.

Where did you get the idea of 12,000THB? It's only 3500THB. Hardly worth worrying about, I make more than that in the days I would have to take off to go and deliver the documents.

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

Certainly rather more online than the Stone Age nonsense which HMPO have inflicted on us Brits, I think! What particularly struck me was how low-tech the VFS office where I submitted my last renewal application in 2022 was, with not a single computer terminal in sight. The paper form listing my vital statistics which the VFS staffer handed me for checking stated my birth year incorrectly. So to remedy matters she unscrewed a bottle of tippex, obliterated the date with its contents and, once this was dry, wrote the correct date over it. Definitely a throwback to the office environment of the 80's, which was a source of great amusement to me! 🤣

Do they still make Tippex? I remember the double packs with the thinners that you put on the cuff off your school jumper and took a good hit.

I think in the UK, my father was able to apply for a renewal using his webcam, it gave an instant confirmation (or am I confused, due to excessive use of tippex thinners) - even still, going to the photo studio is so redundant these days, I did mine with my cellphone and an app that checks the dimensions, it may just aswell all go 100% online.

25 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Where did you get the idea of 12,000THB? It's only 3500THB. Hardly worth worrying about, I make more than that in the days I would have to take off to go and deliver the documents.

It's around 15k for using agent and their financials, other people with financials that go through the agent pay about 8k, what does 3500 get you?

6 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

It's around 15k for using agent and their financials, other people with financials that go through the agent pay about 8k, what does 3500 get you?

This thread is about renewing a passport?

Yeah, agreed - on the visa - I paid 23K for mine when I found myself temporarily embarrassed - but I never gave the passport to anyone, I still have to attend and go through the motions - the fee is just to borrow the money for a few minutes and to not look too hard at the statement.

36 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Where did you get the idea of 12,000THB? It's only 3500THB. Hardly worth worrying about, I make more than that in the days I would have to take off to go and deliver the documents.

I am going myself tomorrow, but I did get quotes from two agents here in Hua Hin, and they both quoted 13,000 Baht.

That includes the cost of a standard UK passport, so circa 8,000 for the agent, and 5,000 for the passport and some residuals.

Not sure what your figure of 3,500 is for ?

1 minute ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

I am going myself tomorrow, but I did get quotes from two agents here in Hua Hin, and they both quoted 13,000 Baht.

That includes the cost of a standard UK passport, so circa 8,000 for the agent, and 5,000 for the passport and some residuals.

Not sure what your figure of 3,500 is for ?

Ahh, ok, fair play.

Yes, the price of the UK passport included - you need to use a UK credit card, Thai debit cards aren't accepted, or are at least problematic, so the advice is not to use. The agent I used offers the use of his cc for a thousand baht - but the passport is what? give or take 100 quid - 5-6K THB? (idk) then someone is making some good coin! The guy I used in Chiang Mai is really popular. 3500THB gets him to act as knowledge base, check your documents before you send to him, taking it to VFS and return registered postage.

ETS: I just checked again .. it was 2x payments, sorry, one was 3500 and an initial 1500 = 5000THB, still 3K less.