British Consulate Chiangmai

[bangkok blue]

Is it possible to obtain a new passport at the consulate in Chiangmai? Surely I don't have to go to BKK to do this?

Anyone know how much? Where the consulate is and the process time?

Thanks

[Lobin]

try here

[Lobin]

and here

[sassienie]

I renewed my passport at the British consulate here in Chiang Mai 3 years ago, no problem.

Here`s the crunch: it cost me 4300 baht to renew the passport, now the price has rocketed to nearly 9000 baht.

[bangkok blue]

says on their website 6,188 bht for the standard passport! Where do they get 9000bht from!?

[wildpikey]

says on their website 6,188 bht for the standard passport! Where do they get 9000bht from!?

over 10 000 baht for a 48 page passport, takes 3 weeks as they send it to BKK.

But doesnt matter, if you have 3 weeks, The Consulate here is such a nicer place to go to and get things done than BKK, unless you are in a real rush.

[bangkok blue]

Phoned consulate here, don't even need to go in, download from from embassy website, send to F.C.O Bangkok. Standard passport 6,188 + 300bht to send back to you, allow for 3 weeks. Photos should be aprx 3'' x 2''.

[StevieH]

Phoned consulate here, don't even need to go in, download from from embassy website, send to F.C.O Bangkok. Standard passport 6,188 + 300bht to send back to you, allow for 3 weeks. Photos should be aprx 3'' x 2''.

good to know that, and thanks for the reminder.

[eek]

Phoned consulate here, don't even need to go in, download from from embassy website, send to F.C.O Bangkok. Standard passport 6,188 + 300bht to send back to you, allow for 3 weeks. Photos should be aprx 3'' x 2''.

Oh wow, really!? I was just going to go to the consulate for a new passport in the next couple of days. I assume we have to include our old passport when posting off, how safe do you think it is? As safe as going through cm consulate?

Also, if you dont mind, may I ask how you included the money (bankers cheque or ? - I have no cheque book service with my bank and dont know of an alternative) and also, what service did you use/recommend for posting please?

Several silly questions i guess, just want to try weigh up if sending myself is a cost effective, easy and safe way of going about getting a new one.

Tnx.

[bangkok blue]

Think you pay the money to a bank and they issue you with a bankers draft, give them a call to check who to make it payable to and if you need to send your old passport, but I think you do. Consulate number053263015

[bangkok blue]

Send by EMS and it won't get lost

[eek]

Thank you. =]

[dave2]

bangkok blue .

you pay the money to a bank and they issue you with a bankers draft .... to pay the consulate

100 % Right !

dave2

[MaeRimMan]

This is probably a good time to renew it as well as the passport fee is priced in pounds and converted to Baht on a daily basis, so this is one area where a weak currency is useful maybe it used to cost 9,000 baht and thats why its now down to 6,000 odd

[jackr]

Passport fees are a rip-off. Fair enough for the first one, but renewals should be a lot less. Mine was about 5k four years ago and now it's double?!... for what, a little <deleted> book and a few holograms. Guess it's not too bad if you look at it over the 10-year period, but next time I renew it's going to be extortionate at this rate. In the case of the UK, perhaps the gov should forego all that euro MP and associated propping up little countries <deleted> and subsidise passport costs for their citizens.

[Loaded]

pleasant and helpful staff at the British Consulate in Chiang Mai

[Flatouthruthefog]

pleasant and helpful staff at the British Consulate in Chiang Mai

Couldn't agree more.

We are very lucky here. Two lovely Thai ladies who really know the UK and Thai systems and how they integrate. Well, mostly integrate! Open until 11.30am every weekday except national holidays, I think.

'Behind' them is the Hon Consul Jon Glendinning at the British Council, who is charming and positive. But he leaves in June, I'm told.

The current UK system is that the director of the British Council in CM will always double as the Hon British Consul. And we've only had one duff one since this system began.

I'd like to take this chance to add that we are also SO much better off than our chums in Bkk so far as Immigration and the Labour Office is concerned. OK, they work under pressure and stress and the English Lang at Labour Office is not super good, but they are so accessible and straightforward.

Just avoid the busy Mon and Fri days at Immigration, plus any days either side of a national holiday!

[StevieH]

can anyone who has done this advise on the procedure please? is the simplest thing to take your expiring passport to the UK consulate with your 6,000 baht and they then do the necessary?

[delboy]

can anyone who has done this advise on the procedure please? is the simplest thing to take your expiring passport to the UK consulate with your 6,000 baht and they then do the necessary?

I got my passport renewed in 2005, don't know if the procedure is still the same but this is what happened to me.

I called at the consulate and was given an application form to complete and also a printed paper in Thai to take to the bank. This was very useful as it informed the bank what type of bank draft they required, how much it was to be for, and who it was payable to.

I had to provide a 2 photos, one of which had to be signed by an official (police officer, doctor etc) that had known me for some time, and he/she had to sign the form as well.

I returned the form to the consulate and I was asked if I wanted the new passport sent to my home, or to the consulate for my collection. I settled for the latter option, and about a week later the consulate phoned me and I collected the new passport.

All in all, very easy.

[eek]

I recently applied for a new one directly at CM (didnt want to risk the photo being rejected by posting).

Proceedure that i followed was:

-Printed out the application form from (printed double side): http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/passports/passport-forms and filled it out.

-

Had my passport pic taken (took along printout of size etc from: http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/downloads/photos.pdf ) 2 tries, they still got it wrong. Ended up doing it my own at home.

-Went along to the consulate (198 Bumrungraj Road. Monday-Friday:09:00-11:30)

-Form checked, considered fine. Photograph one mm too short (not even!). Refused. Told to walk round the corner to the Fuji shop to have new ones done. Told also that cash isnt accepted, so needed to go to the bank around the corner too for a bankers draft for the passport fee (lovely lady at consulate wrote down what I should ask for).

-Fuji knew exactly what size to do, fast and easy. Took photo and I left to get the draft whilst they processed it.

- Went to bank (Ayutthaya I think was the one closest). Not great staff service at the customer service to be honest (maybe she was having a bad day, or her nails were a priority..), but i got the application form and handed it over the cash (and the info from the lady at the consulate in case i filled it out incorrectly). Draft done in a matter of seconds.

- Collected photos from Fuji (of course i wasnt really happy with the pic (not the photographers fault, its pre-destined that one should get a crap passport pic ..so mai pen rai.) Passport pics a legend in themselves eh..)

- Walked back round the corner to the consulate, photo ok. Payment accepted. 100 baht fee for postage. Receipt given. Smiles and buh-byes.

- Received lovely polite call about 2 weeks later. Passport back and ready.

Voila!

[eek]

can anyone who has done this advise on the procedure please? is the simplest thing to take your expiring passport to the UK consulate with your 6,000 baht and they then do the necessary?

I got my passport renewed in 2005, don't know if the procedure is still the same but this is what happened to me.

I called at the consulate and was given an application form to complete and also a printed paper in Thai to take to the bank. This was very useful as it informed the bank what type of bank draft they required, how much it was to be for, and who it was payable to.

I had to provide a 2 photos, one of which had to be signed by an official (police officer, doctor etc) that had known me for some time, and he/she had to sign the form as well.

I returned the form to the consulate and I was asked if I wanted the new passport sent to my home, or to the consulate for my collection. I settled for the latter option, and about a week later the consulate phoned me and I collected the new passport.

All in all, very easy.

Oh sorry, you posted whilst i was typing. I had forgotten about the "signed by an official" part. Btw..dont worry if your photo that is signed is refused. She will accept 2 new photos and include the sign photo. No need to get the new ones signed.

[eek]

Oh and one more thing. Passports issued now are funky Biometric ones! Apparently contains a lot of info Maybe thats why the passports seem to be so damned expensive!

[StevieH]

thanks eek and delboy. particually for the part about the bank teller's manicure.

have to say i'd forgotten about the government official signing a photo thing, since i don't know a police or doctor in CM that well i wonder how i'll go about that? any suggestions? aside from / or possibly including bribery?

[StevieH]

Oh and one more thing. Passports issued now are funky Biometric ones! Apparently contains a lot of info Maybe thats why the passports seem to be so damned expensive!

sounds very CSI. not enitrely sure how they're going to go about getting a DNA sample from me, but it could be interesting.

[eek]

thanks eek and delboy. particually for the part about the bank teller's manicure.

have to say i'd forgotten about the government official signing a photo thing, since i don't know a police or doctor in CM that well i wonder how i'll go about that? any suggestions? aside from / or possibly including bribery?

Stevie, can be a local business person too. Maybe a coffee shop owner or something, where you have been going for some time. Or, do you know any expat teachers? Retired military expats even? (I think that would still considered ok).

[StevieH]

thanks eek and delboy. particually for the part about the bank teller's manicure.

have to say i'd forgotten about the government official signing a photo thing, since i don't know a police or doctor in CM that well i wonder how i'll go about that? any suggestions? aside from / or possibly including bribery?

Stevie, can be a local business person too. Maybe a coffee shop owner or something, where you have been going for some time. Or, do you know any expat teachers? Retired military expats even? (I think that would still considered ok).

got a few friends who own bars / restaurants, so that should be ok i guess. i assume they must be thai rather than farang then yeah?

[eek]

Not 100% sure. My countersignee was Thai. No problems at the consulate. But I believe it can be either/or.

[delboy]

My application was countersigned by a bank official that I have known personally for some years, I also had a doctor at the Suan Dork as a reserve in case it was needed.

[femi fan]

Oh and one more thing. Passports issued now are funky Biometric ones! Apparently contains a lot of info Maybe thats why the passports seem to be so damned expensive!

So from your experience it seems you weren't fingerprinted and iris scanned, which i thought was part of the biometric procedure? And i also thought that the laws now in the UK were that you could only get a passport renewed if you first got the new ID card.

Does anyone know when all this stuff is due to come in? My passport expires next year. It's a pity i can't get it done now.

[Maejo Man]

My passport expires next year. It's a pity i can't get it done now.

There is no problem applying for a new passport before the expiry date, as I did this myself on my last passport, as I had a heap of travelling to to, and didn't want to be caught for a renewal in an inconvenient country. Most countries insist that you have a minimum of six months validity on your passport when travelling.

They should issue passports for ten years and six months