My USA passport is expiring in less than 6 months so I need to get it renewed. I was wondering if anyone has done this via mail from here in Thailand. The website for doing this is quite easy and straight forward and since I live in Phuket would save a tremendous amount of time/money if I could avoid the Bangkok excursion. I am a little nervous about sending it/recieving by mail though so what are your experiences or advice. Thanks.

The US embassy, unless recently changed, will not mail a US passport. I live upcountry and had to make two trips to Bangkok, one to apply and another to pick up my new passport.

You could also try and contact the US Embassy to see if they have an outreach visit to Phuket coming up soon. Seems they are due for one about now. Example announcement

Thanks Gary, and yes that is true about Bangkok. I emailed them with this question and they referred me to the website travel.state.gov where you find the mailing option. This is from the US of course which brings about the security of mailing to/from Thailand. I have had some great and not so great experiences mailing over the years so just wondering if anyone here has tried this route. Thanks for the reply

Thanks Tywais, That is a great option too...and yes I look weekly for such an announcement. From what the embassy tells me the schedule has not been made and they are not sure when they will come to Phuket, just they will come in 2010....so not sure how long I should/can hold out....but thanks for that anyway.

From Outside the United States:

U.S. citizens residing abroad (except those living in Canada) should renew their passports at the nearest U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/renew/renew_833.html

Even if they do come to Phuket on an outreach visit, they will take your application but you or your designated representative will have to go to the Embassy in Bangkok to pickup the new passport when it is ready

Passports, as official US documents, cannot be sent via any way other than by the United States Postal Service

Even if they do come to Phuket on an outreach visit, they will take your application but you or your designated representative will have to go to the Embassy in Bangkok to pickup the new passport when it is ready

That's correct and something I forgot to mention. Saves one trip to BKK anyway.

((cut))

Passports, as official US documents, cannot be sent via any way other than by the United States Postal Service

And you have a source for the above information? Remember USPS is a private organization and US documents, including passports, are in all kinds or mail/courier systems every day of the year, all over the world.

Lopburi and all who responded thank you. I somehow missed that little gem on the website about only inside the US or Canada....thanks again.

Traveldog

Below a sample "outreach" trip by the ACS.

Mac

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/consular_outr...taya_nov09.html

CONSULAR OUTREACH TO PATTAYA ON NOVEMBER 19, 2009

Dear Pattaya Area American Citizens,

The Consular Section of the American Embassy in Bangkok is pleased to inform you of a consular outreach visit to Pattaya on November 19, 2009. Please come if you can!

Consular staff will be available to provide services at the following location:

Thursday, November 19, 2009, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Dusit Thani Pattaya, at 240/2 Pattaya Beach Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi, 20150, Thailand. Telephone: 03-842-5611.

The following consular services will be available during our outreach visits:

Passport renewal applications ($75.00 or Baht 2550 for adult passports, and $85 or Baht 2890 for a child’s passport)

Notarial Services and Certified Copies ($30.00 or Baht 1020). This includes income affidavits for retirees in Thailand.

Social security, VA, or other federal benefits question will be limited, but we will try to provide forms and answers

(Please bring exact change!)

NOTE: We cannot process extra visa pages during our outreach trips. We can accept applications, but the passports will have to be brought back to the Embassy for final processing the next day. The passports will then have to be picked up in person (or by a friend upon presentation of a letter of authorization signed by the applicant) at the Embassy. We regret any inconvenience caused by this.

Additionally, Consular Reports of Birth cannot be processed during consular outreach trips.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call the American Citizen Services Unit at 02-205-4049.

We look forward to seeing you in Pattaya on Thursday, November 19th.

Sincerely,

American Citizen Services

U.S. Embassy

Bangkok, Thailand

The usps is a u.s. government agency not private like UPS or FedEx.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qi...18070408AAVAeyJ

It is independent and employees are not federal employees.

Vacancies are advertised internally by the USPS and not by the Office of Personnel Management. In 1971, the Postal Service became independent. Pay scales are determined by the Postal Pay Act and are not a part of the General Pay Schedule.

http://federaljobs.net/usps.htm

Last year I applied for a new pp for my daughter at the ACS Outreach in Khon Kaen.

I arranged with them to keep it and bring it to the next outreach. I picked up the new pp some 6 months later at the outreach in Udon.

Driving to Udon was much better than having to travel to BKK.

Of course, she didn't need it during that time.

If you apply while the old pp hasn't expired, you'd still have it until the new one was picked up later.