British Passport Renewal

[brewsterbudgen]

Some report a 10 day turn round. Mine took 6 weeks.

Got a couple of friends here who have been waiting for 5 weeks for their new passports to arrive, so hopefully they will only have to wait another week.

The cynic in me (and them) thinks the only reason it takes so long now is too urge people to call a 69p help line, as if a British passport wasn't expensive enough anyway.

Totally agree with you. I'm glad I resisted calling the "careline". As you can see from my earlier posts, the Embassy in Bangkok were actually quite helpful in chasing up HK and at least had the courtesy to reply to my emails.

[Digitalbanana]

although I wouldn't risk trying to travel on it as I understand it's 'cancelled' as soon as the new one has been issued in HK.

Some people cannot wait 10 days let alone 5 weeks for a new pp. They have to travel internationally for work so a 2nd pp is needed. I assume the Bangkok embassy still helps with these situations - i.e applications for 2nd passport renewal that doesn't have a current Thai immigration stamp in it? Any reports appreciated.

[dsfbrit]

although I wouldn't risk trying to travel on it as I understand it's 'cancelled' as soon as the new one has been issued in HK.

Some people cannot wait 10 days let alone 5 weeks for a new pp. They have to travel internationally for work so a 2nd pp is needed. I assume the Bangkok embassy still helps with these situations - i.e applications for 2nd passport renewal that doesn't have a current Thai immigration stamp in it? Any reports appreciated.

The British Embassy in Bangkok do not help at all I am afraid. We were in Bangkok anyway yesterday and we only went to the British Embassy to see if they still provided the service whereby they checked the forms my two British friends were going to fill in before they sent them to Hong Kong. We thought they would check them then send them via the internal Consular service. We were wrong. Fair enough.

We then asked for a couple of C1 forms to fill in. My two friends are married and both needed to fill in a form. The (Thai) official on duty gave them just 1 form between them. When they explained they needed 2 forms, the Thai person dealing with them said he would not give them another form, they would have to print another one out. My friends got a bit irritated, they did not have a computer with them and even if they did have, it seemed quite ridiculous the British Embassy would not supply a couple of forms!!! Anyway after some 'discussion' the Thai guy very reluctantly went off and returned with a very scrappy copy of a form. The 'yellow' signature box was later found to be totally missing.

Later they phoned to ask if they should send their passports as well and were given a number in the Uk to phone. My friends said the must be joking, why could not the British Embassy in Bangkok answer a simple question like this??? They were then 'transferred' to someone who could help - and in true 'Thai style' the line went dead.

They decided not to send the old passports anyway, which we have since confirmed on TV was the right thing to do.

Its quite obvious that the very good service we Expats have all received over the previous years from the British Embassy in Bangkok is now being 'downgraded' - well in passport renewals anyway, even advice and help associated with renewals, so I would not expect any help at all if I were you. Better to stick to advice from TV

As for speeding up the process, my 2 friends wrote that they needed the renewal before the 11th November. There was no 'fasttrack' official process that we could find anyway.

Good Luck...

[sunholidaysun1]

To Renew your British Passport in Thailand Must we on sending the passport via courier to Hong Kong, send a Thai bankers draft cheque , payable in Hong Kong Dollars to the FCO ?? Please advise . Thanks

[Soutpeel]

To Renew your British Passport in Thailand Must we on sending the passport via courier to Hong Kong, send a Thai bankers draft cheque , payable in Hong Kong Dollars to the FCO ?? Please advise . Thanks

You dont send your P/P only a copy of the details page, and think they realy want you to pay via credit card....

[endure]

For general passport enquiries or to track the progress of your application please ring Careline on +44 208 082 4744 between 0730hrs & 1530hrs local time Mon-Fri.

That's a standard London phone number and you'll pay whatever the ordinary charge from Thailand is to call it.

[sunholidaysun1]

To Renew your British Passport in Thailand Must we on sending the passport via courier to Hong Kong, send a Thai bankers draft cheque , payable in Hong Kong Dollars to the FCO ?? Please advise . Thanks

You dont send your P/P only a copy of the details page, and think they realy want you to pay via credit card....

Sorry , I meant to say copy of passport but I have no credit cards and I need confirmation as to what currency the payment of the bankers draft is paid in, thai baht or HK dollars ?

[Soutpeel]

To Renew your British Passport in Thailand Must we on sending the passport via courier to Hong Kong, send a Thai bankers draft cheque , payable in Hong Kong Dollars to the FCO ?? Please advise . Thanks

You dont send your P/P only a copy of the details page, and think they realy want you to pay via credit card....

Sorry , I meant to say copy of passport but I have no credit cards and I need confirmation as to what currency the payment of the bankers draft is paid in, thai baht or HK dollars ?

Why would you being paying in THB ? you dont deal with the consulate in BKK, you are dealing with Hong Kong, so the payment would need to be in HK $

[brewsterbudgen]

For general passport enquiries or to track the progress of your application please ring Careline on +44 208 082 4744 between 0730hrs & 1530hrs local time Mon-Fri.

That's a standard London phone number and you'll pay whatever the ordinary charge from Thailand is to call it.

Maybe, but, as I pointed out earlier in this thread, the cost is certainly not local as the website clearly indicates the calls are charged at 69 pence a minute plus the international calling charges.

[sunholidaysun1]

To Renew your British Passport in Thailand Must we on sending the passport via courier to Hong Kong, send a Thai bankers draft cheque , payable in Hong Kong Dollars to the FCO ?? Please advise . Thanks

You dont send your P/P only a copy of the details page, and think they realy want you to pay via credit card....

Sorry , I meant to say copy of passport but I have no credit cards and I need confirmation as to what currency the payment of the bankers draft is paid in, thai baht or HK dollars ?

Why would you being paying in THB ? you dont deal with the consulate in BKK, you are dealing with Hong Kong, so the payment would need to be in HK $

AS I live in Thailand , it therefore means I would need to go into a Thai bank and get them to give me a bankers draft in Hong Kong Dollars. This is going to be a nightmare ., Where I live my bank didnt even know I could do an international transfer of money to them , they initially said no but after I complained they phoned Head Office in BKK, then they were very apologetic .

[PhilHarries]

Seems like a tale of two Embassies, or rather an Embassy and a Consulate.

Submitted my pp application to the Consulate here in HCMC morning of the 14th October. Received the e mail say my new pp was ready for collection on the 27th. They charge $47 for postage but I don't care, with a service that quick it's well worth it.

However immigration here don't just transfer your entry stamp, oh no they give you a whole new visa at a cost of $50 (3 month multi entry). Then, just for fun, they stuck it on the second to last page.

I wonder what, if any, additional checks they do as the only supporting document they have is a photocopy of the old pp? I'm a little surprised they don't ask for a notarised copy.

[endure]

For general passport enquiries or to track the progress of your application please ring Careline on +44 208 082 4744 between 0730hrs & 1530hrs local time Mon-Fri.

That's a standard London phone number and you'll pay whatever the ordinary charge from Thailand is to call it.

Maybe, but, as I pointed out earlier in this thread, the cost is certainly not local as the website clearly indicates the calls are charged at 69 pence a minute plus the international calling charges.

The website is talking nonsense.

[brewsterbudgen]

For general passport enquiries or to track the progress of your application please ring Careline on +44 208 082 4744 between 0730hrs & 1530hrs local time Mon-Fri.

That's a standard London phone number and you'll pay whatever the ordinary charge from Thailand is to call it.

Maybe, but, as I pointed out earlier in this thread, the cost is certainly not local as the website clearly indicates the calls are charged at 69 pence a minute plus the international calling charges.

The website is talking nonsense.

Possibly. But then why say it if it's nonsense?

Passport enquiries

All passport enquiries are handled by Careline Services Limited through their Passport Information Helpline. If you have a passport enquiry, which cannot be answered through the information on our passport web page, or, you would like a real time progress report on an application, please contact the following number.

Tel: (+44) 208 082 4744

Please note that this is an English speaking service only.

Careline telephone lines are open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, from 07:30 Monday through to 15:30 Friday (Thailand time). If you are not in Thailand you will need to take into account any time difference when calling.

Calls are charged at GBP 0.69 per minute (+VAT) for the duration of the call. (Telephone service providers will also charge for the cost of the international call so applicants may like to check their provider's tariff). Please ensure that you have your credit card details ready before calling.

http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/contact-us

[Koenji]

Can those of you that applied just list briefly what you sent exactly with your application?

I`m presuming:

1. Application form

2. Payment form (if paying by credit card)

3. Passport (or data page according to some on this thread.

4. 2x passport photographs?

5. ID like birth certificate?

I have not done this before with the new system and can`t seem to locate the exact info on the embassy website.

Much appreciated.

(PS: If a copy of your data page from the current passport is enough, can you still travel on it whilst your new passport is in process? Must be a hassle for frequent flyers if not)

[jonw8uk]

Some of us travel all the time so 2 passports is a must to continue working during the long pp renewal process. It needs a letter to support the application, and I would hope the UK embassy is still involved in the process rather then just DHL to HK? Any reports on this?

Yes, I got my 2nd passport 2 months ago. I went to the embassy, they checked my employers' letter, took payment and sent off the application. New passport arrived within 2 weeks.

[brewsterbudgen]

Can those of you that applied just list briefly what you sent exactly with your application?

I`m presuming:

1. Application form

2. Payment form (if paying by credit card)

3. Passport (or data page according to some on this thread.

4. 2x passport photographs?

5. ID like birth certificate?

I have not done this before with the new system and can`t seem to locate the exact info on the embassy website.

Much appreciated.

(PS: If a copy of your data page from the current passport is enough, can you still travel on it whilst your new passport is in process? Must be a hassle for frequent flyers if not)

You don't send your passport, just a copy of the data page. You can continue to use the old passport for Thai ID purposes but as I understand it you can't use it for overseas travel as the passport is 'cancelled' once your application is received in Hong Kong. Someone else may like to confirm this though.

If it's a straightforward renewal there is no need to send and additional ID. Otherwise it's just what you've already identified. Send it all via DHL as they have everything set up to do it.

Make sure you allow enough time. My renewal took 6 weeks.

[OJAS]

The good news is that I won’t have to go through this bloody rigmarole until 2013. The bad news, however, is all passport application processing could, by then, have been moved back to the UK, if the FCO's explanatory leaflet (http://centralcontent.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/central-content-pdfs/5619320/Changes_to_Overseas_Passport_Service) is to be believed. This is bound to result in even longer waiting times for new passports and even higher postage costs, on top of those currently being experienced by applicants living in distant lands such as Thailand.

Although the leaflet does not indicate any specific timescale for moving all passport application processing back to the UK (merely stating, in a Yes Minister fashion, that this further change would be made “in the longer term”), it would not surprise me in the least if we were talking about sooner rather than later given the overriding priority which the UK government is now attaching to slashing public expenditure, come what may.

[PhilHarries]

Just as an update on my previous reply, it seems the British Consulate here in HCMC is withdrawing it's service and we will be treated in the same scumbag fashion as you guys in Thailand. So we will have to arrange all the to/from postage ourselves.

All I can say is thank Lugh (pagan God of smiths and artisans) my current pp expiry is 2021. I think by then I shall be swapping tales with Lugh around the brazier (over a mulled ale or two).

[OJAS]

Possibly. But then why say it if it's nonsense?

Passport enquiries

All passport enquiries are handled by Careline Services Limited through their Passport Information Helpline. If you have a passport enquiry, which cannot be answered through the information on our passport web page, or, you would like a real time progress report on an application, please contact the following number.

Tel: (+44) 208 082 4744

Please note that this is an English speaking service only.

Careline telephone lines are open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, from 07:30 Monday through to 15:30 Friday (Thailand time). If you are not in Thailand you will need to take into account any time difference when calling.

Calls are charged at GBP 0.69 per minute (+VAT) for the duration of the call. (Telephone service providers will also charge for the cost of the international call so applicants may like to check their provider's tariff). Please ensure that you have your credit card details ready before calling.

http://ukinthailand....orts/contact-us

This link does not appear to work for some mysterious reason. Anyone know why? I was prompted for a username + password, but my FCO Locate ones didn't work and I was denied access.

[Koenji]

do you send your birth certificate when doing the renewal? I had a look at the C1 application form (notes) section and it's a little confusing. I think if you're born before 1983 , a birth certificate is not needed if I was reading it right (?)

[OJAS]

do you send your birth certificate when doing the renewal? I had a look at the C1 application form (notes) section and it's a little confusing. I think if you're born before 1983 , a birth certificate is not needed if I was reading it right (?)

If you're renewing your passport (as distinct from making a first-time application), I would have thought not. Certainly I wasn't asked for my birth certificate when I renewed my previous passport in 2003 (when I was still living in the UK) but, there again, I was born well before 1983!