Usa Embassy Add Pages

[gubeman1]

Good old days of reasonable US govt service over. I need to add pages for an Indian visa (requires 2 blank pages, go figure?) Anyway on US consulate web site in BKK it says to make appointment via internet but will take less than an hour to process. (When I did in Bulgaria took 5 minutes and done with a smile and a welcome some years back. Times changing) AND bring 82 bucks for the service now.

When trying to get the link site to make the appointment, presto-dead link.

Anyone know if US citizen can just go down without appointment?

Thx

Edited September 12, 2011 by gubeman1

[Thanyaburi Mac]

They'll probably let you do the deed without an appointment due to it being a new system.

BTW, the link seems to be open now:

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/acsappointment.html

Mac

[lopburi3]

There is no service without an appointment from September 1st unless an emergency situation. This appointment process has been available for several years but is now mandatory.

[IMA_FARANG]

They want you to make an appointment now for basically ALL U.S. citizen services. It would ne best to make an appointment...because at the very least anyone there with a scheduled appointment will go ahead of you and you you will have to wait.

In fact as someone else mentioned now since Sept. 1st an appointment is required except for emergency cases.

Also be aware, getting new pages being put into a U.S. passport is NO LONGER A FREE SERVICE.

I believe it is either 65 or 80 dollars to do that now. You can find the fees on the U.S. embessy website. Do a google or Yahoo search. Maybe somebody will post the fee on here... I just can't remember the fee for new pages at this time.

The U.S. government is nearly boke, and the embessy services that used to be free or at a low cost are gone for good.

[IMA_FARANG]

They want you to make an appointment now for basically ALL U.S. citizen services. It would ne best to make an appointment...because at the very least anyone there with a scheduled appointment will go ahead of you and you you will have to wait.

In fact as someone else mentioned now since Sept. 1st an appointment is required except for emergency cases.

Also be aware, getting new pages being put into a U.S. passport is NO LONGER A FREE SERVICE.

I believe it is either 65 or 80 dollars to do that now. You can find the fees on the U.S. embessy website. Do a google or Yahoo search. Maybe somebody will post the fee on here... I just can't remember the fee for new pages at this time.

The U.S. government is nearly boke, and the embessy services that used to be free or at a low cost are gone for good.

I just looked it up.

The fee for additional visa pages is $82.

[Pib]

Yeap, thanks to Congress years back they passed a law which required U.S. Embassies/American Citizen Services (ACS) overseas to be pretty much self supporting/fee-based in services provided such as passports with little additional funds provided by the U.S. govt to help cover costs.

So, this should make you feel good that practically none of your tax dollars help pay for ACS-type services; instead it's your dollars left over after taxes that pay for ACS type services.

[kurtmartens]

Be happy we can still get pages added. Most other countries cannot and have to apply for a new passport when full. I always find the Embassy very helpful and a pleasure to deal with. $82 is a small price to pay.

[Pib]

Be happy we can still get pages added. Most other countries cannot and have to apply for a new passport when full. I always find the Embassy very helpful and a pleasure to deal with. $82 is a small price to pay.

They may be helpful and a pleasure to deal with, but their fees are high.

[monekyface]

"Be happy we can still get pages added. Most other countries cannot and have to apply for a new passport when full. I always find the Embassy very helpful and a pleasure to deal with. $82 is a small price to pay"

But it's not a heck of a lot more money to get a whole new passport. Per-page price is cheaper if you get the new passport.

[rucus7]

Why can't we have it both ways? Bush lost the popular vote by in the neighborhood of a million votes, but won the election. I got free pages in my old passport. Now it is $ 82.00 . . . . . . I am just sayin' . . . . . . . life sure has many riddles.

[monekyface]

Bartender, please pour me one of what that gentleman is having.

[zzaa09]

They want you to make an appointment now for basically ALL U.S. citizen services. It would ne best to make an appointment...because at the very least anyone there with a scheduled appointment will go ahead of you and you you will have to wait.

In fact as someone else mentioned now since Sept. 1st an appointment is required except for emergency cases.

Also be aware, getting new pages being put into a U.S. passport is NO LONGER A FREE SERVICE.

I believe it is either 65 or 80 dollars to do that now. You can find the fees on the U.S. embessy website. Do a google or Yahoo search. Maybe somebody will post the fee on here... I just can't remember the fee for new pages at this time.

The U.S. government is nearly boke, and the embessy services that used to be free or at a low cost are gone for good.

I just looked it up.

The fee for additional visa pages is $82.

A bit steep. By some chance, does it happen to mention how many pages can be added for your $82?

[rucus7]

Change seems to remain inevitable, in August of 2009 I got a new passport at the US embassy in Bangkok for $75.00, if my memory serves me. Now $ 82.00 for new pages. I guess I should be upset or something.

[puyaidon]

I found it was better to get a new passport and check the block that gives you a 54 page passport. Normal is only 24 or so. Yes, it took two weeks but better a new ten year than pay for extra pages.

[FarangBuddha]

They want you to make an appointment now for basically ALL U.S. citizen services. It would ne best to make an appointment...because at the very least anyone there with a scheduled appointment will go ahead of you and you you will have to wait.

In fact as someone else mentioned now since Sept. 1st an appointment is required except for emergency cases.

Also be aware, getting new pages being put into a U.S. passport is NO LONGER A FREE SERVICE.

I believe it is either 65 or 80 dollars to do that now. You can find the fees on the U.S. embessy website. Do a google or Yahoo search. Maybe somebody will post the fee on here... I just can't remember the fee for new pages at this time.

The U.S. government is nearly boke, and the embessy services that used to be free or at a low cost are gone for good.

I just looked it up.

The fee for additional visa pages is $82.

Barry's UD$ 500 billion "loan" to the bankrupt Solindra has to be made up somehow...socialism ain't cheap!

[elgato]

Be happy we can still get pages added. Most other countries cannot and have to apply for a new passport when full. I always find the Embassy very helpful and a pleasure to deal with. $82 is a small price to pay.

They may be helpful and a pleasure to deal with, but their fees are high.

Embassy in VTE sign says appointments required except emergencies and Fridays. I went on a Monday, stated I needed pages added and was admitted post haste. Was out on the street with a fatter passport and thinner wallet in 15 minutes. Stop whining about the State Dept. eliminating the free service - Hillary needs new shoes!

[moe666]

O well if you didn't have pages in your passport to whine about, one would whine about beer, Thai ladies and being in Bangkok.

[thaihome]

I found it was better to get a new passport and check the block that gives you a 54 page passport. Normal is only 24 or so. Yes, it took two weeks but better a new ten year than pay for extra pages.

That is probably true, can't find where the fee for a 52 page passport is any more. At $135 for new versus $82 for 26 new pages it does work out for some people to just get a new one and the equivalent of one refill for the $135. They actually recommend right on the form that if you have had pages added you should get the 52 pages.

TH

[ericthai]

I found it was better to get a new passport and check the block that gives you a 54 page passport. Normal is only 24 or so. Yes, it took two weeks but better a new ten year than pay for extra pages.

That is probably true, can't find where the fee for a 52 page passport is any more. At $135 for new versus $82 for 26 new pages it does work out for some people to just get a new one and the equivalent of one refill for the $135. They actually recommend right on the form that if you have had pages added you should get the 52 pages.

TH

I had pages added a few weeks ago and they gave me 45 pages, cost was 2460B. I sent my staff with a letter and stated I wanted to add pages and asked for double pages to be added, so dont know if 45 is standard or if they added double as requested. Does anyone know the standard pages added, Im sure I will need to get more pages added again before my passport expires, last passport had to get pages added 3 times.

[TigerWan]

^ So there is no limit on refills?

[Thanyaburi Mac]

I found it was better to get a new passport and check the block that gives you a 54 page passport. Normal is only 24 or so. Yes, it took two weeks but better a new ten year than pay for extra pages.

That is probably true, can't find where the fee for a 52 page passport is any more. At $135 for new versus $82 for 26 new pages it does work out for some people to just get a new one and the equivalent of one refill for the $135. They actually recommend right on the form that if you have had pages added you should get the 52 pages.

TH

I had pages added a few weeks ago and they gave me 45 pages, cost was 2460B. I sent my staff with a letter and stated I wanted to add pages and asked for double pages to be added, so dont know if 45 is standard or if they added double as requested. Does anyone know the standard pages added, Im sure I will need to get more pages added again before my passport expires, last passport had to get pages added 3 times.

48 pages in my passport, issued 2006. I added one set of 24 additional pages 3 March 2010 when I first read about the $82 increase. Then on 6 July 2010, just a few days before the $82 ripoff started, I figured what the hell, I'd go for another set. Walked in to ACS, stated what I'd like, the gal just smiled, and added another 24 pages, last gasp for FREE.

Mac

[ericthai]

^ So there is no limit on refills?

I don't think so, my last passport I had pages added 3 times, in the US, Thailand and Vietnam. Last time was in Vietnam and they didn't say anything that i could not add more.

[lopburi3]

Three sets of 24 pages is the limit - more will require a new passport.

[thaihome]

... Then on 6 July 2010, just a few days before the $82 ripoff started, I figured what the hell, I'd go for another set. Walked in to ACS, stated what I'd like, the gal just smiled, and added another 24 pages, last gasp for FREE.

Mac

I did the same, refilled just before the deadline. Funny thing is no immigration has ever used any of those pages with the colorful watermarks.

TH

[KED]

Definitely a good idea when renewing your passport to ask for the 54 page even if it is slightly more expensive than the standard passport.. I travel often to Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam - all use a full page for visa - although I heard Indonesia is using a smaller version now.

[phuketrichard]

They want you to make an appointment now for basically ALL U.S. citizen services. It would ne best to make an appointment...because at the very least anyone there with a scheduled appointment will go ahead of you and you you will have to wait.

In fact as someone else mentioned now since Sept. 1st an appointment is required except for emergency cases.

Also be aware, getting new pages being put into a U.S. passport is NO LONGER A FREE SERVICE.

I believe it is either 65 or 80 dollars to do that now. You can find the fees on the U.S. embessy website. Do a google or Yahoo search. Maybe somebody will post the fee on here... I just can't remember the fee for new pages at this time.

The U.S. government is nearly boke, and the embessy services that used to be free or at a low cost are gone for good.

I just looked it up.

The fee for additional visa pages is $82.

TRUE BUT u can do this at any of the outreach service centers ( the Embassy officials regularly travel to Phuket/Pattaya/Khon kean and of course u can do it in Chaing mai.

When u do apply for the extra pages as for TWO SETS!!! the will give u these for the same price ( $82)

If u apply at the outreach they will supply u with an ems envelope and all u need do is pay for the postage to ave ur passport mailed back to u.

[elgato]

Three sets of 24 pages is the limit - more will require a new passport.

Yep, 3's the limit. Better to get a new passport to avoid carrying a novel in your pocket. Also, immigration officials seem to enjoy thumbing through the hundreds of stamps in a fat passport.

[robokop]

No you need an appointment. No it is not a new system, it has been in place quite a few years. The British Embassy just started the same policy, make advance appointments. Friend of mine went in Monday, they would not see him without the prior appointment. He had to stay overnight, make an appointment for the next day, lucky they had one, then finished what he had to do the next day.

England just started this policy a few months ago according to what my friend said.

You have to stay up on things. Try joining a expat club, they keep you up to date, even send newsletters to members, so you do not have to attend meetings if you do not want to or if you are out of country. Try to take care of yourself.

[onomataho]

I just did this back in August.

Made the appointment online. Showed up on time. Added 50+ pages. Also got my income verification affidavit (for a Non-O-A Visa) at the same time. No snags. $132us on my credit card.

The only problem was I had to sit and watch Fox News in the waiting area! Freakin' conservatives!

Edited September 18, 2011 by onomataho

[onomataho]

Everyone was very pleasant & helpful!

Security wise, it's like a visit to San Quentin, though.

Edited September 18, 2011 by onomataho