Being Ripped Off By The British Gov.

[meatboy]

not being satisfied with robbing us pensioners of our pension increases,how can they justify making us pay over £50 more to renew our passports.we pay the costs of all postage to and from the uk,the passports arrive at the passport offices the same as if they were sent in the uk yet we pay £128 yet uk residents pay £77,you cannot discuss this with the british embassy in bkk any more.it would be nice for someone from the gov.to give us an explanation.but i doubt it.

[geriatrickid]

The costs of processing out of country documents are more expensive than processing them in country. Those costs are passed on in part to the client by way of a higher user fee.

By happenchance, are you paying taxes to the UK government? Most out of country requests come from passport holders that do not pay taxes. Thoses taxes help subsidize the UK government. Passport requests that are made in the UK are more likely to come from by UK taxpayers. These are the people that are providing the money to support the passport office and the embassies overseas. UK nationals residing in Thailand are usually not paying the taxes that would help pay for a UK embassy, whereas UK nationals residing in the UK are. If anything, UK residents should be demanding that non taxpayers pay higher user fees.

[KarenBravo]

You're just doing your patriotic duty in helping the British government to pay off the huge public deficit.

[pigeonjake]

what about the lads who have worked for 50 years paying taxes into the government, dosnt that count, there tax has allready been paid

jake

[thaicbr]

The costs of processing out of country documents are more expensive than processing them in country. Those costs are passed on in part to the client by way of a higher user fee.

By happenchance, are you paying taxes to the UK government? Most out of country requests come from passport holders that do not pay taxes. Thoses taxes help subsidize the UK government. Passport requests that are made in the UK are more likely to come from by UK taxpayers. These are the people that are providing the money to support the passport office and the embassies overseas. UK nationals residing in Thailand are usually not paying the taxes that would help pay for a UK embassy, whereas UK nationals residing in the UK are. If anything, UK residents should be demanding that non taxpayers pay higher user fees.

My goodness..you really are a full time government apologist.. whether that be the UK or Thai government. I agree with the OP.. it a bloody disgrace.. Most people paid taxes. also where is your proof that it costs more to process..especially when we are paying postage..apologists...piss me off.

[meatboy]

The costs of processing out of country documents are more expensive than processing them in country. Those costs are passed on in part to the client by way of a higher user fee.

By happenchance, are you paying taxes to the UK government? Most out of country requests come from passport holders that do not pay taxes. Thoses taxes help subsidize the UK government. Passport requests that are made in the UK are more likely to come from by UK taxpayers. These are the people that are providing the money to support the passport office and the embassies overseas. UK nationals residing in Thailand are usually not paying the taxes that would help pay for a UK embassy, whereas UK nationals residing in the UK are. If anything, UK residents should be demanding that non taxpayers pay higher user fees.

yes i do pay taxes to the gov,i also pay council tax for an empty house but the tennants when it was rented paid f-all.if they are processed in hk.why do they send them to the uk.and as for pensioners not paying tax towards the costs of passport offices and embassy's who's staff like to go out and piss it up at our expence dont get what uk pensioners get.

remember the rhyme

come to england poor and broke

go down the dole see labour bloke

fill in form have lots of chatter

then they give you lots of acker

by fk.y.all.

[lovelaos]

Is this correct? Overseas residents pay 51 GBP more then U.K residents? I didn't realise this....disgraceful

[CharlieH]

something wrong with those figures, it depends on which type of passport you want and how quickly you want it. To say residents pay one figure and expats pay different is wrong.

I was in the UK a few months ago and got a new passport and it cost £137 !! BUT it was a 48 page not the smaller standard one, and I had it there and then not the usual 2 weeks turnaround.

So it was my choice to pay extra.

The price , from what I have experienced is the same no matter where you are. Applications made to Hong Kong are usually "fast track" and therefore higher priced. the UK pays exactly the same.

What piss*s me off is having to pay that when in fact I still had 7 years left on previous passport, it was just full.

Option 1:

Normal service by post (aims to return your passport within three weeks - not guaranteed)

Option 2:

One-week Fast Track service (by appointment only)

Option 3:

One-day Premium service (by appointment only)

Adults (aged 16 and over)

Renew or amend an existing adult passport £72.50 £103.00 £128.00

First adult passport - if you have previously held a child passport issued in the UK

£72.50 £103.00 £128.00

First adult passport - if you have never held a child passport issued in the UK

£72.50 N/A N/A

Replace a lost, stolen or damaged adult passport

£72.50 £103.00 N/A

Extend a restricted validity adult passport issued on or after 1 May 2008*

£72.50 £103.00 N/A

Jumbo (48-page) passport £85.50 £111.00** £137.00**

[true blue]

and people complain about dual pricing in los???

[473geo]

Overseas applications are treated and charged as a same day turn around......no rip off just common sense to avoid more work when the applicant questions the time it is taking for return

[meatboy]

i see charlie paid £137 for a fast track 48 page passport that cost £85.50 normal time,

that £85.50 passport costs £154 oversea's

and while we are talking about being ripped off

what would you call it if you negotiated a preferential rate

this is what the bkk embassy said they had done with dhl

631bht one way.

ems, insurance and being able to track your post one way 400bht thaipostal.

over 50% more

in over 25years of sending through the thai post office i have never had one item go missing

as for coming the other way i have now stopped most post being sent from the uk.

there is a topic on this isaan forum..

[geriatrickid]

The costs of processing out of country documents are more expensive than processing them in country. Those costs are passed on in part to the client by way of a higher user fee.

By happenchance, are you paying taxes to the UK government? Most out of country requests come from passport holders that do not pay taxes. Thoses taxes help subsidize the UK government. Passport requests that are made in the UK are more likely to come from by UK taxpayers. These are the people that are providing the money to support the passport office and the embassies overseas. UK nationals residing in Thailand are usually not paying the taxes that would help pay for a UK embassy, whereas UK nationals residing in the UK are. If anything, UK residents should be demanding that non taxpayers pay higher user fees.

My goodness..you really are a full time government apologist.. whether that be the UK or Thai government. I agree with the OP.. it a bloody disgrace.. Most people paid taxes. also where is your proof that it costs more to process..especially when we are paying postage..apologists...piss me off.

Not an apologist, but one that has little patience for malingering and whingers. The explanation for the higher cost is given above. That same cost applies to everyone. As for taxes, I suggest you pull up an spread sheet and do your sums. The money the typical pensioner has paid into the pension system does not cover the costs of the money currently being disbursed. That burden falls upon the taxpayers to make up the shortfall, specifically the 25-50 year old demographic. . The 60-75 year old demographic is bleeding the system dry with their expensive pension and NHS requirements.They never paid enough into the system to cover all the benefits they received, or will receive from the government.

[ggold]

So its not a case that the government just collects the taxes and spend it on what they want! It is not as if we pay into a gov pension scheme where you might hope to see a return. Even private pension plans are a ripp off.

But this isnt about pesions or taxes, its about being charged a reasonable cost for the service provided. I doubt the tax payer is funding the passport office, other than the amount collected from each passport application.

Sent from my GT-P6200 using Thaivisa Connect App

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

geriatrickid:

"UK nationals residing in Thailand are usually not paying the taxes that would help pay for a UK embassy, whereas UK nationals residing in the UK are. If anything, UK residents should be demanding that non taxpayers pay higher user fees".

If their income is above the personal allowance threshold and derived from UK pension payments they will pay full UK tax,including higher rate tax ,should the income from these payments exceed the higher rate threshold.

[simple1]

The costs of processing out of country documents are more expensive than processing them in country. Those costs are passed on in part to the client by way of a higher user fee.

By happenchance, are you paying taxes to the UK government? Most out of country requests come from passport holders that do not pay taxes. Thoses taxes help subsidize the UK government. Passport requests that are made in the UK are more likely to come from by UK taxpayers. These are the people that are providing the money to support the passport office and the embassies overseas. UK nationals residing in Thailand are usually not paying the taxes that would help pay for a UK embassy, whereas UK nationals residing in the UK are. If anything, UK residents should be demanding that non taxpayers pay higher user fees.

My goodness..you really are a full time government apologist.. whether that be the UK or Thai government. I agree with the OP.. it a bloody disgrace.. Most people paid taxes. also where is your proof that it costs more to process..especially when we are paying postage..apologists...piss me off.

Not an apologist, but one that has little patience for malingering and whingers. The explanation for the higher cost is given above. That same cost applies to everyone. As for taxes, I suggest you pull up an spread sheet and do your sums. The money the typical pensioner has paid into the pension system does not cover the costs of the money currently being disbursed. That burden falls upon the taxpayers to make up the shortfall, specifically the 25-50 year old demographic. . The 60-75 year old demographic is bleeding the system dry with their expensive pension and NHS requirements.They never paid enough into the system to cover all the benefits they received, or will receive from the government.

Is this not a failure of previous governments fiscal policy? In other words my understanding is that pensions are paid out of each years' expenditure budget. Government had not invested a percentage of annual tax revenue to cover the explosion of future pension cost based on forecast increase in life expectancy.

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

The costs of processing out of country documents are more expensive than processing them in country. Those costs are passed on in part to the client by way of a higher user fee.

By happenchance, are you paying taxes to the UK government? Most out of country requests come from passport holders that do not pay taxes. Thoses taxes help subsidize the UK government. Passport requests that are made in the UK are more likely to come from by UK taxpayers. These are the people that are providing the money to support the passport office and the embassies overseas. UK nationals residing in Thailand are usually not paying the taxes that would help pay for a UK embassy, whereas UK nationals residing in the UK are. If anything, UK residents should be demanding that non taxpayers pay higher user fees.

My goodness..you really are a full time government apologist.. whether that be the UK or Thai government. I agree with the OP.. it a bloody disgrace.. Most people paid taxes. also where is your proof that it costs more to process..especially when we are paying postage..apologists...piss me off.

Not an apologist, but one that has little patience for malingering and whingers. The explanation for the higher cost is given above. That same cost applies to everyone. As for taxes, I suggest you pull up an spread sheet and do your sums. The money the typical pensioner has paid into the pension system does not cover the costs of the money currently being disbursed. That burden falls upon the taxpayers to make up the shortfall, specifically the 25-50 year old demographic. . The 60-75 year old demographic is bleeding the system dry with their expensive pension and NHS requirements.They never paid enough into the system to cover all the benefits they received, or will receive from the government.

Is this not a failure of previous governments fiscal policy? In other words my understanding is that pensions are paid out of each years' expenditure budget. Government had not invested a percentage of annual tax revenue to cover the explosion of future pension cost based on forecast increase in life expectancy.

i believe you are correct. Certainly state pensions payments and most public sector pensions, with the notable exception of the Local Government Pension Scheme, are reliant on the contributions of current contributors. There is no underlying fund and no provision has been made to accrue a surplus.

[meatboy]

The costs of processing out of country documents are more expensive than processing them in country. Those costs are passed on in part to the client by way of a higher user fee.

By happenchance, are you paying taxes to the UK government? Most out of country requests come from passport holders that do not pay taxes. Thoses taxes help subsidize the UK government. Passport requests that are made in the UK are more likely to come from by UK taxpayers. These are the people that are providing the money to support the passport office and the embassies overseas. UK nationals residing in Thailand are usually not paying the taxes that would help pay for a UK embassy, whereas UK nationals residing in the UK are. If anything, UK residents should be demanding that non taxpayers pay higher user fees.

My goodness..you really are a full time government apologist.. whether that be the UK or Thai government. I agree with the OP.. it a bloody disgrace.. Most people paid taxes. also where is your proof that it costs more to process..especially when we are paying postage..apologists...piss me off.

Not an apologist, but one that has little patience for malingering and whingers. The explanation for the higher cost is given above. That same cost applies to everyone. As for taxes, I suggest you pull up an spread sheet and do your sums. The money the typical pensioner has paid into the pension system does not cover the costs of the money currently being disbursed. That burden falls upon the taxpayers to make up the shortfall, specifically the 25-50 year old demographic. . The 60-75 year old demographic is bleeding the system dry with their expensive pension and NHS requirements.They never paid enough into the system to cover all the benefits they received, or will receive from the government.

Is this not a failure of previous governments fiscal policy? In other words my understanding is that pensions are paid out of each years' expenditure budget. Government had not invested a percentage of annual tax revenue to cover the explosion of future pension cost based on forecast increase in life expectancy.

its nothing to do with all the sick,lame and lazy that are flocking to our shores.never mind all the genuine workers in the uk will shortly be made to work till their 70.passport this is my last.

[Familyonthemove]

something wrong with those figures, it depends on which type of passport you want and how quickly you want it. To say residents pay one figure and expats pay different is wrong.

I was in the UK a few months ago and got a new passport and it cost £137 !! BUT it was a 48 page not the smaller standard one, and I had it there and then not the usual 2 weeks turnaround.

So it was my choice to pay extra.

The price , from what I have experienced is the same no matter where you are. Applications made to Hong Kong are usually "fast track" and therefore higher priced. the UK pays exactly the same.

What piss*s me off is having to pay that when in fact I still had 7 years left on previous passport, it was just full.

*

Yep - every year I need to fly to UK to get a new 48 page passport for £137 (I travel a lot in the region and the one page visas fill my passport) - then when I transfer the Thai Visas I lose 4 pages before I even use my new passport. Our U.S friends can have extra pages stiched in to their passports. But the real issue is the old story of the British Embassy in Bangkok not neing able to provide passports.

Also when they gave me my new passport last month - they told me to not get it wet as the ink is not waterproof (a new security measure apparently). Not good if you live in a flood prone, monsoon country like Thailand!

[samran]

Where would be be without our weekly dose of 'Whinging Pom's'?

Stay tuned next week for "All those bloody foreigners coming to leech of the system" and "I decided to move to a country where they don't index my pension, but even though it was my choice to do so, I'm going to have a whinge anyway"

Cue - east enders music.

Now, where is my pot of Tetley's and that marmite?

[Familyonthemove]

The costs of processing out of country documents are more expensive than processing them in country. Those costs are passed on in part to the client by way of a higher user fee.

By happenchance, are you paying taxes to the UK government? Most out of country requests come from passport holders that do not pay taxes. Thoses taxes help subsidize the UK government. Passport requests that are made in the UK are more likely to come from by UK taxpayers. These are the people that are providing the money to support the passport office and the embassies overseas. UK nationals residing in Thailand are usually not paying the taxes that would help pay for a UK embassy, whereas UK nationals residing in the UK are. If anything, UK residents should be demanding that non taxpayers pay higher user fees.

My goodness..you really are a full time government apologist.. whether that be the UK or Thai government. I agree with the OP.. it a bloody disgrace.. Most people paid taxes. also where is your proof that it costs more to process..especially when we are paying postage..apologists...piss me off.

Not an apologist, but one that has little patience for malingering and whingers. The explanation for the higher cost is given above. That same cost applies to everyone. As for taxes, I suggest you pull up an spread sheet and do your sums. The money the typical pensioner has paid into the pension system does not cover the costs of the money currently being disbursed. That burden falls upon the taxpayers to make up the shortfall, specifically the 25-50 year old demographic. . The 60-75 year old demographic is bleeding the system dry with their expensive pension and NHS requirements.They never paid enough into the system to cover all the benefits they received, or will receive from the government.

Is this not a failure of previous governments fiscal policy? In other words my understanding is that pensions are paid out of each years' expenditure budget. Government had not invested a percentage of annual tax revenue to cover the explosion of future pension cost based on forecast increase in life expectancy.

Bit unfair to compare the total needed to cover the costs of a growing elderly population with the tax paid by an individual. The tax paid by a couple who worked their whole lives, plus the interest the Government could have made on the investments if they'd not allowed the Bankers to screw the economy, would be much more than the costs needed to take care of them in their final years. Demographics is the issue ... more elderly people need more total funds .... but population growth is not news - we pay the Government to plan for these issues.

[4.real]

Those of us now drawing state pensions have been conned since we started work.

The 'Employers Contribution' to our state pension is a figure that the employers used when working out the cost of hiring labour.It was also used to show 'profit loss' when trade unions sought salary increases.

In other words.The EMPLOYEE paid both sums.Now add that figure up.

[GuestHouse]

Hand-Out Britain rears its ugly head again.

Like how oftain do you renew your pasport?

Price per year = next to sweet FA

[londoedan]

Where would be be without our weekly dose of 'Whinging Pom's'?

Stay tuned next week for "All those bloody foreigners coming to leech of the system" and "I decided to move to a country where they don't index my pension, but even though it was my choice to do so, I'm going to have a whinge anyway"

Cue - east enders music.

Now, where is my pot of Tetley's and that marmite?

+ 1 - Too true (the irony of these complaints coming from people that have emigrated to Thailand seems to escape them !).

Cue - Corrie theme tune plus a side order of Twinings Earl Grey + a cheese sarnie made with Cropwell Bishop Stilton.

[Familyonthemove]

Hand-Out Britain rears its ugly head again.

Like how oftain do you renew your pasport?

Price per year = next to sweet FA

I renew mine every year - 48 pages is nothing if you travel to countries that need one page visas. £137 plus a trip to the UK because I can't wait 2 weeks to get a new passport = £1000+ pa.

[KarenBravo]

Hand-Out Britain rears its ugly head again.

Like how oftain do you renew your pasport?

Price per year = next to sweet FA

I renew mine every year - 48 pages is nothing if you travel to countries that need one page visas. £137 plus a trip to the UK because I can't wait 2 weeks to get a new passport = £1000+ pa.

So......you fly to a page hungry country once a week?

Have you ever thought about getting two passports? Many people in O&G have two.

[Familyonthemove]

Hand-Out Britain rears its ugly head again.

Like how oftain do you renew your pasport?

Price per year = next to sweet FA

I renew mine every year - 48 pages is nothing if you travel to countries that need one page visas. £137 plus a trip to the UK because I can't wait 2 weeks to get a new passport = £1000+ pa.

So......you fly to a page hungry country once a week?

Have you ever thought about getting two passports? Many people in O&G have two.

Yes .... but I'm not sure how I'd deal with the Thai visa when I return to Bangkok. If I used my second passport without the Thai visa I'd end up with a tourist visa on return, then if I left Thailand on passport 1 I could have an overstay in passport 2?

[farang000999]

not from the UK but the retired Americans have their hands around our (the youth) necks and i don't know how much longer we can take it. sorry to say but the people you elected spent all the money you paid in taxes and it is to not be seen again, yet you expect us to make up the difference but who will make it up for us?

[breadbin]

could it not be said that the increase of £51 over 10 years works out to be £5.10 per year thus being approx 10p per week?

Now, I am tight but come on chaps!

[harryfrompattaya]

The British use to rip off the colonies now no colonies so rip of expats. I am glad the United States fought its way out.

[evadgib]

So are the Brits:)