Further to Crossy's first post in this thread - I had a new UK passport turned around in 10 days.

Sent application off from Bangkok to Hong Kong on the Monday, passport in hand the following week Thursday.

Most likely that was before thay changed the system. I too had one that quickly.

Now though, they send the application on to London. Reports of up to 4/5 weeks.

No - this was very recently under the current system (why would I have sent the application to Hong Kong otherwise?).

Application sent to Hong Kong, passport issued London. Turnaround 10 days exactly as my post above.

Because Hong Kong was a regional passport office issuing the passports until the last few months from my understanding - but now, for security as has been US procedure for many years, it is done only in home country UK and sent back from UK so a longer and indirect path. Although the US system seems to get it done within 2 weeks max have seen reports of UK taking longer.

At any rate he does not have the time to wait and as I posted in post 10 the emergency passport can be obtained and used in such a case and a good overview is contained in the current link I provided.

I would think that somewhere in the passport there would be room for a departure stamp, entry/departure stamps (no visa) for KL Malaysia and the then entry stamp for Thailand. This trip by air would give you 30 days.

I would think that somewhere in the passport there would be room for a departure stamp, entry/departure stamps (no visa) for KL Malaysia and the then entry stamp for Thailand. This trip by air would give you 30 days.

same could be done with E-visa(25 us$ , no sticker only a4 print out from your own they send the e-visa by email] Cambodia flight- Airasia , they have morning flight & late afternoon flight but need 1 stamp IN and 1 stamp out , so in total needed space 4stamps with the Thai Exit and incoming one ..

Edited March 17, 201313 yr by david555

From the link in post #18

emergency travel document

Who can apply:

• British nationals who have been the victim of crime and have had their passports stolen
• British nationals who have lost or damaged their passport, or discovered that is has expired and need to travel urgently
• those who have sent off their Full Validity Passport for renewal but now need to travel urgently

Is this the 'silver bullet' the OP seeks?

Send off the new passport application ASAP; I assume there's some form of electronic receipt that the Embassy accepts as proof that it is being applied for. Then get the emergency travel document and pop down to KL using Ethiopian airlines (depart BKK early afternoon and return late evening same day) and get 30-days on arrival. Not sure how easily the Malaysian Immigration processes someone entering and leaving the same day on a temp travel doc as well as heading back to the same destination. Maybe a few extra questions and proof of the new UK passport being applied for is all they need. Not sure how the Thai Immigration handle the subsequent departure from Thailand with an entry card attached to the temp travel doc and a new, blank UK passport. Maybe that's just a formality of sorts at Suan Phlu? Either way, the OP needs to consider that maybe not everything can be done from Chiang Mai!

My preference is to bite the bullet, fly back to the UK and get a new passport there; apply for two while you are at it. The OP needs a break from Thailand after 17 years no? There's a bit of snow about just now but the OP may be able to catch up on some other news that he missed in the 'cocoon' he seems to inhabit here.

Further to Crossy's first post in this thread - I had a new UK passport turned around in 10 days.

Sent application off from Bangkok to Hong Kong on the Monday, passport in hand the following week Thursday.

We're now in the busy season and they're taking about 4 weeks; my sons' passport renewal applications have been at the HK consulate since 25/2

Further to Crossy's first post in this thread - I had a new UK passport turned around in 10 days.

Sent application off from Bangkok to Hong Kong on the Monday, passport in hand the following week Thursday.

We're now in the busy season and they're taking about 4 weeks; my sons' passport renewal applications have been at the HK consulate since 25/2

The first passport has just been delivered by DHL; hopefully the other will arrive tomorrow; so it has taken 3 weeks from the day that EMS delivered the applications at the HK consulate to the delivery of the first passport