Please settle an arguement.

Can you do a border run on your old passport while new one (UK) is being processed through Hong Kong ?

You should be able to. My understanding is that they do not cancel old passport until new one is on the way to you.

Here https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports/y/thailand/renewing_new/adult

It says

Don’t book travel until you have a valid passport. If you need to travel urgently, you may be able to apply for an Emergency Travel Document.

So I'm going with 'no'.

You should be able to. My understanding is that they do not cancel old passport until new one is on the way to you.

UJ. Where is the cancellation done, HK or UK ?

Last time this came up I read that the old passport was cancelled as soon as the application was received in HK. As renewing anywhere other from Thailand requires you to send in the old passport I suppose cancellation upon receipt in HK makes Thai originated renewals somewhat consistent.

Whether or not the checkpoints at land crossings would know this or not is another question.

UK from what I understand.

I think travel means by air. There have been reports of people making border run while waiting for new passport.

last january, I was refused re-entry from cambodia because I did not have 6 months left on a canadian passport. ( I had 5 1/2)

Last time this came up I read that the old passport was cancelled as soon as the application was received in HK. As renewing anywhere other from Thailand requires you to send in the old passport I suppose cancellation upon receipt in HK makes Thai originated renewals somewhat consistent.

Whether or not the checkpoints at land crossings would know this or not is another question.

Depends on whether or not IO's at land crossings swipe the photopage through a scanner like their airport colleagues do, I suspect. Since I have never made a border run, I don't know if they do.

Last time this came up I read that the old passport was cancelled as soon as the application was received in HK. As renewing anywhere other from Thailand requires you to send in the old passport I suppose cancellation upon receipt in HK makes Thai originated renewals somewhat consistent.

Whether or not the checkpoints at land crossings would know this or not is another question.

Depends on whether or not IO's at land crossings swipe the photopage through a scanner like their airport colleagues do, I suspect. Since I have never made a border run, I don't know if they do.

ive seen them type the passport number into their computer

Does anybody really think that there is a worldwide data base of cancelled passports that immigration accesses when you enter the country. Lost or stolen yes possibly.

Does anybody really think that there is a worldwide data base of cancelled passports that immigration accesses when you enter the country. Lost or stolen yes possibly.

I wonder if it's possible to get an answer from UK or HK on exactly when the old PP is cancelled. ?

I will have a look into it.

Does anybody really think that there is a worldwide data base of cancelled passports that immigration accesses when you enter the country. Lost or stolen yes possibly.

I wonder if it's possible to get an answer from UK or HK on exactly when the old PP is cancelled. ?

I will have a look into it.

The old FCO website (which has now been superseded by the GOV.UK one) included the following statement: "Please note that the passport being renewed will be electronically cancelled and is therefore not valid for use as a travel document from the moment you submit your application" (my bold). In practice I suspect that HK do the cancellation when they receive your application. The fact that the cancellation is electronic presumably means that it will shown up if an IO swipes the photopage through a scanner or types the passport number into their computer. Why else would the cancellation be done electronically?

Does anybody really think that there is a worldwide data base of cancelled passports that immigration accesses when you enter the country. Lost or stolen yes possibly.

I would imagine that the cancellation of the old passpoet is done in UK and probably the old number will be on the border agency data base UK only,

It would really only apply to someone in UK and applying in UK and would 'red flag' the passport if that person tried to leave UK borders on that old passport.

I don't really see them informing the world of a passport cancellation unless it's related to an Interpol alert or similar.

Does anybody really think that there is a worldwide data base of cancelled passports that immigration accesses when you enter the country. Lost or stolen yes possibly.

I would imagine that the cancellation of the old passpoet is done in UK and probably the old number will be on the border agency data base UK only,

It would really only apply to someone in UK and applying in UK and would 'red flag' the passport if that person tried to leave UK borders on that old passport.

I don't really see them informing the world of a passport cancellation unless it's related to an Interpol alert or similar.

In that case that would presumably mean that we could, in practice, still travel anywhere in the world on our old passports - except, of course, to the good old UK.

Does anybody really think that there is a worldwide data base of cancelled passports that immigration accesses when you enter the country. Lost or stolen yes possibly.

I would imagine that the cancellation of the old passpoet is done in UK and probably the old number will be on the border agency data base UK only,

It would really only apply to someone in UK and applying in UK and would 'red flag' the passport if that person tried to leave UK borders on that old passport.

I don't really see them informing the world of a passport cancellation unless it's related to an Interpol alert or similar.

In that case that would presumably mean that we could, in practice, still travel anywhere in the world on our old passports - except, of course, to the good old UK.

Only answer I got from HK was that the old PP is cancelled the day the information is transferred ( electronically ) to UK for printing of new PP.