On Friday I am going to apply for my sons first uk passport. The thing is we will be arriving by train in the morning and have a big suitcase and baby's buggy. What is the security rules on entry if we have a suitcase?!

Thanks

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Can you leave it at the station left-luggage or your hotel?

The embassy don't allow pretty well anything in (including mobiles which must be left at the gate),

I'm not sure how the security chaps would react to being asked to look after a suitcase, but I'd be willing to bet it won't be a positive experience

I'm sure you won't be the first person to show up with suitcase/rucksack.

i have never had my phone taken off me nor have I ever been searched going into the consulate I have never gone there with a suitcase though.

I assume you've checked but are you sure they will issue a passport in BKK? Last time I renewed mine, about 3 years ago, I had to send it to Hong Kong. Maybe it's different for a new one.

I assume you've checked but are you sure they will issue a passport in BKK? Last time I renewed mine, about 3 years ago, I had to send it to Hong Kong. Maybe it's different for a new one.

It is, a first passport can be applied for at the embassy

I would suggest that you call the consular section and ask for advice.

Your wife and child may not actually be required to lodge the application. If this is the case, you could drop them off at a nearby shopping mall (there are lots) and do the embassy bit before rejoining them.

Just my own experience.

I was there a few weeks ago with a large suitcase, travel bag and laptop. After a struggle getting through the turnstile with my luggage they gave me a tag for my belongings and locked them up in a secure side room. I had to sign in with time and date, searched and my phone / keys were put in a side pocket of my travel bag. No big deal and friendly.

BTW, I'm 99.99% sure they cannot issue passports for any reason, only emergency travel documents. All passport applications made in Thailand are processed in Hong Kong and issued from the UK.

As said before a first time passport application can only be done at the embassy.

First time and emergency one year passports are issued at Embassy from my understanding and Hong Kong is just an application processing point for last several years as actual passport is made and issued from UK.

Have your wife wait outside. There is covered seating close by.

If you are asking about the British Embassy in Bangkok - then no-way will they let you in with a suitcase or any other baggage; they even take your Mobile 'phone from you before you can enter.

As for Consulates - Pattaya, Chiang Mai etc, - I have no idea.

Patrick

I had to apply for my children's first passports through Germany not at the local embassy. This was their first passport just to reiterate.

Phone the embassy is my advice, you may not have to travel.

As said before a first time passport application can only be done at the embassy.

I'd really like to see a link for this info please.

According to the Gov UK passport website it is done as an application to HK.

www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

Screen shot of last page after going through steps starting here. https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

Many thanks for that Joe.

I had to apply for my children's first passports through Germany not at the local embassy. This was their first passport just to reiterate.

Phone the embassy is my advice, you may not have to travel.

Why did you have to apply for British passports through Germany?

Where were you?

Is it the British Embassy? Just that I've never seen anyone in there I could recognize as British, except when their coming back from lunch. I've got stuff done in there but my god isn't it hard to explain sometimes what is required, I've lost count how many times I've seen people losing it in there because the assistants simply don't understand what they are asking and it's not the language but the basic knowledge of how our systems operate, for example our welfare, and education system. The assistants are always pleasant but shouldn't we be able to speak to someone who understand our problems from coming from that grounding themselves? It seems the only thing British is the sign going in, even the security it foreign.

Please explain how "our" welfare, and education systems are relevant to an expat seeking assistance at the British Embassy in Bangkok ?

Sabian,

It's been a while, but the last time I visited the British embassy the consular staff I spoke to were all British; though they do employ Thai clerical staff.

The security are retired Ghurkhas, men who may be foreign but have served this country very well in two world wars and many other campaigns and who continue to do so today.

It is not the embassy's job to advice you on your welfare rights in the UK nor on UK education.

First time and emergency one year passports are issued at Embassy from my understanding and Hong Kong is just an application processing point for last several years as actual passport is made and issued from UK.

And you are charged twice the price for that privilege

I assume you've checked but are you sure they will issue a passport in BKK? Last time I renewed mine, about 3 years ago, I had to send it to Hong Kong. Maybe it's different for a new one.

i got my daughters first one this year and could apply for it there but the just sent the forms to hong kong

First time and emergency one year passports are issued at Embassy from my understanding and Hong Kong is just an application processing point for last several years as actual passport is made and issued from UK.

And you are charged twice the price for that privilege

all passports are now issued in hong kong from thailand not uk and not from embassy in bangkok. they couldnt deal with all the applications here so diverted them all although you can apply at the embassy and they will send the forms for you. you also cannot apply for a passport if you are overseas and not in uk even online which is annoying because it cost double here lol

i have never had my phone taken off me nor have I ever been searched going into the consulate I have never gone there with a suitcase though.

In BKK they always, but always take your phone but it's safely looked after by the ex-Gurkhas.

Thanks for the replies guys maybe I will leave the wife and baby in a nice coffee shop somewhere then go an so it. As for fly our baby's first passport you DO do it at Bangkok. And yes they do just forward it all to Bangkok. Thanks

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Sabian,

It's been a while, but the last time I visited the British embassy the consular staff I spoke to were all British; though they do employ Thai clerical staff.

The security are retired Ghurkhas, men who may be foreign but have served this country very well in two world wars and many other campaigns and who continue to do so today.

It is not the embassy's job to advice you on your welfare rights in the UK nor on UK education.

Well there is one retired Gurkha, but the rest of the security is clearly not. Also if I have a pension from the UK especially a military pension I should be able to talk with someone who understands the system, that is welfare which they clearly do not understand. It is also my right to receive such information if I require it and know about Gurkha's I spent enough time with them, at least enough to have the respect to spell their name right!

As a military pensioner you should also have the right sense to ask!

Edited November 20, 201312 yr by evadgib

Sabian,

It's been a while, but the last time I visited the British embassy the consular staff I spoke to were all British; though they do employ Thai clerical staff.

The security are retired Ghurkhas, men who may be foreign but have served this country very well in two world wars and many other campaigns and who continue to do so today.

It is not the embassy's job to advice you on your welfare rights in the UK nor on UK education.

In fact I just contacted the embassy and yes they can give help on this and told me where I could find the relevant info. This was my point, I never got this info when asking in Bkk.

Rhiannon B, Nov 20 12:15 (GMT):

Dear ,

Many thanks for your email.

For questions about international pensions, it's best if you contact my colleagues in the International Pension Centre. You'll find their contact details on the page below:

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-if-you-retire-abroad/how-to-claim

For questions relating to military pension, please contact the MOD on the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence#org-contacts

I hope this helps, and thanks once again for getting in touch.

Best wishes

Sabian,

It's been a while, but the last time I visited the British embassy the consular staff I spoke to were all British; though they do employ Thai clerical staff.

The security are retired Ghurkhas, men who may be foreign but have served this country very well in two world wars and many other campaigns and who continue to do so today.

It is not the embassy's job to advice you on your welfare rights in the UK nor on UK education.

In fact I just contacted the embassy and yes they can give help on this and told me where I could find the relevant info. This was my point, I never got this info when asking in Bkk.

Rhiannon B, Nov 20 12:15 (GMT):

Dear ,

Many thanks for your email.

For questions about international pensions, it's best if you contact my colleagues in the International Pension Centre. You'll find their contact details on the page below:

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-if-you-retire-abroad/how-to-claim

For questions relating to military pension, please contact the MOD on the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence#org-contacts

I hope this helps, and thanks once again for getting in touch.

Best wishes

Yeah...but you could have googled it easy enough

totster

Giving welfare and pensions advice is not a service offered by any embassy; That email gives you no advice other than to tell you who in the UK you should contact.

Maybe if you'd had a bit more patience to begin with the person you spoke to would have found that out for you while you were there. Counter staff cannot be expected to know everything about everything.

As totser says, you could easily have saved yourself a trip and found out the information via Google; or even by contacting your pension provider!

You are coming across as one of those Brit expats who expects the embassy to do everything for them.

How do you know that only one of the guards is a Gurkha; have you asked?

As for my spelling mistake; we all make both spelling and grammatical errors when posting; even you.