Changes to British passport services in Thailand

[ubonjoe]

Thank you England.

So what is the exact address we have to send the application to?

If you go to the posted website there is a link to and go through the steps you will have the address. Link again: https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports/y

Screenshot of address.

[Water Buffalo]

Thanks Joe!

[Soutpeel]

Many thanks you morons at HM passport office I have just sent my renewal under the old requirement's to HK on the 10th and only sent a copy of the Thai visa and data page as they asked for what happens now ? HK going to forward for me to the UK, send it back to thailand, reject the application cos have never sent copies of all pages ? Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Sent you PM

Thanks mate big help should get a real person to talk to not an automated response LOL

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Water Buffalo]

So on the face of it, nothing too drastic, apart from the outgoing courier fee. Please correct me if im wrong as i need to renew in the next few months.

No outgoing discount with DHL.

When applying to HK, a few years back, I payed an all in fee and payed by bankers draft, no longer an option. It seemed about the same, 9,000 odd baht.

No countersignature required .. which was always difficult to find.

but also this in the notes, evidence of Name and address.

The first point is visa, but no address on that. Do I need to get another resident certificate from immigration ?

I don't think i have any of those documents with my address.

Must it be another trip to declare my address?

[OJAS]

Thanks for this will do, in fact dropped an email to the BE in bkk this evening asking the route to follow, I have no problem sending another application to the UK in the next day or so if I need to, but if HK do process the application and I send another to the UK one suspects confusion is going to occur

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

My gut feeling is that you should be OK with your existing application and that the final cut-off date is actually 1 January 2014. After all, changes of this nature are usually implemented from the start of a month rather than a third of the way through!

That said, I, too, would be feeling concerned and annoyed were I in your shoes.

[Blueeyes1999uk]

Ok - anyone had to renew a child's passport yet. If I use the website it sends me to the page for on-line applications where it states do not use if you are applying from outside the U.K. ! If I download the form it has no bar code on it. Any ideas please??

[ubonjoe]

Ok - anyone had to renew a child's passport yet. If I use the website it sends me to the page for on-line applications where it states do not use if you are applying from outside the U.K. ! If I download the form it has no bar code on it. Any ideas please??

It does not appear that online application is available for outside UK is possible.

Going through steps it just gives you a downloadable form. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/253215/OS_Form_008.pdf

[samtam]

By comparison, for a Japanese passport renewal, it takes 2 working days, and it's all completed in Bangkok. I suspect many other countries are more helpful to its citizens. One really wonders what the point is of British Embassies and Consulates throughout the world.

[Water Buffalo]

By comparison, for a Japanese passport renewal, it takes 2 working days, and it's all completed in Bangkok. I suspect many other countries are more helpful to its citizens. One really wonders what the point is of British Embassies and Consulates throughout the world.

Yeah, and i hate the way we are treated rudely by the Thai staff.

I once saw a British citezen who wanted inside, but the Thai woman at the door was just dismissing him like he was an annoying foreign pest in her country and wouldn't let him inside. Nonsense.

[billd766]

Having read the post and clicked on various item it ONLY tells me how to apply in the UK.

The price list is for the UK only.

It is like groundhog day in the USA.

Click where you like but you always end up where you started.

A crap link from the government who cares about you, NOT.

Using this link and going through all the steps will get you to the prices that are now equal to getting a passport urgently and paying for the premium service.

https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports/y

Screen shot of prices shown.

Thanks for that. I followed the link in the original post and didn't get to here.

I hope that they will accept a KBank Thailand Visa debit card.

[billd766]

It is like groundhog day in the USA.

Agreed, but some are looking from the other direction instead of the plying the ol' "the embassy ain't doing nuffink" malarkey.

I was following the original post. Try it and see where it takes you.

[ubonjoe]

You have hit the blue "here" to get to the correct link which can be easy to miss.

[Soutpeel]

Thanks for this will do, in fact dropped an email to the BE in bkk this evening asking the route to follow, I have no problem sending another application to the UK in the next day or so if I need to, but if HK do process the application and I send another to the UK one suspects confusion is going to occur

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

My gut feeling is that you should be OK with your existing application and that the final cut-off date is actually 1 January 2014. After all, changes of this nature are usually implemented from the start of a month rather than a third of the way through!

That said, I, too, would be feeling concerned and annoyed were I in your shoes.

I hope your gut feeling is correct LOL , the annoying thing for me will be if nobody responds to my query and in 4 weeks time or so I get a letter from some dipshit civil servant telling me I sent the application to the wrong place and the paper work is wrong , if in the next couple of days some responds and tells me to send to the UK this is ok all its cost me is a few extra days and another THB 700 odd for the courier , but if this drags out too long cos someone can't be bothered to answer an email then I am really going to be pissed

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Soutpeel]

Many thanks you morons at HM passport office I have just sent my renewal under the old requirement's to HK on the 10th and only sent a copy of the Thai visa and data page as they asked for what happens now ? HK going to forward for me to the UK, send it back to thailand, reject the application cos have never sent copies of all pages ? Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Sent you PM

Just as an update, got a very quick response from the details you sent me and it seems my application can and will be done in HK and have been given the instruction not to submit anything further unless they ask for it and most certainly do not send another application to the UK as it will really c@ck things up with my application so again thanks for the contact info it has really helped and know where I stand now which was all I was looking for

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[AyG]

What strikes me as utterly bizarre is that for the "name and address" evidence is that documents such as visa, baptismal certificate, medical card and immigration documents are most unlikely to show your current address.

As for a school report and parents' death certificate, how are they even remotely relevant?

As for myself, I don't pay any tax anywhere in the world. I'm not employed. I have no dealings with any government department. I can't vote here. According to that list there's simply no way for me to prove my address. I've faced a similar problem opening various accounts, and for those the only proof I've been able to provide is bank statements from offshore banks, which appear to be unacceptable to the mandarins of the passport "service". I can only hope that the incompetents "managing" this service come to realise that what they're trying to implement is simply unworkable.

[Soutpeel]

What strikes me as utterly bizarre is that for the "name and address" evidence is that documents such as visa, baptismal certificate, medical card and immigration documents are most unlikely to show your current address.

As for a school report and parents' death certificate, how are they even remotely relevant?

As for myself, I don't pay any tax anywhere in the world. I'm not employed. I have no dealings with any government department. I can't vote here. According to that list there's simply no way for me to prove my address. I've faced a similar problem opening various accounts, and for those the only proof I've been able to provide is bank statements from offshore banks, which appear to be unacceptable to the mandarins of the passport "service". I can only hope that the incompetents "managing" this service come to realise that what they're trying to implement is simply unworkable.

Looking at this list don't think anything has changed if you are applying from thailand as you would be able to provide a copy of your "visa" or you may even have a residence certificate for thailand, you only need to provide one item from each part of the list which is what you were effectively doing when sending to HK ie copy of pp data page and copy of your Thai visa anyway

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Tony M]

With reference to the question of cost, I queried this with IPS in UK a long time ago. When this recent change to the process was announced, I wrote to them again. This is the correspondence I have had with them ( since December last year ), and received on Thursday this week :

Good afternoon and thank you for your email.

As stated previously, once the integration programme has been completed Her Majesty's Passport Office will review the pricing structure and the passport fee will reflect the actual processing costs.

I hope this answers your query.

Kind regards

Customer Contact Centre

Rheolwr Tîm y Ganolfan Cyswllt Cwsmeriaid

Wales and South West England - Cymru a De Orllewin Lloegr
Her Majesty's Passport Office | Nexus House l Mission Court l Newport l NP20 2DW
Swyddfa Basbort Ei Mawrhydi l Tŷ Nexus l Mission Court l Casnewydd l NP20 2DW

T: 0845 601 5403 | E: [email protected]
Her Majesty's Passport Office welcomes calls via Text Relay services;
To use this service dial 18001 followed by 0845 601 5403
Mae Swyddfa Basbort Ei Mawrhydi yn croesawu
galwadau trwy Wasanaethau Cyfleu Testun.

I ddefnyddio’r gwasanaeth hwn, deialwch 18001 ac yna 0845 601 5403.

From:
Sent: 12 December 2013 11:46
To: [email protected]
Subject:

Dear Customer Contact Centre,

With reference to your email below to me, the passport issuing process has now moved to the UK. Applicants in Thailand must now apply to Liverpool to renew a passport. I now ask again, why do we still have to pay double the cost of a passport application made in the UK ? Surely the only difference in cost now should be the courier fee ?

Yours,

> Subject: RE:

> Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:02:52 +0000
> From: [email protected]
> To:
>
> Good afternoon Mr ....,
>
> Thank you for your enquiry.
>
> The financing arrangements for applications submitted in the UK are separate from the arrangements for applications submitted overseas. Each part of the business needs to recover the costs of the passport service through the fees we charge.
>
> Fees for passport applications overseas are higher than those in the UK: Passport fees overseas are calculated on the full cost of the overseas passport operation and processing costs overseas are higher than in the UK. Passport processing overseas often takes longer than in the UK, due to the need to complete checks of local supporting documents, and the distances involved. In addition, first-time applicants overseas may need to provide more evidence of their claim to British nationality than if they were applying in the UK (such as “long” birth certificates and, in certain circumstances, DNA test results).
>
> The price of the passport for overseas applicants will remain the same until the integration programme to bring all passport processing back to the UK has been completed. This is because of the cost of maintaining the overseas processing network.
>
> Once the integration programme has been completed IPS will review the pricing structure and the passport fee will reflect the actual processing costs.
>
> I hope this answers your query.
>
> Kind regards

You can, of course, contact them yourselves, and make your feelings known. Without any "feedback" they will probably just carry on as now in the hope that nobody notices !

Edited December 13, 2013 by Tony M

[jimjams33]

I have just spoken with the Passport office in the UK tel +44 300 222 0000

its only 1 pence per minute from skype.....anyway here's what i found out.

- If in Thailand you need to send a full colour copy of your passport...cover to cover....every single page, even the notes pages.

- For proof of address she the guidelines. If you cant get any of the proof needed. You can take your apartment rent receipts to the British embassy and they will write a letter confirming your address. the name on the rent receipts has to match your obviously. The embassy will charge you for the privilege...think is 2000 or 3000 baht.

- The passport form is the same as the UK residents one...just follow the guidelines for completing the overseas application...

I hope this helps people

[parryhandy]

I have just spoken with the Passport office in the UK tel +44 300 222 0000

its only 1 pence per minute from skype.....anyway here's what i found out.

- If in Thailand you need to send a full colour copy of your passport...cover to cover....every single page, even the notes pages.

- For proof of address she the guidelines. If you cant get any of the proof needed. You can take your apartment rent receipts to the British embassy and they will write a letter confirming your address. the name on the rent receipts has to match your obviously. The embassy will charge you for the privilege...think is 2000 or 3000 baht.

- The passport form is the same as the UK residents one...just follow the guidelines for completing the overseas application...

I hope this helps people

no receipts here . Absolutely no way to prove residence (on multiple non o visa). think I might just post my passport back to the uk to relatives and take my chances.

[Soutpeel]

I have just spoken with the Passport office in the UK tel +44 300 222 0000

its only 1 pence per minute from skype.....anyway here's what i found out.

- If in Thailand you need to send a full colour copy of your passport...cover to cover....every single page, even the notes pages.

- For proof of address she the guidelines. If you cant get any of the proof needed. You can take your apartment rent receipts to the British embassy and they will write a letter confirming your address. the name on the rent receipts has to match your obviously. The embassy will charge you for the privilege...think is 2000 or 3000 baht.

- The passport form is the same as the UK residents one...just follow the guidelines for completing the overseas application...

I hope this helps people

no receipts here . Absolutely no way to prove residence (on multiple non o visa). think I might just post my passport back to the uk to relatives and take my chances.

And if look at the list providing a copy of your visa will comply with the requirement, no need to send your pp back to the UK

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[parryhandy]

I have just spoken with the Passport office in the UK tel +44 300 222 0000

its only 1 pence per minute from skype.....anyway here's what i found out.

- If in Thailand you need to send a full colour copy of your passport...cover to cover....every single page, even the notes pages.

- For proof of address she the guidelines. If you cant get any of the proof needed. You can take your apartment rent receipts to the British embassy and they will write a letter confirming your address. the name on the rent receipts has to match your obviously. The embassy will charge you for the privilege...think is 2000 or 3000 baht.

- The passport form is the same as the UK residents one...just follow the guidelines for completing the overseas application...

I hope this helps people

no receipts here . Absolutely no way to prove residence (on multiple non o visa). think I might just post my passport back to the uk to relatives and take my chances.

And if look at the list providing a copy of your visa will comply with the requirement, no need to send your pp back to the UK

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The visa has no address on it so why would they accept that for proof of residence ?

[ubonjoe]

I have just spoken with the Passport office in the UK tel +44 300 222 0000

its only 1 pence per minute from skype.....anyway here's what i found out.

- If in Thailand you need to send a full colour copy of your passport...cover to cover....every single page, even the notes pages.

- For proof of address she the guidelines. If you cant get any of the proof needed. You can take your apartment rent receipts to the British embassy and they will write a letter confirming your address. the name on the rent receipts has to match your obviously. The embassy will charge you for the privilege...think is 2000 or 3000 baht.

- The passport form is the same as the UK residents one...just follow the guidelines for completing the overseas application...

I hope this helps people

no receipts here . Absolutely no way to prove residence (on multiple non o visa). think I might just post my passport back to the uk to relatives and take my chances.

No rental contract? Surely you can up with something.

[Soutpeel]

I have just spoken with the Passport office in the UK tel +44 300 222 0000

its only 1 pence per minute from skype.....anyway here's what i found out.

- If in Thailand you need to send a full colour copy of your passport...cover to cover....every single page, even the notes pages.

- For proof of address she the guidelines. If you cant get any of the proof needed. You can take your apartment rent receipts to the British embassy and they will write a letter confirming your address. the name on the rent receipts has to match your obviously. The embassy will charge you for the privilege...think is 2000 or 3000 baht.

- The passport form is the same as the UK residents one...just follow the guidelines for completing the overseas application...

I hope this helps people

no receipts here . Absolutely no way to prove residence (on multiple non o visa). think I might just post my passport back to the uk to relatives and take my chances.

And if look at the list providing a copy of your visa will comply with the requirement, no need to send your pp back to the UK

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The visa has no address on it so why would they accept that for proof of residence ?

I have no idea, just quoting from the list they have provided, visa or residence permit or colour copies there of, i have the feeling this address requirement is more to do with proving your country of residence as opposed to proving your actual physical address

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[parryhandy]

No rental contract (lived in the same house for 6 years) and the hassle of trying to get one then going to Bangkok etc and then handing over more money for them to actually do their job. No its relatives for me and will pay the UK fee. How they have the nerve to charge more is beyond me.

[JAS21]

My wife, a Thai National, needs to renew her UK Passport soon ... can anyone confirm if she does it under 'Renew a Red Passport' and also that she needs to supply one document from each section of table A ... thanks

[Soutpeel]

My wife, a Thai National, needs to renew her UK Passport soon ... can anyone confirm if she does it under 'Renew a Red Passport' and also that she needs to supply one document from each section of table A ... thanks

If she has the red "EU" pp as opposed to the old black covered passport then it would be renew a red pp and yes reading the new rules needs to supply one document from each section of table A

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[parryhandy]

What strikes me as utterly bizarre is that for the "name and address" evidence is that documents such as visa, baptismal certificate, medical card and immigration documents are most unlikely to show your current address.

As for a school report and parents' death certificate, how are they even remotely relevant?

As for myself, I don't pay any tax anywhere in the world. I'm not employed. I have no dealings with any government department. I can't vote here. According to that list there's simply no way for me to prove my address. I've faced a similar problem opening various accounts, and for those the only proof I've been able to provide is bank statements from offshore banks, which appear to be unacceptable to the mandarins of the passport "service". I can only hope that the incompetents "managing" this service come to realise that what they're trying to implement is simply unworkable.

This will end up going full circle back to the way it was before.I rang the passport office on the number given earlier and explained there is no way for me to prove residence and they said they will get back to me.But I floated the idea of sending the passport to the embassy and have me collect and sign for it there. This is the very reason no doubt that you had to apply in person at the embassy before so as to make sure the person applying/receiving the passport was in fact the correct person.

[parryhandy]

I have just spoken with the Passport office in the UK tel +44 300 222 0000

its only 1 pence per minute from skype.....anyway here's what i found out.

- If in Thailand you need to send a full colour copy of your passport...cover to cover....every single page, even the notes pages.

- For proof of address she the guidelines. If you cant get any of the proof needed. You can take your apartment rent receipts to the British embassy and they will write a letter confirming your address. the name on the rent receipts has to match your obviously. The embassy will charge you for the privilege...think is 2000 or 3000 baht.

- The passport form is the same as the UK residents one...just follow the guidelines for completing the overseas application...

I hope this helps people

Thanks for the number but this verify your address is utterly pointless when they could just have the passport sent to the embassy and have you sign for it whilst you are there.

[Soutpeel]

I have just spoken with the Passport office in the UK tel +44 300 222 0000

its only 1 pence per minute from skype.....anyway here's what i found out.

- If in Thailand you need to send a full colour copy of your passport...cover to cover....every single page, even the notes pages.

- For proof of address she the guidelines. If you cant get any of the proof needed. You can take your apartment rent receipts to the British embassy and they will write a letter confirming your address. the name on the rent receipts has to match your obviously. The embassy will charge you for the privilege...think is 2000 or 3000 baht.

- The passport form is the same as the UK residents one...just follow the guidelines for completing the overseas application...

I hope this helps people

Thanks for the number but this verify your address is utterly pointless when they could just have the passport sent to the embassy and have you sign for it whilst you are there.

Of course common sense dictates this is the best way but lest not forget the stated reasons for making all these changes - cost cutting, therefore sending your pp to the embassy means you have to employ someone to do the verification which defeats the object of the whole exercise

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[parryhandy]

I have just spoken with the Passport office in the UK tel +44 300 222 0000

its only 1 pence per minute from skype.....anyway here's what i found out.

- If in Thailand you need to send a full colour copy of your passport...cover to cover....every single page, even the notes pages.

- For proof of address she the guidelines. If you cant get any of the proof needed. You can take your apartment rent receipts to the British embassy and they will write a letter confirming your address. the name on the rent receipts has to match your obviously. The embassy will charge you for the privilege...think is 2000 or 3000 baht.

- The passport form is the same as the UK residents one...just follow the guidelines for completing the overseas application...

I hope this helps people

Thanks for the number but this verify your address is utterly pointless when they could just have the passport sent to the embassy and have you sign for it whilst you are there.

Of course common sense dictates this is the best way but lest not forget the stated reasons for making all these changes - cost cutting, therefore sending your pp to the embassy means you have to employ someone to do the verification which defeats the object of the whole exercise

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

yup your probably right.

Cost cutting = charge you for a service your not getting any more then charge you again to re-instate that service.