Thai Passport Office - Shutdown ?

[Chao Lao Beach]

Some of my Thai family have to renew their passports (Including 1 initial issue).

Other in-laws have told us that the Passport Office is shut down as part of the Bangkok shenanigans, does any one know this for sure?

I thought the Passport office was in Bang-Na and not Chang Wattanna. Surly they have not stopped issuing passports?

Thanks in Advance.

[ubonjoe]

Bangna is still accepting passport applications but are limited to 2500 a day. From what I have read the amount of time to get a the passport issued is now a lot longer than before also.

The primary office is in Cheang Wattana and it is closed. This has resulted in all provincial passport offices being unable to take applications.

[Chao Lao Beach]

Yes BangNa doing 1750 a day, must be there before 6:30am or you will miss out. We there at 4am and still #700 in the que.

Can not pick it up, must be EMS. Folks from all over the country driven there and waiting.

Processing time they think will be about 10 days.

Translation and stamping has also moved there as well into the food court.

Staff all working very hard, not like anything I have seen before actually. They were a very well oiled machine trying hard for the people. Many tables etc in the food court to start the process before you even go in.

Seems the BKK shutdown is just making life hard for people but not getting what they want. Hey, I love a 3am drive avoiding the drunks driving wrong way along the elevated highway, how the hell can they even do that I still wonder, I mean you have to go through toll boths the wrong way. Seeing people go up off ramps the wrong way is ops normal, but toll Boths ?

Edited February 5, 2014 by Chao Lao Beach

[GrantSmith]

There's also another office at Tesco Pinklao... Much the same as Bang Na in terms of queues etc...

Have seen images of people lining up pre-dawn to get in at both Pinklao and Bang Na...

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ubonjoe]

Things will improve this coming week if the Consular Affairs department gets it servers up an running as planned this week end. But there will no applications accepted at CW.

The provincial offices will also be able to process applications next week.

[jingjingna]

What's the latest on Thai passport issues? My partner is in the UK and had to renew her passport beginning of January. Thai embassy London said if would take 4 weeks but still nothing. Getting pretty desperate here as she needs her passport to be able to sit her Life in the UK test before applying for ILR.

[ubonjoe]

I am not sure how they have been handling passports applied for through an embassy. I assume they have been doing them through one of the two Bangkok offices that were still operating. I suggest you contact the embassy for info.

It is interesting they told you 4 weeks when their website says two months.

[Ace of Pop]

C.M. is open,and say 4 weeks for a new issue,recon the time is a guess though.People are waiting outside at 4.300 A.M. to get a ticket to apply.