My Thai wife's Thai passport has expired, and we went to get a new one at Central Bangna, and the lines are almost totally unmanageable. Anybody have any tips on how to get a new passport without spending an entire day in that overcrowded office?

Thanks.

Edited March 7, 201412 yr by isawasnake

There is no online application of a Thai passport, there might be an online appointment system.

Unortunately, things are unlikely to improve untill the demonstration near CW-road is over.

There is no online application. There is however a way to get a number in advance on the website so their is not such along wait See: http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/home

Bangna is not the only location. The office in Pinklao is open.

Thanks guys. Yes I misread the MOL passport page in my haste mistaking e-passport for online application. I changed my OP.

I will look into that link, thanks again!!

Any other info appreciated

Edited March 7, 201412 yr by isawasnake

There is no online application. There is however a way to get a number in advance on the website so their is not such along wait See: http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/home

Bangna is not the only location. The office in Pinklao is open.

If anybody sees this and could report on the current number of people and waiting times at Pinklao, that would be great.

Right now at Bangna it is totally ridiculous in my estimation. I could not even find the end of the line at 8am. Seriously, I could not even find it, and there was no air conditioning in a hall filled with what seemed like one thousand people.

Edited March 7, 201412 yr by isawasnake

Have your wife look at the website I posted the link to. Somewhere on it is an online system to get a number in advance so you do not have to stand in line.

A member reported his wife used it and was able to get one for an earlier day at Pinklao than Bangna.

It's really unfortunate that the online appointments are only for a few key passport offices.

Have your wife look at the website I posted the link to. Somewhere on it is an online system to get a number in advance so you do not have to stand in line.

A member reported his wife used it and was able to get one for an earlier day at Pinklao than Bangna.

Currently trying to figure this out. Would happily go to Pinklao if we can execute this option. I'll post back if it works.

Incidentally, we are planning on going to Phuket in about a week. Is there an office(s) down south that would could easily head into to do all this?

Forget that last question

Edited March 7, 201412 yr by isawasnake

There are passport offices in the south. I don't recall it there is one in Krabi or not. A list of offices can be found on the same website.

I believe Surathani and Phuket both have a passport office.

But the problem lies with the protest, not with that particulair office. All offices have ques.

I may look into it, was feeling I don't really want to deal with it to start off a vacation if I can help it though. Thanks again for all the help.

All the online pre-booking to bypass the lines was booked for all 5 days in advance for both Pinklao and Bangna. The secret is out

It has not been a secret since it was announced in a press release prior to it even starting.

The passport office in Pattaya (Avenue mall) did not look too bad last week (Friday 28).

Was there looking around at about 10 AM.

(click to enlarge)

Edited March 7, 201412 yr by KhunBENQ

"The passport office in Pattaya (Avenue mall) did not look too bad last week (Friday 28). Was there looking around at about 10 AM."

It didn't look bad at 10am because all the people who had waited overnight had gotten their appointments for late March and gone home. What you see the rest of the day is just the folks with appointments, so not much of a crowd.

There is, unfortunately, a group of motorbike taxi drivers who go down there late at night and take turns standing in line. They get the first queue numbers, then walk around selling them in the early dawn.

Edited March 7, 201412 yr by mahjongguy

Here is the link on where you go to get a queue ticket

http://www.ufida.co.th/startpage.htm

General facebook Q&A site set up by the ministry

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thai-Consular-QA/154354274701729?ref=br_tf

Here is the link on where you go to get a queue ticket

http://www.ufida.co.th/startpage.htm

General facebook Q&A site set up by the ministry

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thai-Consular-QA/154354274701729?ref=br_tf

Those are all booked though, at least at the Bangna and Pinklao locations. But that is a good tip though, thanks.

I have been trying to think of a way out of waiting in those unbearable lines, but I may not be able to.

Getting a date 5 days from now would be better than standing in line I would think.

Getting a date 5 days from now would be better than standing in line I would think.

If I understood it correctly, there were no openings currently, so the option is unavailable. Tomorrow may be a different story?

they only open 5 days ahead. So probably stay up to midnight? Just a thought. I need to get my 10 week olds PP sorted as well....

One option may be to fly to Udonthani for a day trip. We went to the passport office there on Tuesday for a new passport for my daughter...in and out within half an hour.

Wish someone could check Khon Kaen. Will not be there before two weeks.

Wish someone could check Khon Kaen. Will not be there before two weeks.

If I recall correctly that is one of the passport offices that you can get queue numbers for online. Check the website that a link to was posted earlier.

Does anyone have a link in English for making an appointment at any of the Bangkok passport offices, preferably Chaeng Wattana? Samran posted one a couple of months ago but that link is in Thai.

There's nothing that I can see about this on the Thai Consular Affairs website. The website I looked at made no mention of booking a place in the queue.

Thanks in advance.

Thai passport offices are operating as normal, the online appointment option (only offered at one office during the demonstatrions) is no longer there.

Thanks Mario. Think I'll tootle off down to Chaeng Wattana then, probably aim to get there at 8.30 am, take a number and wait my turn. Hopefully the wait will not be too long and hopefully I will not be met by a barrage of mekhong monkey motorcycle messengers selling queue numbers!!

Waiting has never been long. Normally people do not spend more than 30 minutes, including the waiting time, at the passport office. But currently they might have a back log due to the long closure.

It is one of the most efficient government services I have seen, in any country.

Thai passport offices are operating as normal, the online appointment option (only offered at one office during the demonstatrions) is no longer there.

Actually is is still available for the passport office at Chaeng Wattana. http://www.ufida.co.th/startpage.htm