British passport and extension

[akampa]

I am sure many of you are informed about this requirement but anyway it went like this ,I went to the British consulate in Chiang Mai to hand in the application form for a 1 year extension for my UK passport and to my shock I was told that I must go to Bangkok to extend or better still get a new passport, and then have to go back again when the passport arrives from the UK.

[delboy]

Check out https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports/y/thailand/renewing_new/adult for details

There is a long thread running in the Immigration forum on this subject.

Briefly, you should contact VFS in Bangkok by E-mail to request an interview, currently you have to give them around 3 weeks notice.

You then travel to Bangkok to hand in your application forms and required documentation.

These are then sent to Liverpool for processing. The new passport is sent to VFS in Bangkok, who will then contact you to go back to Bangkok to collect it.

I believe they will accept a third party applying for, and collecting, the passport, as long as they have an authorization letter from the passport holder.

My recent application took 11 weeks from application to receipt of passport, but I understand waiting times have improved.

[eyecatcher]

And they will post your documents back if you request this at your application visit to bkk. Around 200bt.

[worgeordie]

If they cut back anymore,they will be wanting you to go to HK,or dread, even

the UK,the price they charge should be hand delivered !

I was very lucky,just got my new one in Chiang Mai,before the cut backs and

changes started.

regards worgeordie

[brommers]

Basically we should accept that those who run the UK government want nothing to do with expat Brits, and they will do everything necessary to make things like passport renewals as big a money making scam as they can get away with. Compared to many others countries the UK does b*gger all to assist its citizens when they are overseas and as time goes on their interest in us gets less. And then they wonder why people on Scotland and Wales want to go their own way. If it was not a requirement to have a passport I would sever all ties and simply walk away from having been born in the UK.

[sustento]

Can you have a UK passport extended? Not heard of this before. I know you can apply for a new one 9 months in advance and get the 9 months added to your new one.

[onthedarkside]

Can you have a UK passport extended? Not heard of this before. I know you can apply for a new one 9 months in advance and get the 9 months added to your new one.

That's what I thought. I did not know a UK passport could be extended or even more pages added once it was full, unlike a US passport that can have pages added.

[Loaded]

Is that correct, you need to be interviewed in Bangkok and then return to Bangkok to collect the passport?? I can imagine there must be quite a lot of resentment and hostility from people dragged all the way from Chiang Mai.

The staff are great, but what is the purpose/role of the Chiang Mai consulate now?

[MESmith]

The staff are great, but what is the purpose/role of the Chiang Mai consulate now?

Overpriced "residence" letters & certified copies of passports

The latter cost a fiver at your local post office in UK

[Konini]

This really is disgraceful. The purpose of a consul is to provide consular services is it not?

I remember, back in the dark ages, that it was easier, faster, and cheaper to renew our UK passports (fill in the forms, send to Canberra back with us in 3 working days) than our Australian passports (go to a post office, make an appointment with a certified senior staff member and be interviewed/have the senior staff member sign off on your application, wait 3-4 weeks). When I say cheaper, I mean significantly cheaper - I can't remember the exact prices because it was so long ago but it was more than double the price to get a 10 Australian passport compared to a 10 year UK one , even with the crap exchange rate we had back then.

Had to renew both last year, was going to do both when we were on our annual visit to Aus (that's where we are legally resident) until I saw the prices. We just did our Australian ones and waited until later in the year when we went to England to renew our UK ones whilst there. (Australian:3 days (requested expedited service, no charge, just ask nicely), UK 2 and a bit weeks, had to send originals of Aussie passports with the application, they were returned separately, in the mail. I worried about mine, because hubby's came a couple of days before mine. UNREGISTERED!!! The new UK passports came back in a registered envelope, had to be signed for, but our Australian ones were in the ordinary mail. Unbelievable. Don't really know why they had to see them, when we've previously go new passports, whilst in Aus, never been asked for them before, but it was quite clear on the form.

The system used to work just fine; don't tinker with things that aren't broken.

Unfortunately all government departments have to show that they are raising money; many of the procedures that have previously been carried out as service to citizens.

[bristolgeoff]

never heard you could extend,but I know this summer they was another problem here with passports.i assumed you get a new passport like the man said before they add the time on a new passport.all done from hongkong I think

[Rinrada]

UK passports cant be extended....although they used to be but stopped years ago,.

I have an old one that I got doubled up back in 1979 at the Embassy in Jedda in Saudi Arabia. (just dug it out for a look)

Old dark blue job,both tied together with a ribbon and stamped with a large red embossed seal.

From memory I got it same day....times change..

[personchester]

If they cut back anymore,they will be wanting you to go to HK,or dread, even

the UK,the price they charge should be hand delivered !

I was very lucky,just got my new one in Chiang Mai,before the cut backs and

changes started.

regards worgeordie

Yes, In the past I also got my new passport in Chiang Mai, I went to the consulate and they gave me the application form which I completed there gave my photos and the consulate sent the application to the British Embassy in Bangkok.

After 8 days the consulate informed my via phone that the new passport had arrived and I collected it.

In comparison to the past passport procedure as above, it is difficult to appreciate the current messy passport application procedure.

Lets hope it will be changed.

[Anjuna777]

Hello, Does anyone know if I can submit or collect an application for renewing a british Passport in Chiang Mai or do I have to go to Bangkok?

Any advice appreciated

[Sparkles]

If you need a new Australian passport you have to go to Bangkok for application(only honorary consul in CM) and I can understand that requirement for security reasons but to force you to make

2 trips is a bit over the top. Makes for a every expensive passport.My new Australian passport was posed to me registered post from Bangkok. Why is that a problem for the UK version, can they not afford the postage ?

[Chicog]

Basically we should accept that those who run the UK government want nothing to do with expat Brits, and they will do everything necessary to make things like passport renewals as big a money making scam as they can get away with. Compared to many others countries the UK does b*gger all to assist its citizens when they are overseas and as time goes on their interest in us gets less. And then they wonder why people on Scotland and Wales want to go their own way. If it was not a requirement to have a passport I would sever all ties and simply walk away from having been born in the UK.

You don't pay any taxes so why do you expect to get anything for free?

And be grateful you don't pay any taxes, too.

[simoncnx]

What does everyone use for proof of address?

[jonwilly]

Well as a UK Pensioner I still pay UK Tax on my Forces Pension.

And according to Confederation of UK Expat Pensioners I save the UK £3,000 per year in administration costs.

john

[ThaiPauly]

Hello, Does anyone know if I can submit or collect an application for renewing a british Passport in Chiang Mai or do I have to go to Bangkok?

Any advice appreciated[/quote

No, you have to go to Bangkok now

[steve187]

emergency passport extension here - https://www.gov.uk/get-an-emergency-passport-extension-or-child-travel-document

[bluweyze]

It is incorrect to assume every expat does not pay taxes in the UK. My company pension is taxed at source but I receive exactly the same level of support from HM Goverment...the best part of sweet fa.

Basically we should accept that those who run the UK government want nothing to do with expat Brits, and they will do everything necessary to make things like passport renewals as big a money making scam as they can get away with. Compared to many others countries the UK does b*gger all to assist its citizens when they are overseas and as time goes on their interest in us gets less. And then they wonder why people on Scotland and Wales want to go their own way. If it was not a requirement to have a passport I would sever all ties and simply walk away from having been born in the UK.

You don't pay any taxes so why do you expect to get anything for free?

And be grateful you don't pay any taxes, too.

[akampa]

This the end result for receiveing a new British passport went to Bangkok to hand in the application form ,I asked if they would post the passport back to me ,they will NOT post back your passport you must go back to Bangkok to get the new passport it took about 3 weeks to get the new one back from the UK.

[davehowden]

Maybe a bit off topic but could be of use to somebody out there.

I renewed my passport in the UK a month ago using their new online service, my new passport was back within 7 days.

I imagine that this service is only available if you are in the UK though.

Also, all Thai visas (mine was a 12 month over 50 with proof of DWP pension, no minimum amount required) had to be done with the Thai Embassy in London, payment by postal order only (welcome to 2014 Thailand).

It could have been done via Hull; as I have done before; but they simply send your application to London and you then have to COLLECT from Hull, no postage available.

[true blue]

Basically we should accept that those who run the UK government want nothing to do with expat Brits, and they will do everything necessary to make things like passport renewals as big a money making scam as they can get away with. Compared to many others countries the UK does b*gger all to assist its citizens when they are overseas and as time goes on their interest in us gets less. And then they wonder why people on Scotland and Wales want to go their own way. If it was not a requirement to have a passport I would sever all ties and simply walk away from having been born in the UK.

You don't pay any taxes so why do you expect to get anything for free?

And be grateful you don't pay any taxes, too.

ive been in los 12 years and i pay uk taxes of over 2000 quid a year.