I know I have to make the appointment on line and all but do they take or hold my old passport until new one arrives? is old one canceled once I apply for a new one?

They will give you your old passport after you apply. They will not stamp your passport cancelled.

They will not cancel your passport until you pick up your new one. It will take less than two weeks to get your new one.

Info here on embassy website: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/passports.html

They will give you your old passport after you apply. They will not stamp your passport cancelled.

They will not cancel your passport until you pick up your new one. It will take less than two weeks to get your new one.

Info here on embassy website: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/passports.html

ubonjoe;

Thanks for such a quick reply, the answer was very helpful.

u can also use the outreach program if ur not near Bangkok

and they mail u your new one

If you renew at an outreach visit, they do take your old passport. They'll mail it back to you with the new one.

Wasn't there an old post that stated that if you renewed your passport using the outreach program, they actually take your old passport because it has to be scanned in once they go back to Bangkok and the old one is sent back already stamped cancelled with holes punched in it? I can't find it though..

If you renew at an outreach visit, they do take your old passport. They'll mail it back to you with the new one.

" they do take your old passport. "

You can choose whether you want the visa mailed back, in which case they will keep the old one, or you can collect the new passport at the embassy when they email you that it is ready (no appointment needed), in which case you can keep the old passport.

I did the latter recently because I didn't like being without the passport for a couple of weeks.

Wasn't there an old post that stated that if you renewed your passport using the outreach program, they actually take your old passport because it has to be scanned in once they go back to Bangkok and the old one is sent back already stamped cancelled with holes punched in it? I can't find it though..

As I said above, if you apply at an outreach program, you can hand in the application and fee and a photocopy of the old passport ID page and tell them you will come to collect the new passport in Bangkok when they email you that it is ready. When you get to the embassy you hand in the old passport, they cancel it and give you back the old and new passport while you wait a couple of minutes.

If you want the passport mailed back to you, then you need to pay for the EMS service, fill out a mailer, hand in all of the above and give them your old passport. Both passports will be mailed back to you.

I collected mine in Bangkok because I applied when martial law was gearing up and I wasn't comfortable being without a passport.

Edited October 9, 201411 yr by Suradit69