Changes To British Passport Services In Thailand

[KillingTime]

So you're hanging out on a forum where people have genuine gripes with the outrageous inefficiency of the UK government so you can have a laugh making daft pedantic points.

Get lost pal.

Sheesh!

You obviously haven't been reading my many posts on this thread - pal.

I have made several complaints by e mail and letters by registered mail to the UK Government to complain about the new system (its not getting anywhere though).

See post #1335 amongst the numerous others.

As for your last comment - well - no comment.

Sheesh.

Whoops! Apologies for my previous rant. I was wrong to take out my frustration at the UK government on you and stand corrected. I was pissed off and got the wrong end of the stick. Thanks for writing to complain on behalf of us all, and all the best with your application. Be Lucky!

Edited June 29, 2014 by KillingTime

[digitalchromakey]

Hi

I have my appointment for the renewal of

my sons passport on Tuesday at Trendy.

This is the information I have ready to take with me;

His old passport

1 app form with sections 1,2,3,4,5, 9 and 10 filled out

x2 passport photos (1 countersigned)

Colour photo copies of every page of old passport (each page signed by me)

Letter from his school (translated into english) Original and copies

Letter from the court about custody (translated into english) originals and copies

Debit card form filled out with my UK debit card details.

I hope I have got everything in order, but please let me know if I have missed

something.

Many thanks

Assume your son is under 12.

All looks ok, presume the letter from the school confirms his name and Thai address.

Good luck - current delays are around 8 weeks from application to collection, assuming no issues, worst case to date is 16 weeks.

[Noodles]

Hi

I have my appointment for the renewal of

my sons passport on Tuesday at Trendy.

This is the information I have ready to take with me;

His old passport

1 app form with sections 1,2,3,4,5, 9 and 10 filled out

x2 passport photos (1 countersigned)

Colour photo copies of every page of old passport (each page signed by me)

Letter from his school (translated into english) Original and copies

Letter from the court about custody (translated into english) originals and copies

Debit card form filled out with my UK debit card details.

I hope I have got everything in order, but please let me know if I have missed

something.

Many thanks

Assume your son is under 12.

All looks ok, presume the letter from the school confirms his name and Thai address.

Good luck - current delays are around 8 weeks from application to collection, assuming no issues, worst case to date is 16 weeks.

Hi

The school letter gives both parents names and his name stating he goes to his school at Mueang District Udon Thani, year education 2014.

It does not have the home address!? Sh*t!

[soap]

Hi

I have my appointment for the renewal of

my sons passport on Tuesday at Trendy.

This is the information I have ready to take with me;

His old passport

1 app form with sections 1,2,3,4,5, 9 and 10 filled out

x2 passport photos (1 countersigned)

Colour photo copies of every page of old passport (each page signed by me)

Letter from his school (translated into english) Original and copies

Letter from the court about custody (translated into english) originals and copies

Debit card form filled out with my UK debit card details.

I hope I have got everything in order, but please let me know if I have missed

something.

Many thanks

Assume your son is under 12.

All looks ok, presume the letter from the school confirms his name and Thai address.

Good luck - current delays are around 8 weeks from application to collection, assuming no issues, worst case to date is 16 weeks.

Hi

The school letter gives both parents names and his name stating he goes to his school at Mueang District Udon Thani, year education 2014.

It does not have the home address!? Sh*t!

You will need to get the address on the letter,as this looks like the only proof of address they will accept.

[soap]

Well how about this for the Guinness book of records.

My friends daughters documents for a five year child passport were sent off on MARCH 6th 2014.

On March 12 th the payment of 125 pound that was the payment for a child passport plus a DHL fee to deliver the passport back to her house was deducted from her fathers account.After numerous phone calls to HMPO trying to find out how the passport was progressing only to be fobbed off by a variety of different staff.

Nothing was heard about the passport until about the 1st MAY when her mother received a letter from the HMPO that was addressed to the address that was stated on the first application forms on the 6th March.

The letter was a standard proof of residence that required the applicant (a 13 year old girl) to provide a

Tax letter,or a employment record,or a letter from a government department,or a utility bill,etc etc that had to be translated into English showing her address. So she sent back the letter from the HMPO that had her name and address on, that she had received on the 1st May.

She received another standard letter giving the requirements for proof of residence on about the 4th June

plus also stating that they would consider canceling the application if the information was not received by the 24th June.

But please don't tell me common sense could prevail,they had hand written at the bottom of the letter that they would accept a letter from her school saying in English that she went to this school and her address on their records was what she had said all along.

Now what could be simpler than that,if they had stated in the first place that this would be accepted,they would not have put her parents under the stress i know they went through and have them run around like a blue arxsed fly.

Her mother received word on Thursday June 19 th that she could collect her daughters 5 year child passport at the trendy office today June 24th.

So from start to finish on the 6th March to June 24th i make that 111 days or just short of 16 weeks to renew a child passport,and i can assure you that the only issue they had was proof of residence

Oh I forgot the agreement her father entered into and paid 125pound was for the passport to be delivered by DHL to her home.Needless to say her mother caught the overnight bus to Bangkok as that was were the passport was sent to.Surely this must be illegal for the HMPO to deduct from your account a payment to deliver the passport by DHL and then change the rules and make you take a 2,000 k journey to collect the passport.

I find it very hard to describe in words the HMPO only to say Bungling,incompetence,hypercritical parasites,

And beaurocracy in bulk comes to mind

Sorry

It must have been the Thai language problem, but the passport as still not arrived,

The child's mother did go to the trendy office on the 24th June for a visa application and hoping to collect the passport while she was there.She was told that the passport had not arrived and they would email when it arrives,so she can make another 2,000 k journey to collect the passport.

So now its 17 weeks since she applied for a British passport,and I must stress that the only issue the HMPO had over the passport was her proof of address.

Her father paid 125 pound that was the fee before these stupid changes,on the understanding that the passport would be delivered to her home by DHL only for the HMPO to renege on their promise.

[parryhandy]

They wont state that the evidence will be accepted in the first place because like most evidence of that nature here its totally worthless and uncheckable.There is no evidence not on their list that they can legally check or they shouldn't be able to under Thai data protection laws.

This is how stupid and dangerous their rules are. My wife and I had a row last week and she tried to drag me down the local cop shop for a divorce. Now after going to such ridiculous lengths to prove residency do you think I would dare phone them to say my address had changed and potentially leave myself in the crap. I would imagine there's a lot of people who sometimes will find it a lot easier to provide evidence for where they don't live as opposed to where they actually do live.

Edited June 30, 2014 by parryhandy

[digitalchromakey]

Well how about this for the Guinness book of records.

My friends daughters documents for a five year child passport were sent off on MARCH 6th 2014.

On March 12 th the payment of 125 pound that was the payment for a child passport plus a DHL fee to deliver the passport back to her house was deducted from her fathers account.After numerous phone calls to HMPO trying to find out how the passport was progressing only to be fobbed off by a variety of different staff.

Nothing was heard about the passport until about the 1st MAY when her mother received a letter from the HMPO that was addressed to the address that was stated on the first application forms on the 6th March.

The letter was a standard proof of residence that required the applicant (a 13 year old girl) to provide a

Tax letter,or a employment record,or a letter from a government department,or a utility bill,etc etc that had to be translated into English showing her address. So she sent back the letter from the HMPO that had her name and address on, that she had received on the 1st May.

She received another standard letter giving the requirements for proof of residence on about the 4th June

plus also stating that they would consider canceling the application if the information was not received by the 24th June.

But please don't tell me common sense could prevail,they had hand written at the bottom of the letter that they would accept a letter from her school saying in English that she went to this school and her address on their records was what she had said all along.

Now what could be simpler than that,if they had stated in the first place that this would be accepted,they would not have put her parents under the stress i know they went through and have them run around like a blue arxsed fly.

Her mother received word on Thursday June 19 th that she could collect her daughters 5 year child passport at the trendy office today June 24th.

So from start to finish on the 6th March to June 24th i make that 111 days or just short of 16 weeks to renew a child passport,and i can assure you that the only issue they had was proof of residence

Oh I forgot the agreement her father entered into and paid 125pound was for the passport to be delivered by DHL to her home.Needless to say her mother caught the overnight bus to Bangkok as that was were the passport was sent to.Surely this must be illegal for the HMPO to deduct from your account a payment to deliver the passport by DHL and then change the rules and make you take a 2,000 k journey to collect the passport.

I find it very hard to describe in words the HMPO only to say Bungling,incompetence,hypercritical parasites,

And beaurocracy in bulk comes to mind

Sorry

It must have been the Thai language problem, but the passport as still not arrived,

The child's mother did go to the trendy office on the 24th June for a visa application and hoping to collect the passport while she was there. She was told that the passport had not arrived and they would email when it arrives,so she can make another 2,000 k journey to collect the passport.

So now its 17 weeks since she applied for a British passport,and I must stress that the only issue the HMPO had over the passport was her proof of address.

Her father paid 125 pound that was the fee before these stupid changes,on the understanding that the passport would be delivered to her home by DHL only for the HMPO to renege on their promise.

Sorry, yes, me too; very sorry..

The child's mother makes a 2,000 km round trip to collect a passport that she was informed, after 111 days, would finally be ready for collection, gets to trendy ...........lo and behold, there's no new passport.

It beggars belief how shoddily we are all being treated, Third Class is the only accurate description of the level of service currently under offer from HMPO and the British Government for passport renewals.

Bureaucracy in bulk? No, it's more than that, a system that fails to deliver like this cannot be even be described as a 'bureaucracy', perhaps the most fitting description is a 'disaster of government'.

As I have posted before, several UK Senior Civil Servants and Politicians deserve to be lined up against the wall for this one.

Bloody Fiasco.

..

[Noodles]

Where do I make payment for my sons passport? I have the form filled in already. Will they take payment when I submit the application?

Or do I have to do this before hand in another part of the Trendy building?

Thanks

[wordchild]

You need to fill in the credit card form that can be downloaded from the site, make sure you put in the correct amount incl courier fee, you then need to hand this form in with your sons application.

[KillingTime]

Well how about this for the Guinness book of records.

My friends daughters documents for a five year child passport were sent off on MARCH 6th 2014.

On March 12 th the payment of 125 pound that was the payment for a child passport plus a DHL fee to deliver the passport back to her house was deducted from her fathers account.After numerous phone calls to HMPO trying to find out how the passport was progressing only to be fobbed off by a variety of different staff.

Nothing was heard about the passport until about the 1st MAY when her mother received a letter from the HMPO that was addressed to the address that was stated on the first application forms on the 6th March.

The letter was a standard proof of residence that required the applicant (a 13 year old girl) to provide a

Tax letter,or a employment record,or a letter from a government department,or a utility bill,etc etc that had to be translated into English showing her address. So she sent back the letter from the HMPO that had her name and address on, that she had received on the 1st May.

She received another standard letter giving the requirements for proof of residence on about the 4th June

plus also stating that they would consider canceling the application if the information was not received by the 24th June.

But please don't tell me common sense could prevail,they had hand written at the bottom of the letter that they would accept a letter from her school saying in English that she went to this school and her address on their records was what she had said all along.

Now what could be simpler than that,if they had stated in the first place that this would be accepted,they would not have put her parents under the stress i know they went through and have them run around like a blue arxsed fly.

Her mother received word on Thursday June 19 th that she could collect her daughters 5 year child passport at the trendy office today June 24th.

So from start to finish on the 6th March to June 24th i make that 111 days or just short of 16 weeks to renew a child passport,and i can assure you that the only issue they had was proof of residence

Oh I forgot the agreement her father entered into and paid 125pound was for the passport to be delivered by DHL to her home.Needless to say her mother caught the overnight bus to Bangkok as that was were the passport was sent to.Surely this must be illegal for the HMPO to deduct from your account a payment to deliver the passport by DHL and then change the rules and make you take a 2,000 k journey to collect the passport.

I find it very hard to describe in words the HMPO only to say Bungling,incompetence,hypercritical parasites,

And beaurocracy in bulk comes to mind

Sorry

It must have been the Thai language problem, but the passport as still not arrived,

The child's mother did go to the trendy office on the 24th June for a visa application and hoping to collect the passport while she was there. She was told that the passport had not arrived and they would email when it arrives,so she can make another 2,000 k journey to collect the passport.

So now its 17 weeks since she applied for a British passport,and I must stress that the only issue the HMPO had over the passport was her proof of address.

Her father paid 125 pound that was the fee before these stupid changes,on the understanding that the passport would be delivered to her home by DHL only for the HMPO to renege on their promise.

Sorry, yes, me too; very sorry..

The child's mother makes a 2,000 km round trip to collect a passport that she was informed, after 111 days, would finally be ready for collection, gets to trendy ...........lo and behold, there's no new passport.

It beggars belief how shoddily we are all being treated, Third Class is the only accurate description of the level of service currently under offer from HMPO and the British Government for passport renewals.

Bureaucracy in bulk? No, it's more than that, a system that fails to deliver like this cannot be even be described as a 'bureaucracy', perhaps the most fitting description is a 'disaster of government'.

As I have posted before, several UK Senior Civil Servants and Politicians deserve to be lined up against the wall for this one.

Bloody Fiasco.

.

When i went on my visa run, the German fellow who organises it said something along the lines of "if you had just arrived in the UK from some 3rd world country with no passport, you'd have far more rights than you do today".

And i'm still paying taxes in the UK. !

Edited July 1, 2014 by ubonjoe
moved reply from quoted text

[KillingTime]

Oh, and i hate to rub salt in the wounds of those destined to venture into the horrendously titled "Trendy" building. But if you've ever suffered from claustrophobia stick a sack over your head before getting in the lift.

[digitalchromakey]

Ref my post above, the promised phone call from Mr Big(er) at the British Embassy's Consular Facility never did arrive despite the consular official's promise that they would get back within the day with a solution to my particular dilemma.

The one thing that I am sure of is that the person who answered my call spoke perfect English - so any misunderstanding of my situation is not an acceptable excuse.

Will try again tomorrow and take names this next time.

Well, I got a call from the British Embassy Consular Facility today (as promised, but a day late).

I was informed that the British Embassy is so snowed under with passport enquiries, free 12 Month Extension and ETD requests, that extra staff have had to be brought in from other areas to help deal with the workload of enquiries.

My caller admitted that she didn't work for the British Embassy Consular section, but supplied some helpful advice.

1) ETDs - there are so many requests for these at the moment that now they will only be issued to those with immediate travel requirements (i.e. same/next day). This blows my plan of getting an ETD for travel in say a couple of weeks to allow time for stamp/extension transfer and application for a new one year extension.

2) Was informed that the British Embassy has had some experience of ETDs not being accepted by Thai Immigration if the stated travel itinerary had not been followed - so the stated itinerary must at least a few days in the future for my plan to have any chance of success.

3) British Embassy cannot help with passport application withdrawals - this has to be dealt with by direct communication with HMPO.

4) Due to the unprecedented number of requests to the British Embassy regarding passport issues, a 'Special Channel' has been opened from the British Embassy to HMPO to try and help expedite applications where long delays are causing problems.

5) Was asked to summarise my case details and concerns in an email to the British Embassy in Bangkok and that they would try to help by forwarding the details of my case to HMPO through the new 'Special Channel'.

The British Embassy have shot down my ETD option as anything other than an ejector seat purely for use to exit the burning aircraft.

It also looks like I would have to make any journey itemized in the ETD for it to retain any validity/'credibility' with Thai Immigration.

Well at least they have offered to try and help......

Checked with UK HMPO Helpline - 5 minutes (remember, my international call) of the same scripted questions before they would take my Application Reference Number which I offered on being answered - yet again, a waste of money calling, other than I know that there has been no progress.

Questions, First Name, Family Name, Place of Application, Date of Application, Date of Travel (??), Place of Residence, Post Code, Contact Telephone Number - as if they don't already know when/where I applied!

End result - passport renewal still 'awaiting examination' (as it has been pretty much since payment was taken 6 weeks ago).

Was informed that applications are taking 6-7 weeks from 'receipt by HMPO' to 'issue to the printers'. this btw is not from your day at Trendy it is from the day they whack your credit card in Liverpool.

Now, bearing in mind that it's almost a week before your application is 'received' by HMPO and then there's an extra ten days after going to the printers before the said item is available for collection at trendy, we are looking at a new admitted minimum overseas application to collection delay of 8-9 weeks according to the ever optimistic private helpline operators taking calls on behalf of HMPO.

For me personally, >9.5 weeks = doomsday, so unsurprisingly I have drafted and transmitted the email as suggested by the British Consulate in Bangkok in my quoted point 5) above, asking for their help.................

Let's see if the British Embassy Bangkok really do have a 'special channel' to HMPO ............

[Squeegee]

My experience with Trendy was quite pleasant and easy. Didn't wait long, friendly and polite and all went without a hitch.

3rd June - initial email (I said any appointment time would be fine)

4th June - response suggested 17th (I expected it to be a couple of weeks away)

17th June - application appointment at Trendy

20th June - payment deducted

I haven't bothered any follow-up. I don't see the point yet.

I'm on a 60 Day (Double Entry) Tourist visa and my 60 days is up on 21st July, by then I should go to Immigration and pay 1,900B to extend for 30 days.

It's unlikely that my passport will be ready by then, and so far people have said to just go extend on the old passport. Fair enough, but my passport is actually almost completely full.

I have room only for 3 of the small size stamps (like an exit stamp). I guess I'll have to tell them my plan is to get a new passport once I'm on the extension. Then I must hope to get the new passport in time before I have to get an ETD to activate the second 60 days.

So there I'll be soon hoping to get an extension with an almost completely full passport with numerous visa exempt stamps in it. It's just an extension of a proper visa in town and not some Thai-Cambodian border town but I am a bit concerned.

[phutoie2]

Oh, and i hate to rub salt in the wounds of those destined to venture into the horrendously titled "Trendy" building. But if you've ever suffered from claustrophobia stick a sack over your head before getting in the lift.

I have heard about that too, there are two lifts, one only goes to floor 10 and the other goes to floor 28. Thought a building like that would have more than 2 elavators. True?

[watso63]

Here's a link to the latest BBC News.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-28113519

Whose idea was it really to move foreign passport appljcations to the home office?

Paul Pugh is a disgrace and should fall on his sword or get the push.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[digitalchromakey]

My experience with Trendy was quite pleasant and easy. Didn't wait long, friendly and polite and all went without a hitch.

3rd June - initial email (I said any appointment time would be fine)

4th June - response suggested 17th (I expected it to be a couple of weeks away)

17th June - application appointment at Trendy

20th June - payment deducted

I haven't bothered any follow-up. I don't see the point yet.

I'm on a 60 Day (Double Entry) Tourist visa and my 60 days is up on 21st July, by then I should go to Immigration and pay 1,900B to extend for 30 days.

It's unlikely that my passport will be ready by then, and so far people have said to just go extend on the old passport. Fair enough, but my passport is actually almost completely full.

I have room only for 3 of the small size stamps (like an exit stamp). I guess I'll have to tell them my plan is to get a new passport once I'm on the extension. Then I must hope to get the new passport in time before I have to get an ETD to activate the second 60 days.

So there I'll be soon hoping to get an extension with an almost completely full passport with numerous visa exempt stamps in it. It's just an extension of a proper visa in town and not some Thai-Cambodian border town but I am a bit concerned.

Normally you need about a third of a page, full page width for an Extension of Permission to Stay stamp.

Nothing stopping you going to Immigration now (you can apply up to 28 days before the 'Admitted Until' stamp date) for the 30 day Extension Stamp from the 21st July.

So go to immigration this week, see if they can fit an extension in your passport or not, if it doesn't happen, then this will still give you a couple of weeks to plan for the trip to the British Embassy to buy an ETD, book travel, get your stamps transferred to your ETD, etc.

The British Embassy have told me that currently they are so snowed under with ETD requests that they will only take appointments to do one if you have an immediate need to travel (pretty much next couple of days).

Good luck.

[soap]

Here's a link to the latest BBC News.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-28113519

Whose idea was it really to move foreign passport appljcations to the home office?

Paul Pugh is a disgrace and should fall on his sword or get the push.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

You can rest assured Mr Paul Pugh will finish up with a knighthood,a couple of big fat pensions for services rendered.

And of course his FREE annual lifetime exotic Kuoni Holiday

[digitalchromakey]

Here's a link to the latest BBC News.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-28113519

Whose idea was it really to move foreign passport appljcations to the home office?

Paul Pugh is a disgrace and should fall on his sword or get the push.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Despite Paul Pugh, the head of HMPO saying only last month that the situation is 'under control', the actual passport backlog has continued to grow out of control, quoting the BBC article linked above:

The BBC's John Manel said the latest figures showed that the number of applications categorised as "work in progress" had risen from 483,000 at the start of June to about 537,000 three weeks later.

At the same time, he said the total number of passports issued went down by almost 15,000 while the number of standard applications being dealt with within the target of three weeks dropped from 77% to 61%.

So the issue backlog has grown by a further 54,000 in the space of a month - that's over 11%.

This is not a surprise to me, since I was 100% certain that the adverse publicity last month would have led to large numbers of UK resident citizens, whose passports are due to expire within the next 9 months to apply to renew early, just to be safe.

This effect will be exacerbated by the promise of free fast tracking if delays arise and an 'urgent need to travel' can be demonstrated; it's a no brainer, no loss of validity period and a new passport for when you really need it - I would have done the same, as I am sure may UK citizens have.

However this is cold comfort for those of us who have fallen into the overseas renewal quick sand and are now struggling to escape before we become illegal aliens and refugees, as there is no publicised fast tracking option for us.

In fact our applications now appear to be destined for yet more delay as HMPO strains to meet its targets and clear the back log for UK Residents first..

Only yesterday I noticed that The HMPO Helpline platitudes on apply-collect processing time have had two weeks+ added to then, just since I called a week before.

Panic time is coming.... as unfortunately our third class passport applications are going to have to sit in their orange boxes in Liverpool yet longer still and there is not even a glimmer of light at the end the tunnel.

Edited July 2, 2014 by digitalchromakey

[sandyf]

Ref my post above, the promised phone call from Mr Big(er) at the British Embassy's Consular Facility never did arrive despite the consular official's promise that they would get back within the day with a solution to my particular dilemma.

The one thing that I am sure of is that the person who answered my call spoke perfect English - so any misunderstanding of my situation is not an acceptable excuse.

Will try again tomorrow and take names this next time.

Well, I got a call from the British Embassy Consular Facility today (as promised, but a day late).

I was informed that the British Embassy is so snowed under with passport enquiries, free 12 Month Extension and ETD requests, that extra staff have had to be brought in from other areas to help deal with the workload of enquiries.

My caller admitted that she didn't work for the British Embassy Consular section, but supplied some helpful advice.

1) ETDs - there are so many requests for these at the moment that now they will only be issued to those with immediate travel requirements (i.e. same/next day). This blows my plan of getting an ETD for travel in say a couple of weeks to allow time for stamp/extension transfer and application for a new one year extension.

2) Was informed that the British Embassy has had some experience of ETDs not being accepted by Thai Immigration if the stated travel itinerary had not been followed - so the stated itinerary must at least a few days in the future for my plan to have any chance of success.

3) British Embassy cannot help with passport application withdrawals - this has to be dealt with by direct communication with HMPO.

4) Due to the unprecedented number of requests to the British Embassy regarding passport issues, a 'Special Channel' has been opened from the British Embassy to HMPO to try and help expedite applications where long delays are causing problems.

5) Was asked to summarise my case details and concerns in an email to the British Embassy in Bangkok and that they would try to help by forwarding the details of my case to HMPO through the new 'Special Channel'.

The British Embassy have shot down my ETD option as anything other than an ejector seat purely for use to exit the burning aircraft.

It also looks like I would have to make any journey itemized in the ETD for it to retain any validity/'credibility' with Thai Immigration.

Well at least they have offered to try and help......

Checked with UK HMPO Helpline - 5 minutes (remember, my international call) of the same scripted questions before they would take my Application Reference Number which I offered on being answered - yet again, a waste of money calling, other than I know that there has been no progress.

Questions, First Name, Family Name, Place of Application, Date of Application, Date of Travel (??), Place of Residence, Post Code, Contact Telephone Number - as if they don't already know when/where I applied!

End result - passport renewal still 'awaiting examination' (as it has been pretty much since payment was taken 6 weeks ago).

Was informed that applications are taking 6-7 weeks from 'receipt by HMPO' to 'issue to the printers'. this btw is not from your day at Trendy it is from the day they whack your credit card in Liverpool.

Now, bearing in mind that it's almost a week before your application is 'received' by HMPO and then there's an extra ten days after going to the printers before the said item is available for collection at trendy, we are looking at a new admitted minimum overseas application to collection delay of 8-9 weeks according to the ever optimistic private helpline operators taking calls on behalf of HMPO.

For me personally, >9.5 weeks = doomsday, so unsurprisingly I have drafted and transmitted the email as suggested by the British Consulate in Bangkok in my quoted point 5) above, asking for their help.................

Let's see if the British Embassy Bangkok really do have a 'special channel' to HMPO ............

Thanks for the info. It is 6 weeks today since payment so I should be going to the printers shortly. Another week plus ten days lands on a weekend so w/c 21st is looking good. Stamp valid till 24th July, no problem.

[Kan Win]

Hi Folks,

Just thinking out load!

Should you have a near Full Passport, could the British Embassy Consular give you extra pages attached to your current valid Passport (like in years gone by) to help you out of this problem, before you apply at Trendy, as once you have applied there, no chance at all, as your Passport will be cancelled, as I have read.

By the way, I go mine extended for another year, hope the queue goes down by then.

Most of all, Good Luck to all of you

Win

[bigsteve]

No. Adding pages is something they will not do in British passports

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Kan Win]

bigsteve, on 02 Jul 2014 - 17:14, said:

No. Adding pages is something they will not do in British passports

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Since when may one ask?

Win

[bigsteve]

That I can't answer.

It's a shame though because if you could get extra pages and get an extension at the same time that would obviously sort out the problem for many people. The required paperwork would be pretty much the same and it would be an easy solution.

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Crossy]

bigsteve, on 02 Jul 2014 - 17:14, said:

No. Adding pages is something they will not do in British passports

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Since when may one ask?

Win

I certainly don't remember being able to add pages to a UK passport, and I've had one for 25+ years.

Never had one expire, always filled in 5 years or so

[Squeegee]

Normally you need about a third of a page, full page width for an Extension of Permission to Stay stamp.

Nothing stopping you going to Immigration now (you can apply up to 28 days before the 'Admitted Until' stamp date) for the 30 day Extension Stamp from the 21st July.

So go to immigration this week, see if they can fit an extension in your passport or not, if it doesn't happen, then this will still give you a couple of weeks to plan for the trip to the British Embassy to buy an ETD, book travel, get your stamps transferred to your ETD, etc.

The British Embassy have told me that currently they are so snowed under with ETD requests that they will only take appointments to do one if you have an immediate need to travel (pretty much next couple of days).

Good luck.

Thanks for that. I have barely enough room for a few exit stamps though. Can get eight of that size on a page, so I have barely a quarter of a page left (plus room for one more exit stamp-size on another page).

I highly doubt I will have room. So, is it even worth going to immigration first? I'm not sure what it can achieve other than, in the current climate, drawing attention to myself.

And if I am to go there in the hope they'll somehow have a magic reduced-size welcome sticker for my passport it would mean drawing attention to myself in the current climate whilst not having declared my passport is cancelled.

Maybe the best and simplest solution is to just to grin and bear the cost and hassle of an ETD. I must pay because I was stupid and didn't start the process a couple of pages sooner.

So maybe I should try to procure an ETD first and then go see Immigration for the extension whilst I openly, honestly and legally await my new passport?

[digitalchromakey]

Normally you need about a third of a page, full page width for an Extension of Permission to Stay stamp.

Nothing stopping you going to Immigration now (you can apply up to 28 days before the 'Admitted Until' stamp date) for the 30 day Extension Stamp from the 21st July.

So go to immigration this week, see if they can fit an extension in your passport or not, if it doesn't happen, then this will still give you a couple of weeks to plan for the trip to the British Embassy to buy an ETD, book travel, get your stamps transferred to your ETD, etc.

The British Embassy have told me that currently they are so snowed under with ETD requests that they will only take appointments to do one if you have an immediate need to travel (pretty much next couple of days).

Good luck.

Thanks for that. I have barely enough room for a few exit stamps though. Can get eight of that size on a page, so I have barely a quarter of a page left (plus room for one more exit stamp-size on another page).

I highly doubt I will have room. So, is it even worth going to immigration first? I'm not sure what it can achieve other than, in the current climate, drawing attention to myself.

And if I am to go there in the hope they'll somehow have a magic reduced-size welcome sticker for my passport it would mean drawing attention to myself in the current climate whilst not having declared my passport is cancelled.

Maybe the best and simplest solution is to just to grin and bear the cost and hassle of an ETD. I must pay because I was stupid and didn't start the process a couple of pages sooner.

So maybe I should try to procure an ETD first and then go see Immigration for the extension whilst I openly, honestly and legally await my new passport?

So an extension in your existing passport looks like a non starter.

I had a similar idea as to you about trying to get an extension in the ETD, but the British Embassy shot it down in flames. I am not saying it's impossible, but this is what they told me.

The UK ETD is issued for a specific journey which can be a return trip if you can show that you live outside the UK and it can pass through up to five countries. The ETD trip is detailed on an observations page.

There are two main problems with your suggested ETD approach

Problem 1 is that the Embassy has reports of Thai Immigration not honoring the ETD if the itinerary has not been accurately followed.

Problem 2 is that due to unprecedented demand the British Embassy is limiting appointments to those with travel booked for the immediate future; so maybe you could the get extension, but you would have to make the ETD noted journey out of Thailand almost straight after getting it, at best getting a re-entry permit to preserve the 30 days with you then hoping that your real passport is back within 30 days for the next border run to activate your second entry.

Sorry to be the bringer of large buckets of cold water for your ideas.

The ETD approach would however hopefully be relatively straight forward if you made the documented ETD return trip, using your second Tourist Visa Entry to come back from that trip.

Hopefully Thai Immigration would give you a 60 day entry when you re-enter, if you showed your original passport with the front and back corners clipped off (the passport being 'officially' cancelled), but even for that the outcome is not clear. Perhaps there is someone with personal experience of this approach who could post some more detail.

[bigbamboo]

It's usually about now that you'll hear the old refrain, "a passport is not a right, it's a privilege."

[delboy]

I submitted my application to Trendy on May 7th, payment was taken on May 12th. I just phoned the helpline to check on the progress and was told it's "under examination". They say that it is currently taking 7-8 weeks from the date of payment until it is sent to the printers, and then 10-14 days before it reaches Bangkok. I was advised to phone again next week to check progress.

It's been over 7 weeks for me since the payment date, and still "under examination.

I am not pushed for time, my visa extension is not due until November, but I just want to get the whole thing over with.

[ubonjoe]

Normally you need about a third of a page, full page width for an Extension of Permission to Stay stamp.

Nothing stopping you going to Immigration now (you can apply up to 28 days before the 'Admitted Until' stamp date) for the 30 day Extension Stamp from the 21st July.

So go to immigration this week, see if they can fit an extension in your passport or not, if it doesn't happen, then this will still give you a couple of weeks to plan for the trip to the British Embassy to buy an ETD, book travel, get your stamps transferred to your ETD, etc.

The British Embassy have told me that currently they are so snowed under with ETD requests that they will only take appointments to do one if you have an immediate need to travel (pretty much next couple of days).

Good luck.

Thanks for that. I have barely enough room for a few exit stamps though. Can get eight of that size on a page, so I have barely a quarter of a page left (plus room for one more exit stamp-size on another page).

I highly doubt I will have room. So, is it even worth going to immigration first? I'm not sure what it can achieve other than, in the current climate, drawing attention to myself.

And if I am to go there in the hope they'll somehow have a magic reduced-size welcome sticker for my passport it would mean drawing attention to myself in the current climate whilst not having declared my passport is cancelled.

Maybe the best and simplest solution is to just to grin and bear the cost and hassle of an ETD. I must pay because I was stupid and didn't start the process a couple of pages sooner.

So maybe I should try to procure an ETD first and then go see Immigration for the extension whilst I openly, honestly and legally await my new passport?

I would go to immigration and let them decide if you have enough room. An extension stamp for a tourist visa entry will be smaller than an annual extension because ti does not have info about 90 reports and etc. A quarter of a page should be enough.

[sometimewoodworker]

bigsteve, on 02 Jul 2014 - 17:14, said:

No. Adding pages is something they will not do in British passports

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Since when may one ask?

Win

It has never been done for British passports