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Changes To British Passport Services In Thailand


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Progress at last. I made my weekly phone call to the helpline a few minutes ago. At first they told me that the "progress room" was busy, and that they would send me an e-mail in a few days. I said I was prepared to wait, so can they retry. The second time, I was put through to the "progress room" and answered more security questions including my address as entered on the application form. Eventually they told me the passport was printed last Saturday and would be sent by DHL to Trendy. No information if it had already been dispatched. 10 weeks today since I visited Trendy.

I'm sure that some applications are dealt with fairly quickly, and a number, at random, are given a more thorough examination. As I was applying for my third passport from the same address without leaving Thailand on the previous 2 passports, I had assumed my renewal would be a straightforward process, maybe it was average, only time will tell. I also don't believe that applications are dealt with on a strict "first come" basis.

When I receive notification from Trendy, I'll let you know,

15 minutes on skype, about 14 baht, excellent call quality.

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Progress at last. I made my weekly phone call to the helpline a few minutes ago. At first they told me that the "progress room" was busy, and that they would send me an e-mail in a few days. I said I was prepared to wait, so can they retry. The second time, I was put through to the "progress room" and answered more security questions including my address as entered on the application form. Eventually they told me the passport was printed last Saturday and would be sent by DHL to Trendy. No information if it had already been dispatched. 10 weeks today since I visited Trendy.

I'm sure that some applications are dealt with fairly quickly, and a number, at random, are given a more thorough examination. As I was applying for my third passport from the same address without leaving Thailand on the previous 2 passports, I had assumed my renewal would be a straightforward process, maybe it was average, only time will tell. I also don't believe that applications are dealt with on a strict "first come" basis.

When I receive notification from Trendy, I'll let you know,

15 minutes on skype, about 14 baht, excellent call quality.

Nice one del, at least you know you are on the home straight now.

Going by some posts on here I think it's a fair assumption that it's definitely NOT a first come first serve basis.

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Progress at last. I made my weekly phone call to the helpline a few minutes ago. At first they told me that the "progress room" was busy, and that they would send me an e-mail in a few days. I said I was prepared to wait, so can they retry. The second time, I was put through to the "progress room" and answered more security questions including my address as entered on the application form. Eventually they told me the passport was printed last Saturday and would be sent by DHL to Trendy. No information if it had already been dispatched. 10 weeks today since I visited Trendy.

I'm sure that some applications are dealt with fairly quickly, and a number, at random, are given a more thorough examination. As I was applying for my third passport from the same address without leaving Thailand on the previous 2 passports, I had assumed my renewal would be a straightforward process, maybe it was average, only time will tell. I also don't believe that applications are dealt with on a strict "first come" basis.

When I receive notification from Trendy, I'll let you know,

15 minutes on skype, about 14 baht, excellent call quality.

Going from my expereance. Your passport was collected from the printers either on Saturday or Sunday or at the latest Monday by DHL I was told that DHL collect every day from the printers, I didn't ask if they work on Sunday.

My expereance (I'm in Japan) from being sent to the printers on Wednesday to delivery to me on Friday morning.

So in your case I would be trying to contact Trendy now if your need is urgent.

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ha ha thanks all. Yep, let's hope it's a massive over-reaction on my part and you're right, it could've been so much worse.

I'm on a standard double entry tourist visa.

I didn't email Trendy, I tried emailing the UK several times, and calling...nobody called me back or I just got cut off every time.

In the end I used this email address: [email protected]

they were pretty helpful once they knew I was overstaying. I doubt they would have got involved otherwise.

Looks like an expensive few days ahead...

Trendy don't do email complaints - they are contracted to just refer you to the HMPO UK Helpline and the Newport Complaints email address, they don't even forward your email - that 's if they can even understand it.

British Consulate has been now been authorized to get involved, whereas a couple of months ago they were mostly referring you complaints to the relevant HMPO department.

However last month, when the British Embassy in BKK was tasked to issue the temporary 12 month passport extensions, they were further flooded with enquiries and have, it appears, been given some resources to enable them to deal with 'problem passport cases'.

These appear to include imminent/actual overstay and it seems that your two week leg up over the now standard 10 weeks may have been directly down to BKK Consular services.

My advice is this: If you have a serious problem, then do try contacting the British Embassy Consular Services in BKK by phone or email and seeing if they can help.

Folks, I know that this god awful fiasco is 100% the fault of the UK Government/HMPO, but let's give the Embassy some room to operate, so again do call, but only if your case is desperate.

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ha ha thanks all. Yep, let's hope it's a massive over-reaction on my part and you're right, it could've been so much worse.

I'm on a standard double entry tourist visa.

I didn't email Trendy, I tried emailing the UK several times, and calling...nobody called me back or I just got cut off every time.

In the end I used this email address: [email protected]

they were pretty helpful once they knew I was overstaying. I doubt they would have got involved otherwise.

Looks like an expensive few days ahead...

Ok, thanks. And pleased to see that you are savvy enough to realise that my comment was not an 'insult' unlike some.

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ha ha thanks all. Yep, let's hope it's a massive over-reaction on my part and you're right, it could've been so much worse.

I'm on a standard double entry tourist visa.

I didn't email Trendy, I tried emailing the UK several times, and calling...nobody called me back or I just got cut off every time.

In the end I used this email address: [email protected]

they were pretty helpful once they knew I was overstaying. I doubt they would have got involved otherwise.

Looks like an expensive few days ahead...

Trendy don't do email complaints - they are contracted to just refer you to the HMPO UK Helpline and the Newport Complaints email address, they don't even forward your email - that 's if they can even understand it.

British Consulate has been now been authorized to get involved, whereas a couple of months ago they were mostly referring you complaints to the relevant HMPO department.

However last month, when the British Embassy in BKK was tasked to issue the temporary 12 month passport extensions, they were further flooded with enquiries and have, it appears, been given some resources to enable them to deal with 'problem passport cases'.

These appear to include imminent/actual overstay and it seems that your two week leg up over the now standard 10 weeks may have been directly down to BKK Consular services.

My advice is this: If you have a serious problem, then do try contacting the British Embassy Consular Services in BKK by phone or email and seeing if they can help.

Folks, I know that this god awful fiasco is 100% the fault of the UK Government/HMPO, but let's give the Embassy some room to operate, so again do call, but only if your case is desperate.

I wouldn't say that my case is desperate yet, but I need it back by mid -August latest (handed it in on the 26th may) but I fired them off an email today anyway asking them if they can expediate things as I didn't think it would hurt. I didn't make up a a bunch of lies like I''ll be on overstay with a week, but I did 'tweak' a few things. Let's see what they come back with.

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It being a month since my application at Trendy, I yesterday called HMPO hotline in UK, where Chloe could not give me a Reference number for my passport, but promised that she would email the relevant department who would email me the Reference number

I got an email yesterday from hmpo.gsi.gov.uk asking my complete details, so perhaps they will send me a Ref. No now, or progress report

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It being a month since my application at Trendy, I yesterday called HMPO hotline in UK, where Chloe could not give me a Reference number for my passport, but promised that she would email the relevant department who would email me the Reference number

I got an email yesterday from hmpo.gsi.gov.uk asking my complete details, so perhaps they will send me a Ref. No now, or progress report

I managed to get a ref number off them on the phone once they put me through the 'progress team' lol..

You're only a month in so may have a ways to go yet..

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It being a month since my application at Trendy, I yesterday called HMPO hotline in UK, where Chloe could not give me a Reference number for my passport, but promised that she would email the relevant department who would email me the Reference number

I got an email yesterday from hmpo.gsi.gov.uk asking my complete details, so perhaps they will send me a Ref. No now, or progress report

I managed to get a ref number off them on the phone once they put me through the 'progress team' lol..

You're only a month in so may have a ways to go yet..

Thats good, she told me there was noone they could phone nor put me through to

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.

.

This passport of my mates daughter is a ABSOLUTE DISGRACE,I know they sent the application forms out on the 6th March,he paid 125 pound that was the cost at the time for a child's 5 year passport.on the understanding that the passport when issued would be sent to their home address by DHL

They have only received two letters addressed to the address they have always given from the HMPO.

The first letter was a standard proof of address letter were to ask a 13 year old child to submit what the HMPO required was practically impossible,so they sent the letter back with the address that the HMPO had sent plus another form hoping that would suffice as proof of address.

Weeks later they received another letter from the HMPO with the same standard proof of address form but this time common sense prevailed as someone had handwritten at the bottom of the form that if they ask the teacher at the school she attends to write a letter in English stating that she goes to this school and her address on the schools records is off course what they said all along.they also said to fax a copy and then send the original letter from the school."nothing could be simpler than that "and the fax and letter was sent off within 3 days.

FINALLY (that's a long time )

The HMPO contacted my mate to say the passport had been issued and her mother could collect at the trendy office the following week, needless to say she was then told the passport had still not arrived and they would email when it arrives,this was after making a 2,000 k bus journey.

I have told my mate to sue the HMPO because the only words i can sum this episode up is and I will save the mods a job -----deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted

This is a update my mate sent me by email

Email

nobody on this planet could write this bloody script,

the latest news !! after finally being issued on 19th june and told i would be contacted shortly as to when it could be collected.............3 weeks had passed, so im back on to the main man asking how long is shortly ??......... a very sympathetic reply was received, and he has made it his top mission to get it sorted, he has been on to dhl and demanded they make it their top priorty to trace the exact whereabouts of it, (lord lucans back pocket ?)and for them to contact either me or hom quicker than asap...................he also guarantees it will be successfully resolved....

he said if weve not heard by tuesday at latest, to let him know and he would resume his chase !! bearing in mind, this email from him was on thursday, and if the dhl contact is from bkk branch ? ...well of course its fell on a buddhist bank holiday, friday through to monday, so earliest would be tuesday....................o.hum.

tommorrow will be exactly 18 weeks since the application dropped on the doorstep at old

Hall st

HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH

After my mate knocking his head against a brick wall pestering the HMPO in Liverpool

He finally got a response from HMPO Peterborough via the British embassy Bangkok today

(Your guess is as good as mine what Peterborough have got to do with it )

Peterborough HMPO informed my mate that his daughters passport was delivered to VFS

The Trendy office by DHL on (wait for it ) June 25th but they have not bothered to contact

Him or is wife to arrange collection.

So from the start on the 6th March to finally being informed that the passport as been gathering dust

at the VFS Trendy office it's exactly 18 weeks of one incompetence after incompetence.

The whole system is just a shambles

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This passport of my mates daughter is a ABSOLUTE DISGRACE,I know they sent the application forms out on the 6th March,he paid 125 pound that was the cost at the time for a child's 5 year passport.on the understanding that the passport when issued would be sent to their home address by DHL

They have only received two letters addressed to the address they have always given from the HMPO.

The first letter was a standard proof of address letter were to ask a 13 year old child to submit what the HMPO required was practically impossible,so they sent the letter back with the address that the HMPO had sent plus another form hoping that would suffice as proof of address.

Weeks later they received another letter from the HMPO with the same standard proof of address form but this time common sense prevailed as someone had handwritten at the bottom of the form that if they ask the teacher at the school she attends to write a letter in English stating that she goes to this school and her address on the schools records is off course what they said all along.they also said to fax a copy and then send the original letter from the school."nothing could be simpler than that "and the fax and letter was sent off within 3 days.

FINALLY (that's a long time )

The HMPO contacted my mate to say the passport had been issued and her mother could collect at the trendy office the following week, needless to say she was then told the passport had still not arrived and they would email when it arrives,this was after making a 2,000 k bus journey.

I have told my mate to sue the HMPO because the only words i can sum this episode up is and I will save the mods a job -----deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted

This is a update my mate sent me by email

Email

nobody on this planet could write this bloody script,

the latest news !! after finally being issued on 19th june and told i would be contacted shortly as to when it could be collected.............3 weeks had passed, so im back on to the main man asking how long is shortly ??......... a very sympathetic reply was received, and he has made it his top mission to get it sorted, he has been on to dhl and demanded they make it their top priorty to trace the exact whereabouts of it, (lord lucans back pocket ?)and for them to contact either me or hom quicker than asap...................he also guarantees it will be successfully resolved....

he said if weve not heard by tuesday at latest, to let him know and he would resume his chase !! bearing in mind, this email from him was on thursday, and if the dhl contact is from bkk branch ? ...well of course its fell on a buddhist bank holiday, friday through to monday, so earliest would be tuesday....................o.hum.

tommorrow will be exactly 18 weeks since the application dropped on the doorstep at old

Hall st

HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH

After my mate knocking his head against a brick wall pestering the HMPO in Liverpool

He finally got a response from HMPO Peterborough via the British embassy Bangkok today

(Your guess is as good as mine what Peterborough have got to do with it )

Peterborough HMPO informed my mate that his daughters passport was delivered to VFS

The Trendy office by DHL on (wait for it ) June 25th but they have not bothered to contact

Him or is wife to arrange collection.

So from the start on the 6th March to finally being informed that the passport as been gathering dust

at the VFS Trendy office it's exactly 18 weeks of one incompetence after incompetence.

The whole system is just a shambles

Good news for your mate, but the fat lady hasn't sung quite yet.

I sincerely pray that this isn't the case, but I clearly recollect the lady who dealt with my application at trendy informing me that they would only hold a replacement passport there, once received, for 2-3 weeks then they are supposed to return it to Liverpool HMPO if it remains uncollected at that point.....

Edited by digitalchromakey
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.

This passport of my mates daughter is a ABSOLUTE DISGRACE,I know they sent the application forms out on the 6th March,he paid 125 pound that was the cost at the time for a child's 5 year passport.on the understanding that the passport when issued would be sent to their home address by DHL

They have only received two letters addressed to the address they have always given from the HMPO.

The first letter was a standard proof of address letter were to ask a 13 year old child to submit what the HMPO required was practically impossible,so they sent the letter back with the address that the HMPO had sent plus another form hoping that would suffice as proof of address.

Weeks later they received another letter from the HMPO with the same standard proof of address form but this time common sense prevailed as someone had handwritten at the bottom of the form that if they ask the teacher at the school she attends to write a letter in English stating that she goes to this school and her address on the schools records is off course what they said all along.they also said to fax a copy and then send the original letter from the school."nothing could be simpler than that "and the fax and letter was sent off within 3 days.

FINALLY (that's a long time )

The HMPO contacted my mate to say the passport had been issued and her mother could collect at the trendy office the following week, needless to say she was then told the passport had still not arrived and they would email when it arrives,this was after making a 2,000 k bus journey.

I have told my mate to sue the HMPO because the only words i can sum this episode up is and I will save the mods a job -----deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted

This is a update my mate sent me by email

Email

nobody on this planet could write this bloody script,

the latest news !! after finally being issued on 19th june and told i would be contacted shortly as to when it could be collected.............3 weeks had passed, so im back on to the main man asking how long is shortly ??......... a very sympathetic reply was received, and he has made it his top mission to get it sorted, he has been on to dhl and demanded they make it their top priorty to trace the exact whereabouts of it, (lord lucans back pocket ?)and for them to contact either me or hom quicker than asap...................he also guarantees it will be successfully resolved....

he said if weve not heard by tuesday at latest, to let him know and he would resume his chase !! bearing in mind, this email from him was on thursday, and if the dhl contact is from bkk branch ? ...well of course its fell on a buddhist bank holiday, friday through to monday, so earliest would be tuesday....................o.hum.

tommorrow will be exactly 18 weeks since the application dropped on the doorstep at old

Hall st

HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH

After my mate knocking his head against a brick wall pestering the HMPO in Liverpool

He finally got a response from HMPO Peterborough via the British embassy Bangkok today

(Your guess is as good as mine what Peterborough have got to do with it )

Peterborough HMPO informed my mate that his daughters passport was delivered to VFS

The Trendy office by DHL on (wait for it ) June 25th but they have not bothered to contact

Him or is wife to arrange collection.

So from the start on the 6th March to finally being informed that the passport as been gathering dust

at the VFS Trendy office it's exactly 18 weeks of one incompetence after incompetence.

The whole system is just a shambles

Good news for your mate, but the fat lady hasn't sung quite yet.

I sincerely pray that this isn't the case, but I clearly recollect the lady who dealt with my application at trendy informing me that they would only hold a replacement passport there, once received, for 2-3 weeks then they are supposed to return it to Liverpool HMPO if it remains uncollected at that point.....

I thought it was a month.

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Quote Digitaichromakey

Good news for your mate, but the fat lady hasn't sung quite yet.

I sincerely pray that this isn't the case, but I clearly recollect the lady who dealt with my application at trendy informing me that they would only hold a replacement passport there, once received, for 2-3 weeks then they are supposed to return it to Liverpool HMPO if it remains uncollected at that point....

Well Digi

If they do have the cheek to send it back,that would put the icing on the incompetence cake for sure.

I have told my mate to sue the HMPO,he's not like that but what's happens here i think its illegal.

When you think that he applied in GOOD FAITH on the 6th March before the changes on the 26 th

He took the HMPO word off their website that the passport would be sent back to his home by DHL plus he paid the appropriate fee at the time of 125 pound for a child 5 year passport in GOOD FAITH.

The HMPO did not refund him the the 60+pound ? That they charged him before they reduced the fees and

instead of returning the passport by DHL to their house they have sent it to the VFS Trendy office.

Now it's not my mates fault that they changed the rules,ok he entered into a verbal GOOD FAITH agreement with the HMPO and if they are not going to refund him because that was the fee before the changes.

They must honor their word and send the passport to their home address.

If there is any lawyer gurus looking i in what do you think?

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Applied May 2nd, got the call that my passport had arrived yesterday. 2.5 months wait

Well first of all, congratulations that must be a huge relief.

So it will be 11 weeks application to collection - yet another example of the truly appalling third class service we Overseas British Citizens are being served up by the British Government and HMPO at monotonously slow, yet ever increasing intervals.

The head of the HMPO, Mr. Paul 'No Problem' Pugh should be dismissed on the spot for starters with no golden handshake/golden parachute, just fired and only supplied with the statutory P45.

Furthermore generous compensation should be due to all long suffering applicants for the stress, inconvenience and current potentially huge extra 'hidden' costs of applying for a British Passport overseas.

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The head of the HMPO, Mr. Paul 'No Problem' Pugh should be dismissed on the spot for starters with no golden handshake/golden parachute, just fired and only supplied with the statutory P45.

And his passport rescinded with immediate effect so that he can then receive a dose of his own medicine in obtaining a replacement!

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It being a month since my application at Trendy, I yesterday called HMPO hotline in UK, where Chloe could not give me a Reference number for my passport, but promised that she would email the relevant department who would email me the Reference number

I got an email yesterday from hmpo.gsi.gov.uk asking my complete details, so perhaps they will send me a Ref. No now, or progress report

I managed to get a ref number off them on the phone once they put me through the 'progress team' lol..

You're only a month in so may have a ways to go yet..

Thats good, she told me there was noone they could phone nor put me through to

I got a reply today, "I can confirm that your application is awaiting examination" and a Reference number

This will cost me 500quid in overstay

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A friend of mine finally gets to take his kids back to England after complaining to hiS MP after waiting months for their passports.He also received a package yesterday addressed to his daughter from DHL. It turned out to be someone's birth certificate who lives in Australia who has the same surname and first name initial as his daughter.w00t.gif

I phoned again yesterday and explained to them about the new overstay rules and that it would be nice to be able to continue to stay with/visit my family. After mentioning family he promised that someone from Liverpool would phone me within 72hours,

Its the first time since this whole mess started that I have actually spoke to someone who sounded like they actually gave a damn.

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I got a reply today, "I can confirm that your application is awaiting examination" and a Reference number

This will cost me 500quid in overstay

Sorry to disappoint, but your passport goes to the status 'awaiting examination' the day they debit your account for payment,

What the HMPO are telling you is that nothing has happened yet and that you are still in a very long and ever expanding queue.

All this means is that your application is sitting in an orange box, amongst may other orange boxes, getting lonely in a no longer used conference room at HMPO Liverpool.

Don't stand for an HMPO enforced overstay, the British Government has put you in a position where you could be detained, arrested and deported from Thailand - do you think that is reasonable?.

No delay, phone the British Consular Facility in BKK (not the Embassy) today and ask for their help.

Make an appointment, go to there and tell them that you are travelling to wherever and get an ETD - take this document to immigration and get an extension, if not then do the travel and get an entry stamp (I know this would be despite your medical issues).

Can you present any rational reason why you should not do this (other than that the British Embassy told you 'The computer says no')?

Or do you want to risk getting arrested and deported on overstay (btw you would have to pay for an ETD first to then get deported)?

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A friend of mine finally gets to take his kids back to England after complaining to hiS MP after waiting months for their passports.He also received a package yesterday addressed to his daughter from DHL. It turned out to be someone's birth certificate who lives in Australia who has the same surname and first name initial as his daughter.w00t.gif

I phoned again yesterday and explained to them about the new overstay rules and that it would be nice to be able to continue to stay with/visit my family. After mentioning family he promised that someone from Liverpool would phone me within 72hours,

Its the first time since this whole mess started that I have actually spoke to someone who sounded like they actually gave a damn.

Good luck with that my friend.

Although I haven't applied for a passport I did, eventually, get a call from Liverpool after speaking to a guy with an Irish accent on the HMPO helpline. The call took about a week to be returned.

The lady in Liverpool seemed to want to help, but I was more focussed to the actual preocedure than an actual application.

Put pen to papar to complain, I have done 3 times now.

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What is Trendys responce time to an appointment date confirmation , anyone know.?.

Don't know about the time to confirm an appointment,but if it's anything like the time it takes to collect a passport I would not hold your breath.

My mates daughters passport arrived at Trendys on the 19 th June it sat there gathering dust until yesterday the 17 July when someone from VFS got off their a*se and rang the mother to come and collect it.

BTW

That entails another 2,000 k journey there and back

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Hey, I got my appt confirmed within 6 hours of emailing.

Also worth mentioning, I'd booked mine for 12 noon as I was flying up from Phuket, however got there early and asked if there was a chance of an earlier appt. They saw me at 10.10 as no-one else was waiting for passport services. So it's worth asking politely if you do get there early. Beats sitting around in some lame coffee shop with 2hrs to kill :)

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Yeah exactly, a non-optional checking service. I'd been miffed for a long time that I had to make the journey but didn't see the point in chewing off someone's ear at VFS as the service staff aren't the decision makers.

I have a friend who can collect for me, although I need to go again in Oct with my husband to apply for his visa so im hoping that the passport gets back in time for then.

Such an unbelievable amount of hassle!

Cheers gov.uk ;-P

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