Changes To British Passport Services In Thailand

[soap]

Well of course it's not 'just us' do some people really beleive that they treat applications from Thailand different to anywhere else? It will be the same for expats in all far flung places..

I contacted HMPO (again) yesterday and the woman I spoke to claimed that the delay in issuing my new passport was down to the additional security checks they have to do for applications originating in Thailand. She may have been bluffing, maybe not - I have no idea.

Just a update on my mates 13 year old daughters saga renewing her passport.

The documents were sent on the 5th March,the payment of 125 pounds (this was the fee for a childs passport

under the old rules)was taken out on the 12th March.

I cant remember what documents were sent off on the 5th March,only to say that the passport would have been returned by DHL to the address that they had given (common sense )

They then received a letter addressed to them at the address they had given in the first place,saying the HMPO wanted more information about proof of address this was on the 1st May.They sent the letter from the HMPO that they had received with their address on plus one or two other photo copies.

They have just now received another letter from the HMPO with their address on stating what the new rules are for proof of residence.With a Ryder at the bottom of the page saying if she gets a teacher at her school to write that miss so and so goes to this school and her address on record at the school is so and so.

They will accept that as proof of residence.

The HMPO very kindly sent a stamp addressed envelope (mind you her father did pay 125 pound for the privilege of getting a stamped addressed envelope)

Its now going into the 12th week, so i would think another 3weeks before before she gets a five year child passport.

CHARMING.

[soihok]

Shocking more like.

Hope it gets resolved.

I have now given up getting my eldest a new UK passport, she lives in Thailand and I live in Malaysia (meaning I have to go another country to apply and collect).

Edited May 31, 2014 by soihok

[rajyindee]

P.S. If I went to my Embassy here and they couldn't renew my Passport it would raise a question back home. Whats an Embassy for ?.Piss Ups n Parties for a few Elite.Seems to me that's what the Brit one here is for.

To be fair, the system has nothing to do with the Embassy (or the Foreign Office in general). What they can do is issue an ETD - I found their service (and advice) in doing that to be pretty good.

[wobblyjohn]

I has just taken 9 weeks to get my passport renewed because I had to send everything to Liverpool, 3 phone calls to their help desk did nothing to speed up the process

[parryhandy]

Well my appointment was on Tuesday the 27th in the afternoon and my credit card payment (UK card) is showing as pending already.How amazingly efficient they are at processing the payments.I envision an office piled high with torn envelopes and bits of paper everywhere. People tearing open the envelopes from large sacks just to get the payment forms tossing the rest of the contents to the floor.The phone buried under discarded A4 papers is constantly ringing in the background. Some one answers it and at the same time someone shouts "tell them we're doing security checks".

Edited May 31, 2014 by parryhandy

[jcowle]

An update on my application, I submitted it to Trendy House on the 9th April, I had a phone call from Trendy on the 30th, saying my passport was ready for collection, I will be going on Tuesday to collect overall its taken just over 7 weeks.

JOHN

[parryhandy]

An update on my application, I submitted it to Trendy House on the 9th April, I had a phone call from Trendy on the 30th, saying my passport was ready for collection, I will be going on Tuesday to collect overall its taken just over 7 weeks.

JOHN

Well that's the quickest one yet, well done.

[Pattaya Pat]

An update on my application, I submitted it to Trendy House on the 9th April, I had a phone call from Trendy on the 30th, saying my passport was ready for collection, I will be going on Tuesday to collect overall its taken just over 7 weeks.

JOHN

Cheers JOHN, that's not too bad.

Good to see a post without someone whinging.

[digitalchromakey]

I am still not clear regarding the Visa Card. The Gent has started to use it all the time,he finds it a novelty and works perfectly. So is he going to get it rejected at Trendy, YES or No......?. I think id better remain outside the building if it doesn't, I might EXPLODE after all the hoops hes had to jump through at his age.

Your friend has a BKK Bank Visa Debit Card - yes?

This almost certainly will not work for a fee payment to be debited in the UK as a mail order transaction.

Trendy will just take the form off him which he has to fill out with his card details and say thank you, they do not check the validity of the payment.

The first time your friend will know about the problem is when HMPO Liverpool contact him to let him know that the payment has not been successful.

Edited May 31, 2014 by digitalchromakey

[rbkk]

Anyone else get an email about a 10.16GBP REFUND? Applied for a jumbo.......

-Filled in the form, as told, for 114.01GBP

-Payment declined as card not activated

-Email from them requested 110.86GBP (I queried this but was told Thailand had it wrong)

-Over the phone virtual card debited 110.86GBP -Thought the payment was sorted

With this refund (which I have to get with a phone call to Southport as they don't now have the card details) I make it that the application sent to Liverpool is free but a DHL courier fee of 9.70GBP to return it. Total 91GBP+9.70GBP=100.70GBP

My process started on 25th March. Thailand and UK both got the price wrong. My emails were responded too outside the customer target of 20 working days.

Oh, and my visa is up on the 21st June and my less than 3yr old passport is full. Crap service.

[celso]

An update on my application, I submitted it to Trendy House on the 9th April, I had a phone call from Trendy on the 30th, saying my passport was ready for collection, I will be going on Tuesday to collect overall its taken just over 7 weeks.

JOHN

Thanks a lot for this.

I'm past the 4 week waiting period and now in visa limbo because my passport has expired. It's good to know a rough idea of when it will be resolved. Did you need to book an appointment to collect?

[digitalchromakey]

An update on my application, I submitted it to Trendy House on the 9th April, I had a phone call from Trendy on the 30th, saying my passport was ready for collection, I will be going on Tuesday to collect overall its taken just over 7 weeks.

JOHN

Thanks a lot for this.

I'm past the 4 week waiting period and now in visa limbo because my passport has expired. It's good to know a rough idea of when it will be resolved. Did you need to book an appointment to collect?

No appointment necessary to collect.

Once Trendy tell you that your new passport is available for collection, you just turn up at your convenience to collect Mon - Fri 08:30 - > 16:00 (better you arrive before 15:00 to be safe).

By written agreement/authorisation you can send a proxy to collect, but either way they want to cancel your old passport, so that needs to go as well.

Edited May 31, 2014 by digitalchromakey

[Jip99]

Gentlemen,

Please forgive me for this because I feel that those of us who have posted on here have become friends. Or, we have tried to beat/circumvent/comply with the system.

Today I received confirmation that my passport is on the way . Chilidish, but I am so excited.............

Dear Mr X

Thank you for your email, I can confirm your passport has now been issued and printed on 27/5/14 and has been returned to the Visa Centre in Bangkok you should be contacted shortly to arrange collection. I hope this clarifies our position.

Regards


Louise Torjesen
PO3 Customer Contact Centre
Operations

Her Majesty's Passport Office

[Jip99]

An update on my application, I submitted it to Trendy House on the 9th April, I had a phone call from Trendy on the 30th, saying my passport was ready for collection, I will be going on Tuesday to collect overall its taken just over 7 weeks.

JOHN

Thanks a lot for this.

I'm past the 4 week waiting period and now in visa limbo because my passport has expired. It's good to know a rough idea of when it will be resolved. Did you need to book an appointment to collect?

celso, it is a 6 week minimum waiting period..............

[Jip99]

An update on my application, I submitted it to Trendy House on the 9th April, I had a phone call from Trendy on the 30th, saying my passport was ready for collection, I will be going on Tuesday to collect overall its taken just over 7 weeks.

JOHN

Well that's the quickest one yet, well done.

John, If you were anywhere near Buriram you would get a bottle of champers for that

[Ace of Pop]

Thanks for that Digitall.BKK Bank were most adamant that his Card will work Worldwide.Now my wife had decided to come,and shes maxed with Cards.Shoppings a Serious matter. Thanks

[Ace of Pop]

Now im told no Banks here do a worldwide service. They can all opperate worldwide on request, and you state your limit. It seems that you must have it activated by your BKK Bank, as i did for Old Brit,and shifted 300K into his system.Again i can only go on what BKK Bank assured him.Also my Wife had to get KTTB to activate all her cards for a Ski Trip to Korea. Im pissed off with them.Why not pay cash, Job Done.Hes got 200GBP in Notes.

[soihok]

An update on my application, I submitted it to Trendy House on the 9th April, I had a phone call from Trendy on the 30th, saying my passport was ready for collection, I will be going on Tuesday to collect overall its taken just over 7 weeks.

JOHN

Cheers JOHN, that's not too bad.

Good to see a post without someone whinging.

One in a million.

If there is something to whinge about it certainly is this awful service and procedure, don't you agree?

See post 1183 to understand my dilemma (and whinge).

Edited June 1, 2014 by soihok

[rikki]

When I visited the Embassy the very helpful consular officer gave me a hard copy of the relevant complaints procedure re passport services.

It may be worth some guys putting their experiences down in writing and sending it off to the relevant people - I will be doing so when I eventually receive my passport. I was told that I should copy my comments/complaints to [email protected] since my comments relate to the system in general rather than one specific issue. A prime example is that we are told that we can expect "special provisions and services for people with disabilities" - I would like to know specifically what special provisions are in place for aged and infirm UK residents in Thailand, particularly those who live some distance from Bangkok.

living in Chiang Mai, and currently on a Visa on Arrival extension on medical grounds(doc says I'm not fit to travel as I have a leg injury),

I emailed HMPObangkok to ask if it was strictly necessary for me to go to bangkok for the interview.

I dont believe they read nor understood my email, they simply responded with

"For apply passport renewal the applicant need to apply in person in Bangkok, Thailand only."

It would help them to be taken seriously if they can write english properly

[Jip99]

When I visited the Embassy the very helpful consular officer gave me a hard copy of the relevant complaints procedure re passport services.

It may be worth some guys putting their experiences down in writing and sending it off to the relevant people - I will be doing so when I eventually receive my passport. I was told that I should copy my comments/complaints to [email protected] since my comments relate to the system in general rather than one specific issue. A prime example is that we are told that we can expect "special provisions and services for people with disabilities" - I would like to know specifically what special provisions are in place for aged and infirm UK residents in Thailand, particularly those who live some distance from Bangkok.

living in Chiang Mai, and currently on a Visa on Arrival extension on medical grounds(doc says I'm not fit to travel as I have a leg injury),

I emailed HMPObangkok to ask if it was strictly necessary for me to go to bangkok for the interview.

I dont believe they read nor understood my email, they simply responded with

"For apply passport renewal the applicant need to apply in person in Bangkok, Thailand only."

It would help them to be taken seriously if they can write english properly

I agree with your sentiment but the message is crystal clear.

[rajyindee]

When I visited the Embassy the very helpful consular officer gave me a hard copy of the relevant complaints procedure re passport services.

It may be worth some guys putting their experiences down in writing and sending it off to the relevant people - I will be doing so when I eventually receive my passport. I was told that I should copy my comments/complaints to [email protected] since my comments relate to the system in general rather than one specific issue. A prime example is that we are told that we can expect "special provisions and services for people with disabilities" - I would like to know specifically what special provisions are in place for aged and infirm UK residents in Thailand, particularly those who live some distance from Bangkok.

living in Chiang Mai, and currently on a Visa on Arrival extension on medical grounds(doc says I'm not fit to travel as I have a leg injury),

I emailed HMPObangkok to ask if it was strictly necessary for me to go to bangkok for the interview.

I dont believe they read nor understood my email, they simply responded with

"For apply passport renewal the applicant need to apply in person in Bangkok, Thailand only."

It would help them to be taken seriously if they can write english properly

Why e-mail HMPO Bangkok - it's VFS. You need to contact HMPO in UK.

You can quote from their published guidelines:

"What you can expect from us

We aim to provide a high standard of customer service in all our dealings with customers. You can expect:

• staff to be polite, helpful and professional

• passports to be issued in line with our published standards

• details on your passport to be correct and your supporting documents to be returned promptly

• registration certificates to be issued in line with our published standards from the General Register Office (GRO)

• special provisions and services for people with disabilities

• clear and helpful explanations from our staff if you are denied a British passport because of citizenship or on other grounds"

[rbkk]

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I am still not clear regarding the Visa Card. The Gent has started to use it all the time,he finds it a novelty and works perfectly. So is he going to get it rejected at Trendy, YES or No......?. I think id better remain outside the building if it doesn't, I might EXPLODE after all the hoops hes had to jump through at his age.

Your friend has a BKK Bank Visa Debit Card - yes?

This almost certainly will not work for a fee payment to be debited in the UK as a mail order transaction.

Trendy will just take the form off him which he has to fill out with his card details and say thank you, they do not check the validity of the payment.

The first time your friend will know about the problem is when HMPO Liverpool contact him to let him know that the payment has not been successful.

Absolutely correct.

[soihok]

special provisions and services for people with disabilities - my a**

See post 1183.

It was pointed out to the officer I contacted in Newport that the reason my girl isn't living with me is due to her disability, but no special provision was offered and no suggestion made (other than travel to Thailand to apply in person, then travel back there again for collection).

So I would take what ever they say on the web site with a pinch of salt.

Edited June 1, 2014 by soihok

[rajyindee]

special provisions and services for people with disabilities - my a**

See post 1183.

It was pointed out to the officer I contacted in Newport that the reason my girl isn't living with me is due to her disability, but no special provision was offered and no suggestion made (other than travel to Thailand to apply in person, then travel back there again for collection).

So I would take what ever they say on the web site with a pinch of salt.

The same website lays down the process to take your complaint higher. If you believe you have a genuine greivance, pursue it.

The complete document can be viewed here - it gives you the contact details of whom you should escalate the complaint to.

[soihok]

Thanks very much for the info.

I shall indeed complain.

It is total nonsense that I have to travel between countries (twice) to get a passport for my daughter.

[soap]

special provisions and services for people with disabilities - my a**

See post 1183.

It was pointed out to the officer I contacted in Newport that the reason my girl isn't living with me is due to her disability, but no special provision was offered and no suggestion made (other than travel to Thailand to apply in person, then travel back there again for collection).

So I would take what ever they say on the web site with a pinch of salt.

Newport also told me that there was NO provision for anyone,old,young, disabled, housebound,but to travel to Bangkok for the ten minutes it takes to present your documents,

Also a Mr Stanford from HMPO Newport told jip99 ? that the laws of Thailand say you must carry your passport. With you at all times,but now trendy wendy say you can nominate any tom dick or harry to collect your new passport if you send them your old passport.

So whose right and whose wrong.All i know is that a British citizen in Thailand is treated completely different than a British citizen in the UK.

You can imagine the outcry in the UK if they told anyone never mind elderly or disabled that they had to travel from lands end to john O'groats to spend ten minutes giving their documents.

I'm sure the likes of age concern etc would have a thing or two to say

[Pattaya Pat]

special provisions and services for people with disabilities - my a**

See post 1183.

It was pointed out to the officer I contacted in Newport that the reason my girl isn't living with me is due to her disability, but no special provision was offered and no suggestion made (other than travel to Thailand to apply in person, then travel back there again for collection).

So I would take what ever they say on the web site with a pinch of salt.

Newport also told me that there was NO provision for anyone,old,young, disabled, housebound,but to travel to Bangkok for the ten minutes it takes to present your documents,

Also a Mr Stanford from HMPO Newport told jip99 ? that the laws of Thailand say you must carry your passport. With you at all times,but now trendy wendy say you can nominate any tom dick or harry to collect your new passport if you send them your old passport.

So whose right and whose wrong.All i know is that a British citizen in Thailand is treated completely different than a British citizen in the UK.

You can imagine the outcry in the UK if they told anyone never mind elderly or disabled that they had to travel from lands end to john O'groats to spend ten minutes giving their documents.

I'm sure the likes of age concern etc would have a thing or two to say

We left the UK, we longer contribute to that country by way of taxes etc. Of course they are going to see us as being further down the pecking order. Get over it.

The whinging on this thread is incredible even by this forums standards.

[watso63]

special provisions and services for people with disabilities - my a**

See post 1183.

It was pointed out to the officer I contacted in Newport that the reason my girl isn't living with me is due to her disability, but no special provision was offered and no suggestion made (other than travel to Thailand to apply in person, then travel back there again for collection).

So I would take what ever they say on the web site with a pinch of salt.

Newport also told me that there was NO provision for anyone,old,young, disabled, housebound,but to travel to Bangkok for the ten minutes it takes to present your documents,

Also a Mr Stanford from HMPO Newport told jip99 ? that the laws of Thailand say you must carry your passport. With you at all times,but now trendy wendy say you can nominate any tom dick or harry to collect your new passport if you send them your old passport.

So whose right and whose wrong.All i know is that a British citizen in Thailand is treated completely different than a British citizen in the UK.

You can imagine the outcry in the UK if they told anyone never mind elderly or disabled that they had to travel from lands end to john O'groats to spend ten minutes giving their documents.

I'm sure the likes of age concern etc would have a thing or two to say

We left the UK, we longer contribute to that country by way of taxes etc. Of course they are going to see us as being further down the pecking order. Get over it.

The whinging on this thread is incredible even by this forums standards.

We are still British citizens. Most, like myself have probably paid enough NI contributions to qualify for a full state pension. Just because we choose to live where we do, doesn't mean we should expect poor levels of service in a modern world. The banter and chat on this thread has been good for the most part. Enjoy your waif for your passport!

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

Edited June 1, 2014 by watso63
Removed a inflammatory comment

[jonesthepost]

We left the UK, we longer contribute to that country by way of taxes etc. Of course they are going to see us as being further down the pecking order. Get over it.

The whinging on this thread is incredible even by this forums standards.

Many of us worked right up to age of 65 paid over 45 years N.I. and still pay tax to the U.K. gov. on our company pensions even on a small pension add to that that our state pensions are frozen and we do not want a load of hassle to renew a passport many of us are over 75 and are not so sharp as we would like to be. So its not whinging its just stating the facts.

[soihok]

Here in Malaysia, you are able to apply and pay on line and simply post the expiring passport (+all other passports held if one is lucky enough to hold dual nationality) off to the UK. No problem.

That is simple.

So why can't this be the case in Thailand?

If Pattaya Pat was faced the same situation that I now face, having to travel twice between countries to get a passport for my kid, I sure he / her would also have a whinge about the facts.