Changes To British Passport Services In Thailand

[soihok]

Some of us actually have to work for a living, not prance about between countries trying to sort a simple passport renwal out.

One of my Myanmar mechanics working here in Malaysia applied for and received a new passport from the Myanmar Embassy in ONE DAY !!!

Edited July 19, 2014 by soihok

[soihok]

Pat your last sentence, just think about it.

Sounds like you are willing to play along with it, are you serious?

If they said that all applicants must turn up at the office in fancy dress (only those fancy dress's that are in the list can be chosen) and do an impersonations of farmyard animals. Only those that meet a fairly reasonable standard of farm yard animal impersonations are elligible to submit an application - I am guessing you would be the first in the que.

I have no idea what you are rambling on about. No need to take it out on me just becuase you are all bitter about this. As I say, just hop on a plane and get it sorted, with the change in pick up rules youi only need to make 1 lousy trip, but no you won't do it will you, instead you are just sitting on here bitching about it all day long. Sad.

Make that 2 lousy trips Pat.

Oops. I deleted that post as you said I had redeemed myself with post 2005. Anyway, best of luck to you mate.

No worries Pat. Same to you

[soihok]

.........and talking of work, I'ld better get back to it.........

[Pattaya Pat]

Please recommend to me, who can act on my behalf in Thailand?

I do not have a credit card in Thailand, neither does my wife.

If you do not have a credit card then that is a problem with this no matter where you are. Have you got a K-Bank account? Apparantly their card is being accepted. If you cannot find someone to do a pick up at least you will not have to make quick successive trips, they are likely to be 3 months apart, remember.

[Pattaya Pat]

Some of us actually have to work for a living, not prance about between countries trying to sort a simple passport renwal out.

One of my Myanmar mechanics working here in Malaysia applied for and received a new passport from the Myanmar Embassy in ONE DAY !!!

But is it real

[mjj]

I think the biggest complaint is that the new procedure seems totally unnecessary and the process has not only become more difficult, but substantially more expensive.

Why do you need to hand in a form in person?

Why do the staff on the end of the phone not have the answers?

Why do they never call back when they say they will?

I don't know why the process changed, but surely someone must have thought of the difficulties it would bring. Was the previous process that flawed?

In this day and age we are looking towards streamlining everything and making things more efficient, yet this way is going backwards in the face of progression.

[Pattaya Pat]

I think the biggest complaint is that the new procedure seems totally unnecessary and the process has not only become more difficult, but substantially more expensive.

Why do you need to hand in a form in person?

Why do the staff on the end of the phone not have the answers?

Why do they never call back when they say they will?

I don't know why the process changed, but surely someone must have thought of the difficulties it would bring. Was the previous process that flawed?

In this day and age we are looking towards streamlining everything and making things more efficient, yet this way is going backwards in the face of progression.

Wasn't the catalyst of all this the stolen passports that ended up being used on that Malaysian flight?

[mjj]

I think the biggest complaint is that the new procedure seems totally unnecessary and the process has not only become more difficult, but substantially more expensive.

Why do you need to hand in a form in person?

Why do the staff on the end of the phone not have the answers?

Why do they never call back when they say they will?

I don't know why the process changed, but surely someone must have thought of the difficulties it would bring. Was the previous process that flawed?

In this day and age we are looking towards streamlining everything and making things more efficient, yet this way is going backwards in the face of progression.

Wasn't the catalyst of all this the stolen passports that ended up being used on that Malaysian flight?

I don't know. But if it was, were those passports stolen whilst in the postal system? If not then what will be different now?

[sandyf]

I think the biggest complaint is that the new procedure seems totally unnecessary and the process has not only become more difficult, but substantially more expensive.

Why do you need to hand in a form in person?

Why do the staff on the end of the phone not have the answers?

Why do they never call back when they say they will?

I don't know why the process changed, but surely someone must have thought of the difficulties it would bring. Was the previous process that flawed?

In this day and age we are looking towards streamlining everything and making things more efficient, yet this way is going backwards in the face of progression.

Wasn't the catalyst of all this the stolen passports that ended up being used on that Malaysian flight?

I doubt it very much. MH370 was lost on the 8th March 2014, the changeover from FCO to HMPO had already begun and was completed by the end of March..

January 13, 2014

There are an estimated 1.1 million Brits in Australia. Every year around 60,000 of them renew their passports. The way that the application process works changed this week. It’s part of a wider transfer of responsibility for issuing passports overseas from the Foreign Office to HM Passport Office – an Agency of the Home Office – in the UK.

[OJAS]

Dig - I know that you have been a great help to many on here and huge kudos to you for that, but this constant complaining about going to bkk still puzzles me. You're an expat so you cannot be averse to travelling, Is taking 2 trips to bkk really that much of an ordeal and an expense? You're going to bkk not Australia, why is it such a big orderal for you? Serious question. I will be going to Mukdahan/Laos to get my Non-O soon, and quite looking forwad to the trip, have a mini break and get out of the missus' hair for a day or 2. What's so wrong bad about that?

I doubt whether many of us living out in the sticks would have questioned the need to visit that (IMHO) cesspit called Bangkok in person had we still been able to renew our passports at the Embassy. I was not living here when this was possible, but presumably all you needed to do was drop off your application at the Embassy and then collect your new passport the following day (digitalchromemakey – was this the case based on your experience 10 years ago?).

On this basis the total cost of the whole process to an out-of-town applicant would probably have amounted to little more than ONE return air/train/bus fare + 2 nights’ accommodation in Bangkok + the passport renewal fee.

And presumably those living in northern Thailand would have been able to trot along to the Chiang Mai Consulate instead of making a trip to Bangkok.

However, when Hong Kong came on the scene, we were faced with the additional costs both of sending our applications there and of having our new passports couriered to us from the UK by DHL. These costs were further increased last December when we were informed that our applications would now need to be sent all the way to Liverpool.

And then to be further told by HMPO in March that we would need to make 2 trips to Bangkok from wherever we lived in Thailand (firstly to submit our applications in person and, again, a few weeks later to collect our new passports) was probably the final straw for most of us – particularly since HMPO had provided no advance warning or justification for this particular further change beyond making vague and meaningless references to “passport security checks”. Thus out-of-town applicants are now faced with the costs of TWO return air/train/bus fares, on top of 2 nights’ accommodation in Bangkok, 2-way courier charges to and from the UK, renewal fees, etc.

Edited July 19, 2014 by OJAS

[digitalchromakey]

Just to update. I received an email saying the passport will arrive within a week to the UK address I asked for. I'm don't consider myself to be out of the woods until I actually have the passport, but it is looking a quick turnaround for me. 17th June - 25th July, IF I receive it. Add on an extra week or so if it was to come to Thailand it's very good considering what others are going through.

I'm not suggesting anyone didn't do this, but if you are applying soon, get copies of EVERYTHING, and then get more copies of things they might need. The guy that processed mine at Trendy showed me some other applications that were missing far too many documents and this may be causing the delays.

If you need to verify your address, just get someone from the UK to send you a letter or parcel. This is what I used and they were happy with it.

Once again, I am not suggesting anyone didn't do this, I'm just letting people know what I did.

Pleased for you, it appears you might be close to having have received an almost second class UK passport renewal service.

However HMPOs handling of your particular case makes a mockery of their treatment of the vast majority of current overseas applicants.

Me personally, I am now approaching 9 weeks and sit just 11 days from overstay, with loss of extension , Work Permit, livelihood and family looming ever larger in prospect.

Now have got the message that my passport is ready for collection in BKK, going there by bus Sunday for Monday, hopefully to finally hear the fat lady sing.

However..........

Wrote to HMPO in April, concerned about the need for/ high personal cost of going on 2,000 plus km round trip, twice, to renew - HMPO reply - was basically told tough s..t, this is the way it is, no changes are possible to the procedures, whatever your circumstances.

Wrote to HMPO in May, concerned about obtaining address confirmation, was basically told tough s..t, this is what we need, with the usual list of government/commercial documents that are acceptable - no mention of private letters.

Wrote to HMPO in June concerned about the impact of a 10 week plus turn around on my ability to live here, was told tough s..t, this is the system and you should get your passport back after 6 weeks.

Phoned HMPO UK Help line perhaps 10 times, each time was told basically tough s..t, this is the system, your passport is 'in examination' and should be back in x, y, z, etc weeks well before you will need it.

Never have had one complaint from HMPO about 'missing documents' and was in/out of trendy in May in around 10 minutes - no problems with payment or passport cancellation - that was lightening fast.

What I would like to know is, what it is it that I and many other have to do to get other than the third class totally dismissive service that most of us have received?

In your case it was, I recollect, a change of travel plans along with your UK based family's intervention, others, it appears myself included, have benefitted somewhat by begging to the British Embassy/influential MPs on bended knee.

Broken system, please change it now!

...... and btw what about some compensation for the massive stress and inconvenience?

I for one will never forget this 9 week + living nightmare, which stands in stark contrast to my last then FCO led renewal in BKK, now 10 years ago, which took less than 2 weeks, was painless and stress free, also not involving any emails with only one phone call to BKK and my not leaving Phuket once.

Dig - I know that you have been a great help to many on here and huge kudos to you for that, but this constant complaining about going to bkk still puzzles me. You're an expat so you cannot be averse to travelling, Is taking 2 trips to bkk really that much of an ordeal and an expense? You're going to bkk not Australia, why is it such a big orderal for you? Serious question. I will be going to Mukdahan/Laos to get my Non-O soon, and quite looking forwad to the trip, have a mini break and get out of the missus' hair for a day or 2. What's so wrong bad about that?

Personally I gave up travelling 13 years ago - don't like it anymore - did too much of that for too long; I love not travelling, but instead just spending time with my family.

Why should a 'mini-break' which comprises of sitting on a bus for 12 hours overnight, half a day moving around on public transport in a big unpleasant city, snacks from 7-11 plus shopping chores (which are not high on my personal list of priorities), plus a fair amount of thumb twiddling, then followed by another 12 hour journey back - again overnight, then going to work straight from the bus station, be regarded as 'really much of an ordeal' ? Well it's pretty clear to me.

Along with the general stress of Thai bus travel, the general unpleasantness of BKK and the loss of a day's income, missing two nights sleep, this is certainly not something I am looking forward to at all, particularly when this is necessary purely because some well paid suit sitting in a comfy office in the UK has decided that I need to do it to stop my 'identity' being stolen.

Before you start on about flying, stopping in comfortable hotels and nice meals - can't justify that level of expense now, times are relatively hard for me and my family at the moment. I already had to borrow money off a good friend for the new passport and my first pretty unpleasant trip to trendy, not looking forward to this next one either.

Edited July 19, 2014 by digitalchromakey

[Pattaya Pat]

Just to update. I received an email saying the passport will arrive within a week to the UK address I asked for. I'm don't consider myself to be out of the woods until I actually have the passport, but it is looking a quick turnaround for me. 17th June - 25th July, IF I receive it. Add on an extra week or so if it was to come to Thailand it's very good considering what others are going through.

I'm not suggesting anyone didn't do this, but if you are applying soon, get copies of EVERYTHING, and then get more copies of things they might need. The guy that processed mine at Trendy showed me some other applications that were missing far too many documents and this may be causing the delays.

If you need to verify your address, just get someone from the UK to send you a letter or parcel. This is what I used and they were happy with it.

Once again, I am not suggesting anyone didn't do this, I'm just letting people know what I did.

Pleased for you, it appears you might be close to having have received an almost second class UK passport renewal service.

However HMPOs handling of your particular case makes a mockery of their treatment of the vast majority of current overseas applicants.

Me personally, I am now approaching 9 weeks and sit just 11 days from overstay, with loss of extension , Work Permit, livelihood and family looming ever larger in prospect.

Now have got the message that my passport is ready for collection in BKK, going there by bus Sunday for Monday, hopefully to finally hear the fat lady sing.

However..........

Wrote to HMPO in April, concerned about the need for/ high personal cost of going on 2,000 plus km round trip, twice, to renew - HMPO reply - was basically told tough s..t, this is the way it is, no changes are possible to the procedures, whatever your circumstances.

Wrote to HMPO in May, concerned about obtaining address confirmation, was basically told tough s..t, this is what we need, with the usual list of government/commercial documents that are acceptable - no mention of private letters.

Wrote to HMPO in June concerned about the impact of a 10 week plus turn around on my ability to live here, was told tough s..t, this is the system and you should get your passport back after 6 weeks.

Phoned HMPO UK Help line perhaps 10 times, each time was told basically tough s..t, this is the system, your passport is 'in examination' and should be back in x, y, z, etc weeks well before you will need it.

Never have had one complaint from HMPO about 'missing documents' and was in/out of trendy in May in around 10 minutes - no problems with payment or passport cancellation - that was lightening fast.

What I would like to know is, what it is it that I and many other have to do to get other than the third class totally dismissive service that most of us have received?

In your case it was, I recollect, a change of travel plans along with your UK based family's intervention, others, it appears myself included, have benefitted somewhat by begging to the British Embassy/influential MPs on bended knee.

Broken system, please change it now!

...... and btw what about some compensation for the massive stress and inconvenience?

I for one will never forget this 9 week + living nightmare, which stands in stark contrast to my last then FCO led renewal in BKK, now 10 years ago, which took less than 2 weeks, was painless and stress free, also not involving any emails with only one phone call to BKK and my not leaving Phuket once.

Dig - I know that you have been a great help to many on here and huge kudos to you for that, but this constant complaining about going to bkk still puzzles me. You're an expat so you cannot be averse to travelling, Is taking 2 trips to bkk really that much of an ordeal and an expense? You're going to bkk not Australia, why is it such a big orderal for you? Serious question. I will be going to Mukdahan/Laos to get my Non-O soon, and quite looking forwad to the trip, have a mini break and get out of the missus' hair for a day or 2. What's so wrong bad about that?

Personally I gave up travelling 13 years ago - don't like it anymore - did too much of that for too long; I love not travelling, but instead just spending time with my family.

Why should a 'mini-break' which comprises of sitting on a bus for 12 hours overnight, half a day moving around on public transport in a big unpleasant city, snacks from 7-11 plus shopping chores (which are not high on my personal list of priorities), plus a fair amount of thumb twiddling, then followed by another 12 hour journey back - again overnight, then going to work straight from the bus station, be regarded as 'really much of an ordeal' ? Well it's pretty clear to me.

Along with the general stress of Thai bus travel, the general unpleasantness of BKK and the loss of a day's income, missing two nights sleep, this is certainly not something I am looking forward to at all, particularly when this is necessary purely because some well paid suit sitting in a comfy office in the UK has decided that I need to do it to stop my 'identity' being stolen.

Before you start on about flying, stopping in comfortable hotels and nice meals - can't justify that level of expense now, times are relatively hard for me and my family at the moment. I already had to borrow money off a good friend for the new passport and my first pretty unpleasant trip to trendy, not looking forward to this next one either.

Are you serious? You are supporting a family and you don't have 5k Baht for a passport?? Blimey, best of luck mate, god only knows how you sleep at night.

I also see the bkk bashers are now out in force. Some people on here truly are sad.

[bigsteve]

Dig - I know that you have been a great help to many on here and huge kudos to you for that, but this constant complaining about going to bkk still puzzles me. You're an expat so you cannot be averse to travelling, Is taking 2 trips to bkk really that much of an ordeal and an expense? You're going to bkk not Australia, why is it such a big orderal for you? Serious question. I will be going to Mukdahan/Laos to get my Non-O soon, and quite looking forwad to the trip, have a mini break and get out of the missus' hair for a day or 2. What's so wrong bad about that?

I doubt whether many of us living out in the sticks would have questioned the need to visit that (IMHO) cesspit called Bangkok in person had we still been able to renew our passports at the Embassy. I was not living here when this was possible, but presumably all you needed to do was drop off your application at the Embassy and then collect your new passport the following day (digitalchromemakey – was this the case based on your experience 10 years ago?). [/font]

OJAS, In the past it was even better than that. One could renew a passport all by EMS (Thai postal system). Would send it from here in Phuket to the British Embassy in Bangkok and receive it back a couple of weeks later my new passport would arrive. All passport types (renewal/first passport etc) were available and the service was excellent. The usual security checks were of course still required - and you would receive your birth certificate and any other ID docs used by a separate package.

I renewed my ten year passport this way and got my daughter's first British passport this way (which I incidentally had to get extended with the 1 year extension service at the Embassy, meaning I also had to make what I would otherwise consider a pointless journey, for action on the same passport I had been able to obtain by post just 4.5 years prior).

It seems to me that it is purely based on UK budget cutbacks that we have lost this valuable service, rather than the supposed implementation of better security measures. Add to that the extra expense for an unwanted trip to Bangkok and I can well see why many of us would be somewhat anti HMPO right now.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[rikki]

Just got this email

-

Further to your recent enquiry, I can now confirm that your passport have been passed for issue. I have sent an email to the local services to advise. They should get in touch with you as soon as the passport arrive with them

Does that give any idea how much longer this may take now?

[Pattaya Pat]

Just got this email

-

Further to your recent enquiry, I can now confirm that your passport have been passed for issue. I have sent an email to the local services to advise. They should get in touch with you as soon as the passport arrive with them

Does that give any idea how much longer this may take now?

7-10 days, I think.

[digitalchromakey]

Just got this email

-

Further to your recent enquiry, I can now confirm that your passport have been passed for issue. I have sent an email to the local services to advise. They should get in touch with you as soon as the passport arrive with them

Does that give any idea how much longer this may take now?

10 -14 days to collection from trendy.

Pleased for you, it looks like maybe contacting the Consulate, then explaining your dire situation has actually worked and got your application pulled from the HMPO Liverpool backlog mountain then expedited ahead of the log jam.

FCO now seem to be doing a pretty decent, and I must say honorable, job of clearing up some of the worst excesses of the Home Office's bungling incompetence.

True, they aren't making any promises at the British Embassy, but it's blindingly obvious that they are now getting results in some cases for those UK Citizens that are well and truly up to their necks in the mire without a paddle.

[soap]

Just to update. I received an email saying the passport will arrive within a week to the UK address I asked for. I'm don't consider myself to be out of the woods until I actually have the passport, but it is looking a quick turnaround for me. 17th June - 25th July, IF I receive it. Add on an extra week or so if it was to come to Thailand it's very good considering what others are going through.

I'm not suggesting anyone didn't do this, but if you are applying soon, get copies of EVERYTHING, and then get more copies of things they might need. The guy that processed mine at Trendy showed me some other applications that were missing far too many documents and this may be causing the delays.

If you need to verify your address, just get someone from the UK to send you a letter or parcel. This is what I used and they were happy with it.

Once again, I am not suggesting anyone didn't do this, I'm just letting people know what I did.

Pleased for you, it appears you might be close to having have received an almost second class UK passport renewal service.

However HMPOs handling of your particular case makes a mockery of their treatment of the vast majority of current overseas applicants.

Me personally, I am now approaching 9 weeks and sit just 11 days from overstay, with loss of extension , Work Permit, livelihood and family looming ever larger in prospect.

Now have got the message that my passport is ready for collection in BKK, going there by bus Sunday for Monday, hopefully to finally hear the fat lady sing.

However..........

Wrote to HMPO in April, concerned about the need for/ high personal cost of going on 2,000 plus km round trip, twice, to renew - HMPO reply - was basically told tough s..t, this is the way it is, no changes are possible to the procedures, whatever your circumstances.

Wrote to HMPO in May, concerned about obtaining address confirmation, was basically told tough s..t, this is what we need, with the usual list of government/commercial documents that are acceptable - no mention of private letters.

Wrote to HMPO in June concerned about the impact of a 10 week plus turn around on my ability to live here, was told tough s..t, this is the system and you should get your passport back after 6 weeks.

Phoned HMPO UK Help line perhaps 10 times, each time was told basically tough s..t, this is the system, your passport is 'in examination' and should be back in x, y, z, etc weeks well before you will need it.

Never have had one complaint from HMPO about 'missing documents' and was in/out of trendy in May in around 10 minutes - no problems with payment or passport cancellation - that was lightening fast.

What I would like to know is, what it is it that I and many other have to do to get other than the third class totally dismissive service that most of us have received?

In your case it was, I recollect, a change of travel plans along with your UK based family's intervention, others, it appears myself included, have benefitted somewhat by begging to the British Embassy/influential MPs on bended knee.

Broken system, please change it now!

...... and btw what about some compensation for the massive stress and inconvenience?

I for one will never forget this 9 week + living nightmare, which stands in stark contrast to my last then FCO led renewal in BKK, now 10 years ago, which took less than 2 weeks, was painless and stress free, also not involving any emails with only one phone call to BKK and my not leaving Phuket once.

Dig - I know that you have been a great help to many on here and huge kudos to you for that, but this constant complaining about going to bkk still puzzles me. You're an expat so you cannot be averse to travelling, Is taking 2 trips to bkk really that much of an ordeal and an expense? You're going to bkk not Australia, why is it such a big orderal for you? Serious question. I will be going to Mukdahan/Laos to get my Non-O soon, and quite looking forwad to the trip, have a mini break and get out of the missus' hair for a day or 2. What's so wrong bad about that?

Personally I gave up travelling 13 years ago - don't like it anymore - did too much of that for too long; I love not travelling, but instead just spending time with my family.

Why should a 'mini-break' which comprises of sitting on a bus for 12 hours overnight, half a day moving around on public transport in a big unpleasant city, snacks from 7-11 plus shopping chores (which are not high on my personal list of priorities), plus a fair amount of thumb twiddling, then followed by another 12 hour journey back - again overnight, then going to work straight from the bus station, be regarded as 'really much of an ordeal' ? Well it's pretty clear to me.

Along with the general stress of Thai bus travel, the general unpleasantness of BKK and the loss of a day's income, missing two nights sleep, this is certainly not something I am looking forward to at all, particularly when this is necessary purely because some well paid suit sitting in a comfy office in the UK has decided that I need to do it to stop my 'identity' being stolen.

Before you start on about flying, stopping in comfortable hotels and nice meals - can't justify that level of expense now, times are relatively hard for me and my family at the moment. I already had to borrow money off a good friend for the new passport and my first pretty unpleasant trip to trendy, not looking forward to this next one either.

Are you serious? You are supporting a family and you don't have 5k Baht for a passport?? Blimey, best of luck mate, god only knows how you sleep at night.

I also see the bkk bashers are now out in force. Some people on here truly are sad.

Digi

Don't take any notice,let's face it

You don't get the nickname on the football forum of " victor Meldrew" for nothing

Edited July 19, 2014 by soap

[Pattaya Pat]

Just to update. I received an email saying the passport will arrive within a week to the UK address I asked for. I'm don't consider myself to be out of the woods until I actually have the passport, but it is looking a quick turnaround for me. 17th June - 25th July, IF I receive it. Add on an extra week or so if it was to come to Thailand it's very good considering what others are going through.

I'm not suggesting anyone didn't do this, but if you are applying soon, get copies of EVERYTHING, and then get more copies of things they might need. The guy that processed mine at Trendy showed me some other applications that were missing far too many documents and this may be causing the delays.

If you need to verify your address, just get someone from the UK to send you a letter or parcel. This is what I used and they were happy with it.

Once again, I am not suggesting anyone didn't do this, I'm just letting people know what I did.

Pleased for you, it appears you might be close to having have received an almost second class UK passport renewal service.

However HMPOs handling of your particular case makes a mockery of their treatment of the vast majority of current overseas applicants.

Me personally, I am now approaching 9 weeks and sit just 11 days from overstay, with loss of extension , Work Permit, livelihood and family looming ever larger in prospect.

Now have got the message that my passport is ready for collection in BKK, going there by bus Sunday for Monday, hopefully to finally hear the fat lady sing.

However..........

Wrote to HMPO in April, concerned about the need for/ high personal cost of going on 2,000 plus km round trip, twice, to renew - HMPO reply - was basically told tough s..t, this is the way it is, no changes are possible to the procedures, whatever your circumstances.

Wrote to HMPO in May, concerned about obtaining address confirmation, was basically told tough s..t, this is what we need, with the usual list of government/commercial documents that are acceptable - no mention of private letters.

Wrote to HMPO in June concerned about the impact of a 10 week plus turn around on my ability to live here, was told tough s..t, this is the system and you should get your passport back after 6 weeks.

Phoned HMPO UK Help line perhaps 10 times, each time was told basically tough s..t, this is the system, your passport is 'in examination' and should be back in x, y, z, etc weeks well before you will need it.

Never have had one complaint from HMPO about 'missing documents' and was in/out of trendy in May in around 10 minutes - no problems with payment or passport cancellation - that was lightening fast.

What I would like to know is, what it is it that I and many other have to do to get other than the third class totally dismissive service that most of us have received?

In your case it was, I recollect, a change of travel plans along with your UK based family's intervention, others, it appears myself included, have benefitted somewhat by begging to the British Embassy/influential MPs on bended knee.

Broken system, please change it now!

...... and btw what about some compensation for the massive stress and inconvenience?

I for one will never forget this 9 week + living nightmare, which stands in stark contrast to my last then FCO led renewal in BKK, now 10 years ago, which took less than 2 weeks, was painless and stress free, also not involving any emails with only one phone call to BKK and my not leaving Phuket once.

Dig - I know that you have been a great help to many on here and huge kudos to you for that, but this constant complaining about going to bkk still puzzles me. You're an expat so you cannot be averse to travelling, Is taking 2 trips to bkk really that much of an ordeal and an expense? You're going to bkk not Australia, why is it such a big orderal for you? Serious question. I will be going to Mukdahan/Laos to get my Non-O soon, and quite looking forwad to the trip, have a mini break and get out of the missus' hair for a day or 2. What's so wrong bad about that?

Personally I gave up travelling 13 years ago - don't like it anymore - did too much of that for too long; I love not travelling, but instead just spending time with my family.

Why should a 'mini-break' which comprises of sitting on a bus for 12 hours overnight, half a day moving around on public transport in a big unpleasant city, snacks from 7-11 plus shopping chores (which are not high on my personal list of priorities), plus a fair amount of thumb twiddling, then followed by another 12 hour journey back - again overnight, then going to work straight from the bus station, be regarded as 'really much of an ordeal' ? Well it's pretty clear to me.

Along with the general stress of Thai bus travel, the general unpleasantness of BKK and the loss of a day's income, missing two nights sleep, this is certainly not something I am looking forward to at all, particularly when this is necessary purely because some well paid suit sitting in a comfy office in the UK has decided that I need to do it to stop my 'identity' being stolen.

Before you start on about flying, stopping in comfortable hotels and nice meals - can't justify that level of expense now, times are relatively hard for me and my family at the moment. I already had to borrow money off a good friend for the new passport and my first pretty unpleasant trip to trendy, not looking forward to this next one either.

Are you serious? You are supporting a family and you don't have 5k Baht for a passport?? Blimey, best of luck mate, god only knows how you sleep at night.

I also see the bkk bashers are now out in force. Some people on here truly are sad.

Digi

Don't take any notice,let's face it

You don't get the nickname on the football forum of " victor Meldrew" for nothing

What has 'taking any notice' got to do with anything? I was just expressing my shock that a grown man with a family doesn't have 5000 baht to his name. It's nothing personal and I wish him well.

As for the football forum, the knowledge over there is absolutely laughable.

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post.

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[OJAS]

Digi

Don't take any notice,let's face it

You don't get the nickname on the football forum of " victor Meldrew" for nothing

And Victor Meldrew's comment on the current UK passport renewal fiasco would doubtless be "I don't believe it"!

[OJAS]

I also see the bkk bashers are now out in force. Some people on here truly are sad.

Some of us such as your good self, Pat, may adore the place (are you employed by the BMA as a PR consultant by any chance?); others such as my good self most certainly do not.

In any case, why should we now be forced (or force someone on our behalf) to suffer the agony of 2 trips there for passport renewal purposes when not even a single trip was needed even in the good old days when passport renewal applications were dealt with by the Embassy, according to post #2078?

[phutoie2]

Two visits to Bangkok to get a passport that lasts 10 years is hardly an ordeal. I am due at "Trendy" in early August and looking forward to staying overnight. Until the Immigration was sorted out to provincial offices we had to visit Suan Plu, now that was agony.

[AyG]

Two visits to Bangkok to get a passport that lasts 10 years is hardly an ordeal. I am due at "Trendy" in early August and looking forward to staying overnight. Until the Immigration was sorted out to provincial offices we had to visit Suan Plu, now that was agony.

Forced thousand kilometer trips is an ordeal, particularly if you're elderly or disabled, even if it is only once every 10 years.

But then it practice it isn't every 10 years. If one takes a trip or two abroad every year, even if just popping across the border to a neighbouring country, then the pages of even a "jumbo" passport get used up long before 10 years has passed.

You too might one day get old or handicapped. Have a little compassion for others.

[soihok]

Two visits to Bangkok to get a passport that lasts 10 years is hardly an ordeal. I am due at "Trendy" in early August and looking forward to staying overnight. Until the Immigration was sorted out to provincial offices we had to visit Suan Plu, now that was a

Its real pain in the back side if your faced with international flights to sort it out.

[soihok]

Don't you think it would be better for us all to be able to apply on line?

There is no excuse why this is not available.

[soihok]

Digi is collecting his passport today (or he hopes to). Sure he will give us a shout once he has it in his hand.

[Pattaya Pat]

I also see the bkk bashers are now out in force. Some people on here truly are sad.

Some of us such as your good self, Pat, may adore the place (are you employed by the BMA as a PR consultant by any chance?); others such as my good self most certainly do not.

In any case, why should we now be forced (or force someone on our behalf) to suffer the agony of 2 trips there for passport renewal purposes when not even a single trip was needed even in the good old days when passport renewal applications were dealt with by the Embassy, according to post #2078?

Oh I see, so if one thinks it's silly to call the capital of the country a 'cesspit' that means that you 'adore' the place. Good logic. I'm due in bkk next week to collect, oh the agony, the agony...

[bigsteve]

Digi is collecting his passport today (or he hopes to). Sure he will give us a shout once he has it in his hand.

I just spoke to him - he got the passport ok - it even had the correct name and photo in it. :-)

He is now heading across town to get back on the 12 hour bus ride back to Phuket, can't say I envy him. He will arrive early tomorrow morning so I expect he'll update the thread tomorrow pm.

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[soihok]

Digi is collecting his passport today (or he hopes to). Sure he will give us a shout once he has it in his hand.

I just spoke to him - he got the passport ok - it even had the correct name and photo in it. :-)

He is now heading across town to get back on the 12 hour bus ride back to Phuket, can't say I envy him. He will arrive early tomorrow morning so I expect he'll update the thread tomorrow pm.

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I guess he will be happy then.

Wonder if he gave them a piece of his mind at the office.

[bigsteve]

Digi is collecting his passport today (or he hopes to). Sure he will give us a shout once he has it in his hand.

I just spoke to him - he got the passport ok - it even had the correct name and photo in it. :-)

He is now heading across town to get back on the 12 hour bus ride back to Phuket, can't say I envy him. He will arrive early tomorrow morning so I expect he'll update the thread tomorrow pm.

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I guess he will be happy then.

Wonder if he gave them a piece of his mind at the office.

I imagine not, as it's not the Trendy Towers staff who are responsible for this whole mess. He may well do so to HMPO via email though.

I think he will just be pleased as it allows him to renew his extension in time. I know he was pretty worried.

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