Changes To British Passport Services In Thailand

digitalchromakey · September 15, 2014

Despite the massive wait for a passport, they are not shy in grabbing your money quickly. I submitted the applications in Trendy on Wednesday morning just gone, 48hrs later I received a sms from Kasikorn to tell me my account had been debited by HMPO in the UK!!!

Yes, the one thing that HMPO have been very good at, since day one of this rolling train wreck of a fiasco, is taking your money quickly.

Norm has been 3-4 working days so 48 hours is the quickest reported yet.

Shame that the rest of the process is not as quick.

sandyf · September 15, 2014

Thank God I didn't have to go through all this rigmarole. I went back to the UK in July for my mum's 96th birthday. She lives in Newcastle, near the Durham passport office.

Three weeks before I was going to be in Newcastle, I got my brother to call and make an appointment for me on a specific date so I could renew my passport and pay in person. They won't make an appointment more than 3 weeks before. He actually called them 4 weeks before and they told him to call back a week later.

Dead easy - take old passport, £137 in cash, (I wanted a 48-page jobbie), the completed form (I picked a couple up at a post office when there) and two photos (which was a problem later because I had them done here in Thailand - big mistake, see below). As I still look like I did 4 years ago, I didn't have to get the photos certified.

I had a 10 am appointment and was told to arrive 15 minutes early. I did and the office was packed. Four years ago when I did the same, it was empty, but the monstrous mess they are in now has made it bad, even in their regional offices.

There was a notice on the wall saying that I would be guaranteed to be seen within 20 minutes of my appointment time. Ha! I was seen FIFTY minutes late. The the photo problem raised its head - 'Have you have these photos taken abroad?' - 'Yes' - 'Sorry, I can't accept them, they're on matt paper, not glossy'. Great, trust the Thai photo shop to mess them up.

'You'll have to go to the photo booth in the corner over there and get new ones (4 for £5 - rip-off, I paid 100 baht for 12 (useless ones) here) - and I should really send you to the back of the queue'.

'Don't even think about it' I said. 'You promise to see people within 20 minutes of their appointment and you saw me at 10.50. It's now 10.55 and I am not waiting. Is there a manager somewhere?'.

She saw my determined look and told me to be quick, which mercifully I was because no-one else was waiting. When I left the booth there were two people waiting already. However, the photo booth was bad, because there were a lot of instructions given by a recording which was at very low volume and the background chatter from the waiting crowd made it difficult to hear.

Anyway, once she'd got some decent photos it went like clockwork, out in 5 minutes with apologies for lateness following me - they must have some targets for waiting times.

Told to come back at 3.15 pm, arrived at 2.30 expecting to wait. Was asked to show my receipt thing, and was immediately handed my new passport 45 minutes early!

Apart from the hiccup with photos, all dead easy. Note to self - if doing this again, don't get the photos done in Thailand, wait until I get back to the UK. That goes for any other Brits doing the same thing ...

I would think that in virtually 100 percent of overseas applications the photos are taken abroad.

Mine are glossy, more by good luck than judgement.

digitalchromakey · September 15, 2014

Thank God I didn't have to go through all this rigmarole. I went back to the UK in July for my mum's 96th birthday. She lives in Newcastle, near the Durham passport office.

Three weeks before I was going to be in Newcastle, I got my brother to call and make an appointment for me on a specific date so I could renew my passport and pay in person. They won't make an appointment more than 3 weeks before. He actually called them 4 weeks before and they told him to call back a week later.

Dead easy - take old passport, £137 in cash, (I wanted a 48-page jobbie), the completed form (I picked a couple up at a post office when there) and two photos (which was a problem later because I had them done here in Thailand - big mistake, see below). As I still look like I did 4 years ago, I didn't have to get the photos certified.

I had a 10 am appointment and was told to arrive 15 minutes early. I did and the office was packed. Four years ago when I did the same, it was empty, but the monstrous mess they are in now has made it bad, even in their regional offices.

There was a notice on the wall saying that I would be guaranteed to be seen within 20 minutes of my appointment time. Ha! I was seen FIFTY minutes late. The the photo problem raised its head - 'Have you have these photos taken abroad?' - 'Yes' - 'Sorry, I can't accept them, they're on matt paper, not glossy'. Great, trust the Thai photo shop to mess them up.

'You'll have to go to the photo booth in the corner over there and get new ones (4 for £5 - rip-off, I paid 100 baht for 12 (useless ones) here) - and I should really send you to the back of the queue'.

'Don't even think about it' I said. 'You promise to see people within 20 minutes of their appointment and you saw me at 10.50. It's now 10.55 and I am not waiting. Is there a manager somewhere?'.

She saw my determined look and told me to be quick, which mercifully I was because no-one else was waiting. When I left the booth there were two people waiting already. However, the photo booth was bad, because there were a lot of instructions given by a recording which was at very low volume and the background chatter from the waiting crowd made it difficult to hear.

Anyway, once she'd got some decent photos it went like clockwork, out in 5 minutes with apologies for lateness following me - they must have some targets for waiting times.

Told to come back at 3.15 pm, arrived at 2.30 expecting to wait. Was asked to show my receipt thing, and was immediately handed my new passport 45 minutes early!

Apart from the hiccup with photos, all dead easy. Note to self - if doing this again, don't get the photos done in Thailand, wait until I get back to the UK. That goes for any other Brits doing the same thing ...

I would think that in virtually 100 percent of overseas applications the photos are taken abroad.

Mine are glossy, more by good luck than judgement.

Perhaps I have missed your point; as Mister Fixit was in fact applying in the UK .

Edited September 15, 2014 by digitalchromakey

steviewonder46 · September 15, 2014

ok...this is crazy now....i keep getting automated responses..its not like we can choose an ideal date because like you guys say..it takes weeks to get an appointment- i wrote that " i'm available day 1 september 8th 8.30-16.00, day 2 september 9th 8.30-16.00,day 3 september 10th 8.30-16.00 but if you are busy i am available from monday to friday 8.30-16.00". but

what am i doing wrong???

If you refer back to my previous post, I mentioned that these guys don't have English skills and suggested you keep it super simple, sorry that you took my paradigm literally.

Say you are looking for an appointment on the 8,9, or 10th September, then write:

Dear Sirs,

Please can I have an appointment to renew my UK Passport on one of the following three dates:

1) Monday 8th September 08:30 - 15:30

2) Tuesday 9th September 08:30 - 15:30

3) Wednesday 10th September 08:30 - 15:30

Thank you.

Yours, etc

Your report of the automated replies fills me with dread, as you may now be dealing with something with even less English comprehension than any of the Thais who used to make appointments......

.

i also wrote a letter to them like that and got an automated response..and gave up...luckily i work near soi 13..so i went down there and explained the problem i was having.i was told to wait and after about 10 minutes a lady came to to the reception area where i was standing and told me to write my name and e mail address down.she then told me she would send me an e mail...to my surprise,when i got home and checked my e mail there it was-it's on the 18th of September (12 days from today)...not the best but compared to some posts on here of waiting a month or so for a date i'm o/k with this.

if anyone is reading this then i advise you to book an appointment at the 'trendy building' the same day that you start filling your forms out...don't make the same mistake i did (it took me about a week to run around getting all the supporting documents and someone to sign my photos-then i realised that you couldn't just send it all off by yourself).

one thing the woman at the visa application centre told me is to get my police report translated..I'm glad she told me as nowhere is it written on my application form and help list that i need to get this done...I'm sure if i wasn't told then i would be asked to go and do it-and then wait again for another appointment...is there anything else they forget to tell us that i should know when i go for my scheduled appointment ? (i have the passport application,lost passport form,letter from my boss as proof of address,driving licence as proof of I.D-even though its expired i'm told it will be ok,signed passport photos and the payment).

Not sure if we covered this before, but you can't actually pay at trendy, they just pass on your credit card details to HMPO Liverpool who debit the card.- Thai Debit cards normally don't work in this way and you can't send cash/cashiers cheques, etc.

So now even the trendy email appointment system is not working, although I must admit , it's a cunning strategy to cut down the backlogs, for me I would not be happy with having to make a third 2,000km round trip, just because trendy are no longer answering emails..

Thanks for the info on getting the police lost passport report translated to English - good point as trendy are only a glorified post box, it's Liverpool who actually check and file your application.

Good Luck.

thanks for the info..i have a krungthai bank card with visa on which is a debit card so im guessing this won't work.i've called around and no one i know has a credit card so i'm stuffed on that front.is there any thing i can get from the post office like in england (a postal order)..i hope so or if you know any other way to pay please tell me....got my appointment with trendy in 3 days.

also i read on this forum about glossy photos...are they not accepting matt photos?..you can only give them glossy?

digitalchromakey · September 15, 2014

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i also wrote a letter to them like that and got an automated response..and gave up...luckily i work near soi 13..so i went down there and explained the problem i was having.i was told to wait and after about 10 minutes a lady came to to the reception area where i was standing and told me to write my name and e mail address down.she then told me she would send me an e mail...to my surprise,when i got home and checked my e mail there it was-it's on the 18th of September (12 days from today)...not the best but compared to some posts on here of waiting a month or so for a date i'm o/k with this.

if anyone is reading this then i advise you to book an appointment at the 'trendy building' the same day that you start filling your forms out...don't make the same mistake i did (it took me about a week to run around getting all the supporting documents and someone to sign my photos-then i realised that you couldn't just send it all off by yourself).

one thing the woman at the visa application centre told me is to get my police report translated..I'm glad she told me as nowhere is it written on my application form and help list that i need to get this done...I'm sure if i wasn't told then i would be asked to go and do it-and then wait again for another appointment...is there anything else they forget to tell us that i should know when i go for my scheduled appointment ? (i have the passport application,lost passport form,letter from my boss as proof of address,driving licence as proof of I.D-even though its expired i'm told it will be ok,signed passport photos and the payment).

Not sure if we covered this before, but you can't actually pay at trendy, they just pass on your credit card details to HMPO Liverpool who debit the card.- Thai Debit cards normally don't work in this way and you can't send cash/cashiers cheques, etc.

So now even the trendy email appointment system is not working, although I must admit , it's a cunning strategy to cut down the backlogs, for me I would not be happy with having to make a third 2,000km round trip, just because trendy are no longer answering emails..

Thanks for the info on getting the police lost passport report translated to English - good point as trendy are only a glorified post box, it's Liverpool who actually check and file your application.

Good Luck.

thanks for the info..i have a krungthai bank card with visa on which is a debit card so im guessing this won't work.i've called around and no one i know has a credit card so i'm stuffed on that front.is there any thing i can get from the post office like in england (a postal order)..i hope so or if you know any other way to pay please tell me....got my appointment with trendy in 3 days.

also i read on this forum about glossy photos...are they not accepting matt photos?..you can only give them glossy?

Open up a Kasikorn Saving Account, get on-line banking then and then you can apply online to get the K-Web Shopping Card (no physical card, you just get the 16 digit code, expiry date, etc, which definitely works.

Unfortunately, no postal orders, banker drafts, cash etc.

Here is what HMPO accept:

You can use Mastercard, Visa, Electron, Diners Club and JCB.

UK debit cards are ok, but most Thai debit cards (if they SMS authorization codes for remote transactions) wont work.

There is nothing about the photo paper, other than it should be white, but on checking I noted that my recent passport photos supplied with my successful application were on glossy paper.

canarysun · September 15, 2014

Guys! (Viewers) I had all this with my new passport! My kasikorn visa card didn't work either but the " nice lady" from the UK passport office gave me there bank account number with my own reference number so I could pay Thai baht into the account from over here in Thailand. As for the photos they are very fussy not only on the colour but the size too!

steviewonder46 · September 15, 2014

the paper should be white...i thought cream or grey..that's what i've been checking on forums....cant see why they would accept postal orders .,my mum has a uk debit card....are you sure this will be ok?.

thanks for your info huys...if i hadnt read this forum i would of gone in and been rejected .had to go back in again and definately cause another load of headaches...

digitalchromakey · September 16, 2014

Guys! (Viewers) I had all this with my new passport! My kasikorn visa card didn't work either but the " nice lady" from the UK passport office gave me there bank account number with my own reference number so I could pay Thai baht into the account from over here in Thailand. As for the photos they are very fussy not only on the colour but the size too!

Yes, standard Kasikorn Visa Debit card will not work - you need the K-Web Virtual credit Card.

Good to know that you were able to make a direct credit to an HMPO bank account, doubtless this delayed your application by a further few days

NanLaew · September 16, 2014

well i am of to the British Embassy tonight,hoping to be there nice and early and to give em merry hell.I am now o my 3 rd day overstay and not a phone call or anything from HMPO overseas collegues,so i am going in perso to demand some action as i am a british citizen and expect this cuckooo civil service to help me,and i am not leaving until i get a bloody good reason why i have to have an interview and further checks .

Did they let you in then?

digitalchromakey · September 16, 2014

the paper should be white...i thought cream or grey..that's what i've been checking on forums....cant see why they would accept postal orders .,my mum has a uk debit card....are you sure this will be ok?.

thanks for your info huys...if i hadnt read this forum i would of gone in and been rejected .had to go back in again and definately cause another load of headaches...

It's the image back ground that should be light grey or cream, not the paper.

Here are the full HMPO guidelines:

Photo quality must

• be taken against a plain cream or plain light-grey background

• be printed to a high quality, such as photos printed by a booth or studio (photographs printed at home are unlikely to be of a high enough quality)

• be clear and in sharp focus

• be taken within the last month

• be in colour on plain white photographic paper

• not be torn, creased, or marked, and

• not have any writing on the front or back – except when one of the photos needs to be certified.

I see there is no direct link to the photo guidance document from the Thailand Overseas application page, so here is the link to the HMPO guidance document:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/passport-photographs

AyG · September 16, 2014

I don't know why all the whinging. UKPO is clearly doing a wonderful job. According to today's Guardian:

"The passport agency recorded a surplus of £124m over the past two years and awarded its staff bonuses of £674,000."

If only the other parts of government UK were so profitable and the staff so worthy of massive bonuses.

Full article about how terrific MPs think UKPO is at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/16/passports-backlog-payouts-mps

digitalchromakey · September 16, 2014

the paper should be white...i thought cream or grey..that's what i've been checking on forums....cant see why they would accept postal orders .,my mum has a uk debit card....are you sure this will be ok?.

thanks for your info huys...if i hadnt read this forum i would of gone in and been rejected .had to go back in again and definately cause another load of headaches...

Your Mum's UK Debit Card would also be fine.

More likely is that trendy would have taken your papers, smiled at you and said thank you (you would then hear the sound effect 'kerching', lo and behold there's another dollar in the pot). You would then be contacted by HMPO at some later point informing your that there was a problem with your application.

trendy are essentially just a post box and are not paid to be a checking service, no such guarantee is given.

digitalchromakey · September 16, 2014

I don't know why all the whinging. UKPO is clearly doing a wonderful job. According to today's Guardian:

"The passport agency recorded a surplus of £124m over the past two years and awarded its staff bonuses of £674,000."

If only the other parts of government UK were so profitable and the staff so worthy of massive bonuses.

Full article about how terrific MPs think UKPO is at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/16/passports-backlog-payouts-mps

Couldn't agree more.

Keith Vaz, the committee chairman, said emergency measures ordered by Home Office ministers proved to be too little, too late. He said there had been a complete failure of management at the agency, whose leaders would be "unlikely to survive to the final round of The Apprentice".

"HM Passport Office should lose its agency status and be brought back under direct ministerial control following this appalling series of failures," Vaz said. "They have delivered a shamefully poor service to the estimated 5.6 million British citizens living abroad.

"The decision to transfer responsibility for processing overseas passport applications from the Foreign Office to the Passport Office was a mistake. The focus has been on departmental budgets rather than on providing a service paid for by citizens."

watso63 · September 16, 2014

I don't know why all the whinging. UKPO is clearly doing a wonderful job. According to today's Guardian:

"The passport agency recorded a surplus of £124m over the past two years and awarded its staff bonuses of £674,000."

If only the other parts of government UK were so profitable and the staff so worthy of massive bonuses.

Full article about how terrific MPs think UKPO is at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/16/passports-backlog-payouts-mps

Couldn't agree more.

Keith Vaz, the committee chairman, said emergency measures ordered by Home Office ministers proved to be too little, too late. He said there had been a complete failure of management at the agency, whose leaders would be "unlikely to survive to the final round of The Apprentice".

"HM Passport Office should lose its agency status and be brought back under direct ministerial control following this appalling series of failures," Vaz said. "They have delivered a shamefully poor service to the estimated 5.6 million British citizens living abroad.

"The decision to transfer responsibility for processing overseas passport applications from the Foreign Office to the Passport Office was a mistake. The focus has been on departmental budgets rather than on providing a service paid for by citizens."

Please, don't get me going about Vaz argh!

https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110719055412AASVPrz

watso63 · September 16, 2014

I don't know why all the whinging. UKPO is clearly doing a wonderful job. According to today's Guardian:

"The passport agency recorded a surplus of £124m over the past two years and awarded its staff bonuses of £674,000."

If only the other parts of government UK were so profitable and the staff so worthy of massive bonuses.

Full article about how terrific MPs think UKPO is at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/16/passports-backlog-payouts-mps

Couldn't agree more.

Keith Vaz, the committee chairman, said emergency measures ordered by Home Office ministers proved to be too little, too late. He said there had been a complete failure of management at the agency, whose leaders would be "unlikely to survive to the final round of The Apprentice".

"HM Passport Office should lose its agency status and be brought back under direct ministerial control following this appalling series of failures," Vaz said. "They have delivered a shamefully poor service to the estimated 5.6 million British citizens living abroad.

"The decision to transfer responsibility for processing overseas passport applications from the Foreign Office to the Passport Office was a mistake. The focus has been on departmental budgets rather than on providing a service paid for by citizens."

Please, don't get me going about Vaz argh!

https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110719055412AASVPrz

TheSiemReaper · September 16, 2014

I'm gobsmacked. For the first time in history - Keith Vaz said something useful. I'm off to lay down in shock...

brewsterbudgen · September 16, 2014

I'm gobsmacked. For the first time in history - Keith Vaz said something useful. I'm off to lay down in shock...

Let's hope his comments get acted on!

Keith Vaz, the committee chairman, said emergency measures ordered by Home Office ministers proved to be too little, too late. He said there had been a complete failure of management at the agency, whose leaders would be "unlikely to survive to the final round of The Apprentice".

"HM Passport Office should lose its agency status and be brought back under direct ministerial control following this appalling series of failures," Vaz said. "They have delivered a shamefully poor service to the estimated 5.6 million British citizens living abroad.

"The decision to transfer responsibility for processing overseas passport applications from the Foreign Office to the Passport Office was a mistake. The focus has been on departmental budgets rather than on providing a service paid for by citizens."

http://www.theguardi...log-payouts-mps

ukrules · September 16, 2014

I'm gobsmacked. For the first time in history - Keith Vaz said something useful. I'm off to lay down in shock...

Let's hope his comments get acted on!

Keith Vaz, the committee chairman, said emergency measures ordered by Home Office ministers proved to be too little, too late. He said there had been a complete failure of management at the agency, whose leaders would be "unlikely to survive to the final round of The Apprentice".

"HM Passport Office should lose its agency status and be brought back under direct ministerial control following this appalling series of failures," Vaz said. "They have delivered a shamefully poor service to the estimated 5.6 million British citizens living abroad.

"The decision to transfer responsibility for processing overseas passport applications from the Foreign Office to the Passport Office was a mistake. The focus has been on departmental budgets rather than on providing a service paid for by citizens."

http://www.theguardi...log-payouts-mps

So they're finally beginning to realise that this whole situation was caused by the moving of passport services abroad back to the existing offices in the UK. The UK offices couldn't handle the load anyway.

A massive failure in planning considering the changes were announced years ago.

steviewonder46 · September 16, 2014

the paper should be white...i thought cream or grey..that's what i've been checking on forums....cant see why they would accept postal orders .,my mum has a uk debit card....are you sure this will be ok?.

thanks for your info huys...if i hadnt read this forum i would of gone in and been rejected .had to go back in again and definately cause another load of headaches...

Your Mum's UK Debit Card would also be fine.

More likely is that trendy would have taken your papers, smiled at you and said thank you (you would then hear the sound effect 'kerching', lo and behold there's another dollar in the pot). You would then be contacted by HMPO at some later point informing your that there was a problem with your application.

trendy are essentially just a post box and are not paid to be a checking service, no such guarantee is given.

ok..so im going to use my mums uk debit card...only one problem...it asks for the card holders signature......i think if i leave it blank then it will cause a delay so how about if i try to copy her signature?..they don't have her signature on record...and it's a whole lot easier than sending her the document and then getting it back..bearing in mind my interview is on thursday

recom273 · September 16, 2014

Getting an online v-card is very easy if you have Internet banking and a Thai bank account .. Alternately, just write a load of numbers down and an autograph so that trendy accept the form.

Then at the beginning of next week you will get an email, followed shortly by a phone call from the revenue dept ( people with sense ) you email your mum the number and the case number, she pays it for you - it's a direct line to the department, no waiting, no additional call charges.

steviewonder46 · September 16, 2014

Getting an online v-card is very easy if you have Internet banking and a Thai bank account .. Alternately, just write a load of numbers down and an autograph so that trendy accept the form.

Then at the beginning of next week you will get an email, followed shortly by a phone call from the revenue dept ( people with sense ) you email your mum the number and the case number, she pays it for you - it's a direct line to the department, no waiting, no additional call charges.

what's a v card...visa card?.....i don't have internet banking...and time's running out...im just going to get my friend to sign my mums signature (so the hand writing looks different) and use her english debit card..im guessing this is better than leaving it blank or is it ok to leave blank?

properperson · September 16, 2014

From today's Daily express:

The organisation was also blasted for delivering a “shamefully poor” service to the estimated 5.6 million Britons living abroad since it took over responsibility for processing overseas passport applications from the Foreign Office.

recom273 · September 16, 2014

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Getting an online v-card is very easy if you have Internet banking and a Thai bank account .. Alternately, just write a load of numbers down and an autograph so that trendy accept the form.

Then at the beginning of next week you will get an email, followed shortly by a phone call from the revenue dept ( people with sense ) you email your mum the number and the case number, she pays it for you - it's a direct line to the department, no waiting, no additional call charges.

what's a v card...visa card?.....i don't have internet banking...and time's running out...im just going to get my friend to sign my mums signature (so the hand writing looks different) and use her english debit card..im guessing this is better than leaving it blank or is it ok to leave blank?

v-card or virtual shopping card .. If you don't have internet banking, and you have a Kasikorn account you can set it up in 30 seconds at the ATM machine 24-7. The virtual card takes less than 25 hours to process and its just a series of digits.

Trendy don't really care .. whatever you think makes it easiest, but If you start explaining things to Trendy they are going to take the company line, maybe reject your application. All trendy want to do is check the paperwork has been completed in the right boxes, check the dimensions of your photo and get you to sign your passport photocopies. They aren't going to do handwriting analysis on the signature.

However, like I say, I would use my own card ( or imaginary card ), knowing its going to fail, then let your mum call the revenue department and pay it for you over the phone. Stupidity isn't a crime, impersonating someone else could be.

Honestly, the whole thing has been a king size pain in the sas, for me, but the nicest most helpful and confident person was the lady from the revenue dept. in Liverpool.

I paid mine with a wrong card, the card was rejected, i got an email asking me to contact them with a solution asap, within a couple of hours someone from the UK was enquiring if i had received the call and anything they could do to help. I set up the V-card, rather than fork out for the cost of a phone call, I emailed my father who called them .. he said they were still helpful and polite.

AlanAunuum · September 16, 2014

British Embassy consular section,very helpful.They are going to look into my case and get back to me asap,so another week which will make it 16 weeks and counting on Thursday.So even if it is resolved another 1 week to print it,then send to Trendy and stuck there for a feww weeks.Looks like i will beat 18 weeks easy.

digitalchromakey · September 16, 2014

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Getting an online v-card is very easy if you have Internet banking and a Thai bank account .. Alternately, just write a load of numbers down and an autograph so that trendy accept the form.

Then at the beginning of next week you will get an email, followed shortly by a phone call from the revenue dept ( people with sense ) you email your mum the number and the case number, she pays it for you - it's a direct line to the department, no waiting, no additional call charges.

what's a v card...visa card?.....i don't have internet banking...and time's running out...im just going to get my friend to sign my mums signature (so the hand writing looks different) and use her english debit card..im guessing this is better than leaving it blank or is it ok to leave blank?

The v-card is a description of the Kasikorn K-Web Shopping Virtual Credit Card.

You don't have time to mess around - just do it. - open a Kasikorn bog standard savings account and get internet banking, then you can automatically apply for this virtual credit card which is locked to your savings account and get the 16 digit code and expiry date; forget the rest.

I really don't think it's a good idea to forge a signature on a passport document - most inadvisable..

Or, there's nothing to prevent you sending the payment document to your Mum via email/fax for her to send back to you the same way.

Edited September 16, 2014 by digitalchromakey

digitalchromakey · September 16, 2014

British Embassy consular section,very helpful.They are going to look into my case and get back to me asap,so another week which will make it 16 weeks and counting on Thursday.So even if it is resolved another 1 week to print it,then send to Trendy and stuck there for a feww weeks.Looks like i will beat 18 weeks easy.

Pleased for you (that the Consulate have offered to help), let's hope they can come up with something.

digitalchromakey · September 16, 2014

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Getting an online v-card is very easy if you have Internet banking and a Thai bank account .. Alternately, just write a load of numbers down and an autograph so that trendy accept the form.

Then at the beginning of next week you will get an email, followed shortly by a phone call from the revenue dept ( people with sense ) you email your mum the number and the case number, she pays it for you - it's a direct line to the department, no waiting, no additional call charges.

what's a v card...visa card?.....i don't have internet banking...and time's running out...im just going to get my friend to sign my mums signature (so the hand writing looks different) and use her english debit card..im guessing this is better than leaving it blank or is it ok to leave blank?

v-card or virtual shopping card .. If you don't have internet banking, and you have a Kasikorn account you can set it up in 30 seconds at the ATM machine 24-7. The virtual card takes less than 25 hours to process and its just a series of digits.

Trendy don't really care .. whatever you think makes it easiest, but If you start explaining things to Trendy they are going to take the company line, maybe reject your application. All trendy want to do is check the paperwork has been completed in the right boxes, check the dimensions of your photo and get you to sign your passport photocopies. They aren't going to do handwriting analysis on the signature.

However, like I say, I would use my own card ( or imaginary card ), knowing its going to fail, then let your mum call the revenue department and pay it for you over the phone. Stupidity isn't a crime, impersonating someone else could be.

Honestly, the whole thing has been a king size pain in the sas, for me, but the nicest most helpful and confident person was the lady from the revenue dept. in Liverpool.

I paid mine with a wrong card, the card was rejected, i got an email asking me to contact them with a solution asap, within a couple of hours someone from the UK was enquiring if i had received the call and anything they could do to help. I set up the V-card, rather than fork out for the cost of a phone call, I emailed my father who called them .. he said they were still helpful and polite.

Yes, it has to be said that HMPO are very good at getting hold of their money a.s.a.p, shame about the rest of their service which is total and utter <deleted>.

evadgib · September 18, 2014

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-29209396

steviewonder46 · September 18, 2014

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Getting an online v-card is very easy if you have Internet banking and a Thai bank account .. Alternately, just write a load of numbers down and an autograph so that trendy accept the form.

Then at the beginning of next week you will get an email, followed shortly by a phone call from the revenue dept ( people with sense ) you email your mum the number and the case number, she pays it for you - it's a direct line to the department, no waiting, no additional call charges.

what's a v card...visa card?.....i don't have internet banking...and time's running out...im just going to get my friend to sign my mums signature (so the hand writing looks different) and use her english debit card..im guessing this is better than leaving it blank or is it ok to leave blank?

The v-card is a description of the Kasikorn K-Web Shopping Virtual Credit Card.

You don't have time to mess around - just do it. - open a Kasikorn bog standard savings account and get internet banking, then you can automatically apply for this virtual credit card which is locked to your savings account and get the 16 digit code and expiry date; forget the rest.

I really don't think it's a good idea to forge a signature on a passport document - most inadvisable..

Or, there's nothing to prevent you sending the payment document to your Mum via email/fax for her to send back to you the same way.

i had my appointment today.i went down there for my 8.50 am meeting as stated on my e mail with my copy of the email i was sent.(which they didnt even look at).i was seen within 5 minutes..i was told it would take betwwen 6-12 weeks..i told the lady that after 6 weeks i would be overstayed.she told me to take my letter and reciept to immigration..she didnt say if this would aboid my aoverstay fine ...has anyone done this and if so have immigration been kind to them and not charged them overstay?..after all it's not our fault the whole system is a cluster <deleted>.

steviewonder46 · September 18, 2014

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Getting an online v-card is very easy if you have Internet banking and a Thai bank account .. Alternately, just write a load of numbers down and an autograph so that trendy accept the form.

Then at the beginning of next week you will get an email, followed shortly by a phone call from the revenue dept ( people with sense ) you email your mum the number and the case number, she pays it for you - it's a direct line to the department, no waiting, no additional call charges.

what's a v card...visa card?.....i don't have internet banking...and time's running out...im just going to get my friend to sign my mums signature (so the hand writing looks different) and use her english debit card..im guessing this is better than leaving it blank or is it ok to leave blank?

The v-card is a description of the Kasikorn K-Web Shopping Virtual Credit Card.

You don't have time to mess around - just do it. - open a Kasikorn bog standard savings account and get internet banking, then you can automatically apply for this virtual credit card which is locked to your savings account and get the 16 digit code and expiry date; forget the rest.

I really don't think it's a good idea to forge a signature on a passport document - most inadvisable..

Or, there's nothing to prevent you sending the payment document to your Mum via email/fax for her to send back to you the same way.

i had my appointment today.i went down there for my 8.50 am meeting as stated on my e mail with my copy of the email i was sent.(which they didnt even look at).i was seen within 5 minutes..i was told it would take betwwen 6-12 weeks..i told the lady that after 6 weeks i would be overstayed.she told me to take my letter and reciept to immigration..she didnt say if this would aboid my aoverstay fine ...has anyone done this and if so have immigration been kind to them and not charged them overstay?..after all it's not our fault the whole system is a cluster <deleted>.

oh yeah..i forgot to mention...i went in at 8.50 and was out by 9.10...so it was really quick..hopefully this is a taste of things to come...i can only hope....always look on the bright side of life..(whistle whistle)

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