Changes To British Passport Services In Thailand

[Jip99]

Do you have to get this form/letter from Brit Embassy confiming passport is for real!!.

When I did my extension they just told me to bring both passports.

I will give the Embassy a call Monday just in case.

When I picked my passport up from Trendy I specifically asked them this question and the supervisor said "Yes".

I know some folks say that they didn't need the letter at immi but for me it's definitely a case of better safe than sorry.

That should resolve your paranoia mca

Trendy know nothing and they, and the embassy, are not the people to ask - it is nothing to do with them. If you want a definitive answer then you need to speak to your immigration office. They have already given Phutoie a pretty clear indication that he doesn't need a letter.

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if Trendy cut the corners is it still ok to use the passport for your 90 day report

[ubonjoe]

if Trendy cut the corners is it still ok to use the passport for your 90 day report

You would need to use your new passport along with the old one and while you were at immigration have your stamps transferred.

[offset]

if Trendy cut the corners is it still ok to use the passport for your 90 day report

You would need to use your new passport along with the old one and while you were at immigration have your stamps transferred.

but I will not have my new passport just the old one because it might take more than 90 day to get it

[ubonjoe]

if Trendy cut the corners is it still ok to use the passport for your 90 day report

You would need to use your new passport along with the old one and while you were at immigration have your stamps transferred.

but I will not have my new passport just the old one because it might take more than 90 day to get it

I though you had your new passport. They don't cut the corners off your passport until you get the new one.

You can do your reports with your old one.

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if Trendy cut the corners is it still ok to use the passport for your 90 day report

You would need to use your new passport along with the old one and while you were at immigration have your stamps transferred.

but I will not have my new passport just the old one because it might take more than 90 day to get it

I though you had your new passport. They don't cut the corners off your passport until you get the new one.

You can do your reports with your old one.

So trendy only cut the corners when you get your new passport even though you cannot use your old passport when renewing

They not cut the corner when you first apply

[ubonjoe]

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I though you had your new passport. They don't cut the corners off your passport until you get the new one.

You can do your reports with your old one.

So trendy only cut the corners when you get your new passport even though you cannot use your old passport when renewing

They not cut the corner when you first apply

That do not cut the corners until you get the new passport.

Your passport is still valid within Thailand it just cannot be used for international travel.

People have applied for and received extensions at immigration with their old passport while waiting for the new one.

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I though you had your new passport. They don't cut the corners off your passport until you get the new one.
You can do your reports with your old one.

So trendy only cut the corners when you get your new passport even though you cannot use your old passport when renewing

They not cut the corner when you first apply

That do not cut the corners until you get the new passport.

Your passport is still valid within Thailand it just cannot be used for international travel.

People have applied for and received extensions at immigration with their old passport while waiting for the new one.

Thank you for your help

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Has any body used the Photographic service at Trendy and is it ok to wait till renewal before getting pictures taken there

[digitalchromakey]

So trendy only cut the corners when you get your new passport even though you cannot use your old passport when renewing

They not cut the corner when you first apply

Correct - you can still use your passport internally for ID purposes, it is not physically marked in any way at application.

A number of posters have made fresh extension applications and 90 day reports with their existing passports after the application has been made at trendy.

Some have reported successfully crossing borders as well, but this is specifically advised against.

You are warned by HMPO that you cannot travel internationally with your existing passport, once your application is filed.

HMPO Website:

You can’t travel with it after you’ve applied for a new one - but you will be able to keep your existing passport for ID purposes.

[digitalchromakey]

Has any body used the Photographic service at Trendy and is it ok to wait till renewal before getting pictures taken there

It's a photo shop at the ground floor of trendy towers on the RHS as you go in, nothing to do with trendy/HMPO.

A couple of posters used the service and had no specific problems.

Specific advice is available on photos at the following HMPO link.

https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports

Probably much better to have your ducks all nicely lined up in advance - less stress.

[offset]

Has any body used the Photographic service at Trendy and is it ok to wait till renewal before getting pictures taken there

It's a photo shop at the ground floor of trendy towers on the RHS as you go in, nothing to do with trendy/HMPO.

A couple of posters used the service and had no specific problems.

Specific advice is available on photos at the following HMPO link.

https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports

Probably much better to have your ducks all nicely lined up in advance - less stress.

Yes thx I am trying to do that now but I think where I live they have just found out what a camera looks like and to ask for picture size and a face size might be a bit complicated for them and to have a special colour back ground might be to much for them

Edited October 5, 2014 by ubonjoe
moved reply from quoted text

[offset]

Has any body used the Photographic service at Trendy and is it ok to wait till renewal before getting pictures taken there

It's a photo shop at the ground floor of trendy towers on the RHS as you go in, nothing to do with trendy/HMPO.

A couple of posters used the service and had no specific problems.

Specific advice is available on photos at the following HMPO link.

https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports

Probably much better to have your ducks all nicely lined up in advance - less stress.

Yes thx I am trying to do that now but I think where I live they have just found out what a camera looks like and to ask for picture size and a face size might be a bit complicated for them and to have a special colour back ground might be to much for them

I tried one shop got everything ok other than even after showing them the colour of the background I wanted they just printed it in white and the could not even cut square

Trying another shop now but cannot get pictures till tomorrow

Edited October 5, 2014 by ubonjoe
moved reply from quoted text

[Welshboy89]

So trendy only cut the corners when you get your new passport even though you cannot use your old passport when renewing

They not cut the corner when you first apply

Correct - you can still use your passport internally for ID purposes, it is not physically marked in any way at application.

A number of posters have made fresh extension applications and 90 day reports with their existing passports after the application has been made at trendy.

Some have reported successfully crossing borders as well, but this is specifically advised against.

You are warned by HMPO that you cannot travel internationally with your existing passport, once your application is filed.

HMPO Website:

You can’t travel with it after you’ve applied for a new one - but you will be able to keep your existing passport for ID purposes.

Yeah I made my 90 day report in my old passport after I had started the application for my new passport.

I always travelled by air domestically 5/6 times with no problems.

[madmonk888]

Sorry I couldn't read 114 pages and sorry if this has been answered

Has anyone worked out Table A and what is acceptable as proof of address

and

has anyone been through this new process yet and how did it go ??

thanks, I am going to have to do it soon

[phutoie2]

Sorry I couldn't read 114 pages and sorry if this has been answered

Has anyone worked out Table A and what is acceptable as proof of address

and

has anyone been through this new process yet and how did it go ??

thanks, I am going to have to do it soon

Its a frigging nightmare, best to read all the pages, especially about booking the appointment at Trendy. The guidance notes, you can print off is fairly clear about proof of address. They check it all at Trendy, best to go with everything you've got. Mine took 7 weeks total. Two trips to Bangkok from up country.

Thai immigration next weeks to transfer stamps and hoop jumping.

[madmonk888]

Sorry I couldn't read 114 pages and sorry if this has been answered

Has anyone worked out Table A and what is acceptable as proof of address

and

has anyone been through this new process yet and how did it go ??

thanks, I am going to have to do it soon

Its a frigging nightmare, best to read all the pages, especially about booking the appointment at Trendy. The guidance notes, you can print off is fairly clear about proof of address. They check it all at Trendy, best to go with everything you've got. Mine took 7 weeks total. Two trips to Bangkok from up country.

Thai immigration next weeks to transfer stamps and hoop jumping.

Thanks and good luck with Immigration next week. 7 weeks WOW .... I don't have one thing on the Table A list for proof of address, I found them all, well, alien .... what did you use ?

[phutoie2]

Sorry I couldn't read 114 pages and sorry if this has been answered

Has anyone worked out Table A and what is acceptable as proof of address

and

has anyone been through this new process yet and how did it go ??

thanks, I am going to have to do it soon

Its a frigging nightmare, best to read all the pages, especially about booking the appointment at Trendy. The guidance notes, you can print off is fairly clear about proof of address. They check it all at Trendy, best to go with everything you've got. Mine took 7 weeks total. Two trips to Bangkok from up country.

Thai immigration next weeks to transfer stamps and hoop jumping.

Thanks and good luck with Immigration next week. 7 weeks WOW .... I don't have one thing on the Table A list for proof of address, I found them all, well, alien .... what did you use ?

I used an income tax P60 from my UK pension administrator which has my Thai address on. I have read that some use a utility bill with your Thai address on. There are others but I cannot recall them.

[watso63]

Sorry I couldn't read 114 pages and sorry if this has been answered

Has anyone worked out Table A and what is acceptable as proof of address

and

has anyone been through this new process yet and how did it go ??

thanks, I am going to have to do it soon

Its a frigging nightmare, best to read all the pages, especially about booking the appointment at Trendy. The guidance notes, you can print off is fairly clear about proof of address. They check it all at Trendy, best to go with everything you've got. Mine took 7 weeks total. Two trips to Bangkok from up country.

Thai immigration next weeks to transfer stamps and hoop jumping.

Thanks and good luck with Immigration next week. 7 weeks WOW .... I don't have one thing on the Table A list for proof of address, I found them all, well, alien .... what did you use ?

I used a letter addressed to me from HMRC. Would have used a letter from my UK bank if not.

[digitalchromakey]

Sorry I couldn't read 114 pages and sorry if this has been answered

Has anyone worked out Table A and what is acceptable as proof of address

and

has anyone been through this new process yet and how did it go ??

thanks, I am going to have to do it soon

Its a frigging nightmare, best to read all the pages, especially about booking the appointment at Trendy. The guidance notes, you can print off is fairly clear about proof of address. They check it all at Trendy, best to go with everything you've got. Mine took 7 weeks total. Two trips to Bangkok from up country.

Thai immigration next weeks to transfer stamps and hoop jumping.

Thanks and good luck with Immigration next week. 7 weeks WOW .... I don't have one thing on the Table A list for proof of address, I found them all, well, alien .... what did you use ?

Here is a more flexible list of name at address confirmation possibilities from HMPO:

Remember also that the document you supply must be dated within the last year.

We have contacted our Liverpool Overseas Team on your behalf who has confirmed that you must submit at least one piece of evidence to confirm the address you currently use and it must be dated within the last year. You may choose from the following:

Tax record e.g. letter from tax authority

Educational record e.g. school report

Employment record e.g. official letter from your employer

A letter sent to you from a central, regional or local Government department

National identity card or equivalent (or colour photocopy)

Visa or resident permit (or colour photocopy)

Where none of the above is available consideration may be given to bank statements, utility bills or their equivalents.

Any documents that are not in English must be fully translated by a person who is registered to an official organisation or trade body for translators or employed by a recognised translation company. The translation must be attached to the original document and signed to confirm it is a true copy of the original.

As far as application to replacement passport collection timescales go you are looking at 6-18 weeks plus from application at trendy to collection there - depending on how smoothly your application goes..

Currently you may also have to wait 2-3 weeks extra for your initial application filing appointment at trendy (the whole filing process only takes about 5 mins, so no one knows why the 'appointment' queue is currently so long).

Edited October 7, 2014 by digitalchromakey

[madmonk888]

Has anyone worked out Table A and what is acceptable as proof of address

and

has anyone been through this new process yet and how did it go ??

thanks, I am going to have to do it soon

Its a frigging nightmare, best to read all the pages, especially about booking the appointment at Trendy. The guidance notes, you can print off is fairly clear about proof of address. They check it all at Trendy, best to go with everything you've got. Mine took 7 weeks total. Two trips to Bangkok from up country.

Thai immigration next weeks to transfer stamps and hoop jumping.

Thanks and good luck with Immigration next week. 7 weeks WOW .... I don't have one thing on the Table A list for proof of address, I found them all, well, alien .... what did you use ?

Here is a more flexible list of name at address confirmation possibilities from HMPO:

Remember also that the document you supply must be dated within the last year.

the word nightmare is coming to mind ... I'm running out of pages so no choice, but I would have thought the UK would be at the forefront of this sort of stuff... Well, at least everyone is getting it done so that's a positive . Trip to BKK coming up then , hoping to find some good British efficiency when I eventually get to Trendy :-)

[digitalchromakey]

the word nightmare is coming to mind ... I'm running out of pages so no choice, but I would have thought the UK would be at the forefront of this sort of stuff... Well, at least everyone is getting it done so that's a positive . Trip to BKK coming up then , hoping to find some good British efficiency when I eventually get to Trendy :-)

No the you are mistaken.

The UK is in the forefront of this sort of stuff - they offer the worst, slowest, most complex and possibly most expensive overseas passport renewal system compared to almost any other country in the world!

Welcome to the train wreck.

edit: btw afaik there's nobody British working at trendy - they are an Indian company staffed by Thais.

Edited October 7, 2014 by digitalchromakey

[AyG]

edit: btw afaik there's nobody British working at trendy - they are an Indian company staffed by Thais.

They are Swiss, with the parent company headquartered in Zurich. No evidence whatsoever of the famed Swiss efficiency, though.

[digitalchromakey]

edit: btw afaik there's nobody British working at trendy - they are an Indian company staffed by Thais.

They are Swiss, with the parent company headquartered in Zurich. No evidence whatsoever of the famed Swiss efficiency, though.

My bad, Swiss owned, Indian Company staffed by Thais.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VFS_Global

[recom273]

edit: btw afaik there's nobody British working at trendy - they are an Indian company staffed by Thais.

I heard a Female English-English accent the other day talking to the Thai staff, they were both trying to find my envelope.

[digitalchromakey]

edit: btw afaik there's nobody British working at trendy - they are an Indian company staffed by Thais.

I heard a Female English-English accent the other day talking to the Thai staff, they were both trying to find my envelope.

Good point, maybe they have taken on a couple of English staffers working in the back room, but certainly in the early days there was no one working there with any mastery of English.

No tangible evidence of any British Efficiency, only perhaps a little British Inefficiency (but we do however see plenty of that in buckets at HMPO).

Maybe it's people on a posting from HMPO, maybe the Foreign Office have 'someone' to 'keep an eye on things' based there, the way they have 'someone' at the Embassy if you follow my drift.

[recom273]

edit: btw afaik there's nobody British working at trendy - they are an Indian company staffed by Thais.

I heard a Female English-English accent the other day talking to the Thai staff, they were both trying to find my envelope.

Good point, maybe they have taken on a couple of English staffers working in the back room, but certainly in the early days there was no one working there with any mastery of English.

No tangible evidence of any British Efficiency, only perhaps a little British Inefficiency (but we do however see plenty of that in buckets at HMPO).

Maybe it's people on a posting from HMPO, maybe the Foreign Office have 'someone' to 'keep an eye on things' based there, the way they have 'someone' at the Embassy if you follow my drift.

Yeah, whoever it was was deep behind the scenes, I wouldn't want to be that person when Alan turns up to find out where his passport is.

[seadog57]

regarding the proof of address ect as stated in annex A, i have a letter from the British embassy in Bangkok with my address and passport No dated with in the time period of a year would that do ? or do i have to get a residency letter from Thai immigrations.

any info would help

[recom273]

regarding the proof of address ect as stated in annex A, i have a letter from the British embassy in Bangkok with my address and passport No dated with in the time period of a year would that do ? or do i have to get a residency letter from Thai immigrations.

any info would help

I'm pretty sure that would be fine.

I used an employment contract from a company I no longer worked for, it was cobbled from a generic Internet contract in word with a rubber stamp. The address was never confirmed by the company.

I honestly could have made it myself, and it worked for me. The process is a joke, but you just need to tick the box or face the consequences.

[digitalchromakey]

regarding the proof of address ect as stated in annex A, i have a letter from the British embassy in Bangkok with my address and passport No dated with in the time period of a year would that do ? or do i have to get a residency letter from Thai immigrations.

any info would help

A letter addressed to you in Thailand from the British Embassy as evidence of name and address will work just fine.