Changes To British Passport Services In Thailand

[digitalchromakey]

I was advised that the confirmation of address should be a letter from the Uk to your stated Thai address--sent from eg a bank or credit card or any "official" UK site. I had a bank statement and a bookmaking firms letter.They are pernickety about photos--not at Trendy but at Lierpool--I was asked to replace mine.

Confirmation of address does not have to be from the UK.

For example, with my application, I supplied a letter from my (Thai) employer confirming my name/address - accepted with no issues.

[falangUK]

Hi all ,

Submitting next week, just to make sure that' I've go all the docs etc, to avoid a 1400 km return trip to Chiang Mai

1. Proof of address (translated residency cert from immigration/ backup- letter from Ed visa school)

2. Cover letter explaining the missing Naturalisation cert

3. photo evidence - PP and DL as backup

Should I include anything else ? (apart from 1. colour copies of the PP, 2. applicatoin form 3. Payment form,)

Anyone been requested for any unlisted documents? (as they did 6 years ago at the Home Office in the UK, when I submitted my application for PR - with a t£1000 premium appointment , I guess a demand to see the minister incharge would not go so well at Trendy)

Your old passport should be fine for photo ID and you need one item which is less than one year old for confirmation of name at an address in Thailand.

Colour copies of the passport should be for every page.

Covering letter for lost naturalisation certificate?

Don't forget the photos.

How do you plan to pay?

Thanks digitalchromakey ,

1. Using a translated certificate of residence from immigration as proof of address

2. For colour copies of the passport, I am hoping to use the shop located at trendy (is there one?), or should I take from here (Chiang Mai?)

3. Photos, hoping to use the shop at Trendy,

4 Paying by credit card (using the payment form), issued in the UK

Covering letter for lost naturalisation certificate? This is Only for people who were not born in the UK my cert is in the UK

Ok, looks like what you have lined up so far is fine.

However, why leave anything to chance?

Better surely to get all your ducks lined up well in advance of your appointment. That day could be the day when they are repainting the photography studio and/or copy shop, or the manager has closed down for a few days, or maybe they went out of business the week before - you never know.

Some one recommended a photography studio in Chiang Mai just a few pages ago on this thread..

.

Thanks digitalchromakey ,

My appointment is on Tuesday, I will reach BKK on Sunday , staying at a hotel near Trendy will go there on Monday (or maybe sunday) and check out the studio for pics. I visited today, the shop here in Chiang Mai, but they looked very confused when I mentioned photos for UK passports , also I didn't get the feeling that they were going to let me measure the pics for the specification.

on second thoughts, I think, I will pop back in tomorrow, and get the pics sorted in chiang mai (now that I have the specification printed), and also the colour photocopies of the PP (hopefully Thai photocopy machines would do the trick )

[falangUK]

You need a colour copy of ever page in your passport--my advice is to get them done where you are--not cheap by the way. Same for your photos--dont you need someone to sign one confirming they know you?

Dont forget you need to print a copy of your appointment letter.

Thanks maccraw ,

I got "all" the printouts today but forgot about the appointment letter! You are an absolute lifesaver!

Will get the colour copies done from here. I think its about 10 Baht per page.

dont you need someone to sign one confirming they know you? No, because this is a simple renewal, and the current PP is not damaged.

Thanks again

Jack

[falangUK]

You need a colour copy of ever page in your passport--my advice is to get them done where you are--not cheap by the way. Same for your photos--dont you need someone to sign one confirming they know you?

Dont forget you need to print a copy of your appointment letter.

Scan and colour print, colour copies work out at an extortionate rate.

Why leave supporting items for the application to renew such an important identity document, why leave anything to chance?

Better surely to get all your ducks lined up well in advance.

Re red highlighted section in quote above:

A counter signature is only required if your appearance has changed substantially since your last passport was issued.

You may be asked by trendy to sign the back of one of your photos in black - check if they want you to sign or not when you are there..

Thanks digitalchromakey

That's a great suggestion to scan and print in colour, I am slightly worried about the fact that HMPO wants colour photocopies, but will try it this way.

Also thanks for the invaluable tip about asking them whether they need my autograph on the back of the pic, included that in my checklist

Thanks again!

Jack

[digitalchromakey]

You need a colour copy of ever page in your passport--my advice is to get them done where you are--not cheap by the way. Same for your photos--dont you need someone to sign one confirming they know you?

Dont forget you need to print a copy of your appointment letter.

Scan and colour print, colour copies work out at an extortionate rate.

Why leave supporting items for the application to renew such an important identity document, why leave anything to chance?

Better surely to get all your ducks lined up well in advance.

Re red highlighted section in quote above:

A counter signature is only required if your appearance has changed substantially since your last passport was issued.

You may be asked by trendy to sign the back of one of your photos in black - check if they want you to sign or not when you are there..

Thanks digitalchromakey

That's a great suggestion to scan and print in colour, I am slightly worried about the fact that HMPO wants colour photocopies, but will try it this way.

Also thanks for the invaluable tip about asking them whether they need my autograph on the back of the pic, included that in my checklist

Thanks again!

Jack

Scan and print will be accepted, no issue.

One poster in this thread even had, if I recollect correctly, 4 scans i.e. 8 passport pages per printed page, but I stuck to one 2 page open scan per page printed (do remember to scan all the blank pages as well - HMPO want a copy of the whole passport).

Edited October 17, 2014 by digitalchromakey

[recom273]

You need a colour copy of ever page in your passport--my advice is to get them done where you are--not cheap by the way. Same for your photos--dont you need someone to sign one confirming they know you?

Dont forget you need to print a copy of your appointment letter.

Scan and colour print, colour copies work out at an extortionate rate.

Why leave supporting items for the application to renew such an important identity document, why leave anything to chance?

Better surely to get all your ducks lined up well in advance.

Re red highlighted section in quote above:

A counter signature is only required if your appearance has changed substantially since your last passport was issued.

You may be asked by trendy to sign the back of one of your photos in black - check if they want you to sign or not when you are there..

Thanks digitalchromakey

That's a great suggestion to scan and print in colour, I am slightly worried about the fact that HMPO wants colour photocopies, but will try it this way.

Also thanks for the invaluable tip about asking them whether they need my autograph on the back of the pic, included that in my checklist

Thanks again!

Jack

Scan and print will be accepted, no issue.

One poster in this thread even had, if I recollect correctly, 4 scans i.e. 8 passport pages per printed page, but I stuck to one 2 page open scan per page printed (do remember to scan all the blank pages as well - HMPO want a copy of the whole passport).

I had mine done at the agency on the ground floor of trendy, it was costly but they also had a handy tip ..

Its good idea to copy the front and back cover ( which they did for free ) they informed me that VSO had knocked back the copies on some occasions due to no cover ( applicants had been sent down to get a copy of the cover alone ), on other occasions it was fine.

[digitalchromakey]

Thanks digitalchromakey

That's a great suggestion to scan and print in colour, I am slightly worried about the fact that HMPO wants colour photocopies, but will try it this way.

Also thanks for the invaluable tip about asking them whether they need my autograph on the back of the pic, included that in my checklist

Thanks again!

Jack

Scan and print will be accepted, no issue.

One poster in this thread even had, if I recollect correctly, 4 scans i.e. 8 passport pages per printed page, but I stuck to one 2 page open scan per page printed (do remember to scan all the blank pages as well - HMPO want a copy of the whole passport).

I had mine done at the agency on the ground floor of trendy, it was costly but they also had a handy tip ..

Its good idea to copy the front and back cover ( which they did for free ) they informed me that VSO had knocked back the copies on some occasions due to no cover ( applicants had been sent down to get a copy of the cover alone ), on other occasions it was fine.

Maybe they wanted an extra 20 THB.

I did not supply copies of the front and back passport cover and had no problems with trendy or HMPO.

[OJAS]

Its good idea to copy the front and back cover ( which they did for free ) they informed me that VSO had knocked back the copies on some occasions due to no cover ( applicants had been sent down to get a copy of the cover alone ), on other occasions it was fine.

Was it just the inside pages on the front and back covers? Or the actual burgundy covers as well (the back cover being, of course, completely blank!)?

If the latter, then all I can say, to quote the late Lord Hailsham, is "stark raving bonkers"!

[recom273]

Thanks digitalchromakey

That's a great suggestion to scan and print in colour, I am slightly worried about the fact that HMPO wants colour photocopies, but will try it this way.

Also thanks for the invaluable tip about asking them whether they need my autograph on the back of the pic, included that in my checklist

Thanks again!

Jack

Scan and print will be accepted, no issue.

One poster in this thread even had, if I recollect correctly, 4 scans i.e. 8 passport pages per printed page, but I stuck to one 2 page open scan per page printed (do remember to scan all the blank pages as well - HMPO want a copy of the whole passport).

I had mine done at the agency on the ground floor of trendy, it was costly but they also had a handy tip ..

Its good idea to copy the front and back cover ( which they did for free ) they informed me that VSO had knocked back the copies on some occasions due to no cover ( applicants had been sent down to get a copy of the cover alone ), on other occasions it was fine.

Maybe they wanted an extra 20 THB.

I did not supply copies of the front and back passport cover and had no problems with trendy or HMPO.

They could have been telling porkies, but it seemed like they just charged me for the number of copies of the internal pages. I don't remember the cost, i just remember it was money for old rope. My scanner had a fit, so no other option. TBH the whole caper cost an arm and a leg, I stopped counting the 20B's.

The ground floor agency informed me that they had people sent down from the 28th floor to copy 'just the red cover' because whoever was accepting the documents had refused the application. It all sound within the realms of possibility of Trendy, right ? One day they want a cover, next day after lunch they weren't too bothered.

I honestly can't remember if it included the inside covers, all i remember is, I definitely had a burgundy cover copied and I had no problems with Trendy or HMPO.

A post mentioned printing the appointment email .. I printed off mine, produced it to the front desk on arrival, the girl studied it for 2 minutes then asked me "Have you booked an appointment ? What time ?" Showed me the clipboard and I pointed to my name. All of the info was on the print-out.

These guys have a track record of inconsistent service with UK visas I'm sure visa applicants will warn you to take everything they could possibly ask even if that includes 2 sheets of useless colour copies.

[digitalchromakey]

I had mine done at the agency on the ground floor of trendy, it was costly but they also had a handy tip ..

Its good idea to copy the front and back cover ( which they did for free ) they informed me that VSO had knocked back the copies on some occasions due to no cover ( applicants had been sent down to get a copy of the cover alone ), on other occasions it was fine.

Maybe they wanted an extra 20 THB.

I did not supply copies of the front and back passport cover and had no problems with trendy or HMPO.

They could have been telling porkies, but it seemed like they just charged me for the number of copies of the internal pages. I don't remember the cost, i just remember it was money for old rope. My scanner had a fit, so no other option. TBH the whole caper cost an arm and a leg, I stopped counting the 20B's.

The ground floor agency informed me that they had people sent down from the 28th floor to copy 'just the red cover' because whoever was accepting the documents had refused the application. It all sound within the realms of possibility of Trendy, right ? One day they want a cover, next day after lunch they weren't too bothered.

I honestly can't remember if it included the inside covers, all i remember is, I definitely had a burgundy cover copied and I had no problems with Trendy or HMPO.

A post mentioned printing the appointment email .. I printed off mine, produced it to the front desk on arrival, the girl studied it for 2 minutes then asked me "Have you booked an appointment ? What time ?" Showed me the clipboard and I pointed to my name. All of the info was on the print-out.

These guys have a track record of inconsistent service with UK visas I'm sure visa applicants will warn you to take everything they could possibly ask even if that includes 2 sheets of useless colour copies.

Who knows.

However the general experience at trendy vis a vis passport renewal is that 'they were very quick', which one would normally read as they didn't give the documents anything more than a cursory glance.

This is what it appears trendy are contracted to do, collect the documents then forward them to HMPO Liverpool - no application checking service is offered.

The average appointment time of five minutes appears to confirm this.

[properperson]

Who knows.

However the general experience at trendy vis a vis passport renewal is that 'they were very quick', which one would normally read as they didn't give the documents anything more than a cursory glance.

This is what it appears trendy are contracted to do, collect the documents then forward them to HMPO Liverpool - no application checking service is offered.

The average appointment time of five minutes appears to confirm this.

when i was at Trendy 6 weeks ago (passport now issued) - they did check through the application, because i'd not answered one question - the girl even handed me a black pen and pointed to the question that needed answering......

[digitalchromakey]

Who knows.

However the general experience at trendy vis a vis passport renewal is that 'they were very quick', which one would normally read as they didn't give the documents anything more than a cursory glance.

This is what it appears trendy are contracted to do, collect the documents then forward them to HMPO Liverpool - no application checking service is offered.

The average appointment time of five minutes appears to confirm this.

when i was at Trendy 6 weeks ago (passport now issued) - they did check through the application, because i'd not answered one question - the girl even handed me a black pen and pointed to the question that needed answering......

Noted,

In the UK, the Post Office Passport checking service offers:

The Post Office Check and Send service will check you’ve:

• filled in the right sections of the application form
• got the right supporting documents (including photos)
• paid the right fee

Good that trendy noticed you hadn't filled a question out on your form, they do look at this kind of thing, but they do not check the veracity of the supplied documents, they just make sure they are present.

They do not check for example if the payment method is viable, they just check you have filled out the payment form.

They check the photos are present with one having been signed on the rear, but they do not check the dimensions, etc.

I suspect that under the terms of trendy's contract they would get penalised if an application comes in with missing documents or sections not filled in; but I very much doubt they are penalised if the information supplied is incorrect.

This is why I state that trendy do not offer a checking service per se and this is why the appointment only takes five minutes not the half an hour allowed between 'appointments'..

.

[properperson]

Good that trendy noticed you hadn't filled a question out on your form, they do look at this kind of thing, but they do not check the veracity of the supplied documents, they just make sure they are present.

They do not check for example if the payment method is viable, they just check you have filled out the payment form.

They check the photos are present with one having been signed on the rear, but they do not check the dimensions, etc.

I suspect that under the terms of trendy's contract they would get penalised if an application comes in with missing documents or sections not filled in; but I very much doubt they are penalised if the information supplied is incorrect.

This is why I state that trendy do not offer a checking service per se and this is why the appointment only takes five minutes not the half an hour allowed between 'appointments'..

.

I asked the girl if my photo sizes were correct (having read numerous people had phone call from Liverpool stating the photos were the wrong size and new ones needed sending to Liverpool...

The girl produced a card with an outline and lay the photo on it and said it was "OK".....

Anyway, worked for me and collecting the new one from Trendy next week (6 weeks from when the application was made

[digitalchromakey]

Good that trendy noticed you hadn't filled a question out on your form, they do look at this kind of thing, but they do not check the veracity of the supplied documents, they just make sure they are present.

They do not check for example if the payment method is viable, they just check you have filled out the payment form.

They check the photos are present with one having been signed on the rear, but they do not check the dimensions, etc.

I suspect that under the terms of trendy's contract they would get penalised if an application comes in with missing documents or sections not filled in; but I very much doubt they are penalised if the information supplied is incorrect.

This is why I state that trendy do not offer a checking service per se and this is why the appointment only takes five minutes not the half an hour allowed between 'appointments'..

.

I asked the girl if my photo sizes were correct (having read numerous people had phone call from Liverpool stating the photos were the wrong size and new ones needed sending to Liverpool...

The girl produced a card with an outline and lay the photo on it and said it was "OK".....

Anyway, worked for me and collecting the new one from Trendy next week (6 weeks from when the application was made

Ok, thanks for that - good to know that trendy can check your photo size, if you ask.

Btw, you mention in several of your posts that you have a 6 week application to collection delay, which is about as good as anyone has had via trendy the last six months, how long did you have to wait for an appointment at trendy from your first appointment email?

[ukrules]

Btw, you mention in several of your posts that you have a 6 week application to collection delay, which is about as good as anyone has had via trendy the last six months, how long did you have to wait for an appointment at trendy from your first appointment email?

The only reason it now takes 6 weeks is because the holiday season has finished in the UK and a lot of the backlog will have been cleared.

I fully expect the same thing to happen next year starting sometime between March to April. The headlines will read 'unprecedented demand causes chaos at passport offices'.

If you need to renew a UK passport any time next year get it in very early.

[digitalchromakey]

Btw, you mention in several of your posts that you have a 6 week application to collection delay, which is about as good as anyone has had via trendy the last six months, how long did you have to wait for an appointment at trendy from your first appointment email?

The only reason it now takes 6 weeks is because the holiday season has finished in the UK and a lot of the backlog will have been cleared.

I fully expect the same thing to happen next year starting sometime between March to April. The headlines will read 'unprecedented demand causes chaos at passport offices'.

If you need to renew a UK passport any time next year get it in very early.

You make a good point, also remember that HMPO is now being disbanded, its head fired and the embers of the current mess being absorbed into the Home Office.

The result may be even worse that what we have experienced to date.

We can only hope that the government will eventually see sense and return overseas passport issue back to the Foreign Office, where it has always logically belonged.

[OJAS]

Btw, you mention in several of your posts that you have a 6 week application to collection delay, which is about as good as anyone has had via trendy the last six months, how long did you have to wait for an appointment at trendy from your first appointment email?

The only reason it now takes 6 weeks is because the holiday season has finished in the UK and a lot of the backlog will have been cleared.

I fully expect the same thing to happen next year starting sometime between March to April. The headlines will read 'unprecedented demand causes chaos at passport offices'.

If you need to renew a UK passport any time next year get it in very early.

You make a good point, also remember that HMPO is now being disbanded, its head fired and the embers of the current mess being absorbed into the Home Office.

The result may be even worse that what we have experienced to date.

We can only hope that the government will eventually see sense and return overseas passport issue back to the Foreign Office, where it has always logically belonged.

In any event, Brits living overseas who have extended their passports extended by 12 months under HMPO's "panic" arrangements will presumably be seeking to renew their passports this time next year, thus swelling the number of applicants and doubtless resultant delays then - unless, of course, the HO in their infinite wisdom allow overseas residents to extend their passports by yet another year which will, of course, then add to the problems in 2016!

[oldsailor35]

I am dual nationality, but with so much stuffing around by the Brit PP office, have decided to forget about renewing . I will now stick to my easy to renew Aussie PP which incidentally due to my age i get at half price.

[digitalchromakey]

I am dual nationality, but with so much stuffing around by the Brit PP office, have decided to forget about renewing . I will now stick to my easy to renew Aussie PP which incidentally due to my age i get at half price.

Understood, plus your Aussie Passport will get you pretty much anywhere you need to go.

Having dual passports, if you are here in Thailand on your Aussie passport, then you could always just post your British passport to a friend or relative In the UK who could do the whole application process for you via the UK.

Quick and much less painful.

[properperson]

Btw, you mention in several of your posts that you have a 6 week application to collection delay, which is about as good as anyone has had via trendy the last six months, how long did you have to wait for an appointment at trendy from your first appointment email?

2 weeks..........

[NanLaew]

I am renewing my sons UK passport at Trendy.

How soon are appointments for submitting the application? Can I select dates in the coming week or is there a wait-list of a few weeks?

Does he have to attend personally? Or can I submit by myself? He is 6 years old.

What do they accept for 'Name and address and/or residency evidence'? Will a residence certificate as issued by a Thai Immigration office be accepted?

Err .. The lead time on the appointments was / is around 4 weeks, and at 4 weeks your sure not to get the time / day you ask for.

Unfortunately no response from VFS Trendy for the application appointment.

I thought no worries, he can come with me and do a 'Premium' renewal in the UK before Christmas. Unfortunately that option is only available for adult passport renewals and not children's passport renewals according to an email response from HMPO. I think that the best they can do for a kids passport renewal in the UK is a 7-day 'Fast Track' processing.

So, back to Plan A (rev ... does anyone know if a walk-in passport application drop be done at Trendy or is it a case if your name isn't on the list for that day, one doesn't even get past security? I will be in Bangkok later today but is it even worth going to VFS to ask if it is possible?

[NanLaew]

...

Having dual passports, if you are here in Thailand on your Aussie passport, then you could always just post your British passport to a friend or relative In the UK who could do the whole application process for you via the UK.

...

That is an option that I have used in the past, about 5 years ago. I sent my second UK passport back to my parents in the UK to do the renewal by post while I was working in Vietnam. However, that was before they even asked about having a second UK passport let alone the relatively new requirement to submit colour scans of all the pages of that second valid passport.

I was pondering sending my second passport to the UK as well as my son's and renew as above but since they scan your passport on arrival at airport immigration in the UK, I wonder if they would 'flag' a renewal where there is no evidence of the applicant actually being in the UK via the point-of-entry scan.

I think that the new and pedantic 'proof of domicile address' rigmarole is to ensure that if you say you are in Thailand, then you have to prove it and if you apply in the UK, you do indeed need to be in the UK. I could be wrong but I would be happy to hear from anyone who has RECENTLY sent a UK passport back to the UK for renewal whilst traveling or otherwise staying outside UK on another UK passport.

[digitalchromakey]

...

Having dual passports, if you are here in Thailand on your Aussie passport, then you could always just post your British passport to a friend or relative In the UK who could do the whole application process for you via the UK.

...

That is an option that I have used in the past, about 5 years ago. I sent my second UK passport back to my parents in the UK to do the renewal by post while I was working in Vietnam. However, that was before they even asked about having a second UK passport let alone the relatively new requirement to submit colour scans of all the pages of that second valid passport.

I was pondering sending my second passport to the UK as well as my son's and renew as above but since they scan your passport on arrival at airport immigration in the UK, I wonder if they would 'flag' a renewal where there is no evidence of the applicant actually being in the UK via the point-of-entry scan.

I think that the new and pedantic 'proof of domicile address' rigmarole is to ensure that if you say you are in Thailand, then you have to prove it and if you apply in the UK, you do indeed need to be in the UK. I could be wrong but I would be happy to hear from anyone who has RECENTLY sent a UK passport back to the UK for renewal whilst traveling or otherwise staying outside UK on another UK passport.

Friend of mine tried to do a first application for his young son this way a couple of months ago.

He was in the UK for the application, but his son was still back here in Thailand, the on-line application and payment went fine., but then he was given a document to sign that confirmed his son was actually in the UK.

As the son didn't have a UK passport (or a visa entry on his second non EU passport), with this being a first application, the boy's application was black flagged and the application failed at that point.

[digitalchromakey]

I am renewing my sons UK passport at Trendy.

How soon are appointments for submitting the application? Can I select dates in the coming week or is there a wait-list of a few weeks?

Does he have to attend personally? Or can I submit by myself? He is 6 years old.

What do they accept for 'Name and address and/or residency evidence'? Will a residence certificate as issued by a Thai Immigration office be accepted?

Err .. The lead time on the appointments was / is around 4 weeks, and at 4 weeks your sure not to get the time / day you ask for.

Unfortunately no response from VFS Trendy for the application appointment.

I thought no worries, he can come with me and do a 'Premium' renewal in the UK before Christmas. Unfortunately that option is only available for adult passport renewals and not children's passport renewals according to an email response from HMPO. I think that the best they can do for a kids passport renewal in the UK is a 7-day 'Fast Track' processing.

So, back to Plan A (rev ... does anyone know if a walk-in passport application drop be done at Trendy or is it a case if your name isn't on the list for that day, one doesn't even get past security? I will be in Bangkok later today but is it even worth going to VFS to ask if it is possible?

Certainly was the case in the early days, however on arrival for the application appointment, several people (myself included) have reported being faced with trendy security insisting on knowing one's name/appointment date, time, etc.

Edited October 20, 2014 by digitalchromakey

[digitalchromakey]

Btw, you mention in several of your posts that you have a 6 week application to collection delay, which is about as good as anyone has had via trendy the last six months, how long did you have to wait for an appointment at trendy from your first appointment email?

2 weeks..........

Thanks.

So 8 weeks total approx. from application trendy to passport return - yes for the last 6 months that's about the best turn around one could possibly get without pulling strings.............

............. and yet it still represents a truly terrible level of service for the supply of such an important national identity document.

[NanLaew]

I am renewing my sons UK passport at Trendy.

How soon are appointments for submitting the application? Can I select dates in the coming week or is there a wait-list of a few weeks?

Does he have to attend personally? Or can I submit by myself? He is 6 years old.

What do they accept for 'Name and address and/or residency evidence'? Will a residence certificate as issued by a Thai Immigration office be accepted?

Err .. The lead time on the appointments was / is around 4 weeks, and at 4 weeks your sure not to get the time / day you ask for.

Unfortunately no response from VFS Trendy for the application appointment.

I thought no worries, he can come with me and do a 'Premium' renewal in the UK before Christmas. Unfortunately that option is only available for adult passport renewals and not children's passport renewals according to an email response from HMPO. I think that the best they can do for a kids passport renewal in the UK is a 7-day 'Fast Track' processing.

So, back to Plan A (rev ... does anyone know if a walk-in passport application drop be done at Trendy or is it a case if your name isn't on the list for that day, one doesn't even get past security? I will be in Bangkok later today but is it even worth going to VFS to ask if it is possible?

Certainly was the case in the early days, however on arrival fro the application appointment, several people (myself included) have reported being faced with trendy security insisting on knowing one's name/appointment date, time, etc.

Thanks for the early and fast response... had your coffee yet!?

Based on your experience, I won't waste any time at Trendy today and will go ahead with my own British Embassy business instead.

Do you know if a UK passport that has been renewed in the UK will still need a letter from the British Embassy here in Bangkok validating the passport before I can present old and new passports to Thai Immigration for my retirement extension renewal?

[Jip99]

Err .. The lead time on the appointments was / is around 4 weeks, and at 4 weeks your sure not to get the time / day you ask for.

Unfortunately no response from VFS Trendy for the application appointment.

I thought no worries, he can come with me and do a 'Premium' renewal in the UK before Christmas. Unfortunately that option is only available for adult passport renewals and not children's passport renewals according to an email response from HMPO. I think that the best they can do for a kids passport renewal in the UK is a 7-day 'Fast Track' processing.

So, back to Plan A (rev ... does anyone know if a walk-in passport application drop be done at Trendy or is it a case if your name isn't on the list for that day, one doesn't even get past security? I will be in Bangkok later today but is it even worth going to VFS to ask if it is possible?

Certainly was the case in the early days, however on arrival fro the application appointment, several people (myself included) have reported being faced with trendy security insisting on knowing one's name/appointment date, time, etc.

Thanks for the early and fast response... had your coffee yet!?

Based on your experience, I won't waste any time at Trendy today and will go ahead with my own British Embassy business instead.

Do you know if a UK passport that has been renewed in the UK will still need a letter from the British Embassy here in Bangkok validating the passport before I can present old and new passports to Thai Immigration for my retirement extension renewal?

The answer to your last question should be directed to your local immigration office. As we know, there is no one size fits all answer in Thailand.

Mine didn't need one at all and it was suggested that they would only need the letter for a replacement/stolen passport - not renewals.

[NanLaew]

Unfortunately no response from VFS Trendy for the application appointment.

I thought no worries, he can come with me and do a 'Premium' renewal in the UK before Christmas. Unfortunately that option is only available for adult passport renewals and not children's passport renewals according to an email response from HMPO. I think that the best they can do for a kids passport renewal in the UK is a 7-day 'Fast Track' processing.

So, back to Plan A (rev ... does anyone know if a walk-in passport application drop be done at Trendy or is it a case if your name isn't on the list for that day, one doesn't even get past security? I will be in Bangkok later today but is it even worth going to VFS to ask if it is possible?

Certainly was the case in the early days, however on arrival fro the application appointment, several people (myself included) have reported being faced with trendy security insisting on knowing one's name/appointment date, time, etc.

Thanks for the early and fast response... had your coffee yet!?

Based on your experience, I won't waste any time at Trendy today and will go ahead with my own British Embassy business instead.

Do you know if a UK passport that has been renewed in the UK will still need a letter from the British Embassy here in Bangkok validating the passport before I can present old and new passports to Thai Immigration for my retirement extension renewal?

The answer to your last question should be directed to your local immigration office. As we know, there is no one size fits all answer in Thailand.

Mine didn't need one at all and it was suggested that they would only need the letter for a replacement/stolen passport - not renewals.

Good point. Thai Immigration rules enforcement is... nebulous. I asked at the British Embassy this morning and she said the confirmation letter is issued free of charge so just in case Jomtien Immigration does ask, I will get one.

Edited October 20, 2014 by ubonjoe
fixed broken quote (to many quotes 4 is the max)

[ubonjoe]

Jomtien does not ask for the embassy letter.

[jchana27]

Just a summary of my experience (there is hope!)

i e-mailed Trendy for an appointment on 1st August 2014 and they gave me a slot for 22nd.

I dropped my application off on 22nd August 2014 and it arrived in Liverpool on 26th.

I got an e-mail from Liverpool on 3rd October informing me that my pictures were too small. I had them re-taken and e-mailed to my friend in the UK to print and send as would be quicker.

15th October received e-mail and phone call from Trendy informing that my new passport was ready for collection so in total took just over 7 weeks ( but that's including me having to re-do pictures).

So i picked up my passport today and as i've been reading in this forum about people having to transfer visas etc i asked Trendy and they said no need to transfer. But i'm a bit weary about this because they had the 'mai pen rai' attitude.....

My visa is actually expiring in 5 days time and i am planning to leave the country before that to go off traveling, can anyone tell me whether i would even need to transfer the visa in that case surely i can present both passports at the airport upon departure?! Any advice greatly appreciated.

Another note: Saw some photobooths at Trendy today which weren't there when i submitted my application.