Renewing a British passport in Thailand (BKK)

[fareastguy]

I have a 10yr British passport which will expire in June 2016

just looking ahead does anyone have any real experience on how this is done.

The questions I would like to be answered the most are:

1) where do I have to go

2) where do I get the application form

3) what documents do I have to provide (other than photo's)

4) how much does it cost

5) how long does it take

any info from someone who has actually done this rather than people speculating on what I should do

regards

[Lite Beer]

Details.

https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

[Lite Beer]

Overseas British passport applications
How long it takes
Your application will take at least 6 weeks from when it’s received by Her Majesty’s Passport Office in the UK.

Applications may take longer if:

Her Majesty’s Passport Office needs to ask you for more information or documents
the photographs you send are rejected
Don’t book travel until you have a valid passport. If you need to travel more urgently, you may be able to apply for an Emergency Travel Document.

Cost
You’ll have to pay a fee for your passport and a courier fee of £23.01. The courier fee pays for your passport to be sent securely to the UK Visa Application Centre where you applied for you to collect.

Passport type Passport fee Total to pay (including courier fee)
Adult standard 32-page passport £83.00 £106.01
Adult jumbo 48-page passport £91.00 £114.01
Fill in a ‘Paying by credit card or debit card’ form for each passport you’re applying for and submit it with your application. Your credit or debit card will be charged in sterling.

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

How to apply
Download the application form.
Use the ‘Applying for a passport if you’re outside the UK’ guidance notes to help you fill in the application form.
Include 2 identical new photos of you (or your child, if it’s a child passport application). Follow the rules about passport photos or your application may be delayed.
Check which supporting documents you must submit with your application. You must get documents that aren’t in English - including documents showing an address - fully translated by a professional translator.

Making your application
You must apply in person. If you’re unable to, someone else can go on your behalf. You must bring photo ID with you.

Bring original supporting documents and a colour photocopy of each one. The original documents will be returned to you.

You must also bring your current passport with you when you apply, and a full colour photocopy of the entire passport (every page including blank pages).

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.

You’ll need to book an appointment by email. Include your first name and last name and 3 alternative dates and times. You will receive an email confirming your appointment.

UK Visa Application Centre
The Trendy Office Building,
28th Floor,
Sukhumvit Soi13,
Klongtoey-Nua,
Wattana,
Bangkok
10110,
Thailand
Email: [email protected]

Getting your passport
Your passport will be delivered to the UK Visa Application Centre where you applied - you must collect it in person.

They will contact you - using the details on your application form - when your passport is ready to collect.

You must bring your existing passport as photo ID.

[gerry123]

/www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

[TheSiemReaper]

Do it as early as possible... they can add on up to 9 months of unused passport onto the new one anyway.

[roath]

Got mine back within 3 weeks which seems to be about the case currently based on comments from other posters

[johninbkk71]

Make an online appointment at the web address posted. Take your form- applying for passport overseas, appointment letter, colour photocopy of every page in you passport, including blank ones, photos, and a form with you credit card details for payment. Wait three weeks.

PS: they may ask go proof of residence. I explained my stamps for Thailand go back many years. (Explained in Thai, weak English skills- hers not mine). No problem passport came. Have to collect in person.

[NanLaew]

...

PS: they may ask go proof of residence. I explained my stamps for Thailand go back many years. (Explained in Thai, weak English skills- hers not mine). No problem passport came. Have to collect in person.

Not sure what that means. Did you give some proof of an actual Thai residential address or did they accept that because your passport is full of Thai Immigration stamps, then you obviously must live here somewhere?

[tj916]

Got mine back within 3 weeks which seems to be about the case currently based on comments from other posters

Yes same here. Very good and helpful staff at Trendy. On the application form they ask for one of the photos to be countersigned by a 'professional ' person.

If you are just renewing and your appearance has not drastically changed you do not need to do this.

I also took extra ID in the form of my UK driving license.

If you turn right coming out of Trendy there is a very good Indian Restaurant about 50metres down the Soi.

Their 200baht set meal is excellent.

[Paratrinque]

Topic is clearly answered by Lite Beer post no 3.

Service, (excellent), by HMPO TRENDY BUILDING

[Paratrinque]

Details for application given in post #3 by Lite Beer.

TRENDY BUILDING 28th Floor,

Sukhumvit Soi 13

But you need to make an appointment first.

Be careful on the UK Embassy website, (passports), there are very specific requirements for passport photos re:size and dimensions of face and background colour.

On application I was told 6 to 12 weeks but received confirmation to collect new passport less than three weeks after application.

VERY helpful staff and excellent service.

[johninbkk71]

...

PS: they may ask go proof of residence. I explained my stamps for Thailand go back many years. (Explained in Thai, weak English skills- hers not mine). No problem passport came. Have to collect in person.

Not sure what that means. Did you give some proof of an actual Thai residential address or did they accept that because your passport is full of Thai Immigration stamps, then you obviously must live here somewhere?

Told her to put for proof of resiedence: visa stamps in passport no problem.

[catman20]

I went to Thai visa they were in L K metro they done mine they charged me 1750 baht to do everything plus postage and passport fee well worth it no stress.

[Isan Farang]

I went to Thai visa they were in L K metro they done mine they charged me 1750 baht to do everything plus postage and passport fee well worth it no stress.

Can you confirm you had a private company handle all the paperwork and have them submit everything to Trendy and then send you the new passport ?

Thanks

Alan

[personchester]

I went to Thai visa they were in L K metro they done mine they charged me 1750 baht to do everything plus postage and passport fee well worth it no stress.

Can you confirm you had a private company handle all the paperwork and have them submit everything to Trendy and then send you the new passport ?

Thanks

Alan

Agents that deal completely (100 %) in order to finalize the UK passport application procedure via Trendy in BKK would be a very acceptable activity for passport applicants, and the cost of 1,750 bath would not be a problem.

Fellows that used those agents, or know those agents, please advice.

[Isan Farang]

I went to Thai visa they were in L K metro they done mine they charged me 1750 baht to do everything plus postage and passport fee well worth it no stress.

Can you confirm you had a private company handle all the paperwork and have them submit everything to Trendy and then send you the new passport ?

Thanks

Alan

Agents that deal completely (100 %) in order to finalize the UK passport application procedure via Trendy in BKK would be a very acceptable activity for passport applicants, and the cost of 1,750 bath would not be a problem.

Fellows that used those agents, or know those agents, please advice.

I sent a mail to Thai Visa Express around 1 hour ago, and received a very fast reply.

Everyone has to do this in person now so we don't offer any passport services at all now.

I also would be very interested to find any agent who can handle the whole process, only problem is it needs to be a registered company with some track record as you would be handing over your passport, cash, and original documents.

[NanLaew]

TVE are declining to do what is legally acceptable probably because the overheads are not worth it?

AFAIK the HMPO and VFS approve of submissons being done by a third party but that the third party needs to be identified and show ID when the application is made and when the passport collected.

[Isan Farang]

TVE are declining to do what is legally acceptable probably because the overheads are not worth it?

AFAIK the HMPO and VFS approve of submissons being done by a third party but that the third party needs to be identified and show ID when the application is made and when the passport collected.

Yes I agree 1750 Baht is not going to get them a lot of profit.

For me I would be happy to pay double this, as it will cost me this amount alone on air fares for two return trips, taxis and a visit to NP

Be nice if there is some company who will get into this service as I am sure many like myself who live up country will be happy to pay a fee, to avoid all the hassle.

Making your application

You must apply in person. If you’re unable to, someone else can go on your behalf. You must bring photo ID with you.

[personchester]

TVE are declining to do what is legally acceptable probably because the overheads are not worth it?

AFAIK the HMPO and VFS approve of submissons being done by a third party but that the third party needs to be identified and show ID when the application is made and when the passport collected.

Yes I agree 1750 Baht is not going to get them a lot of profit.

For me I would be happy to pay double this, as it will cost me this amount alone on air fares for two return trips, taxis and a visit to NP

Be nice if there is some company who will get into this service as I am sure many like myself who live up country will be happy to pay a fee, to avoid all the hassle.

Making your application

You must apply in person. If you’re unable to, someone else can go on your behalf. You must bring photo ID with you.

Yes, those unable to travel age-wise, or health-wise, can get someone else to travel to Trendy, but those that have no family or friends to deal with this want to know about agents to deal with this.

They have to give them of course the entire application forms, credit card details, current address details, copies of entire existing passport, and the 2 new photos and ID.

That was confirmed by GOV.UK.

Edited December 28, 2014 by personchester

[cyborgx]

I gotta do it too soon.

Read all the requirements, and there was one that for some will not be so easy. I don't recall the exact working, but it basically said you need a letter, invoice or similar from a Government source showing your current address. I personally don't have anything like that. I have bills from customs, but they don't show the address.

Anybody who's actually done this recently got any comments to make on this requirement?

[Gashead]

Put my application in at the Trendy Building on 16th December. I didn't have anything with my Thai address in English so I got a certified translation of the back of my Thai Drivers Licence - done by a law firm in Korat, cost 200 baht, same day service. Trendy told me the application would take 6 weeks, had read that 3 was more normal. Got an email yesterday telling me the new passport was ready to be collected. Pretty good service!

[NanLaew]

Put my application in at the Trendy Building on 16th December. I didn't have anything with my Thai address in English so I got a certified translation of the back of my Thai Drivers Licence - done by a law firm in Korat, cost 200 baht, same day service. Trendy told me the application would take 6 weeks, had read that 3 was more normal. Got an email yesterday telling me the new passport was ready to be collected. Pretty good service!

Excellent news! That's a 13-day turnaround so service has much improved.

I submitted my renewal on 17th but nothing so far. I will call the HMPO helpline when they open today and inquire since the holidays will bugger up things.

[jacky54]

How early can you do it before expiry? do they automatically give you a letter from immigration who sometimes want one to transfer visa extensions, or do you have to ask and pay for one?

[Gashead]

You can do it as early as you want but they will only add up to 9 months of the unexpired time on the old to the new. You do not get the letter to transfer stamps automatically for UK as you do with other countries. What you need to do it send scanned copies of the picture pages of both old and new passports to the UK embassy in Bangkok. You also need to give them your address and date of last entry to the Thailand. They will them send you the letter by post. A bit of a hassle but no fee so not too bad.

[martinatkins]

I don't get this.

Making your application
You must apply in person. If you’re unable to, someone else can go on your behalf. You must bring photo ID with you.

Surely my passport is photo ID. If I’m applying in person is my passport not enough?

[johnj]

I don't know what this trendy is supposed to be. I lived in Thailand for 10 years and in that time had 4 or 5 renewals. I used to download and print the application form for renewal, fill it in and drop it off personally at the British Embassy off Sukhumvit. Pay either in cash or debit card and never waited more than 3 weeks for my new passport. Someone on here says that once you've submitted your application you can't travel, well when I went to the embassy they just took a photo copy of my passport, gave it back to me and I travelled outside Thailand. Your old passport is not cancelled until you go and pick up your renewal passport, then they cut the corner and give it back to you along with your new passport.

[Upnotover]

I don't know what this trendy is supposed to be. I lived in Thailand for 10 years and in that time had 4 or 5 renewals. I used to download and print the application form for renewal, fill it in and drop it off personally at the British Embassy off Sukhumvit. Pay either in cash or debit card and never waited more than 3 weeks for my new passport. Someone on here says that once you've submitted your application you can't travel, well when I went to the embassy they just took a photo copy of my passport, gave it back to me and I travelled outside Thailand. Your old passport is not cancelled until you go and pick up your renewal passport, then they cut the corner and give it back to you along with your new passport.

From the UK Gov website....they electronically cancel your old passport as soon as the application is received. Not that every border will know that but in theory it is not valid for travel.

You must also bring your current passport with you when you apply, and a full colour photocopy of the entire passport (every page including blank pages).

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.

[sausage911]

I'm having problems finding a counter signature who is not related to me, have a British passport and I have known for two years.

The passport is being renewed after 5 years as its full, so I've not drastically changed from the picture in the passport.

What has everyone else done?

[williewolf]

I'm having problems finding a counter signature who is not related to me, have a British passport and I have known for two years.

The passport is being renewed after 5 years as its full, so I've not drastically changed from the picture in the passport.

What has everyone else done?

For renewing a passport you do not need a counter signature.

[Upnotover]

I'm having problems finding a counter signature who is not related to me, have a British passport and I have known for two years.

The passport is being renewed after 5 years as its full, so I've not drastically changed from the picture in the passport.

What has everyone else done?

For renewing a passport you do not need a counter signature.

Precisely;

A ‘countersignatory’ will need to fill

in this section if you are applying:

• for a first British passport

• to replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport

• to renew a child passport (if the child is aged 11

or under), or

• to renew a passport (adult, or child aged 12

to 15 years) if you cannot be recognised from

the photograph in your current passport, or to

extend a passport.