I am off to the UK soon and i was wondering

1/ can i renew my passport while there

2/ as i have my retirement visa in my old passport will i just show that on coming home ?

the reason i would like to do this is ,its cheaper and far easier than all the rigmarole we have to go through to renew it here.

Good question - I would like to know the answer to that one too.

There will be no problems renewing your passport in the UK.

No need to move the retirement visa. Just keep the old passport with the new and show,it re entering Thailand.

I am sure you have the website but in case not info here;

https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport

Did this recently, used the premium service to get it done in a day. As above, when you return, be sure to have old passport for immigration, then, when you can, get down your local immigration office and have the extension stamp transferred to new PP.

Sent mine off by normal 1st class post on Thursday, Monday was a public holiday. Returned by courier on Saturday morning. Excellent service and all trackable on line.

It really depends if you have a retirement visa, or an extension of stay based on retirement, two different beasts.

If you have a retirement visa, which I doubt, then you should follow the advice given by Jay, you cannot transfer a retirement visa to a new passport, you carry both passports with you, you should however ensure that the corner is not snipped on the page carrying the visa as that could invalidate it.

If you have an extension of stay based on retirement, which I suspect you will have, then you can still use your re-entry permit to re-enter Thailand, but you must then get the stamps transferred at an Immigration Office, not the airport, that might entail getting a letter from the British Embassy.

As Jay says you can renew a passport whilst you're visiting the UK, though there isn't a lot in it cost wise any more. It depends how long you're going to be in the UK, if for three weeks or more they advise you to use the standard service, if less than three weeks, or you need your passport back quicker then you're advised to use the premium service, which of course costs more and you will need to make an appointment.

Whilst the generic link Jay has given is ok for normal UK residents, there is one that applies to those in your position which might be of more use https://www.gov.uk/passport-application-while-visiting-uk

Thanks all for the info really helpfull

Caution...

I did mine on line, had to send it to Belfast.

My old passport was returned separate in brown envelope by Royal Mail, it arrived first, just the the old passport, no note with it.

Just after 8 that evening, I find white envelope on the door mat, bit surprised and wondering if it had been delivered to the wrong address and someone had popped it round, I checked my CCTV, 7:30 white van pulls up, no livery, guy gets out, half way up the drive takes picture of house, posts passport, no signature, does not even knock or ring bell.

could be risky if you have visas in old passport, also if you live in a house of multiple occupancy.

Sent 6th Jan 2015

Returned 21st Jan 2015

The new passports are a real work of art with lot's of security features

I renewed my passport in person at the Liverpool office.

It was well worth paying the extra. I went for the one week service and it arrived by courier 2 days after I had handed in my documents in Liverpool.

I did mine a couple of years ago in Peterborough.

09.00 am appointment, up to Lincoln to collect my daughter from Uni in Lincoln, back at 14.00 hrs to collect.

As said, just carry both passports until it suits you to call at immigration to transfer the stamps.

That will likely cost you 500 Baht depending where you are.

By the way how far in advance of your old passport expireing can you renew your old one ?

Anytime you like, they will give you up to nine months credit for unused time on your old passport.

I renewed mine last year four years before the expiry date, but full.

By the way how far in advance of your old passport expireing can you renew your old one ?

I had 7 years on mine, but only one blank page!

Mine is not full and does not expire in till Jan 2017 but as I may not go next year I thought maybe I would do it this year

Anytime you like, they will give you up to nine months credit for unused time on your old passport.

I renewed mine last year four years before the expiry date, but full.

You must be doing a lot of globe trotting OG?

I renewed my passport in person at the Liverpool office.

It was well worth paying the extra. I went for the one week service and it arrived by courier 2 days after I had handed in my documents in Liverpool.

I did the same but went for the same day service. The only 'scam' they pulled was I paid a fiver for photos in their booth. They were rejected as unsatisfactory as there was glare reflected from my specs. Another fiver, no specs & all OK - I think 4 hours all told.

I renewed my passport in person at the Liverpool office.

It was well worth paying the extra. I went for the one week service and it arrived by courier 2 days after I had handed in my documents in Liverpool.

I did the same but went for the same day service. The only 'scam' they pulled was I paid a fiver for photos in their booth. They were rejected as unsatisfactory as there was glare reflected from my specs. Another fiver, no specs & all OK - I think 4 hours all told.

I just read that you have to book your interview up to 3 weeks in advance, did you book well in advance?

I renewed my passport in person at the Liverpool office.

It was well worth paying the extra. I went for the one week service and it arrived by courier 2 days after I had handed in my documents in Liverpool.

I did the same but went for the same day service. The only 'scam' they pulled was I paid a fiver for photos in their booth. They were rejected as unsatisfactory as there was glare reflected from my specs. Another fiver, no specs & all OK - I think 4 hours all told.

I just read that you have to book your interview up to 3 weeks in advance, did you book well in advance?

I think it all depends how busy they are. I just did mine (it took four hours). I was only going to be in the UK for three days and I called for the appointment a week before I went but they had plenty of available slots for me. This was in the London office. The service was excellent.

Do they cut the corner off the old passport or leave up up to you? I would have thought a clipped old one might invalidate the re entry permit?

The cancelling of an old passport does not affect any visas inside.

Just keep it with the new passport to show the appropriate visa when entering the relevant country.

I assume renewing at home does not require all the pages to be colour photo copied as in Bangkok?

I assume renewing at home does not require all the pages to be colour photo copied as in Bangkok?

No.

The whole operation is painless and efficient as you would expect in the UK.

Check out the website.

I posted the details earlier.

The cancelling of an old passport does not affect any visas inside.

Just keep it with the new passport to show the appropriate visa when entering the relevant country.

Whilst it's correct that the cancelling of a passport doesn't affect any visas contained inside, if the page containing the visa is clipped then the visa could be invalidated.

The cancelling of an old passport does not affect any visas inside.

Just keep it with the new passport to show the appropriate visa when entering the relevant country.

Whilst it's correct that the cancelling of a passport doesn't affect any visas contained inside, if the page containing the visa is clipped then the visa could be invalidated.

I have only event seen the cover clipped and never had a visa damaged.

During the last 40 years I have had many old cancelled passports with visas intact but never a problem.

Just looked at an old one, they cut the back and front covers but leave the pages intact