British Embassy in Bangkok changes appointment system

[webfact]

UK Embassy changes appointment system



BANGKOK: -- British citizens wanting notarial or documentary services from their embassy in Bangkok will need to make appointments online from March 23, the embassy has announced.

In the announcement, issued today (March 11) the embassy explained, “From March 23, 2015, British nationals needing to visit the Consular Section of the Embassy in Bangkok in person for notarial and documentary services must make an online appointment in advance.

“The online booking service will replace the current first-come-first-served queuing system.

“The new, easy to use online booking service will enable you to book an appointment in advance for notarial and documentary services where we need to see you in person, such as to swear an affirmation or for the certification of documents.

“Information about the notarial and documentary services we provide can be found at our website. With a description of each service is a clear indication of whether you should apply in person or by post.

“From March 23 you must make an appointment for each service that requires you personal attendance. Check carefully – you will be surprised at how few services require you to attend in person. If you have questions you can telephone us on 02 305 8333.

“Information about the notarial and documentary services we provide can be found at our website.

“For the notarial and documentary services that require attendance in person we provide a same-day service subject to the application being correctly completed.

“To avoid delays, please make an appointment and apply in good time and ensure you have all the necessary documentation and the appropriate fee for the service you require.

“This change to how we provide our notarial and documentary services in Thailand is part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2013-2016 Consular Strategy, launched by the British Foreign Secretary in April 2013.

“The strategy commits us to providing a more professional, modern and streamlined service for British Nationals who require access to notarial and documentary services.”

Appointments should be made here.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/uk-embassy-changes-appointment-system-51342.php

-- Phuket News 2015-03-11

[donkeykong]

The correct link is:

https://www.gov.uk/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand

And after you've made your appointment, make sure you have a fat wallet ready for the fees.

Your time with someone working for HM Govt will be billed at 130 quid an hour!!! KERRRRCHING!!

[dragonfly94]

avoid if at all possible

[Wilsonandson]

Why have an embassy at all? What possible help can they give a uk citizen anyway except say don't return home there's no jobs. The British Empire has turned into little britain. No wonder they're are so many British expats living over here, here we're treated better.Great Britain should be renamed and ambassador Mark Kent does renewing your passport take 9 weeks compared to 4 years ago when it only took 11 days to receive a new passport. What a turn around for UK expats. Maybe the real reason we don't want to go home is that we're ashamed to. What has happened to our Empire?

[MaiChai]

Government has gone to ruin in my opinion. Look at the cost and red tape for extending the wife's spouse visa? 8 weeks to process it and 600 quid. Mountain of paperwork to "prove" your relationship in genuine. Common sense has gone out of the window!

Edited March 11, 2015 by MaiChai

[Strangebrew]

When I last visited the UK it was full of Arabs and weird women dressed like hookers peeking through mailbox slot are there any Brits left in the UK?

[CelticBhoy]

Wish we had more "YES" votes and set up our own gig.

The Brit Embassy has gone from bad to worse.

An appointment for your own embassy, <deleted>.

[dragonfly94]

No way i'm paying 60 quid for a letter to prove income from those shites, I'd rather keep a bit more in the bank here for an extension and you get a better interest rate anyway. The only reason I would ever go to the Embassy would be for a travel document if I lost my passport, I expect they screw you for that as well.

[englishoak]

Why have an embassy at all? What possible help can they give a uk citizen anyway except say don't return home there's no jobs. The British Empire has turned into little britain. No wonder they're are so many British expats living over here, here we're treated better.Great Britain should be renamed and ambassador Mark Kent does renewing your passport take 9 weeks compared to 4 years ago when it only took 11 days to receive a new passport. What a turn around for UK expats. Maybe the real reason we don't want to go home is that we're ashamed to. What has happened to our Empire?

Better treated here ? yea ok..

As for empire they paid in blood and rightly given independence after so you could sit on a beach here.

The embassy however is a joke but its the only one you have so suck it up like the rest of us.

[Jeremy50]

It's more convenient to get your passport renewed in the UK, and use the same day service. Plus you can spend a day or two in a world class city. Visit art galleries and stock up on books from Foyles.

[dragonfly94]

And as I understand it you do not have to get EVERY page photocopied in colour like you have to if doing in Bkk, and it's cheaper.

Edited March 12, 2015 by dragonfly94

[steve187]

All charges made at the British Embassy are extortionate. as is passport renewal in Thailand.

I renewed my passport same day, 4 hour service at Peterborough excellent service and for a jumbo passport it was £130.00. made the appointment the day before. they let batches of same time appointments in at the appointment time. you can not attend early, you get the passport returned at a separate outside desk 4 hours after being seen. No copies required of any pages. photo machine inside the office.

Edited March 12, 2015 by steve187

[finnomick]

So things are going from bad to worse....or is that worse to incredibly useless ? If this is the same system now that they use at VFS in Trendy House the appointment system is a total waste of time. You get an appointment, turn up, then you're given a number and told to wait until it is called. Our appointment a couple of weeks ago was one hour late and the office had only been open one and a half hours -- such efficiency. Two days for the paperwork to get from the embassy back to VFS, a distance that can be measured in metres rather than kilometres. Over 24 hours to get the paperwork to a courier service -- AKA the Thailand Pot Office which in my view is not a courier service and we know how unreliable the post office is, then 2 days to travel 400kms to our sorting office. And if that wasn't bad enough, cost has already been mentioned. You cannot pay in sterling, it has to be US dollars. Why, this is the BRITISH embassy and I am British. You want to talk to them on the phone, well please have your credit card ready and expect to pay 1.27 ( could be 1.37 ) pounds per minute AFTER you have already forked out for a visa which you are not guaranteed to get.

If you think this is a rant then I've got it right !

[EnglishJohn]

The correct link is:

https://www.gov.uk/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand

And after you've made your appointment, make sure you have a fat wallet ready for the fees.

Your time with someone working for HM Govt will be billed at 130 quid an hour!!! KERRRRCHING!!

Yes - 'rip off Britain' extends way beyond the country.

A simple proof of address for a driving license where you show them a bank statement and they sign a form (which you have to fill out yourself) costs 60 quid. 10 minutes for them at most. If you want two copies (eg for a car and bike license) that's 120 quid for 15 minutes.

Reminds me why I am here.

[NanLaew]

It's more convenient to get your passport renewed in the UK, and use the same day service. Plus you can spend a day or two in a world class city. Visit art galleries and stock up on books from Foyles.

Indeed! Why even bother to come back to LOS.

Serious question.

[mariner16]

Coincidentally was at the Australian Embassy yesterday to get copies of my (UK) Passport and Driving Licence certified for an Australian Superannuation company who have an account of mine dating back to when I worked in Aussie years ago which I am closing.

From arriving at front gate unannounced spent 15 minutes getting through an efficient security system at gate and entry to building, ten minutes at the relevant desk with an efficient official, and was having a coffee at the stall next door 30 minutes after getting out of the taxi. Cost THB 750 per document so THB 1500 in total

One hopes they keep it up and don't follow the UK system

[Jim walker]

Sadly most of the empire has moved to Leeds and Bradford apparently the social security payments are better in the UK than in India and Pakistan, so come-on over for a nice free house and cash every week as you need and we will even give you your own social worker complete with translator to make sure you know how to apply for every benefit that we can give you.

[Mr Freeze]

To get a Thai passport , it costs 1100 baht , takes an hour and is delivered to you door in 3 days .

All that using Thai staff .

How can it possibly be justified , by the goverment of "Great Britan " to charge the money they charge , and take weeks to do it .

I recently tried to apply for a visa for my Thai wife ( of 8 years , to travel with my daughter and l , back to " Great Britan " for a two week break to attend my dads 90th birthday party .

The visa costs 5500 baht plus two return flights from Chiang mai , along with one nights stay in Bk , approx total 20,000 baht , what a joke .

The online form , is almost impossible to fill in on a smart phone , you have to , print it out , to attend the interview , you need to know your fathers inside leg measurements and penile diamentions !

Surely a copy of our wedding certificate would be enough , along with my legal commitment to be responsible for her whilst in " Great Britan"

What l really want to know , and am going to be asking the uk government and press , the same question , which visa is it that hundreds of Thai prostitutes , that work in London , apply for ?

( Google asian escorts London , if you don't belive me )

What other government employs a third party to " assist " with visa applications ?

clearly the system , is not working .

Well done Britain , what did you ever do for me , or my father , for that matter ?

[dragonfly94]

Thailand is superior to the UK in some respects. Thailand can give every citizen an ID card, I think it costs 20 baht and has a photo and a chip on it. Having one is a pass for health care, banks etc it's a simple proof of who you are and what you are entitled to. The UK had a go but gave up as the cards cost 200 quid!

[winstonc]

the british embassy is full of sh-ite...and thats just the arrogant staff.vile rip off merchants which we cannot do a thing about ..i f-----g hate them

[personchester]

It's more convenient to get your passport renewed in the UK, and use the same day service. Plus you can spend a day or two in a world class city. Visit art galleries and stock up on books from Foyles.

The current passport for expats in Thailand are renewed in the UK via the HMPO office in Liverpool, to suggest that it is convenient for applicants to travel to the UK for their passport renewal is not sensible.

In the past passport applications were done by the UK Embassy in Bangkok and applicants did not have to travel to Bangkok (as is the case now) they were able to use the local consulate offices and the consul did sent the application form with the passport to the UK Embassy in Bangkok and the new passport was then sent back to the consulate and the applicant collected it,

The current procedure as is known requires two visits to the Trendy office in Bangkok, the travel is expensive due to the frozen state pension income of the retired Brits.

Should the Labour party win the next general election in May 15. then it is possible that they might change the passport application procedure again to the F.C.O. (Foreign & Commonwealth Offices)

Edited March 12, 2015 by personchester

[NanLaew]

Thailand is superior to the UK in some respects. Thailand can give every citizen an ID card, I think it costs 20 baht and has a photo and a chip on it. Having one is a pass for health care, banks etc it's a simple proof of who you are and what you are entitled to. The UK had a go but gave up as the cards cost 200 quid!

No, no, no. It wasn't the cost at all. It was the issue of privacy and civil liberties and other liberal pandering to the 'big brother' aficionados.

I suspect there will be thousands of similarly disenfranchised, whiny Brits rushing to get a Thailand alien ID card when the junta reckons it's the only way to keep track on the ne'er-do-wells.

[NanLaew]

Sadly most of the empire has moved to Leeds and Bradford apparently the social security payments are better in the UK than in India and Pakistan, so come-on over for a nice free house and cash every week as you need and we will even give you your own social worker complete with translator to make sure you know how to apply for every benefit that we can give you.

And good morning to you Nigel. How the heck are we this morning?

[Geordie59]

Why have an embassy at all? What possible help can they give a uk citizen anyway except say don't return home there's no jobs. The British Empire has turned into little britain. No wonder they're are so many British expats living over here, here we're treated better.Great Britain should be renamed and ambassador Mark Kent does renewing your passport take 9 weeks compared to 4 years ago when it only took 11 days to receive a new passport. What a turn around for UK expats. Maybe the real reason we don't want to go home is that we're ashamed to. What has happened to our Empire?

Ouch!

[kingstonkid]

Long live the Empire

Canadian Embassy in at 10 with letter at 1030.

New passport in 2 weeks

It may be the numbers game too many of you here.

[Baerboxer]

The correct link is:

https://www.gov.uk/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand

And after you've made your appointment, make sure you have a fat wallet ready for the fees.

Your time with someone working for HM Govt will be billed at 130 quid an hour!!! KERRRRCHING!!

Yes - 'rip off Britain' extends way beyond the country.

A simple proof of address for a driving license where you show them a bank statement and they sign a form (which you have to fill out yourself) costs 60 quid. 10 minutes for them at most. If you want two copies (eg for a car and bike license) that's 120 quid for 15 minutes.

Reminds me why I am here.

John, they simply don't want to do this really. So they'll make you pay through the nose. The Consular sections are always seen as money spinners. Usually fairly low, and getting lower service, at a high price.

Why use them for POD? Thai Immigration will do it for free (yes I know some offices charge for this free service, the one I use doesn't). It's a 1.5 hour drive to my local immigration so the last time I got POD from the local Amphur. Wiifey has to go with her ID, house registration, you and your passport and 2 Thai neighbors/witnesses. We met a couple of friends there. Took 20 mins, we had some lunch, picked up the letter straight after - all for 150 baht.

I avoid the British Embassy here and would only use them as a last resort on anything.

[Bsd]

It's more convenient to get your passport renewed in the UK, and use the same day service. Plus you can spend a day or two in a world class city. Visit art galleries and stock up on books from Foyles.

The current passport for expats in Thailand are renewed in the UK via the HMPO office in Liverpool, to suggest that it is convenient for applicants to travel to the UK for their passport renewal is not sensible.

In the past passport applications were done by the UK Embassy in Bangkok and applicants did not have to travel to Bangkok (as is the case now) they were able to use the local consulate offices and the consul did sent the application form with the passport to the UK Embassy in Bangkok and the new passport was then sent back to the consulate and the applicant collected it,

The current procedure as is known requires two visits to the Trendy office in Bangkok, the travel is expensive due to the frozen state pension income of the retired Brits.

Should the Labour party win the next general election in May 15. then it is possible that they might change the passport application procedure again to the F.C.O. (Foreign & Commonwealth Offices)

I am glad that there are some things that New Zealand didn't learn from the UK. This is how you renew a New Zealand passport in Thailand (or anywhere that isn't NZ, AU or UK).

1. Full in a form online

2. Upload the photo that you want on your passport

3. Pay the fee, which because the international courier charge is less than the tax you would have been charged in NZ, is actually cheaper than applying from New Zealand

4. Wait 10 days

5. Get handed new passport by local courier

The letter for Thai immigration to move the stamps over is even simpler, one phone call, an e-mail and a 2 day wait for Thaipost to deliver it, no charge.

[NanLaew]

It's more convenient to get your passport renewed in the UK, and use the same day service. Plus you can spend a day or two in a world class city. Visit art galleries and stock up on books from Foyles.

The current passport for expats in Thailand are renewed in the UK via the HMPO office in Liverpool, to suggest that it is convenient for applicants to travel to the UK for their passport renewal is not sensible.

In the past passport applications were done by the UK Embassy in Bangkok and applicants did not have to travel to Bangkok (as is the case now) they were able to use the local consulate offices and the consul did sent the application form with the passport to the UK Embassy in Bangkok and the new passport was then sent back to the consulate and the applicant collected it,

The current procedure as is known requires two visits to the Trendy office in Bangkok, the travel is expensive due to the frozen state pension income of the retired Brits.

Should the Labour party win the next general election in May 15. then it is possible that they might change the passport application procedure again to the F.C.O. (Foreign & Commonwealth Offices)

I am glad that there are some things that New Zealand didn't learn from the UK. This is how you renew a New Zealand passport in Thailand (or anywhere that isn't NZ, AU or UK).

1. Full in a form online

2. Upload the photo that you want on your passport

3. Pay the fee, which because the international courier charge is less than the tax you would have been charged in NZ, is actually cheaper than applying from New Zealand

4. Wait 10 days

5. Get handed new passport by local courier

The letter for Thai immigration to move the stamps over is even simpler, one phone call, an e-mail and a 2 day wait for Thaipost to deliver it, no charge.

Considering the kiwi diaspora is dwarfed by the (whiny) british one, your post, though informative, has little if any relevance.

[hard124get]

Why have an embassy at all? What possible help can they give a uk citizen anyway except say don't return home there's no jobs. The British Empire has turned into little britain. No wonder they're are so many British expats living over here, here we're treated better.Great Britain should be renamed and ambassador Mark Kent does renewing your passport take 9 weeks compared to 4 years ago when it only took 11 days to receive a new passport. What a turn around for UK expats. Maybe the real reason we don't want to go home is that we're ashamed to. What has happened to our Empire?

What happened to the Empire? the people that it subjugated stood up, the Yanks took over.

[backstairs]

Got NZ passport renewal totally online. Even took photo at work and uploaded it. No signature on back.

Processed in Wellington in a week. Brilliant. Effortless. Easy. Helpful.