The Australian passport ripoff

[VIPinthailand]

if you don't want pay too much for a passport, become a thai citizen!

[Linky]

i had to get a new passport in malaysia a few years ago when they brought the page of electronic shit in wasted a page

in passport as now that passport nere finished

the only time that ripoff page worked was when went back to oz quick to get through airport than others

another thing when i got caught in rain storm the photo got wet and faded now want me to pay for new passport

before never happened and had many passports

ripoff mob second class passport just a money making scam

My photo similarly faded by rain, a couple of months after buying a new passport. Have been advised numerous times to buy a new passport, but only by Oz immigration, everywhere else they just ignore it.

Why? Because when they scan the passport they get a perfectly clear version of the photo from the chip. No problems Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar

When do they advise me not to travel on this passport? As I'm clearing immigration leaving the country. As if I'm going to turn around (is that even possible), go back to the airline counter and ask for my bag back.

Oh...and while on the subject of photos. When my thai girl went for her passport she just sat in front of a camera when handing in her application form and her photo was taken for FREE.

The Aussie GUBERMENT require a perfect sized and frame photo on a white background. Difficult and expensive to source around here. In Australia you can have them done at the Post Office. 5 years ago it was about $20. Hate to think how much it is now.

So lets just add another $20 to the cost of getting an Aussie passport.

So in a nutshell , Australia should be charging Thai prices but paying Australian salaries ?Same goes for photo shops and everything else?

And 150 baht for a photo is expansive? And difficult because no shops on Soi 6? Or some other reason ?

I am surprised you do not whine about Lao charging $30 for visa while Thailand does not.

It is in Thailand so pay Thai salaries to the Thai employees, cost of the premises is in Thai prices, not oz prices.

Where in his post does he mention Lao? Totally irrelevent.

I have 3 passports. Oz, british and irish. I prefer to travel on irish and british passports, ease of travel and visas.

[Old Croc]

The op asks a question, then states he doesn't want to hear the obvious answers.

However, apart from materials, production costs and enhanced security features, which all cost more than in Thailand, another major reason for the high price is the fact that successive Australian Governments have insisted that, when negotiating work place agreements, Departments must make savings/profits in return for maintaining work conditions or receiving minimal pay rises. There's a limit to how far some Departments can cut their budget without hitting their customers in the hip pocket.

The Passport Office obviously helps to balance its budget by increasing charges for it's monopoly product.

The answer really flows back to governments who are incompetent economic managers. When they have a revenue problem, their only answer is to cut social programs or Departmental budgets. They should be overhauling tax systems and inappropriate concessions for small sections of the population.

However, the big end of town, who own these governments, won't allow these type of changes.

[Bulldozer Dawn]

The op asks a question, then states he doesn't want to hear the obvious answers.

However, apart from materials, production costs and enhanced security features, which all cost more than in Thailand, another major reason for the high price is the fact that successive Australian Governments have insisted that, when negotiating work place agreements, Departments must make savings/profits in return for maintaining work conditions or receiving minimal pay rises. There's a limit to how far some Departments can cut their budget without hitting their customers in the hip pocket.

The Passport Office obviously helps to balance its budget by increasing charges for it's monopoly product.

The answer really flows back to governments who are incompetent economic managers. When they have a revenue problem, their only answer is to cut social programs or Departmental budgets. They should be overhauling tax systems and inappropriate concessions for small sections of the population.

However, the big end of town, who own these governments, won't allow these type of changes.

Another responsibility of Australian Public service managers is to develop, implement and monitor continuous improvement policy and procedures. I disagree that an automatic increase in the cost of a passport every year is an improvement.

[konying]

It is in Thailand so pay Thai salaries to the Thai employees, cost of the premises is in Thai prices, not oz prices.

Where in his post does he mention Lao? Totally irrelevent.

I have 3 passports. Oz, british and irish. I prefer to travel on irish and british passports, ease of travel and visas.

Linky, i realize you often have selective reading and comprehending problems.

He does visa runs to Lao. Doh

[Bulldozer Dawn]

One visit to immigration today, another $20 worth of passport realestate burnt up with stamps. And no they wouldn't stamp in the two front pages of my passport.

[Don Mega]

The Australian passport is an electronic passport whereas the Thai passport is not.

The fact Australians have a electronic passport means they have ease of travel to many countries that Thai people don't. Thai passports are easily copied and as such worthless.

I'm happy to pay the extra for the ease of travel some people are not.

You should tell the Thailand Ministry Of Foreign Affairs because they seem to think it is electronic and has been since 2005.

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/1415/21478-Electronic-Passport.html#1

I'm holding both a Thai passport and an Australian passport in my hand now.

I fail to see any type of electronic chip in the in the Thai passport. They might be able to swipe and scan the passport but I suspect the information given to the immigration office is limited. The oz passport has a chip centre page and I assume scanning that lets them know everything about us down to our shoe size.

Has it got the biometric symbol on the front cover? Thai E-Passports have a solid middle page where your precious chip is contained. When place on the Thai passport gate the cover page goes down against the glass scanner and the hard page falls upon the electronic scanner which then matches your facial and fingerprint data as you go though the gate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biometric_passport

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand^%5B106%5D introduced the first biometric passport for Diplomats and Government officials on 26 May 2005. From 1 June 2005, a limited quantity of 100 passports a day was issued for Thai citizens, however, on 1 August 2005 a full operational service was installed and Thailand became the first country in Asia to issue an ICAO compliant biometric passport.^%5B107%5D"

Just checking my Thai wife's passport issued in July 2013. It does not have a solid middle page.

[Tomtomtom69]

Thanks tomtomtomtomtom69... just as I thought.

I guess bulldozer is consumed in his own personal hysteria and thinks things like that are actually true. He will be relieved to know only half of apage ($5 worth) was burnt instead of the $25.00.

Wrong.

I have already tried 6 times to have stamps placed on these first two blank pages. The IO refused in all instances:

1. Exit/Entry at Ranong

2. Exit/Entry at vientiane

3. Exit at Phuket and arrival in Jakarta

Wrong.

I have tried it and it worked well.

Entry/exit at Vientiane (friendship bridge 1) worked out OK.

Entry/exit at Mae Sot/Myawady, worked out very well on both sides of the border. The Myanmar immigration officer scanned my visa and then stamped his big ass Myanmar entry stamp on the first page, but before he did so he jokingly tried to place it on another page, that was a LOL moment!

Entry at Suvarnabhumi airport. No problems.

[Rancid]

i had to get a new passport in malaysia a few years ago when they brought the page of electronic shit in wasted a page

in passport as now that passport nere finished

the only time that ripoff page worked was when went back to oz quick to get through airport than others

another thing when i got caught in rain storm the photo got wet and faded now want me to pay for new passport

before never happened and had many passports

ripoff mob second class passport just a money making scam

My photo similarly faded by rain, a couple of months after buying a new passport. Have been advised numerous times to buy a new passport, but only by Oz immigration, everywhere else they just ignore it.

Why? Because when they scan the passport they get a perfectly clear version of the photo from the chip. No problems Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar

When do they advise me not to travel on this passport? As I'm clearing immigration leaving the country. As if I'm going to turn around (is that even possible), go back to the airline counter and ask for my bag back.

Oh...and while on the subject of photos. When my thai girl went for her passport she just sat in front of a camera when handing in her application form and her photo was taken for FREE.

The Aussie GUBERMENT require a perfect sized and frame photo on a white background. Difficult and expensive to source around here. In Australia you can have them done at the Post Office. 5 years ago it was about $20. Hate to think how much it is now.

So lets just add another $20 to the cost of getting an Aussie passport.

I had my passport knocked back because of the standard photo. Correct if I'm wrong but the special photo is so that video footage can be read by a computer program and ID you, ostensibly for immigration but obviously it can also be use to track you on any video footage run through that program.

Presumably eventually with enough surveilance cameras they will be able to track you anywhere, your new photo is like finger prints. Just part of us being part of the western NWO, for our own protection of course.

As to prices, Australia has a huge top heavy bureaucracy that has to be funded (let alone MP expense accounts). I like many things about Australia but not the direction its quickly heading, namely a fascist nanny state.

[Soutpeel]

The Australian passport is an electronic passport whereas the Thai passport is not.

The fact Australians have a electronic passport means they have ease of travel to many countries that Thai people don't. Thai passports are easily copied and as such worthless.

I'm happy to pay the extra for the ease of travel some people are not.

You should tell the Thailand Ministry Of Foreign Affairs because they seem to think it is electronic and has been since 2005.

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/1415/21478-Electronic-Passport.html#1

I'm holding both a Thai passport and an Australian passport in my hand now.

I fail to see any type of electronic chip in the in the Thai passport. They might be able to swipe and scan the passport but I suspect the information given to the immigration office is limited. The oz passport has a chip centre page and I assume scanning that lets them know everything about us down to our shoe size.

The Thai passport is an e passport if it has the symbol on the cover, my Mrs has a Thai E passport and with the newer passports including the New UK ones you cant see chip or antenna in the PP

[Old Croc]

The op asks a question, then states he doesn't want to hear the obvious answers.

However, apart from materials, production costs and enhanced security features, which all cost more than in Thailand, another major reason for the high price is the fact that successive Australian Governments have insisted that, when negotiating work place agreements, Departments must make savings/profits in return for maintaining work conditions or receiving minimal pay rises. There's a limit to how far some Departments can cut their budget without hitting their customers in the hip pocket.

The Passport Office obviously helps to balance its budget by increasing charges for it's monopoly product.

The answer really flows back to governments who are incompetent economic managers. When they have a revenue problem, their only answer is to cut social programs or Departmental budgets. They should be overhauling tax systems and inappropriate concessions for small sections of the population.

However, the big end of town, who own these governments, won't allow these type of changes.

Another responsibility of Australian Public service managers is to develop, implement and monitor continuous improvement policy and procedures. I disagree that an automatic increase in the cost of a passport every year is an improvement.

What is that, a piece of the job description for a mid level manager in the PS? Typical wankspeak to try to make a job sound more difficult and important than it is. It brought back unpleasant memories.

What I was talking about was Departmental budgets as allocated by cabinet. Somewhat above a managers job criteria. The PS is always an easy target for government cuts as the general public rarely protests.

They demand higher productivity while granting smaller allocations, so some Departments raise prices whether you disagree of not.

[Don Mega]

The Australian passport is an electronic passport whereas the Thai passport is not.

The fact Australians have a electronic passport means they have ease of travel to many countries that Thai people don't. Thai passports are easily copied and as such worthless.

I'm happy to pay the extra for the ease of travel some people are not.

You should tell the Thailand Ministry Of Foreign Affairs because they seem to think it is electronic and has been since 2005.

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/1415/21478-Electronic-Passport.html#1

I'm holding both a Thai passport and an Australian passport in my hand now.

I fail to see any type of electronic chip in the in the Thai passport. They might be able to swipe and scan the passport but I suspect the information given to the immigration office is limited. The oz passport has a chip centre page and I assume scanning that lets them know everything about us down to our shoe size.

The Thai passport is an e passport if it has the symbol on the cover, my Mrs has a Thai E passport and with the newer passports including the New UK ones you cant see chip or antenna in the PP

Yes it has the symbol. Older E passports, what sort of anntena did they have .... could it swapped onto an old nokia phone or ?

[samran]

Just checking my Thai wife's passport issued in July 2013. It does not have a solid middle page.

My small error. It is actually the back page which is solid.

[Bulldozer Dawn]

The op asks a question, then states he doesn't want to hear the obvious answers.

However, apart from materials, production costs and enhanced security features, which all cost more than in Thailand, another major reason for the high price is the fact that successive Australian Governments have insisted that, when negotiating work place agreements, Departments must make savings/profits in return for maintaining work conditions or receiving minimal pay rises. There's a limit to how far some Departments can cut their budget without hitting their customers in the hip pocket.

The Passport Office obviously helps to balance its budget by increasing charges for it's monopoly product.

The answer really flows back to governments who are incompetent economic managers. When they have a revenue problem, their only answer is to cut social programs or Departmental budgets. They should be overhauling tax systems and inappropriate concessions for small sections of the population.

However, the big end of town, who own these governments, won't allow these type of changes.

Another responsibility of Australian Public service managers is to develop, implement and monitor continuous improvement policy and procedures. I disagree that an automatic increase in the cost of a passport every year is an improvement.

What is that, a piece of the job description for a mid level manager in the PS? Typical wankspeak to try to make a job sound more difficult and important than it is. It brought back unpleasant memories.

What I was talking about was Departmental budgets as allocated by cabinet. Somewhat above a managers job criteria. The PS is always an easy target for government cuts as the general public rarely protests.

They demand higher productivity while granting smaller allocations, so some Departments raise prices whether you disagree of not.

It is a legislated responsibility.

So you view Australian law as wankspeak? You ex public servants are quick to trash the system once you are on the outside collecting your pension.

But happy to sit inside the system collecting money and future benefits for doing nothing.

Oh...and raising the price of a product does not equate to higher productivity.

[mcfish]

i had to get a new passport in malaysia a few years ago when they brought the page of electronic shit in wasted a page

in passport as now that passport nere finished

the only time that ripoff page worked was when went back to oz quick to get through airport than others

another thing when i got caught in rain storm the photo got wet and faded now want me to pay for new passport

before never happened and had many passports

ripoff mob second class passport just a money making scam

My photo similarly faded by rain, a couple of months after buying a new passport. Have been advised numerous times to buy a new passport, but only by Oz immigration, everywhere else they just ignore it.

Why? Because when they scan the passport they get a perfectly clear version of the photo from the chip. No problems Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar

When do they advise me not to travel on this passport? As I'm clearing immigration leaving the country. As if I'm going to turn around (is that even possible), go back to the airline counter and ask for my bag back.

Oh...and while on the subject of photos. When my thai girl went for her passport she just sat in front of a camera when handing in her application form and her photo was taken for FREE.

The Aussie GUBERMENT require a perfect sized and frame photo on a white background. Difficult and expensive to source around here. In Australia you can have them done at the Post Office. 5 years ago it was about $20. Hate to think how much it is now.

So lets just add another $20 to the cost of getting an Aussie passport.

Yeah I lucked out and got the oz passport 1 day before the insane $100 handling fee started. But had to redo the pics 3 times! they got knocked back twice grrrrrrr.

What is a "handling fee" anyway? dont the staff get a retainer lol and its the oz embassy for gods sakes why are they asking extra just for doing what there supposed to do! I know whos getting handled...

[Fab5BKK]

"And what about the numpty in Bangkok who put the first ever stamp in my last new passport. He kindly started stamping on page 3, and in doing so burnt $25 of passport page realestate"

Since when? Interesting concept!

BTW, consider yourself as lucky, imagine the IO put the first stamp on the last page!!!

Just hilarious!

So you are complaining about a document which for A$47 per year lets you travel to most places in the world visa free?

Compare that to the Thai passport and the cost of a visa for a majority of the countries in the world, not to metion the paperwork and time to apply, and you'll find the Aussie passport works out a lot more cheaply.

And yes, I have both.

No your analysis does not wash. Because my current passport is less than 5 years in and it is already close to full. Thanks to the stamp happy Thai immigration with its full page and half page stamps.

A better way to view it is price per page. A standard 35 page passport applied for outside of Australia costs $350. That is $10 per page.

So next time you get (for example) a re entry permit stamp (half page) it is burning up $5 worth of realestate in your passport.

And what about the numpty in Bangkok who put the first ever stamp in my last new passport. He kindly started stamping on page 3, and in doing so burnt $25 of passport page realestate.

[Fab5BKK]

Or, even better, put it on expenses

if you don't want pay too much for a passport, become a thai citizen!

Edited August 11, 2015 by Fab5BKK

[Soutpeel]

The Australian passport is an electronic passport whereas the Thai passport is not.

The fact Australians have a electronic passport means they have ease of travel to many countries that Thai people don't. Thai passports are easily copied and as such worthless.

I'm happy to pay the extra for the ease of travel some people are not.

You should tell the Thailand Ministry Of Foreign Affairs because they seem to think it is electronic and has been since 2005.

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/1415/21478-Electronic-Passport.html#1

I'm holding both a Thai passport and an Australian passport in my hand now.

I fail to see any type of electronic chip in the in the Thai passport. They might be able to swipe and scan the passport but I suspect the information given to the immigration office is limited. The oz passport has a chip centre page and I assume scanning that lets them know everything about us down to our shoe size.

The Thai passport is an e passport if it has the symbol on the cover, my Mrs has a Thai E passport and with the newer passports including the New UK ones you cant see chip or antenna in the PP

Yes it has the symbol. Older E passports, what sort of anntena did they have .... could it swapped onto an old nokia phone or ?

The older British e PP's you could see the chip and coil antenna think it was the back of PP personal details page, in the newer ones ( i got a new one last year) you cant see the chip or antenna