Renewing American passport

[likeke]

Can I renew my American passport at the embassy in Bangkok, or do I need to do it in my country?

[oncearugge]

Yes

Detail in the link

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/passports.html

[Suradit69]

You can renew it at the embassy in Bangkok or the consulate in Chiang Mai or at one of the embassy outreach visits listed below.

To apply at the embassy you will need to make an appointment to apply.

No appointment is required at the outreach visits. If you apply at an outreach, you can surrender your old passport and they will send the new and old one to you by EMS (for an additional fee) or you can keep your old passport and when they email you, you can collect the new one at the embassy. When I did it last year, the new one was available in about one week.

Either way you need to:

Complete Form DS-82 online but do not submit it electronically. Overseas applicants must PRINT the completed form and bring it to the appointment. (If you do not have access to the necessary technology, you may obtain a blank copy of the form in our office on your appointment date. Use of the blank version will lengthen processing time.)

The application is available here: https://pptform.state.gov/

Other information is available here: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/adult_passport_renew.html

Outreach date and location for citizen consular services.

• Friday, October 9, 2015, Pattaya
• Friday, October 16, 2015, Udorn
• Friday, October 30, 2015, Phuket
• Friday, February 5, 2016, Pattaya
• Friday, February 19, 2016, Khon Kaen
• Friday, February 26, 2016, Phuket
• Friday, May 6, 2016, Pattaya
• Friday, May 13, 2016, Udorn
• Friday, May 20, 2016, Phuket
• Friday, August 5, 2016, Pattaya
• Friday, August 19, 2016, Khon Kaen
• Friday, August 26, 2016, Phuket
• Friday, October 28, 2016, Pattaya
• Friday, November 4, 2016, Udorn
• Friday, November 18, 2016, Phuket

[Jingthing]

It's about two weeks now. I think maybe you can pay extra to expedite.

Another interesting thing.

The passports issued via the embassy are sent back to the U.S. to produce and they say issued at U.S. Dept of State.

Wasn't there a time in the past when passports issued via the embassy said issued at Bangkok?

A tip -- be real careful about the passport photo. For U. S. passports the requirements are very specific and not many Thai photo shops will know all about them. It's your responsibility to know them and guide them to do it correctly. There's a lot more to it than just the size of the photo.

Edited September 22, 2015 by Jingthing

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Note, if your photo flunks the size or composition test, you can head across the street and to the left there's a couple photo shops in the tall building that are familiar with the requirements.

Mac

[Tywais]

Wasn't there a time in the past when passports issued via the embassy said issued at Bangkok?

Two of my passports states Issued U.S. Consulate General Chiang Mai. The one I received last year states issued Department of State. They used to generate them in Bangkok.

[khwaibah]

It's about two weeks now. I think maybe you can pay extra to expedite.

Another interesting thing.

The passports issued via the embassy are sent back to the U.S. to produce and they say issued at U.S. Dept of State.

Wasn't there a time in the past when passports issued via the embassy said issued at Bangkok?

A tip -- be real careful about the passport photo. For U. S. passports the requirements are very specific and not many Thai photo shops will know all about them. It's your responsibility to know them and guide them to do it correctly. There's a lot more to it than just the size of the photo.

There is no fee to expedite. The standard statement is a two week turnaround. Renewed my passport last year at the consulate in Chiang Mai and it only took 6 days. Processed in the USA and says US Department of State. BTW. No more extra pages after December 31 2015. If you want them you need to get them now and its 85 USD for 1 set of pages of 25 pages for the same 85 USD they will give you all 3 sets total of 75 extra pages. After December 31 this year no more.

[Suradit69]

P.S. The embassy will automatically issue you a letter addressed to Thai immigrations when you receive the new passport. If you need to transfer extension of stay stamps, etc to the new passport, you'll need to bring both passports and the letter along with the application to transfer the stamps:

application form here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/files/file/20-transfer-stamp-to-a-new-passport-form/

If you're here on a visa entry (as opposed to an extension of stay), immigrations does not transfer visas or permission to stay stamps. You just hand over both passports when you cross a border or leave from the airport.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Suradit69

[ubonjoe]

It's about two weeks now. I think maybe you can pay extra to expedite.

Another interesting thing.

The passports issued via the embassy are sent back to the U.S. to produce and they say issued at U.S. Dept of State.

Wasn't there a time in the past when passports issued via the embassy said issued at Bangkok?

A tip -- be real careful about the passport photo. For U. S. passports the requirements are very specific and not many Thai photo shops will know all about them. It's your responsibility to know them and guide them to do it correctly. There's a lot more to it than just the size of the photo.

Your passport is not kept by the embassy when you apply for the new one.

The embassy submits the application via their intranet net to the passport center. The issued date on my new passport is the same as the date I applied.

Lots of info abut the photos is here. Perhaps print one out to show the photographer. http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/photos/photo-examples.html

Got my photos done up here in Ubon and it was accepted. Showed a print out as an example. I used a ruler to be sure all the dimensions were correct. I think the most common problem is the background color.

[Tywais]

. I think the most common problem is the background color.

I made my own passport photo and was very precise following their template. I was careful setting up the camera and the flash angel to prevent harsh shadows. Problem was, the white balance was off and the background, even though a white wall, turned out light gray. That was the only reason it wasn't accepted. I started to Photoshop it to clean up the background but changed my mind. Funny enough, when they said the background was off they suggested I Photoshop it.

[keeniau96]

I did my last new USA passport about a year ago. Used the visiting consular service when they were in Phuket. No hassle, just short queue and the consulate gents are very relaxed. Quite correct re needing to get the photo right, particularly the white background and the size and the face dimension. I did the photo myself with bit of GIMP touchup and that was OK. Fill in the return mail envelope that they will have there, pay for the EMS (trivial sum). Got the new passport in about 8 days, with letter enclosed to Thai Immigration asking for stamp transfer (I did not need that, the Immis did it quickly quickly).

[TerryLH]

"Your passport is not kept by the embassy when you apply for the new one."

If you renew at an Outreach visit, and want it to be mailed to you, they keep the old passport and send it back to you with the new one.

[IMA_FARANG]

i renewed my U.S. passport on 26 May 2015 in the Bangkok embassy.

They are now issuing 52 page passports for the same price as the old 25 page passports used to be.

Starting in 2016 no more 25 page passports will be issued, thy will all be 52 page passports.

They do not take your old passport when you apply if you tell them you want to pick up the new passport in person at the embassy.

I applied for a new (renewal) of passport on 26 may 2015 and they sent me a email that the new one was ready for pickup on 5 June 2015, exactly 10 days later.

You need to make an appointment to apply, but no appointment is required once the new passport is ready for pickup.

Your new passport will be "issued" according to whatever you put down as your state address in the U.S. is.

For example, I used an state address in Massachusetts, and my passport says "place of issue" as "Massachusetts".

In truth however, they are really issued by the Department of State.

No matter what they tell you at the embassy, the reason for not processing and printing it in Bangkok at the embassy is that ALL new or replacement U.S. passports are run through a centralized security verification in the U.S. now and your personal biographical data is verified there before your new or renewal passport is authorized.

But as I said above I applied for a new passport on 26 May 2015 in the embassy in Bangkok and i received an email on 5 June 2015 telling me my new replacement passport was ready for pickup in the embassy on 5 June 2015.

Edited September 23, 2015 by IMA_FARANG