U.S passport renewal at the embassy in Bangkok

[just bob]

I sent mine off to CM embassy about ten days ago via Thai post with tracking.  Got cancelled old and new one back in the mail yesterday.  Fast!  Friend of mine applied at the CM embassy last week and they let him keep his old passport, said he has 90 days to pick up the new one whereupon they will cancel his old one with the drill holes.  He paid at the embassy, Thai baht.  I went through the get two bank checks routine.

[moe666]

I did mine in CM it was less than a week to get the new passport .

[smilemaker]

again Fellas..I got my new passport from BKK in 5 total days. Maybe I talked nice and to the right guy (he was very nice)...maybe it was an Emergency one..not sure..I was trying to get Marriage VISA renewed and had to get passport renewed before they would do the VISA..so it was very hectic..but I did everything they said, checked all the right items, sent my Passport by EMS (and insured for alot of money) and got the new passport , with additional pages, back in 5 days, total. The guy I talked to ws from the US and he had lived in Udon before..so we hit it up in conversation.. anyways, good luck

[smilemaker]

Well, guys, look what i just found while going through all my paperwork. All the documentation i went through getting my new Passport. And i found the phone # to Richard, the nice man who helped so much and was so helpful and kind. <contact by PM for phone number>  Richard

Look up "Passport by Mail Service-Adult Renewal' Form DS-82   Complete and sign   and send all in with a Bank Draft for 3960tb made to American Embassy Bangkok,   i am American, so find the one for your nationality. 

See, I told you there was no Wiskey in my coffee. Hehe

Edited June 24, 2019 by ubonjoe
removed phone number (forum rule)

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, smilemaker said:

Look up "Passport by Mail Service-Adult Renewal' Form DS-82   Complete and sign   and send all in with a Bank Draft for 3960tb made to American Embassy Bangkok

The link for the form is on the embassy website. Check the links posted earlier.

Check the latest fees in Baht required on the embassy website. The fee varies dependent upon the embassies exchange rate. A separate bank draft is needed for the return postage.

[smilemaker]

I included 100tb cash for return postage and a filled out , return , large envelope. To help speed up things...

 

[ilms]

I renewed by mail last year. I sent my soon-to-expire passport, application form, bank drafts, etc. by Thai Post EMS (45TB). 12 days later, I received the new passport along with the old one in the mail. That's a lot quicker than doing it in the US (unless you pay extra for expedited service).

To be on the safe side, I would make photocopies of all the relevant pages of the passport (information page, Thai visa, extension stamps, etc.)  and take out all the Thai immigration papers that may be stapled in there, before putting in the mail. 

[tweedledee2]

6 hours ago, smilemaker said:

again Fellas..I got my new passport from BKK in 5 total days. Maybe I talked nice and to the right guy (he was very nice)...maybe it was an Emergency one..not sure..I was trying to get Marriage VISA renewed and had to get passport renewed before they would do the VISA..so it was very hectic..but I did everything they said, checked all the right items, sent my Passport by EMS (and insured for alot of money) and got the new passport , with additional pages, back in 5 days, total. The guy I talked to ws from the US and he had lived in Udon before..so we hit it up in conversation.. anyways, good luck

You've never responded with the dates this was done.

[RLAretired]

On 6/20/2019 at 4:51 AM, smilemaker said:

I did mine by EMS mail from Udon Thani .... No traffic or waiting in lines or airline tickets.

Very helpful.  Thank you for that post.

[RLAretired]

On 6/20/2019 at 7:44 AM, Pib said:

However, the main reason the wife and I also got the card when renewing our passports was to have another form of U.S. identification.....only $30 for an ID good for 10 years.

 

Good idea.  I'll do that.

[smilemaker]

11 minutes ago, tweedledee2 said:

You've never responded with the dates this was done.

sorry, that was around April 2017..I was still recovering from being hit by a Tuk Tuk late at night and left for dead in the street in November 2016, and could not travel to BKK...i told Richard this and maybe he had a bit of compassion..555   

UBONJOE already told you to get the updated fees from their website...its not hard to do all this..sit back, enjoy yourself..and let tthe mailman bring it to your door. Don't forget, EMS has a Tracking number, so you can track it home.

 

[GalaxyMan]

On 6/19/2019 at 5:36 PM, ubonjoe said:

I have seen recent reports of it taking about 2 weeks by mail.

That's all it took me. Great service. Very surprised, as I expected all aspects of the government to be as dysfunctional as you know who. ????

[sateuk]

On 6/19/2019 at 2:47 PM, ubonjoe said:

When you apply at the embassy in Bangkok your old passport never leaves the country. They electronically send to the application to the states for processing and the new one is sent to the embassy.

When you apply by mail they send both passports to you at the same time.

Info for doing it by mail to the embassy is here. https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/adult-passport-renew/

Hi ubonjoe I'm from UK and I need a new passport as old one full what's the best way to go about getting one? Just use a visa service like key visa in Pattaya?

[BkruaiRetiree]

I may be too late with this item, but if you're planning to renew your US passport at the embassy in Bangkok, BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR PHOTO TAKEN ELSEWHERE AHEAD OF TIME!! When I renewed mine, the only photo facility at the embassy was one of those coin-operated photo booths, and the results are appalling.  My photo was like a phrase my mother used to use:  "Looks like he's been dead for a month and doesn't have enough sense to lie down."  Didn't look much like me, plus gave the impression I should be quarantined in the nearest ICU.  That was 2 years ago, and I hope they've upgraded the photo-taking facility there... but probably not.  'Nuff said.

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, sateuk said:

Hi ubonjoe I'm from UK and I need a new passport as old one full what's the best way to go about getting one? Just use a visa service like key visa in Pattaya?

You apply for it in Bangkok. Go through the steps here for info. https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

It is your choice as to whether the 5000 baht fee (plus the fee for the passport)  for an agent do it for you is worth it to avoid 2 trips to Bangkok.

[krseoul8888]

Your passport is only out of your hands as long as they need it to process your new application then they give it back to you until your new passport arrives. Once your new passport arrives in about 10 business days, you give them your old passport with the receipt for your new one and they will punch two holes in it and give it back to you along with your new one. 

 

If you need to travel within the amount of time required to get your new passport, you can request an emergency passport with proof of travel in the same day and use it until you get your permanent passport.

 

[elgenon]

What if you need your passport for travel or money during the processing time?

[yankee99]

did mine 15 days ago. 

 

Made appointment at embassy, filled out documents, paid and left my passport at the embassy. They sent everything back together in 12 days with a letter for immigration. Jomtien immigration kept my passport for 24h to change stamps 

 

 

[elgenon]

19 hours ago, smilemaker said:

sorry, that was around April 2017..I was still recovering from being hit by a Tuk Tuk late at night and left for dead in the street in November 2016, and could not travel to BKK...i told Richard this and maybe he had a bit of compassion..555   

UBONJOE already told you to get the updated fees from their website...its not hard to do all this..sit back, enjoy yourself..and let tthe mailman bring it to your door. Don't forget, EMS has a Tracking number, so you can track it home.

 

When I recently applied for a visa at the Consulate in LA I had it mailed back to me and had a tracking number. When I received the Priority envelope it had been opened. Luckily the passport was still in there. It could have been copied though. And the passport could have fallen out or taken. I asked the post office if they could tell me what happened. They said No. So I could have received an empty envelope and the would not be able to tell me what happened. Tracking would NOT help in that case. I would have received the envelope but not the passport.

Scary.

I assume the same could happen with EMS.

[paulbrow]

On 6/20/2019 at 10:03 AM, johnjohn2 said:

I just did it a few months ago. Process was really easy and painless. The instructions on the embassy website are very complete. When I went in they hole punched my old passport and stamped it cancelled. Then gave it back to me. I opted to have the new passport sent EMS to me. Arrived in two weeks. You get the envelope and pre pay postage right there as part of the process. There were a few people who asked for pick up at the embassy. If you tell them you will be traveling outside Thailand during the renewal time they wont stamp cancel on your passport. But then you would have to come in when the new one gets there and then they stamp it cancelled. They also give you a paper to take to immigration to help facilitate the visa transfer to your new passport. Whole process pretty pain free.

I think the by mail way is if you want to do it that way. You can still make an appointment for passport services other than adding pages and go in and do it. The same info was available when I did my stuff.

Ditto for me. I've renewed mine twice here and just as you stated. Although first time was in person at embassy as online wasn't available then.

[Fortean1]

This is the ACS reply today:

From: Bangkok ACS <[email protected]> [Edit Address Book]

To: >

Subject: RE: New submission from Bangkok Contact Form

Date: Jun 25, 2019 2:44 PM

New submission from Bangkok Contact Form   Dear Terry, You can still schedule your appointment from our website. All passports are returned with new ones by mail unless you have travel plans within two weeks from your application. Yours DP Privacy/PII This email is UNCLASSIFIED.

[5633572526]

On 6/19/2019 at 3:26 PM, hereforgood said:

Thanks very much happy to know that since they keep the old one here at the embassy i am guessing it will be returned to me with the new one 

They cancel the old one and give it back to you before you leave the embassy if you apply at the embassy in Bangkok. Just did this last month.

[Fortean1]

That makes more sense to punch a hole/cancel before you leave the Embassy.  Also confirmed that American dollars as well as Thai baht are accepted in payment.  My neighbor Dieter says the German Embassy only accepts Thai baht for payments.

[tweedledee2]

3 hours ago, Fortean1 said:

That makes more sense to punch a hole/cancel before you leave the Embassy.  Also confirmed that American dollars as well as Thai baht are accepted in payment.  My neighbor Dieter says the German Embassy only accepts Thai baht for payments.

You can also pay by credit card in US $ and save a little money. I used my Bank of America Visa card.

[jerry921]

On 6/20/2019 at 2:48 AM, dddave said:

Germane to this topic, when I renewed my US pp last year, I opted to pay an extra $25 for the additional passport card figuring it would simply be a reduced version of the original pp face page and sufficient to meet the requirement of having your pp on your person at all times.

Well, not exactly.

Though it is a reduction of the face page, the all important  passport number on the card is entirely different from my actual passport and nowhere on this card does my passport number appear. 

I can see this causing some real confusion and difficulty as this card though supposedly valid for id purposes,, does not agree with the Immigration pp data base.

Just to be clear, the card is not valid to use for international travel except between the US and Canada/Mexico. 

Clarification on your last sentence, if I am not mistaken: the card is not valid to use for travel except *by land* between the US and Canada/Mexico. If you fly between US and Canada/Mexico, you still need your regular passport (according to my understanding). 

 

I bought one too. I had the notion that when a country I am in requires me to always carry my passport, that carrying the card might suffice, and as it fits in a wallet is easier to not lose. Whether that will actually work I dunno, haven't tested that anywhere yet.

 

[taxout]

If you lose your passport while travelling, the passport card will probably speed a replacement.

 

Also, back in the US you sometimes come across places that want two government-issued photo IDs, say for opening a bank account. Especially if you don't have a driving license, the passport card can come in handy for those sorts of occasions.

 

Shame it's not usable for international air travel. (But it is usable as your ID for passing security at US airports. Again, useful if you don't have the right kind of US driving license and don't want to carry your passport around.)