UK Passport renewal

[Saltire]

Having been quite lucky so far in not needing the services of Thailand Immigration I now have a UK passport issue.

 

I had a trip home planned for May 21 to the UK and made an appointment at the Glasgow UK passport office for a one day service. This trip has been cancelled. While my passport does not expire til August 2021, it has only a few pages left, and with no travel plans, won't be an issue. However my annual extension based on retirement is due end November 2020 and so if I don't renew my passport before then, Immigration can not give me a full year, the new extension expiry matching the passport expiry, so I will get 9 months and move permanently my renewal date to every August.

 

It seems now my options are as follows, both have the uncertainty of when things will be normal.

 

1 When VFS Global re-opens renew in Bangkok before my extension is due.

2 Rebook a flight home/passport office to return before the extension is due.

 

I live far from Bangkok so option 1 is not my favourite. Option 2 is my preferred choice but again it depends on normality returning. From an infection point of view, I see both as risky.

 

If I accept a 9 month extension it gives me till June 2020 to renew the passport, but again no one can forecast anything now.

 

Is there another option? Is this something an agency could do? Only ever used an agent for marriage, which went OK but in this case i'd prefer not to post my passport anywhere. Any suggestions or other options?

 

Thanks

 

[jacko45k]

Key Visa in Pattaya do UK passport renewals for you,

Not sure under present circumstances but you can only ask!

[fourpack]

Untill the office in trendy re opens can't do it from Thailand. There are a good few who do passports for people saves two trips to BKK reasonable fees will find the name of the guy I used and pm it to you.

PM sent

[ubonjoe]

1. Maybe the best option at this time. There agents that will do the passport renewal for a fee of 5000 baht over the passport cost.

2. Nobody knows what will be required for entry to the country in a month or two. If they still want a health certificate and proof of a $100,000 US covid 19 insurance policy it could be difficult and/or expensive.

[Rookiescot]

OK another option is a bit extreme.

Fill out the passport renewal for for applying for a new passport in the UK. (Please note there are two forms. One for applying within the UK and one for applying from outside the UK. Make sure you fill out the right one).

Send the form and your passport to someone you know in the UK and get them to send it to the passport office.

When the new passport arrives get them to send it and the old passport back to you.

 

1.Couple of obvious problems with this. Stuff does go missing in the post.

2.I'm not sure if the above is legal.

[pontious]

21 minutes ago, Saltire said:

1 When VFS Global re-opens renew in Bangkok before my extension is due.

2 Rebook a flight home/passport office to return before the extension is due.

They are your only options - The VFS office has been closed by the Home Office. You have no choice apart from 1. 2.

Nobody can apply for a new passport at the moment.

[Saltire]

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

1. Maybe the best option at this time. There agents that will do the passport renewal for a fee of 5000 baht over the passport cost.

2. Nobody knows what will be required for entry to the country in a month or two. If they still want a health certificate and proof of a $100,000 US covid 19 insurance policy it could be difficult and/or expensive.

Thanks, that was the main reason I cancelled (apart from being sure it would have been cancelled for me anyway), i.e. not getting back in. 2 trips to Bangkok would cost me more than 5k Baht.

 

Looks like 2 options now, wait for VFS and/or use an agent.

[fourpack]

Sure I read the other day UK passport staff had been asked to return to work.

[pontious]

11 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

Send the form and your passport to someone you know in the UK and get them to send it to the passport office.

I know you mean well but to be without a passport in these present times could lead to big trouble. Mine will run out in November as well. If VFS is shut for  a lengthy time the Home Office will have to open other ways to renew passports. There present advice  will be get an ETD . No point - they are only issued for people with a travel date and most of us do not want to travel anyway. Wait till VFS opens. That is what they told me. Useless.!!!!

[pontious]

5 minutes ago, fourpack said:

Sure I read the other day UK passport staff had been asked to return to work.

But VFS have not. You can only renew passports with them.

[fourpack]

17 minutes ago, pontious said:

But VFS have not. You can only renew passports with them.

I know I was replying to the poster who said UK passport office was closed down ????

Also the OP stated about flying back.

[NanLaew]

37 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

1.Couple of obvious problems with this. Stuff does go missing in the post.

2.I'm not sure if the above is legal.

The biggest issue is Thailand Post will only send stuff by surface mail to the UK right now so a courier may be the only, fast but much more expensive option.

 

I think that according to Thai Immigration law, it would be illegal to be in Thailand without your passport. There's also the increased chance that the UK immigration database which the passport office has access to will show that the passport holder isn't in the UK at the time of application. UK passports are scanned on arrival in the country and the airline check-in process fulfills their outbound passport check these days, much the same as the US's system has always done.

[Saltire]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Looks like VFS when they open is the best bet. Fortunately I have time between now and extension renewal to see how things calm down, or don't.

 

I will look for an agent and see what turns up. I was under the impression VFS would need two trips but I am told they have an option to return your new passport by FedEx/DHL?

 

Here's hoping things improve soon.

[john terry1001]

I'm in a similar position to you but have a couple more months to spare . My passport is valid until March 2021 but my extension renewal is due in January 2021, so I have been looking at options.

 

There's no chance of being able to fly to the UK in the foreseeable future and the passport service at Trendy is currently unavailable. 

 

Sending your passport to the UK is both risky and illegal. Not sure what you would need to supply to UK Passport Office if you declared your passport lost and applied for a new one, but at least you would still have your existing passport with you in Thailand. You'd still have to risk having the new passport being sent by post to Thailand and they might just replace your existing passport instead of supplying a new 10 year one.

 

57 minutes ago, Saltire said:

2 trips to Bangkok would cost me more than 5k Baht.

 

or use an agent.

An agent will also charge you 5K baht to take your documents to Trendy on your behalf so you'd save nothing financially. Still much cheaper than a trip to the UK though.

 

As far as I'm aware, when your passport is ready for collection, you must go in person to Trendy building and show your existing passport as ID to collect your new one (they also have to cut the corner off your old passport at the same time). A friend recently renewed his children's UK passports, he received a phone call to say they were ready for collection but had to go to Trendy in person to collect them.  

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Key Visa in Pattaya do UK passport renewals for you,

Not sure under present circumstances but you can only ask!

I think Key Visa just took out the runaround to/from VFS in Trendy. There's no other place in Thailand that issues UK passports so I doubt they can assist.

[transam]

Phone or email the farang guy at Key Visa Services to see what the situation is. You can do it all by post with them IF they can still provide the service..

[worgeordie]

Late last year my passport was due for renewal,I did not want to take two

trips to Bangkok from up here in the North,So got my daughter to send me

a form,filled it in with her address,sent the form,photos,passport to her,

she took to P.O. they checked it all and sent it off to Passport office, about

a week later she had my old passport and new one returned, posted by

courier back to me, Illegal ?, if the UK government did not keep shutting,

offices and services down,i would not have to do it.

 

I took it to Immigration to have visa transferred,they wanted letter from

British government ...saying please transfer any visa over, been issued in

UK I did not have one, so sent email to British Embassy in BKK, and they

sent the letter the next day.so everything ended well, did not have to go

to BKK twice, those that say , BUT you did not have your passport for

2.5 weeks, what if someone had asked for it, in 30 odd years living here

i have been asked for it once, at an army checkpoint,when there was a

coup taking place, but as the soldier read it upside down ,maybe that

does not count.

 

The problem now theres no airmail post, so courier is only way,expensive

but maybe more secure.

regards worgeordie

[steve73]

A few years ago I lost my UK passport.  I needed a police report, and could then apply for a new one without needing to send in the old one (which I didn't have, obviously).

 

I realize the procedure for applying for a new passport has changed recently (years), but I assume there must still be a way to get a replacement PP. in case of loss or theft...?

[pontious]

No agent can assist - until VFS reopens nobody can renew a UK passport in Thailand.

[transam]

1 minute ago, pontious said:

No agent can assist - until VFS reopens nobody can renew a UK passport in Thailand.

How do you know the agents can't, have you phoned them....?

 

 

[pontious]

4 minutes ago, transam said:

How do you know the agents can't, have you phoned them....?

 

 

Because agents take it to VFS for you. The VFS office is shut. Nobody can go there. There is no one there. It is shut until further notice.

[transam]

Just now, pontious said:

Because agents take it to VFS for you. The VFS office is shut. Nobody can go there. There is no one there. It is shut.

It is shut for walk ins, but do you know if agents have access, there are only two PP agents that I know of, not a long line of them.

That's why I suggested phoning Key Visa Services to find out...

[evadgib]

An option that hasn't yet been mentioned is applying for a second passport! I have no idea if it's still possible to hold more than one valid passport but in the past it was possible in certain circumstances & being trapped as per the OP would surely be grounds to qualify if the OP or his MP were to ask?

 

No flames please. If anyone has a better idea i'm all ????s ????

[john terry1001]

14 minutes ago, transam said:

It is shut for walk ins, but do you know if agents have access, there are only two PP agents that I know of, not a long line of them.

That's why I suggested phoning Key Visa Services to find out...

If you go to  https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/overseas/information/thailand/renew/adult   to apply for a new passport, at the top pf the page it very clearly says:

 

Quote

We are currently unable to accept applications from this country. Due to coronavirus (COVID-19), UK visa application centres are closed. We will update this page when the service becomes available.

 

Not even Key Visa can present an application when the office is closed and there is no staff working there.

[Saltire]

17 minutes ago, evadgib said:

An option that hasn't yet been mentioned is applying for a second passport! I have no idea if it's still possible to hold more than one valid passport but in the past it was possible in certain circumstances & being trapped as per the OP would surely be grounds to qualify if the OP or his MP were to ask?

 

No flames please. If anyone has a better idea i'm all ????s ????

Good idea - except I already have one but it expires December 2020 ????

[dimitriv]

2 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

When the new passport arrives get them to send it and the old passport back to you.

 

Sending passports is not legal, most couriers also refuse to do this.

 

 

[pontious]

30 minutes ago, evadgib said:

An option that hasn't yet been mentioned is applying for a second passport! I have no idea if it's still possible to hold more than one valid passport but in the past it was possible in certain circumstances & being trapped as per the OP would surely be grounds to qualify if the OP or his MP were to ask?

 

No flames please. If anyone has a better idea i'm all ????s ????

You would still have to apply at VFS in Bangkok. Until they reopen nothing can be done.  

[NanLaew]

54 minutes ago, steve73 said:

I realize the procedure for applying for a new passport has changed recently (years), but I assume there must still be a way to get a replacement PP. in case of loss or theft...?

In the event of loss or theft, I think the only method currently available is to apply for an emergency travel document from The British Embassy in Bangkok. It is not a passport and is issued so that one can return to the UK and get a replacement passport there.

[NanLaew]

19 minutes ago, dimitriv said:

 

Sending passports is not legal, most couriers also refuse to do this.

 

 

The UK passport office used DHL to send new passports to Thailand about 4 years ago. I doubt that has changed. Some couriers may have prohibitions (read the small print) but for international men of action (like myself), using courier services to send passports has been standard operating procedure.

[ChipButty]

20 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

The UK passport office used DHL to send new passports to Thailand about 4 years ago. I doubt that has changed. Some couriers may have prohibitions (read the small print) but for international men of action (like myself), using courier services to send passports has been standard operating procedure.

I think you are right I remember when we Brits had to send it to Hong Kong