Changes To British Passport Services In Thailand

[puchooay 1,232]

Does anyone know if a Krungthai bank visa debit card,would be acceptable as payment to the HMPO to renew a British passport

Thanks

Very much doubt it - have one myself, it doesn't have one's name/and card number in raised letters, which seem to be the mark of the 'gold standard' for internationally functioning debit cards.

We know that the Kasikorn K Web Shopping Card has worked with HMPO, (obtainable only with a Kasikorn Saving Account plus Internet banking), but that the SCB Virtual Credit Card doesn't (or didn't when I last checked with them a few months ago).

I used mine when the applications had to be sent to Hong Kong.

[guru 108]

Just got an email from Her Majesty's Passport Office saying they were unable to process my bangkok bank visa debit card. Quite annoyed at bangkok bank as I called them to check before hand and they were sure it would be accepted. Anyway HMPO gave me a phone number and reference number to call and I paid with a Kasikorn credit card which was accepted immediately. Now waiting for the passport's return leg...

[BritTim 7,872]

Just got an email from Her Majesty's Passport Office saying they were unable to process my bangkok bank visa debit card. Quite annoyed at bangkok bank as I called them to check before hand and they were sure it would be accepted. Anyway HMPO gave me a phone number and reference number to call and I paid with a Kasikorn credit card which was accepted immediately. Now waiting for the passport's return leg...

The last I checked, Bangkok Bank was issuing Visa Electron cards which work nowhere outside Thailand.

Like others, I have used the K-Web shopping card without difficulty.

[ubonjoe 35,294]

Just got an email from Her Majesty's Passport Office saying they were unable to process my bangkok bank visa debit card. Quite annoyed at bangkok bank as I called them to check before hand and they were sure it would be accepted. Anyway HMPO gave me a phone number and reference number to call and I paid with a Kasikorn credit card which was accepted immediately. Now waiting for the passport's return leg...

The last I checked, Bangkok Bank was issuing Visa Electron cards which work nowhere outside Thailand.

Like others, I have used the K-Web shopping card without difficulty.

I have a Bangkok Bank debit card and it is not an electron card. I have used it for online purchases outside of Thailand. The problem is not with the card itself it is how it is processed at the passport office in the UK,

[guru 108]

Well mine is a Bangkok Bank Be1st Visa debit card and allegedly accepted in over 200 countries according to their link below. Something's obviously not right if HMPO can't process it despite the bangkok bank call center assuring me my card would be fine...

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/DailyBanking/Be1stVisaDebitCard/Be1stCard/Pages/default.aspx

Edited April 15, 2016 by guru

[guru 108]

Trying to get to the bottom of this, I called bangkok bank and they claim the reason for HMPO not being able to process my debit card was that my card was set to a 5k purchase limit and the 48 page passport is over this. I never knew there was a default limit of 5k so there we go I learned something.

[guru 108]

After paying on Thurs April 14, I received an SMS from DHL today, Mon18th, saying my passport is estimated to arrive in Trendy on the 20th with a tracking number that tells me it's currently in Heathrow. After reading this thread, this is the first time I've read about return leg tracking....

[BritTim 7,872]

The difference from a couple of years ago is staggering. Apart from the Trendy Tower and proof of address nonsense, the service is now excellent.

[freedomnow 532]

OK, I know that it is just a guestimate but do you guys think 6 weeks or 4 weeks at the tightest end of Mid-July to end of August would be enough time for a turnaround of a new passport ?

It will be right after the main summer UK rush and before the October week in UK. After a final extension that is the time I will have to try and process a new passport after using the final space in my passport.

[guru 108]

I applied in Trendy on April 1st, paid on 14th and according to DHL tracking the passport will arrive back in Trendy on 20th April. This timeframe seems like a current trend from reading back through this thread.

[stoneyboy 6,811]

OK, I know that it is just a guestimate but do you guys think 6 weeks or 4 weeks at the tightest end of Mid-July to end of August would be enough time for a turnaround of a new passport ?

It will be right after the main summer UK rush and before the October week in UK. After a final extension that is the time I will have to try and process a new passport after using the final space in my passport.

I can only answer from recent personal experience.

An application for my daughters first UK passport took 16 days from application to receiving the passport including the Easter bank holiday weekend.

The service was excellent and the DHL tracking of the passport alerted me well before it was back in Bangkok I tracked it for the whole 5 days from the initial SMS.

I can not imagine that the process should differ to greatly depending g on the time of the year,it does seem they have got their act together.

[freedomnow 532]

I applied in Trendy on April 1st, paid on 14th and according to DHL tracking the passport will arrive back in Trendy on 20th April. This timeframe seems like a current trend from reading back through this thread.

Do you have to go exactly on the date of the arrival of the DHL delivery, or do they give you a date or can you just go in within 7 days of the arrival with ID etc to collect it ?

[guru 108]

No you don't have to go on the exact day of delivery. Trendy will call and email you when it arrives and you can go and collect it and surrender your old passport for corners to be cut. Previous posters have stated that Trendy verbally told them there is a 1 month time limit before your passport is returned to the UK.

[dazk 77]

2 questions

1. i will be using a friends card to pay for fee but he is in the uk so cant sign the payment form, is it ok to leave the signature blank or should i just sign it

2. what's acceptable as proof of address, all i have is visa stamps in passport or my rental contract written in english

just looking for some updated info on the above thanks all

[justaphase 371]

Regarding the proof of address, I'm on a non imm 'o' 60 day stamp, is proof required? And if so, is my condo rental contract and the condo tam bian ban enough?