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Changes To British Passport Services In Thailand


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Kasikorn Bank Visa debit card declined...twice! My card is activated for online shopping/cyber banking. After false assurances from customer services and my local bank it appears that this type of card is NOT an acceptable form of payment. HMPO process the payment as a "mail order" and Kasikorn only allow online shopping with the card. Two different things. So even though the card says electronic use it would seem not for a UK passport. Beware. My nightmare application which began on 26/3/2014 continues....

You can use a Kasikorn virtual card though, there are a few posts confirming this, and I used mine to successfully renew my passport last year.

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Thank-you Oldgit for that. Payment just went through. (Also, just as a pointer to others; don't forget to set a limit on the virtual card as it is set to 0 by default.) You saved me a few bob in T/T fees. It's strange but did you know that they wanted me to send the payment to an American bank (CITI-Canary Wharf). What's wrong with a British bank?

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I am now the proud owner of a shiny new UK Passport. Good for the next 10 years in Thailand. What wasn't good was a phone call to collect my passport from 09:00 hrs. Wrong, collections can only be made after 10:00 hrs. So the TG and me waited for one hour in a crowded corridor with nowhere to sit. They wouldn't let me in to sit in the internal waiting area even though I had just driven 500km, leaving home at 02:00 hrs. At 10:00 hrs prompt I was given a ticket and told I would be seen at counter #10. After 55 minutes and lots of thumb twiddling I was still waiting and there was another 7 customers to go before me when a woman from counter #11 announced something quite unintelligible in "English". I really couldn't understand. No one went to the counter so I chanced my arm and was seen. They have a list of names and on the shelf behind were piles of DHL A4 sized envelopes. I got 2. One containing my passport and the other my supporting document (evidence of residence). I noticed the issue date of my passport was 23 April 2014. I don't know if it was by chance or design they had both envelopes. I certainly wouldn't have been too happy to have to travel to BKK again to collect the letter.

After I signed for the documents, the woman said she was going to cancel my old passport. I was expecting an official stamp, but no, just a stamp saying cancelled on the back f the photo page.

So after applying using the old system, I collected via the new. Total cost, 12,000THB for the trip because I decided to have a good blow out in Pattaya. Well worth it.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

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I am now the proud owner of a shiny new UK Passport. Good for the next 10 years in Thailand. What wasn't good was a phone call to collect my passport from 09:00 hrs. Wrong, collections can only be made after 10:00 hrs. So the TG and me waited for one hour in a crowded corridor with nowhere to sit. They wouldn't let me in to sit in the internal waiting area even though I had just driven 500km, leaving home at 02:00 hrs. At 10:00 hrs prompt I was given a ticket and told I would be seen at counter #10. After 55 minutes and lots of thumb twiddling I was still waiting and there was another 7 customers to go before me when a woman from counter #11 announced something quite unintelligible in "English". I really couldn't understand. No one went to the counter so I chanced my arm and was seen. They have a list of names and on the shelf behind were piles of DHL A4 sized envelopes. I got 2. One containing my passport and the other my supporting document (evidence of residence). I noticed the issue date of my passport was 23 April 2014. I don't know if it was by chance or design they had both envelopes. I certainly wouldn't have been too happy to have to travel to BKK again to collect the letter.

After I signed for the documents, the woman said she was going to cancel my old passport. I was expecting an official stamp, but no, just a stamp saying cancelled on the back f the photo page.

So after applying using the old system, I collected via the new. Total cost, 12,000THB for the trip because I decided to have a good blow out in Pattaya. Well worth it.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

When date did you make the application

JOHN

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Also, to let you all know it is 110.86GBP for a jumbo passport. Not the 114.01GBP that Trendy/website/email links tell you to fill in on the payment form.

So they are givng the out the wrong amount on the official site? That's just criminal.

So what amount do I fill in then or best just leave it blank until you get there?

Does that amount include courier fee?

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Also, to let you all know it is 110.86GBP for a jumbo passport. Not the 114.01GBP that Trendy/website/email links tell you to fill in on the payment form.

So they are givng the out the wrong amount on the official site? That's just criminal.

So what amount do I fill in then or best just leave it blank until you get there?

Does that amount include courier fee?

It includes the courier fee.

Fill out the card details section and leave the amount boxes blank until you get there.

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Also, to let you all know it is 110.86GBP for a jumbo passport. Not the 114.01GBP that Trendy/website/email links tell you to fill in on the payment form.

So they are givng the out the wrong amount on the official site? That's just criminal.

So what amount do I fill in then or best just leave it blank until you get there?

Does that amount include courier fee?

It includes the courier fee.

Fill out the card details section and leave the amount boxes blank until you get there.

Leave it until you get the there. The girls have a letter from HMPO with prices. I was debited with £102.86 for a jumbo! Signed for £100.70.......

Work that one out ?

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Also, to let you all know it is 110.86GBP for a jumbo passport. Not the 114.01GBP that Trendy/website/email links tell you to fill in on the payment form.

So they are givng the out the wrong amount on the official site? That's just criminal.

So what amount do I fill in then or best just leave it blank until you get there?

Does that amount include courier fee?

It includes the courier fee.

Fill out the card details section and leave the amount boxes blank until you get there.

Leave it until you get the there. The girls have a letter from HMPO with prices. I was debited with £102.86 for a jumbo! Signed for £100.70.......

Work that one out ?

I told the woman at counter 11 that I had paid for delivery to my door and asked if I would I get a rebate. Got a vacant stare. Sod it, take the passport and run! What I did find strange was that my old passport expired 28 October 2014 and my new one 23 November 2024 so maybe they bunged a few days extra as compensation.

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I told the woman at counter 11 that I had paid for delivery to my door and asked if I would I get a rebate. Got a vacant stare. Sod it, take the passport and run! What I did find strange was that my old passport expired 28 October 2014 and my new one 23 November 2024 so maybe they bunged a few days extra as compensation.

They cheated you out of several months validity on your new passport that was still remaining on your old passport if 23 November 2024 is correct.

They should of added up to 9 months left on your old passport to the new one.

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I told the woman at counter 11 that I had paid for delivery to my door and asked if I would I get a rebate. Got a vacant stare. Sod it, take the passport and run! What I did find strange was that my old passport expired 28 October 2014 and my new one 23 November 2024 so maybe they bunged a few days extra as compensation.

They cheated you out of several months validity on your new passport that was still remaining on your old passport if 23 November 2024 is correct.

They should of added up to 9 months left on your old passport to the new one.

Readers of this thread will know that this particular poster is currently very unimpressed with HMPO and their antics.

However I don't think in this case watso63 was completely cheated, he was just scalped.

Watso63's new passport is marked as valid from 23 April 2014 to 23 November 24 2024, so the new passport is for 10 years and 7 months, not 10 years as standard.

The old passport had a remaining validity of a little over 6 months, which as it is less than 9 months, should thus have been credited.

However 1 month's extra validity on a 10 year passport works out to a value of around 70p, more likely some kind of rounding up on the date than a 'refund'.

Edited by digitalchromakey
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I told the woman at counter 11 that I had paid for delivery to my door and asked if I would I get a rebate. Got a vacant stare. Sod it, take the passport and run! What I did find strange was that my old passport expired 28 October 2014 and my new one 23 November 2024 so maybe they bunged a few days extra as compensation.

They cheated you out of several months validity on your new passport that was still remaining on your old passport if 23 November 2024 is correct.

They should of added up to 9 months left on your old passport to the new one.

Mmm, not sure about that. I'd have thought it should have been valid for 10 years from the original expiry date ie 28 October 2024. The 9 month thing means you can apply up to 9 months before expiry without losing any days. You can apply at anytime but say I had applied 10 months before expiry then my new one would have expired in September 2024.

Anyway, what is cheating, is calling it a 32 page passport when it's only got 25 pages available for travel stamps such as immigration/exit/visas etc. Not that I plan on leaving here anytime soon, but for many others that travel frequently or first time passport holders it's very misleading.

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<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Also, to let you all know it is 110.86GBP for a jumbo passport. Not the 114.01GBP that Trendy/website/email links tell you to fill in on the payment form.

So they are givng the out the wrong amount on the official site? That's just criminal.

So what amount do I fill in then or best just leave it blank until you get there?

Does that amount include courier fee?

It includes the courier fee.

Fill out the card details section and leave the amount boxes blank until you get there.

Leave it until you get the there. The girls have a letter from HMPO with prices. I was debited with £102.86 for a jumbo! Signed for £100.70.......

Work that one out ?

I did leave my payment form amount blank until I got to Trendy. I was told 114.01GBP for a jumbo by the largish woman. Stuck on the left wall of the cubicle she directed my eyes to an A4 piece of paper. Highlighted in yellow highlighter were "New Prices" and I saw it said 114.01GBP for a jumbo. This is the amount that I filled in. The finance dept in Southport yesterday, whilst I waited on the phone (3mins), took out 110.86GBP. I queried the amount and was told that Thailand had it wrong........

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<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

It includes the courier fee.

Fill out the card details section and leave the amount boxes blank until you get there.

Leave it until you get the there. The girls have a letter from HMPO with prices. I was debited with £102.86 for a jumbo! Signed for £100.70.......

Work that one out ?

I did leave my payment form amount blank until I got to Trendy. I was told 114.01GBP for a jumbo by the largish woman. Stuck on the left wall of the cubicle she directed my eyes to an A4 piece of paper. Highlighted in yellow highlighter were "New Prices" and I saw it said 114.01GBP for a jumbo. This is the amount that I filled in. The finance dept in Southport yesterday, whilst I waited on the phone (3mins), took out 110.86GBP. I queried the amount and was told that Thailand had it wrong........

That figuers

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<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

So they are givng the out the wrong amount on the official site? That's just criminal.

So what amount do I fill in then or best just leave it blank until you get there?

Does that amount include courier fee?

It includes the courier fee.

Fill out the card details section and leave the amount boxes blank until you get there.

Leave it until you get the there. The girls have a letter from HMPO with prices. I was debited with £102.86 for a jumbo! Signed for £100.70.......

Work that one out ?

I did leave my payment form amount blank until I got to Trendy. I was told 114.01GBP for a jumbo by the largish woman. Stuck on the left wall of the cubicle she directed my eyes to an A4 piece of paper. Highlighted in yellow highlighter were "New Prices" and I saw it said 114.01GBP for a jumbo. This is the amount that I filled in. The finance dept in Southport yesterday, whilst I waited on the phone (3mins), took out 110.86GBP. I queried the amount and was told that Thailand had it wrong........

This is so typical of the current fiasco - the HMPO web site quotes 114,01 GBP for a 48 page replacement passport but HMPO Finance say 'Thailand have got it wrong'.

To date, almost every one who has reported their dealings with trendy to this thread has been charged a different amount of GBP, plus do please remember that there is no exchange rate for GBP to GBP.

Six weeks into the new system, no one in authority actually seems to know what is going on, insufficient/incorrect information is provided on the UK HMPO Website (plus nothing at all on the trendy website) to even allow one to arrange an appointment/travel/accommodation in BKK (no opening days/hours length of appointment, holidays) plus prepare supporting paperwork to renew our passports.

This is to obtain what is probably the most important Identity document paper that most British Citizens would ever require - muppets!

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So they are givng the out the wrong amount on the official site? That's just criminal.

So what amount do I fill in then or best just leave it blank until you get there?

Does that amount include courier fee?

It includes the courier fee.
Fill out the card details section and leave the amount boxes blank until you get there.


Leave it until you get the there. The girls have a letter from HMPO with prices. I was debited with £102.86 for a jumbo! Signed for £100.70.......


Work that one out ?

I did leave my payment form amount blank until I got to Trendy. I was told 114.01GBP for a jumbo by the largish woman. Stuck on the left wall of the cubicle she directed my eyes to an A4 piece of paper. Highlighted in yellow highlighter were "New Prices" and I saw it said 114.01GBP for a jumbo. This is the amount that I filled in. The finance dept in Southport yesterday, whilst I waited on the phone (3mins), took out 110.86GBP. I queried the amount and was told that Thailand had it wrong........

This is so typical of the current fiasco - the HMPO web site quotes 114,01 GBP for a 48 page replacement passport but HMPO Finance say 'Thailand have got it wrong'.

To date, almost every one who has reported their dealings with trendy to this thread has been charged a different amount of GBP, plus do please remember that there is no exchange rate for GBP to GBP.

Six weeks into the new system, no one in authority actually seems to know what is going on, insufficient/incorrect information is provided on the UK HMPO Website (plus nothing at all on the trendy website) to even allow one to arrange an appointment/travel/accommodation in BKK (no opening days/hours length of appointment, holidays) plus prepare supporting paperwork to renew our passports.

This is to obtain what is probably the most important Identity document paper that most British Citizens would ever require - muppets!


I'm not even sure about an appointment time. At 09:00hrs the queue just to get to the reception desk was out the door and down the corridor. There were only Thais in the queue, so I thought sod this for a game of soldiers and went straight to the front only to have to wait until 10:00 hrs when document collections opened. I only saw people being given numbered tickets. Then you looked at a tv monitor and watched and listened as the the numbers were announced. The place was full of Thais with reams of paperwork in their arms to get their visas. Worse for them, a lot worse by the look of things.

I really don't know what will happen in the future and even though I have my passport, I still care and I hope someone with some common sense gets a grip and devises an application procedure that utilises modern technology, interview by SKYPE etc and can issue a new passport inside Thailand and stop hiding behind lame excuses as to why it cannot be done. Finally, with the ongoing political turmoil in Thailand centered in the centre of BKK, maybe an office located near to Suvarnabhum Airport would be a better idea. If things do deteriorate and access to Trendy Wendy is disrupted I wonder if there are any contingiency plans made.

Good luck to anyone applying anytime soon. Edited by ubonjoe
fixed quotes (space before and after [/quote] needed)
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Final update from me - received my new passport at last yesterday evening, eight weeks and one day after posting my application.

I applied directly to Liverpool, before the VFS changes came in. Didn't hear a peep out of Liverpool until I received my new passport. So there is no notification whatsoever when your passport is issued, nor when it's mailed out to you.

My already-extended tourist visa expires in just over a week, so just in the nick of time really.

I believe I now need to go to the British Embassy to get the new passport certified as an original, after which I'll be able to leave the country by presenting both new and old passports. From what I've read, this is done in person, at no charge, while you wait. We shall see...

PS. None of my supporting materials have been returned yet, just the new passport itself. I believe they're supposed to follow later. No rush on that front, although I really don't see why they can't return everything in one package!

You don't need the letter. Departure immigration does not ask for it.

The letter is only needed at some immigration offices if you want to transfer an extension of stay.

Also the letter does not certify the new passport. It is meant to be just a letter confirming they you received a new passport from them.

Unfortunately this is not true.

I was just turned away by passport control at Don Muang. The immigration officer was insistent that I need to:

1. Get the letter from the embassy

2. Transfer my current tourist visa extension into the new passport at Lad Phrao immigration.

Only then will I be able to leave the country.

Of course the British embassy closed at 11am and my stamp expires tomorrow.

I'm not sure whether the embassy is open tomorrow, but I know immigration is not.

So I guess I need to get the letter and visit immigration on Wednesday. By which time I'm be on overstay. Then I can book another flight and another hotel. Ugh.

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Sorry to hear you got turned away.

It certainly is not the norm and might have been a mistake by the officer. The norm is that with a tourist visa you could have done it at the airport. Did you try to speak to a superior?

(and yes, the embassy is closed tomorrow).

Edit:

Try to do it today at immirgation. The letter might not be needed for a British passport with a tourist visa.

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Sorry to hear you got turned away.

It certainly is not the norm and might have been a mistake by the officer. The norm is that with a tourist visa you could have done it at the airport. Did you try to speak to a superior?

(and yes, the embassy is closed tomorrow).

Edit:

Try to do it today at immirgation. The letter might not be needed for a British passport with a tourist visa.

She was the superior, unfortunately - the girl in the booth sent me over to her in the overstay office as soon as she saw the two passports.

She showed me a whole lever arch file full of photocopies of embassy letters, together with the corresponding passport pages. None from the British embassy, which I pointed out, but she was adamant that every new passport MUST be accompanied by a letter from the embassy.

Then when she saw that I'm here on an extension from a tourist visa (extended from 60 to 90 days), she said she wouldn't have been able to transfer the stamp at the airport even if I did have the letter. She insisted that only Immigration Division One can transfer extensions. "New policy", she said, issued in the last month or two. I'm not sure which part of the policy is new - requiring the letter, or the inability to transfer a tourist visa extension at the airport.

I'll head over to Lad Phrao now on the off chance that they can do it without a letter. Suspect not though.

Should I be worried about heading over there on Wednesday, since I'll be on overstay by then?

Edited by thatmanagain
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On extension of a non-immigrant visa you must go to an immirgaiton office. I suspect she was confused with that.

Immirgaiton does want the embassy letter, but knows the British embassy normally doesn't issue. As you are on a toruist visa extension, there is a good chance they will not ask for the letter (be nice and ask for the superior if they refuse). But no guaantees.

The overstay will not be a problem. They will expect you to clear it at the airport and if you offer to pay the overstay at Lad Prao they will say pay at the airport.

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but she was adamant that every new passport MUST be accompanied by a letter from the embassy.

Then when she saw that I'm here on an extension from a tourist visa (extended from 60 to 90 days), she said she wouldn't have been able to transfer the stamp at the airport even if I did have the letter. She insisted that only Immigration Division One can transfer extensions. "New policy", she said, issued in the last month or two. I'm not sure which part of the policy is new - requiring the letter, or the inability to transfer a tourist visa extension at the airport.

I'll head over to Lad Phrao now on the off chance that they can do it without a letter. Suspect not though.

Should I be worried about heading over there on Wednesday, since I'll be on overstay by then?

I transferred my extension of stay earlier on in the year at one of the immigration offices without a letter, further as I received my new passport only 3 weeks before my annual extension was due, I travelled in and out of Thailand from Swampy on 2 occasions using both passports, and there was no issue....but didn't need not letter from the BE

I suspect the lady was being rather anal

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Same story at Lad Phrao. After much consultation, they told me to get a letter from the embassy on Wednesday, then return to immigration at Lad Phrao.

They'll then transfer the stamp, and issue me a 7-day extension for 1900 baht to keep me legal (the extension is mandatory, even if I'm leaving the country Wednesday).

That decision came from the top, so I'm told, so it seems this is now policy. The girl on the desk showed me an example letter from the British embassy which did state the applicant was on a tourist visa.

Appreciate the advice anyway, as always. Hopefully at least my experience can help others avoid the same problem!

Edited by thatmanagain
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I rang UK PP office yesterday at my annoyance at having to take 4 flights just to renew my PP, was there any way around it. He said no, that is now the procedure for "Thailand". whistling.gif

Can anyone answer this?

My daughter needs to renew her British Passport in Thailand (she is also a Thai citizen).

She is 11, severely mentally disabled, unable to say her own name, needs adult supervision 100% of the time and is unable to communicate if she needs to go to the toilet, etc, etc.

Does she need to go through the current procedure of visiting BKK? (She lives in Korat).

Thanks

As you are renewing a child's passport it is will be you (as the parent) completing the application form.

As she is under 12 there is nothing for her to sign.

It is you who will need to attend VFS offices. There is no requirement for her to attend.

You will need to complete sections 1,2,3,4,5,9,10 on the application form (counter-signatory signs 10 and one of the two photos.

It is all on the GOV.UK website

Thanks for the advice.

I am actually living in Malaysia, so will enquire there as we only live within a km of the VFS office there.

Just an update on this.

Gave up on the Passport hotline in the UK as it seemed near impossible to speak to anyone ("....all our operators are busy.....blah, blah...").

After 2 weeks from sending an e-mail I actually got a reply from Newport on the above issue of renewing my Daughters passport.

In my mail to the UK I pointed out the fact that she is living in Thailand and has a severe disability. We, her parents, are living / working in Malaysia so could I apply for her here in Malaysia and have her passport delivered to Malaysia also.

Answer was - NO - I (her Father), can only apply for her in her country of residence - Thailand.

This means I will have to leave work and travel to an office in another country to apply for her passport facepalm.gif

I have replied to enquire if the child also needs to visit this office, again reminding them of her disability. I hope to expect a reply in another couple of weeks.

What a mess.

My wife and I have decided to just let her UK passport expire and we won't renew it at this time - perhaps the present mess may get managed better in the future, who knows.

Will update this forum when I eventually get a reply. What a shambles.

Just out of interest = One of my Myanmar mechanics on the job here in Malaysia, applied for and received his new Myanmar passport in just one day from the embassy here in KL. Now that's a good service. clap2.gif

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I rang UK PP office yesterday at my annoyance at having to take 4 flights just to renew my PP, was there any way around it. He said no, that is now the procedure for "Thailand". whistling.gif

Can anyone answer this?

My daughter needs to renew her British Passport in Thailand (she is also a Thai citizen).

She is 11, severely mentally disabled, unable to say her own name, needs adult supervision 100% of the time and is unable to communicate if she needs to go to the toilet, etc, etc.

Does she need to go through the current procedure of visiting BKK? (She lives in Korat).

Thanks



As you are renewing a child's passport it is will be you (as the parent) completing the application form.

As she is under 12 there is nothing for her to sign.

It is you who will need to attend VFS offices. There is no requirement for her to attend.

You will need to complete sections 1,2,3,4,5,9,10 on the application form (counter-signatory signs 10 and one of the two photos.

It is all on the GOV.UK website

Thanks for the advice.
I am actually living in Malaysia, so will enquire there as we only live within a km of the VFS office there.


Just an update on this.

Gave up on the Passport hotline in the UK as it seemed near impossible to speak to anyone ("....all our operators are busy.....blah, blah...").

After 2 weeks from sending an e-mail I actually got a reply from Newport on the above issue of renewing my Daughters passport.

In my mail to the UK I pointed out the fact that she is living in Thailand and has a severe disability. We, her parents, are living / working in Malaysia so could I apply for her here in Malaysia and have her passport delivered to Malaysia also.

Answer was - NO - I (her Father), can only apply for her in her country of residence - Thailand.

This means I will have to leave work and travel to an office in another country to apply for her passport facepalm.gif

I have replied to enquire if the child also needs to visit this office, again reminding them of her disability. I hope to expect a reply in another couple of weeks.

What a mess.

My wife and I have decided to just let her UK passport expire and we won't renew it at this time - perhaps the present mess may get managed better in the future, who knows.
Will update this forum when I eventually get a reply. What a shambles.

Just out of interest = One of my Myanmar mechanics on the job here in Malaysia, applied for and received his new Myanmar passport in just one day from the embassy here in KL. Now that's a good service. clap2.gif


Myanmar, just crawling out of years of military oppression leading the way? Couldn't make it up!

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Edited by ubonjoe
fixed quotes (space before and after [/quote] needed)
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