Thread: Renewing a passport in Bangkok

Good to know that the rumours of you being hit with a tranquilizer dart while walking out are not to be fully believed.

Originally Posted by Mendip

Yes, 5 years for children, 10 years for 16 and over. I think it used to be 5 years for adults as well but it was increased to 10 a couple of years ago.

Thanks for pointing that out. Apparently the 10 year passport came in in 2019.
However when we went to renew my wife's passport in 2021, we were only offered the 5 year passport.

Originally Posted by happynz

That animal exhibit is doing me a concern. Owls are nocturnal by nature. The capybara, usually the chillest of creatures, look stressed.

Not cool, Central Korat. Not cool at all.

Perhaps they will make an appearance in the dinner thread? There impossible to get here but im sure a couple of guinea pigs would do the trick? Im keen to have a crack at it. Anyone got any recipe ideas, Joe ? Baked? Slow cooker? ,peas as an accompaniment?

Anything involving pigs of any kind, surely katie is the go to.

Originally Posted by Happy As Larry

Thanks for pointing that out. Apparently the 10 year passport came in in 2019.
However when we went to renew my wife's passport in 2021, we were only offered the 5 year passport.

They are both available now but the 10 year passport costs more than the 5 year passport, but less than double the 5 year.

Well, guess what the EMS motorbike guy dropped off half an hour ago...



Yes, the daughter's new Thai passport, just five days after our appointment last Friday. And two of those days were the weekend.

I splashed out the extra 50 Baht to have the passport delivered to our door. This seemed like a prudent move as it doubtless saved me forking out for another Japanese meal.

So, five weeks for the Thai passport and I didn't have to organise any photos... they did all that along with the fingerprinting and stuff. Compare that to TEN WEEKS for the UK passport renewal that also required two trips to Bangkok and all the expenses that entailed. The UK passport people are still striking... not enough paid tea breaks? Index linked pensions not good enough? Sack the lot and employ Thais? Or maybe pay the UK jobsworths by the passports they produce and not by the hour?

Anyway, here is my daughter's collection... new on the left and old on the right.

With one very obvious gap...



The daughter's Aussie passport runs out on August 13th and to be honest I think I'll be in need of a passport run to Bangkok by then. And let's not forget that ootai let down this thread badly by sneakily renewing his Aussie passport a couple of weeks ago with no trip report, no nothing.

I think this thread may have legs.

I picked up my UK passport from a tiny office near Maya Mall here in CM yesterday.

It took exactly 7 weeks, which since that included a five week strike is not bad.

Pretty sure that strike ended a couple of weeks ago, Mendy.

Of course I paid through the nose for it, but that's the way it is.

^ Seven weeks is very good... have a Green!

Contact the Chedster, and put yer feet up with a cuppa, bruv.






Relax at home with the wife, no need to go all flippy flappying around the country.

How prompt and reliable is this 'Chedster'?

I'm still waiting for me birthday present...

Originally Posted by Mendip

^ Seven weeks is very good... have a Green!

Why would you green him for that? It's just his good luck.

^ I don't know... doesn't good luck deserve a green?

Chitty does the occasional decent meal, you don't think that has anything to do with skill, do you?

Originally Posted by Mendip

Chitty does the occasional decent meal, you don't think that has anything to do with skill, do you?

Harsh, and doubly so coming from you!

Originally Posted by Mendip

So, five weeks for the Thai passport and I didn't have to organise any photos... they did all that along with the fingerprinting and stuff. Compare that to TEN WEEKS for the UK passport renewal that also required two trips to Bangkok and all the expenses that entailed.

Hang on a minute. I'm pretty sure you mentioned fucking something up/ not supplying something that you should have when applying for your daughter's UK passport and is the reason you had to wait 10 WEEKS.

If you want a fair comparison on Thailand vs the UK with regards to passport costs and service, apply for her Thai passport over here next time and let us know about your expenses in fucking Kensington.

We had to wait 4 months just for an appointment at that Thai consulate. I'm sure it was over 3 months to get the passport back too but I'll look into that.

Here's the post with your rejection letter because you didn't read the forms properly

https://teakdoor.com/thailands-trave...ml#post4490819 (Renewing a passport in Bangkok)

^ Let's not get pedantic now, Reg!

What exactly did you send as proof of residency that got refused?

Did you get it mixed up with the Thai process and show a photo of the nipper in her school uniform with a crayon drawn map to where your house is?

In fact, I submitted her translated birth certificate which had the same address as her and her mum's housebook register, which was also submitted.

That wasn't good enough for the jobsworths in Blighty so I had to get her head teacher to write a letter with the daughter's registered address.

This added maybe a couple of days, so it would have only taken NINE WEEKS FIVE DAYS otherwise.

Double post

Originally Posted by Mendip

This added maybe a couple of days, so it would have only taken NINE WEEKS FIVE DAYS otherwise

Cyrille got his in 7 weeks during a strike.

This first place I googled shows a woman receiving her childs UK passport back within 5 weeks... at the same time you applied, and she would have followed the exact same process you did, although she probably didn't arrive stinking after just alighting from a non airconned 5 hour bus trip in a Chang Vest, shorts and Jesus creepers reeking of Leo and Ladyblokes... and the Thai staff probably vetted her paperwork properly

Application Day.

By the end of the same day of the my application appointment, I had received an email from vfs confirming that the applications had been forwarded to HMPO.

5 weeks later I received an email to confirm that the passports were ready to be collected, that an appointment would not be required but that collection times were Monday to Friday (except on public holidays) from 14:00-15:00 hours.

Finally, having collected the passports I received a final email from to confirm that my passports had been collected.

By CB, Bangkok (25th April 2023)

This guy obviously paid the 100 baht 'tip'

Hello all. Thought this might help! I lost my passport whilst I was in Amsterdam, entered Thailand on an emergency passport and got a passport appointment within a week. Applied and sent off on the 7th February, got an email back on 23rd February to say passport is ready for collection. So much quicker than the 13 weeks quoted! I hope this helps

By Callum, Bangkok Thailand (24th February 2023)

Renewing a UK passport in Bangkok by Bangkok Phil

“probably didn't arrive stinking after just alighting from a non airconned 5 hour bus trip in a Chang Vest, shorts and Jesus creepers reeking of Leo and Ladyblokes... and the Thai staff probably vetted her paperwork properly”


A subtle point that perhaps more than a few forget…

^ I somehow missed that post... what a thing to say!

Anyway, I think it's worth repeating the last sensible post in this thread...

Originally Posted by Mendip

Anyway, here is my daughter's collection... new on the left and old on the right.

With one very obvious gap...



The daughter's Aussie passport runs out on August 13th and to be honest I think I'll be in need of a passport run to Bangkok by then. And let's not forget that ootai let down this thread badly by sneakily renewing his Aussie passport a couple of weeks ago with no trip report, no nothing.

I think this thread may have legs.

Yes, the time has come.

The daughter doesn't really need her Aussie passport because the UK one covers any European (or Aussie) travel, but seeing as I'm going to start looking into the possibility of further education for her in Australia I think it makes sense to keep her Aussie passport valid.

So I've been busy filling out forms.



The first hurdle was finding a suitable guarantor. My Welsh mate is a good engineer but he's not chartered and has no letters after his name so I'm not sure that he would meet the strict criteria the Australian authorities stipulate for foreign guarantors.

So, I needed an Australian and there was only one thing for it, and in desperation I contacted Ootai. The only requirement from an Aussie guarantor is that they can write, or at least leave their mark. I've met Ootai on several occasions and despite popular belief, he does have a couple of opposable thumbs so he seemed perfect.

Last Saturday we headed out to deepest, darkest Buri Ram province with the Aussie passport renewal form.



Ootai has a big chunk of land that I'm quite envious of... but it'd be hard work to stay on top of it.





He recently dug out a couple of fish ponds, that I'm also envious of. They're way bigger than mine.



And there he is on Mount Ootai, the spoil heap produced by digging out the ponds.



And to dispel that rumour... proof that Ootai does indeed have opposable thumbs!



Of course I jest, Ootai is a superb mining engineer, currently on a short break at home from a contract in WA. In the future he will be my first choice for a Maths and Physics tutor for the daughter to help get her through the GCSEs.

We left Buri Ram with the guarantor section duly written up and signed, along with the declaration on the back of the daughter's passport photo.

These things are all about the planning.

All that was left was to gather together all the documents... when I discovered that I have run out of original certified translations of the daughter's Thai birth certificate. I used to have a load but they have been gradually used up over the years. I have plenty of photocopies of the translations but I didn't want to risk that, not after travelling all the way down to Bangkok.

An email to Isaan Lawyers two days ago and all was sorted. Today I picked up three more certified translations, at the very reasonable cost of 1000 Baht, approximately the same as a decent pair of camouflage cargo shorts.

This is what you are looking at, with sensitive areas redacted.



But, there's always a fly in the ointment...

When I got the wife to fill in her part of the application form it was discovered that her Aussie passport has also expired. She came up with the ludicrous suggestion to accompany me down to Bangkok to renew her passport at the same time as the daughter's at the Australian Embassy... I mean... FFS.

Anyway, disaster averted, but it'll cost me in the future.

I now have the forms completed, have gathered all the necessary documents (I hope) and have an appointment at the Australian Embassy on Wireless Road for late morning next Wednesday.

To be honest, with an early start it should be perfectly possible to do this in a day trip to Bangkok and be back in Korat in time for tea.

We shall see.

Originally Posted by Mendip

To be honest, with an early start it should be perfectly possible to do this in a day trip to Bangkok and be back in Korat in time for tea.

I bet you picked Wednesday on porpoise. Arrive Monday, return Friday.

Originally Posted by Mendip

To be honest, with an early start it should be perfectly possible to do this in a day trip to Bangkok and be back in Korat in time for tea

Looks like the missus is going.

All about damage limitation to the wallet now

Originally Posted by Joe 90

Looks like the missus is going.

All about damage limitation to the wallet now

If he completes this passport run in one day with the missus in tow he will have a lot of explaining to do...

stuck between a rock and a hard place.