Uk passport

[Hoopoe]

Hi guys , just a heads up for anyone re-newing passport UK
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britis ... 023-03-17/
they have announced strike action starting in April ,

[747man]

Five week passport office strike
Members of the PCS Union are walking out next month


NEWS
ByDavid HumphreysLocal Democracy Reporter
00:01, 17 MAR 2023UPDATED07:03, 17 MAR 2023


Liverpool Passport Office


Staff at Merseyside passport offices are to stage five weeks of strike action.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union has confirmed more than a thousand workers across England, Scotland and Wales are to leave their posts for industrial action. Staff from Liverpool and Southport will be joined by those working in Durham, Glasgow, London, Newport and Peterborough from April 3 to May 5.

[Drunk Monkey]

Some up to date info with regard to renewing a UK passport ... quite a few folks have done this via the Trendy House route but thought i would post as i did it a tad out of the box.

I visit Bkk often but it wasnt easy to nail down a convenient time for an appointment so went down the walk in with the bear essentials and see what happens.

I was in Bkk on Guinness cans business so decided to stayed over at my bizz partners house in Punawithi and enjoy a cultural evening of Belgian beer , a cracking pizza from Pizza Mania (best in Bkk) combined with a quick visit to a temple or two

In the morning jumped on the Punawithi sky train at 8am .. 20 mins and 55bt got off at Nana n walked the 100m down soi 13 to Trendy arriving slightly fuzzy in the head but exactly at their 8-30 opening time... up to 8th floor and walked in said no have appointment can i do a walk in ? yes but have to pay a fee ..ok
I was number 1 walk in and gave the very pretty English speaking young lady my old passport , 2 passport pics and Thai driving license as proof of address in ENGLISH , i did not take any photo copies with me as they will do it for you for a fee.

I completed the standard Uk passport forms while the lass did my copying... she did advise me to go outside to copy as cheaper but my head was still in the previous nights temple mode so declined her advice.

Payments as follows

127.51p pounds sterling for the passport .. will be taken off my Kasikorn Visa card circa 5,600 bt within the next few days.

Add to that cash payment as below totaling 2000 bt
walk in fee 1560 bt
copying 440 bt ..(colour copies of every page of passport being renewed and Thai drivers license both sides.)

7,600 bt total

(I was quoted 9 to 12 k to use an agent which would have been a waste of money and they hold your passport for the processing period which IMO isnt a good idea.)

Advised 6 to 10 week turnaround and will receive an email when new passport arrives .. they will hold the new passport for 30 days and it must be collected in person .. anyone living in Bkk must collect between 2-3pm only , where as if residing out of Bkk you can collect any day Mon to Fri between 830am to 2pm

Yes you can save a few baht by going down the appointment route not walk in and doing your copying outside but IMO it was so easy and hassle free paying a bit more was worth it and being a walk in tied it into my business schedule so easily.

Left Trendy at 9am , a most welcome quick bacon banjo n black coffee and back to Punawithi to collect my truck.

Hardest part of the whole experience was the drive down Wednesday morning as the new HW between UD and KK was washed out in two places and diversions needed.

DM

[tamada]

Good info there DM, thanks. Might just do that myself when I renew next.

[Khun Paul]

Some up to date info with regard to renewing a UK passport ... quite a few folks have done this via the Trendy House route but thought i would post as i did it a tad out of the box.

I visit Bkk often but it wasnt easy to nail down a convenient time for an appointment so went down the walk in with the bear essentials and see what happens.

I was in Bkk on Guinness cans business so decided to stayed over at my bizz partners house in Punawithi and enjoy a cultural evening of Belgian beer , a cracking pizza from Pizza Mania (best in Bkk) combined with a quick visit to a temple or two

In the morning jumped on the Punawithi sky train at 8am .. 20 mins and 55bt got off at Nana n walked the 100m down soi 13 to Trendy arriving slightly fuzzy in the head but exactly at their 8-30 opening time... up to 8th floor and walked in said no have appointment can i do a walk in ? yes but have to pay a fee ..ok
I was number 1 walk in and gave the very pretty English speaking young lady my old passport , 2 passport pics and Thai driving license as proof of address in ENGLISH , i did not take any photo copies with me as they will do it for you for a fee.

I completed the standard Uk passport forms while the lass did my copying... she did advise me to go outside to copy as cheaper but my head was still in the previous nights temple mode so declined her advice.

Payments as follows

127.51p pounds sterling for the passport .. will be taken off my Kasikorn Visa card circa 5,600 bt within the next few days.

Add to that cash payment as below totaling 2000 bt
walk in fee 1560 bt
copying 440 bt ..(colour copies of every page of passport being renewed and Thai drivers license both sides.)

7,600 bt total

(I was quoted 9 to 12 k to use an agent which would have been a waste of money and they hold your passport for the processing period which IMO isnt a good idea.)

Advised 6 to 10 week turnaround and will receive an email when new passport arrives .. they will hold the new passport for 30 days and it must be collected in person .. anyone living in Bkk must collect between 2-3pm only , where as if residing out of Bkk you can collect any day Mon to Fri between 830am to 2pm

Yes you can save a few baht by going down the appointment route not walk in and doing your copying outside but IMO it was so easy and hassle free paying a bit more was worth it and being a walk in tied it into my business schedule so easily.

Left Trendy at 9am , a most welcome quick bacon banjo n black coffee and back to Punawithi to collect my truck.

Hardest part of the whole experience was the drive down Wednesday morning as the new HW between UD and KK was washed out in two places and diversions needed.

DM

Noted you said about 12000 baht using an agent possibly so apart from Trendy costs, what were the costs of travelling down to BKK TWICE !!. You run a business so your costs are offset, but mere mortals would have to pay personally so that factor must also be added into the equation

[Drunk Monkey]

Indeed Tam

Using an agent is not a great idea IMO as it adds 5k onto the overall cost and you are without your passport for the duration of the process ..application to collection/delivery of new passport.

The walk in service worked spot on for me as slotted in with me being in Punawithi the evening before which is a 20 min sky train away. I was lazy not doing my own photo copying but wanted to walk in with the bear essentials to to see how it went knowing if it failed i could return another time later this month when in Bangers again.

The walk in fee does add 1560 to the cost but this can be offest against saving on a hotel and /or travel expenses and im guessing most wont just sit in a hotel room playing pocket billiards whilst in Bkk .. would you ??? .. again handy for me cos i was on my partners biz expenses

Theres a list of added services on the website link below even including premium lounge executive service which is daft as i was only there max 30 mins.

Each to their own .. just posted as an option to consider for anyone with a renewal coming up.

https://visa.vfsglobal.com/tha/en/gbr/hmpo

[rick]

But if you do not visit Bangkok regularly 2 round trips by air add 5-6 thousand to the cost. That's why agents get used.

[Drunk Monkey]

But if you do not visit Bangkok regularly 2 round trips by air add 5-6 thousand to the cost. That's why agents get used.

Indeed totally get that rick and thats why the agents fee is set at the amount its set at .. for my sins i am fortunate to be in Bkk three or four times per month and my experiment was to see just if a walk in is possible and how it would work out.
I also need my passport with me and did not want it stuck with an agent for the processing time.

Back to having to pay for flights .. i personally dislike flying intensely so would either drive (Bkk round trip circa 2500-3000bt) ,use the train or as a last resort the death race bus.

As said ..my post was as info re walk in taking the bear essentials ... so it can be done if anyone wishes to do so.

DM

[tamada]

But if you do not visit Bangkok regularly 2 round trips by air add 5-6 thousand to the cost. That's why agents get used.

For a procedure that's amortized over 10 years either way you decide to go, what's cost got to do with it?

[Drunk Monkey]

But if you do not visit Bangkok regularly 2 round trips by air add 5-6 thousand to the cost. That's why agents get used.

For a procedure that's amortized over 10 years either way you decide to go, what's cost got to do with it?

Spoken like a true Jock Tam ..

My experiment was more based around convenience as opposed to saving or equaling out payment ..

DM

[papafarang]

But if you do not visit Bangkok regularly 2 round trips by air add 5-6 thousand to the cost. That's why agents get used.

For a procedure that's amortized over 10 years either way you decide to go, what's cost got to do with it?

Spoken like a true Jock Tam ..

My experiment was more based around convenience as opposed to saving or equaling out payment ..

DM

Or like myself not physically able to go, in fact at the time I would have had to use an air ambulance to get there and back. Agent was way cheaper that chartering a private plane.

[Drunk Monkey]

But if you do not visit Bangkok regularly 2 round trips by air add 5-6 thousand to the cost. That's why agents get used.

For a procedure that's amortized over 10 years either way you decide to go, what's cost got to do with it?

Spoken like a true Jock Tam ..

My experiment was more based around convenience as opposed to saving or equaling out payment ..

DM

Or like myself not physically able to go, in fact at the time I would have had to use an air ambulance to get there and back. Agent was way cheaper that chartering a private plane.

Thats a good point Dean and obviously the agent route is dam useful in such circumstances... i think in cases such as that with the correct supporting documentation you can nominate a person to go on your behalf , at least thats how i read it.

As a bit of added info ..if not using an agent you can nominate a person to collect your new passport from Trendy if its not convenient to travel.

DM

[tamada]

But if you do not visit Bangkok regularly 2 round trips by air add 5-6 thousand to the cost. That's why agents get used.

For a procedure that's amortized over 10 years either way you decide to go, what's cost got to do with it?

Spoken like a true Jock Tam ..

My experiment was more based around convenience as opposed to saving or equaling out payment ..

DM

I never suggested otherwise. It's just the 'cost of airfare' versus the 'use an agent' argument doesn't make much sense. Fly and DIY is broadly the same price as using an agent (cheaper in your excellent walk-in example) and you only need to do it once every ten years. It's the convenience that makes the latter a no brainer for the stay-at-home Oodorn types, not the cost savings

[deankham]

Last time mine and my daughters passports were due for renewal used it as a good excuse to visit blighty.

My home town, Durham, has a passport office so was very easy for me. Passport is prepared and available same day using the premium service.

[dunroaming]

But if you do not visit Bangkok regularly 2 round trips by air add 5-6 thousand to the cost. That's why agents get used.

For a procedure that's amortized over 10 years either way you decide to go, what's cost got to do with it?

Spoken like a true Jock Tam ..

My experiment was more based around convenience as opposed to saving or equaling out payment ..

DM

I never suggested otherwise. It's just the 'cost of airfare' versus the 'use an agent' argument doesn't make much sense. Fly and DIY is broadly the same price as using an agent (cheaper in your excellent walk-in example) and you only need to do it once every ten years. It's the convenience that makes the latter a no brainer for the stay-at-home Oodorn types, not the cost savings

Spoken like a true Aberdonian not all jocks are tight fisted

[deankham]

When it's DM's round at the bar apparently he throws his money around like a Jock with no arms.......

[dunroaming]

When it's DM's round at the bar apparently he throws his money around like a Jock with no arms.......

Definitely not true I've had a beer off of DM, hold on sorry that wasn't jon my mistake

[noosard]

Still waiting for the house wrecking parta with the flowery wall paper

[Drunk Monkey]

Still waiting for the house wrecking parta with the flowery wall paper

Waiting for all the ducks to get in a row Noos before i return to the fold , fall off the wagon and host a combined party .. way to busy at the mo with a new place in Sisaket

There will be a strict dress code for any party ...just so you know.

DM

[noosard]

There will be a strict dress code for any party ...just so you know.

DM

So there should be