Heads up Americans

[billpay]

This morning I went to consular outreach program at La Meridian in Phuket to apply for a new passport.
They used to take your old passport to Bangkok and send new one within a few days. No More.
Now they send all passports back to the US and it takes 2-3 weeks to get a new one.
Even if you apply in Bangkok they send back to the states, so no more getting a new passport the next day.
Luckily I'm not planning on leaving the country in the next few weeks, but it still feels weird not to have a passport for that length of time.

[K2]

So much for progress huh - while a Thai can head to a regional passport office, apply in person and get photographed on the spot and get their new passport back in 203 days for ~1000 Baht, in the 'West' it's getting ever more complicated, longer and more expensive.

Really it's shameful why passports/visa's haven't been digitised (to the size of a credit card).

[Robaht]

It's been that way for quite a while actually, when was the last time you got a passport? All passports are done in the US by The Dept of State and in my experience it takes about 2 weeks, but I am pretty sure you keep your current passport until the new one arrives - at least if you apply in Bangkok directly. I've probably done that about 3-4 times as I keep a "secondary" passport (in addition to my "primary") and they only recently upped the duration on those from 2 years to 4 years (which is nice) and seemed every year I was getting a new one since they aren't any use if less than 6 months validity. Good luck with the new passport!

This morning I went to consular outreach program at La Meridian in Phuket to apply for a new passport.
They used to take your old passport to Bangkok and send new one within a few days. No More.
Now they send all passports back to the US and it takes 2-3 weeks to get a new one.
Even if you apply in Bangkok they send back to the states, so no more getting a new passport the next day.
Luckily I'm not planning on leaving the country in the next few weeks, but it still feels weird not to have a passport for that length of time.

[Robaht]

So much for progress huh - while a Thai can head to a regional passport office, apply in person and get photographed on the spot and get their new passport back in 203 days for ~1000 Baht, in the 'West' it's getting ever more complicated, longer and more expensive.

Really it's shameful why passports/visa's haven't been digitised (to the size of a credit card).

I have a USA "passport card" that is the size of a credit card and I can use it when traveling to Canada/Mexico and I think the Caribbean. The problem isn't the ability to make them, I have one, the problem is whether other countries would accept them for entry - and not many do, it seems.

Off topic, the APEC card is pure gold when traveling into Mexico (and of course around Asia) - it's like a diplomatic passport, very cool if you can get one, do it!

[billpay]

Yes it's been 10years since I had the last one made. They took my old passport, so I am without one now.

[Captain]

So much for progress huh - while a Thai can head to a regional passport office, apply in person and get photographed on the spot and get their new passport back in 203 days for ~1000 Baht, in the 'West' it's getting ever more complicated, longer and more expensive.

Really it's shameful why passports/visa's haven't been digitised (to the size of a credit card).

maybe it is because the "West" wants to avoid false passports and take a much closer stand at distributing or replacing them. I mean, with a US or EU passport (including UK) you ca easily gets into those countries, while what can you do with a Thai passport outside Thailand?

[WarProfiteer]

Yeah, had one done about 6 months back... took 2 weeks.

[Bacon]

Did they issue any temporary piece of paper in the time being? Not having a passport is quite disconcerting, even if only for a few days.

[billpay]

Only a receipt for 3850 baht for 'passport service'. Yes, it is a bit disconcerting.