Getting a new Passport in Thailand

[Gaybutton]

I don't know how it is for UK, Australian, and passports from other countries if yours is about to expire, but you live in Thailand. For Americans, it used to be a trip to the US embassy in Bangkok, filling out the request form, turning in your current passport, paying the fee, and then waiting for your new passport to arrive, which meant another trip to the embassy to retrieve it.

Don't forget, with most transactions requiring your passport, especially immigration, your passport must still have 6 months validity left.

My own passport was getting close to that limit, so time to get a new one. However, now the US embassy no longer allows a trip to the embassy. The entire process must be done by mail. Not only that, but the US $130 fee must be paid in US dollars.

To me, this looked like a major ordeal - following all the little hoops to jump through involving the passport photos, insured envelopes, and since I no longer have any American bank accounts, how I was going to be able to pay the fee in American dollars?

I decided to do what I usually don't like to do - use a visa service. In Pattaya the only visa service I was able to find that does passports is Key Visa.

https://www.easyvisathailand.com/

There is nothing illegal about it or how they do it. They simply handle all the hoop jumping for you.

Yesterday I took my passport and two passport photos to Key Visa. There is more than one visa service on that access road, so make sure you're going to the right one.

If there is anything wrong with your passport photos, they make the corrections right there - 2 photos - 200 baht if corrections are needed.

Their fee for the new passport is 10,000 baht. That covers everything. You don't have to do a thing. Considering the passport fee is US $130 - the equivalent of around 4550 baht, the convenience of it seems well worth the fee, and I think their fee is quite reasonable.

All I had to do was write my signature on 3 documents. That's it! No hassle at all. They do all the rest. They even removed the papers stapled into my passport and put them in a packet for me to use when my new passport arrives. They included photocopies of the necessary passport pages in case I am asked to show my passport while waiting for the new one to arrive.

I was in and out in 5 minutes. You can pay the fee in cash, debit card, credit card. or use "scanner pay".

I should receive my new passport in about 5-6 weeks. It will arrive at their office and they will contact me once it's in.

I am truly impressed with Key Visa. I did call Mots first, but they don't handle passports. If you live in Thailand and need a new passport, no matter what country you are from, I highly recommend Key Visa.

[2lz2p]

I will need to renew my Passport - it doesn't expire until April 2025, but I need to renew it before I do my next extension which I will do in June. Otherwise, my next extension would expire on the date my current passport expires.

I was also dreading the new process, although I have complete info now on how to do it, it is a bit of a process involving 3 different actions: 1-completing application package to be mailed to the US embassy in Bangkok which includes submitting proof of doing steps 2 & 3; 2-Going online to the US Gov't pay portal and use credit card to pay the fee; and 3-Going on line to the Thai post office page where you have them send a postage paid envelope addressed to you direct to the US Embassy for their use in sending your new passport and old passport to you.

Please let us know how it goes and the time it takes to get your passport back. Was the US$ passport fee included in their 10k baht fee or was it in addition to their fee? If all goes well for you, I will most likely use them when it comes time for me to renew (probably next April).

[Dodger]

Great information.

I have a year left before I renew mine - and I'll probably follow GB's path if all works out for him.

Thanks for posting.

[Gaybutton]

Was the US$ passport fee included in their 10k baht fee or was it in addition to their fee?

I too was very confused with the embassy's instructions about doing it by mail. And I doubt anyone needs me to guess what happens if you make any mistakes. Even now I have no idea how I would have been able to pay the passport fee only in American dollars since I have no American bank accounts or credit cards. Maybe there is a way to do it via WISE, but that only adds to the confusion. I don't know what's wrong with paying in baht. In the years when I used to go to American Citizens Services at the embassy, I was always able to pay using my Thai bank debit card. Why is that a problem now?

Anyway yes. The 10,000 baht fee covers everything, including the passport fee and is included in their fee. In my opinion a very reasonable price considering the passport fee is nearly half what Key Visa charges.

If all goes well, I should have my new passport around February 15-25. I will certainly post once I have it.

Also, your old passport will be invalidated, but returned to you with the new passport. Don't forget to take both of those to immigration, which you should do immediately. And try to make sure they do what is necessary so that you will be able to continue doing the 90-day reports online with your new passport number.

Also, don't forget to notify all entities that will need your new passport information - banks, insurance companies, hospitals, etc.

[Jun]

Being a naive British Citizen, I'm thinking wouldn't Visa and MasterCard be accepted in the USA to pay for such things?

[2lz2p]

Being a naive British Citizen, I'm thinking wouldn't Visa and MasterCard be accepted in the USA to pay for such things?

Yes they are and can be used. But, as GB mentioned, in his case he doesn't have a credit card, so it appears he would be unable to use US Gov't portal for making online payments.

[Gaybutton]

it appears he would be unable to use US Gov't portal for making online payments.

Even if I could, the procedures the US embassy requires are complicated and, at least to me, quite confusing. Obviously Key Visa has access to whatever is necessary. They get paid to deal with the headaches so that I don't have to. To me, it would have been worth going to Key Visa even if they charged twice as much. I'm very happy about that. I only hope they are still in business 10 years from now when it's time for the next passport and if I'm still alive by then . . .

I guess I should also mention the glaringly obvious, just in case - when you go to Key Visa, or any visa service, don't forget to take your passport with you . . .

[Gaybutton]

Today I received a call from Key Visa informing me that my new passport has arrived. It took only a couple days longer than 4 weeks.

They offered a second service. For a 2500 baht fee they will be the ones who go to immigration and handle everything - from doing the visa transfers to making sure my new passport number is in the system so there won't be any problems doing the 90-day address reports online or anything else.

In short, I readily paid their fee and I won't have to go to immigration at all. Well worth it to me. If the total of 12,500 baht seems like a lot, don't forget that nearly half of that is the fee the US embassy charges alone.

I hope they're still in business - and I'm still alive - 10 years from now when it's time to get the next passport.

If I'm not still alive, for where I'll be going I doubt a passport will be necessary . . .

[2lz2p]

Thanks GB!

I am glad to see they were able to take care of everything.

I agree, the price to me is worth it to not have the hassle of trying to do it myself online and by mail, etc. and, as you mentioned earlier, it does include the US passport fee.

I plan to use their services either mid to late March or early April which should get it back to me in plenty of time before I need to renew my extension, which is due in in early July - I always do 2 to 3 weeks in advance of the due date.

[Gaybutton]

Also, the new US passport is a "next generation" passport with a whole new look.

If you want to see what that's all about along with what it looks like, click the link and view the video:

https://www.afar.com/magazine/us-starts ... -passports