Renew Thai passport?
Dear readers,
My Thai girlfriend has been living here with me in the Netherlands for a few years now. We want to go to Asia this summer. But just find out that her passport expires in early January 2023. Can't you extend this at the Thai embassy in The Hague? How much time does something like this take? Making an appointment online is also not that easy. It's your turn in mid-May.
We want to leave early July. The actual target was Bali. But then it will all be very tight in terms of new passport on time. Now I was thinking about going to Thailand and then just renewing that passport there. But that wouldn't normally go according to the rules. Because the passport must still be valid for 6 months after the return date. That's just not it. Is that being looked into?
Or do you just enter on the old date (old passport) that is still within the 6-month period? And that you then go back on the new passport?
Regards,
Rob
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I would have your girlfriend (don't call yourself) call the Thai embassy.
You may be able to make an appointment quickly.
I can't imagine having to wait that long.
My wife once contacted the Thai embassy and was able to go the same day.
Even during the break, because they had left the door ajar as agreed.
And the beginning of January 2023 is still a very long time before the passport expires.
My girlfriend called. She can't go until May.
Your wife can make an appointment at the Thai consulate tomorrow and say she needs a new passport.
Renewing a Thai passport, as you call it, will not work because you can only apply for a new passport.
The application for a new Thai passport does not take that long, and has the advantage that instead of the former 5-year validity of the passport, you can now also opt for a 10-year validity.
I would apply for it as soon as possible, because if she flies to Bali, the passport must still have 6 months validity.
Would you go to Thailand first, her passport does not have to be valid for 6 months, and she can get a new passport within a week at the Passport Office near her former place of residence.
Are you sure? Because then we do.
Yes that's for sure, my wife has been to Thailand regularly with a passport that was valid for much less than 6 months. Just request a new one there, and often receive it at the indicated address in less than 1 week. (Costs 1500 Baht for a passport with 10 years validity + shipping costs)
Hello Rob,
Why don't you just go to Thailand and arrange a new Thai passport for your wife in Bangkok. Once you have that, you may also have time to fly to Bali.
Good luck with it.
Regards,
Harry
How long do you think that will take?
My wife has had her passport renewed 3 times in The Hague and that goes more smoothly than in Thailand, I think it was done in 2 weeks after the first appointment.
Well, it won't go that much faster.
Just heard here >>> requested in Pattaya, and delivered 3 days later to the apartment where we stayed at the time.
If you go to a Passport Office in Thailand, you can immediately indicate a Thai address where they can send the new passport.
It often takes less than a week, and is of course not comparable to the application at a Thai consulate abroad.
My wife has done it this way regularly, and it has never taken longer than 1 week at the most for it to arrive at her Thai address
Bring your old passport, + Thai iden.card, + money for a new passport (approx. 1500 Baht for a 10-year valid passport) and costs for sending to Thai address.
Passport photo is usually taken there on site.
Coincidentally, I had a few Thai passports extended earlier this year at the Thai Embassy in The Hague (after an online appointment 7 weeks earlier). Takes about 4 weeks until you receive the Thai passport at home.
You must make an appointment via the website of the embassy. If you are in a hurry, I would indeed have your wife call the embassy.
It takes about 4 weeks. A passport photo is also taken at the embassy. The last time we needed a new passport for our daughter, it cost € 32.50 + € 7.50 to have the new passport sent to your home by registered mail. That is easy if you live a little further from The Hague.
I don't know if those rates have changed since then. Good luck.
Just have it done in The Hague online appointment, takes 3 weeks before the passport is ready.
My wife applied for a new Thai passport in Pattaya in December. Bureau is located on the second road in that complex just behind Starbucks.
She arrived at 7:30 am and was given a tracking number. Around 10 o'clock she returned and it was already her turn. Even the passport photo is taken there. She opted for a 10-year valid passport and paid 1500 Baht.
3 days later we already received the passport at home.
In my opinion it goes a lot smoother than in B or NL. In Thailand there is a lot more human interaction.
Nowadays Petchaburi also has a office in the Robinson shopping complex where you can apply for a Thai pass. Done this morning for daughter Lizzy (11). After checking the stack of papers, it was a piece of cake in this spacious office, equipped with the most modern digital equipment (the Netherlands can still suck a bit on that. After half an hour we were outside again. We have been promised that we will have the new passport within a week (1000 baht passport and 40 baht postage).