To help, Liverpool, Bangkok, Consular, Justin. 3:21 PM 15:02:2023.
Ref: POGR/0531447/23
Dear Sirs,
I have today received an email from your Mr. M. Thomas of HMPO Complaints team which addresses the above reference complaint.
“I can confirm your new passport and documents are waiting to be collected from the VAC and we have requested for these to remain there until this matter is resolved. This has been confirmed by VFS.
In order for the agent to collect your passport and documents they will need to bring the following:
- A written and signed letter from yourself giving approval for the named third party to make the collection.
- The third party must also provide original photographic ID e.g. passport, photographic driving license or equivalent for themselves to allow the Local Service Provider to confirm that the person present is the named third party as stated in your letter.
- The previous passport that was issued with an error
I understand you have been instructed to return the previous passport to HMPO Liverpool Office however if you have not done so already, please provide this to the third party and once the new passport is collected, the VAC will return it to us on your behalf.”
Initially I would point out that the email makes no mention of reimbursement of my costs in arranging for the passports to be collected.
I have agreed to provide a signed letter from myself to an agent giving approval to make the collection. I shall also instruct the agent to have original identification documents to prove that he or she is the party named in the letter.
However, what the agent will not have is the original of the passport with the error. Since August 2022 I have stated this on numerous occasions. You are correct that I have been instructed to return the original passport to HMPO, Liverpool and I agreed to do this within three months of receipt of the replacement passport (HMPO OS8 letter of 30th December 2022 reference 5107077387). That instruction made no mention of any involvement of VFS/VAC, Bangkok in the procedure. You may remember that VFS/VAC were a party at fault in issuing the incorrectly prepared passport and, as such, I have requested that they send a scanned copy of the replacement passport to me (which they have yet to do).
As you should be aware, Thai law requires me to be in possession of a valid passport at all times. Also, my passport is required for any dealings I have with my bank or a need to visit a hospital. To courier the passport to an agent in Bangkok would mean that I am not in possession of my passport and also the document is at risk of loss resulting in me not having a passport at all.
To conclude, I am perfectly agreeable to returning the original incorrectly prepared passport to HMPO, Liverpool for cancellation but only after I have personally received the replacement passport (and I have had the Thai Immigration information transferred). How the replacement passport reaches me should be the responsibility of HMPO whether Liverpool or Bangkok. It was a simple solution for HMPO, Liverpool to courier it direct to me (as I requested on a number of occasions) but they refused. It is still now a simple solution (and at minimal cost) for VFS/VAC, Bangkok to courier it direct to me. If requested, I shall authorise them in writing to do so.
I trust that this will enable you to issue the required instructions to ensure that in future I have a correctly prepared passport and this long overdue matter may finally be brought to a conclusion.
Regards
