nomad97
Resident Geek
For your information, within the past week I have sent my passport renewal paperwork to Hong Kong to obtain a new British Passport. Here are some observations for you to consider. Contrary to the advice given on the FCO website, if you do not live in a big city DHL is not a very good option for sending your renewal paperwork to Hong Kong. I live in Surin and the nearest DHL office is some 200 Kilometers away in Korat. I sent my application through the Thai Postal Service, Express Mail Service (EMS) which is a registered delivery with online tracking at a cost of 450 Baht. The envelope was delivered by Airmail within 4 days. Actually, you do not send your passport, only a photocopy of your picture and personal information page, plus photographs, plus the application form (filled-in on-line and printed off). Further, they ask for payment via Banker's Draft payable in Hong Kong Dollars. There is no bank in Surin Province, and I suspect most other rural provinces, that will give you a Banker's Draft payable in Hong Kong Dollars. I know, I was in Bangkok Bank yesterday when some other unfortunate soul was trying to obtain said banker's draft. It was the third different bank he had tried that morning. Fortunately I was able to point him in another direction. The ATM Card issued by the Bangkok Bank is a VISA direct debit card that will accept payments from overseas. I had filled in the Credit/Debit Card Authorisation Form, available from the FCO website, and included that method of payment with my application form. I posted my application on 27th June and my bank account was debited to the tune of 7,106.52 Baht on 4th July. As I do not use my debit card for any other transactions I must assume that this is the application fee plus return courier service charge deducted by the FCO Passport Processing Centre in Hong Kong. At 49 Baht to the £ this equates to a total charge of £145 (£125 to renew passport + some £20 return courier fees). This is in line with the scale of fees published on the FCO website. I hope some of you will find this information useful.