OK finally found that they are in process of running down Trendy Building but still oK "ish" to 18.3.24. From 24.3.24 address will be VFS Thailand, The Shoppes at Belle Grand Rama 9, 131/1, 141/1, Unit BS003-BS003/1, 1st Floor, Rama 9, Huay Kwang, Bangkok, , , Unit BS003-BS, 1st Floor, Rama 9, Huay Kwang, Bangkok, 10310. Upshot for poster is be quick or use Chiang Mai though the costs have risen a lot there ie +GBP76.50. Wherever it is needed to book an appointment. I'm guessing that may now be difficult (?) for Trendy Building.

@Steve ******

Yes, British Passport applications in Thailand have nothing to do with the British Embassy. It all normally goes smoothly at VFS Trendy Building, Sukhmvit Soi 13 in Bangkok. There is also a Chiang Mai Office, with lesser hours and increased costs in some aspects. At the moment though it seems impossble to get any details re Trendy Building, hitherto the main office. I wonder whether they are in the process of moving as a Srinakarin Road address is also suddenly appearing but no more than an address. Suddenly a normally straightforward process looks confused. Poster, please be warned. Meantime this is helpful Likewise this /a-quick-guide-to-renewing-your-british-passport-in-bangkok/

@Sarah *****

Are we talking Standard Chartered Jersey?

@Keith *******

Superrich ORANGE. Happyrich similar, sometimes higher.

As best I can see across the net there is no evidence that you are anything other than a hobbyist. That maybe hobbyist with aspirations. But in either case you would be no different from thousands using tourist visas and legitimately so, meaning for and in Thailand. There is no way that you can access anything else here in Thailand. However Thailand is not particularly normal in a region where a tourist visa can cover work-related activity and/or where a business visa is simply readily available (meaning on demand, no backdrop of invtations, etc). You should be looking to say Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia if you want to find more "blurry", more flexible and more realistic visa regimes, at the least to cover business meetings. If we are to ignore my first comment about "hobbyist" it would stilll be the case that all you have described is business meetings. At an aesthetic level those countries may sound less appealing than Thailand but that is likely only through having accepted greater commercialisation in Thailand. Hill tribes are the perfect example to consider.

@Lisa ***

or just say that you already have insurance.

The deal is a simple one. Only people at the extremities contribute. Many, many expats settle down to a balanced view. Thailand is not a place of milk and honey only to be viewed through very rosy specs, or not even requiring them for some expats. Equally, is this the worst place on the planet, or anything like the worst place on the planet-determinedly not. As to people, there are nice Thais and there are unpleasant Thais. A bit like every other country on the planet. Worth remembering too that if some issues tend to turn the balance negative, sometimes very negative, they don't often apply to expats eg domestic violence.

Damn. They have closed Hull, maybe Cardiff too. Have a Google.

Have you tried contacting a Royal Thai consulate in UK for advice? Address: Royal Thai Honorary Consulate, Cardiff

71 Rhydypenau Road

Cyncoed Cardiff CF23 6PZ

Tel: +44 (0) 2920 6

Mobile +44 (0) 7966 9

Email:

Royal Thai Honorary Consulate, Hull

Address: Royal Thai Consulate, Hull

Sands Lane, Elloughton Brough HU15 1JH

Tel: +44 (0) 7983 1

Email: This used to be quite the workaround - maybe Hull but also maybe the old Birmingham address. Whatever you are likely to get a more caring, more constructive approach than from the London Embassy. BTW isn't it the case that the London Embassy can now only be visited by appointment???

@Eamonn ********

Me too on attempted independence. But things seem to actually push in the opposite direction in that however much you develop knowledge of the system it gets tinkered with in the name of improvement, but actually making it worse. Trying to get TM30 and TM47 to align these days!!!!! Something as simple as that if computer systems and their developers were up to snuff.