[sting]

You can now renew your Thai passport by post. , The Foreign Affairs Ministry passport division has offered streamlined procedures to apply and renew passports.

Now it takes just 15 to 30 minutes for either task, and there are no forms to fill in, an ID card is all that is needed.

Foreign Affairs Ministry passport division director Surasak Chueasuknonthip said formerly the process for applying for a passport were complicated and many documents were needed.

The division is now linked with the Interior Ministry, so a passport can be in hand within three days, he said.

He also highlighted the new renewal by post service being offered.

"Applicants can just take ID cards and passports to post offices.

"Then, pay Bt1,150 (and a Bt150 to the post office responsible for sending the passports back to the applicants)."

The passport division is also developing e-Passports, a passport upon which data will be scanned from finger-prints, irises or lines on the palm. It is expected to be in use soon

Source: The Nation