All sounds fine, but no mention was made of the time it takes to obtain a new passport.
6 weeks has been mentioned as the maximum time when applying to Hong Kong. However my experience in assisting freiend to obtain pasport renewals has gone beyond 6 weeks.
If you want to find out what's going on after 6 weeks, you have to call a UK number, and pay some 60pence a minute + 20% VAT for the privilege of speaking to someone. Credit cards are needed (and not everyone has one)
You want an emergency passport during the 6 weeks that you are without your old one, and you have to go to Bangkok. That in itself is a 2 day return trip for the likes of us who live in Isaan
A totally unacceptable service, but nobody cares!