Captain Jack

Surely they don't expect her to submit the original document? That would be very unusual. You normally make a copy or a scan and send that. What's important is that it's translated. Make sure that names are spelled correctly in the translation and you shouldn't have a problem. If there is a problem with the actual birth certificate then that will be a problem to resolve. She will have to go back to the office that originally issued it ('Amphur' office, that's the district level of governance, they handle the civil list) and take both certificates and her ID card. This kind of thing is not normal procedure so different officers will tell her different things on different days and, yes, there may be a fee (above the table or otherwise) to get it cleared. She'll need to be patient and may need to go several times. On the other hand she may get lucky and have it done in 5 minutes. She should do it though as it could cause problems in the future. I have known someone whose family name written in Thai on their birth certificate bares no resemblance to its official English translation. They simply make sure any translation of it bares the correct English spelling and that is accepted by governments around the world. Trying to get it changed would require new housing registration, ID card, passport, bank accounts, basically a whole new identity.

There is positively no way to contact VFS about anything. They are not a good company. But they don't do anything anyway. To inquire about an ongoing application you would need to email the UKVI directly. Don't bother though. They charge you for the privilege and if they ever do get back to you they will give you the same answer as everyone else, that they are unable to comment on individual cases. Unfortunately you just have to wait. You will get some sort of response eventually. Applying for a visa is not easy right now and neither VFS nor UKVI seem interested in doing anything about that, just in making money.

This is a very real problem. Has anyone got any helpful experience here? I have seen agents who can somehow check available appointments online in seconds but when we apply ourselves we have to spend an hour completing the form, including finalizing the visa start date and our accommodation dates and paying only to find no available appointments. Then, to cancel the application they take 28 days to refund the fee (and don't tell you that until after you've already cancelled it). I assume the agents keep floating applications and just cancel them when they expire. This is obvious anti-consumer practice as they want you to pay for "premium" service out of desperation. They whole application process is a miserable experience is being at the receiving end of greed. Money talks after all.

Visit visa? UKVI have publicized the temporary suspension of priority processing on settlement visas but still offer it on visit visas. They also wont explain what they're doing with anyone who paid for priority processing before it was cancelled but is still stuck in the system. Standard applications for visit visas are taking 6 weeks. I had one done in 7 in March. Are you saying you paid for priority processing on a UK visit visa and it took 3 weeks?

Not for a Thai passport it's not. Just got one done on Phuket and it took less than 48 hours including postage! Cost 1000B. Of course a Thai passport isn't worth the paper it's written on and getting the visa they'll need to go literally anywhere will take months but still, why can't so-called "developed" countries manage this?

Thanks. Definitely no e-mail though. That's the main thing I've been checking (the SMS "service" we paid extra for is just CC of the emails anyway). I've submitted inquiries both to VFS and UKVI. I actually received a confirmation from UKVI (who charged me for my inquiry!) saying it will take them up to ANOTHER 15 days to check into it and got the usual silence from VFS. Is their service usually this poor? The 'Trendy' office in in Bangkok is an absolute shambles and to have to wait nearly 2 months for a visitor visa application only for it to vaporize and be told to wait another 15 days is quite possibly the worst customer service experience I've ever had. I mean we literally heard nothing from them for 52 days then they returned a blank passport in an empty envelope.

True. But, in that case which "type of visa" would you say you don't need to use an agent for? This is a standard visitor visa. A 'tourist' visa. It's literally the only thing that should be simple to get. Unless of course the UKVI is intentionally playing a secret game of 'keep-em-out'.

If the Home Office want to see "reasons to return" why don't they ask for such in the application process? There aren't even options to submit anything other than general "supporting documents" and no explanation of what those might be. Bearing in mind that everything has to be translated and certified, at a cost, you'd think some explanation would be helpful.

Our application just took 52 days to process and 2 days to "courier" back by Thai Post (a service that costs them less than 150B but they charged us 600 for. Hero's!). When submitting I was allowed in with my wife, but not into the actual processing room. We were there at 10am, anyone desperate for a beer at that time needs help. Here's the fun part. They've returned her passport empty with nothing except a literal carbon copy of the submission receipt that we were were already given 54 days ago. Anyone have experience of this? I expect a denied application to at least have some sort of explanation, even if it's just confirmation that the application was denied. Instead we've just got a vague auto-generated SMS saying the "processed application" has been retuned to them and they're giving the passport to the courier. 52 days of silence then this. Talk about <deleted> service!

Just attempted my first use of this "new" system. Been registering online with mixed success for years (located on Phuket). Don't yet see any difference with this except having to log-in. Will be interested to see if it remembers my details for next time (old system did not). Registered and got password e-mailed to me in seconds. Password is a VERY long string of random characters and no apparent way of changing it. How am I supposed to remember that? Couldn't reach the system through the immigration.go.th website, only managed to register by clicking on the link in the OP in this thread. Filled in my details, hit "submit" and was instantly greeted with a text box saying "success" which then disappeared and left the original data submission screen displayed. So that's confusing. At the same time was presented with a pop-up tab containing the PDF of the TM.47 form with my details (conveniently?) filled in. Why would I need that? Simultaneously received an automated e-mail confirming my successful submission. No problem using my VPN, although it was going through a Thai server. Now I'll wait. They've managed to make a single page process confusing. Lets see if it works.

Just got done dealing with Phuket Immigration for another year and thought I'd offer up some info as there is nothing but confusion there. So here's a long disorganized list of hopefully helpful details that you might not find elsewhere. For some reason they've taken down all the signage so no one knows where to go especially the hordes of 'tourists' looking to extend their COVID exemptions, so be prepared to wait in a long line only for most of the people in front of you to be sent away with information that is easily available on the Phuket Immigration Volunteers website (piv-phuket.com). By the way check out that site before you go, it answers most of your questions BUT the info isn't 100% up to date. As usual tourist affairs and short-term visas are being dealt with downstairs but for some reason the COVID exemptions are being done upstairs in the long-term visa section so to get your documents checked and receive a queue ticket for your long-term visa application you'll be waiting in the same long line. It should be only non-immigrant B and O visas in that upstairs room (room 204) but people don't know where to go. ED visas are now done in an out building near to the exit (clearly signposted) and retirement visas and other esoteric ones are in their own little office beyond the drive through (that office actually does have signage so you'll be able to find it). The good news is they'll stop issuing COVID exemptions on January 22nd 2022 so maybe things will calm down after that. They've knocked down a few buildings in the last few months and opened up a good deal of space for parking, so that's a huge improvement. The photocopy and passport pictures shop has moved all the way to the back behind the staff parking. Phuket Immigration are NOT RESPECTING THE ONLINE QUEUEING SYSTEM on immigration.gov.th. So don't waste your time with that. If you're dealing with a long stay visa you'll want to be outside room 204 (the main upstairs area) when the doors open at 8:30 am and go to the "information counter" that will be staffed by an English speaking volunteer who will do a preliminary check of your documents and give you a queue ticket. This ticket now has a QR code that will lead you to an app you can download to monitor the queue so you don't have to actually wait there for your turn. Which is good because it takes them minimum 30 minutes to do 1 application and sometimes as much as an hour depending on how, ahem, 'flexible' they're being with their queue that day. But be warned, they might decide to 'help' and manage the queue themselves, serving the people actually waiting in the (small) waiting area in room 204 first. Basically be prepared to wait a long time. If you're past number 7 or 8 in the queue you'll probably be seen after lunch. Just be patient. Maybe take a good book with you. Myself, I left, went and slept under a tree in the park for 2 hours, came back after lunch and got seen 4 queue spots early only to be told they had just served someone 7 spots after mine. TIT. If you've got a queue ticket you WILL be seen that day. The officers will stay late if they have to to clear the queue at the end of the day. They'll probably only issue 20 queue tickets per day so get there early. Once they stop you wont know until you waste time standing in the queue only to be told to come back later (if they say "later" they mean another day, not after lunch) Check piv-phuket.com to get your documents ready. Download the forms from immigration.gov.th but don't rely on information there for what documents you need, it is NOT COMPLETE. Fill your forms in by computer if you can (it's just easier and they ARE accepting computer printed forms now). You'll need the "acknowledgement of penalties for a visa overstay" form and STM.2 temporary stay conditions form no matter what you're there for. The forms need to be dated with the exact date of application. For anything requiring financial evidence there's an update that's not on piv-phuket.com. They will demand 2 copies of your bank passbook UPDATED TO THE DAY OF THE APPLICATION. So you need to find a way to make some kind of transaction on your account, update your passbook, and make 2 photocopies of it before 8:30am. Good luck with that one. The photocopies shop didn't open until 8:30 the day I was there. I actually had to go away and get that. I arrived back and got my queue ticket at 9:30 and it was a close shave with being turned away. Make 2 copies of everything and take the originals with you. As evidence of marriage you need an up-to-date (less than 6 month old) KR.2 from an Amphur office (you MIGHT be told you have to go to the office that married you, you MIGHT be told your wife has to get it, you MIGHT be told anyone can get it. TIT. At Kathu, Phuket they'll give it to literally anyone). It normally costs 10 baht, during COVID it's 1 baht (yes "one baht"). Get 2 sets. You also need the original KR.3 marriage certificate. You'll be told your wife needs to go with you and she should, but they can be (ahem) flexible on that too so it might not be a deal breaker if she's working. BIG WARNING!: If you're applying for an extension of stay you'll get your passport back on the same day with an "under consideration" stamp. THE UNDER CONSIDERATION PERIOD IS NO LONGER 30 DAYS. During COVID it has been getting longer and longer with, of course, no prior notification or information. As of December 15 2021 they are giving 57 days! So you need to be able to wait almost 2 months before you can return to immigration and get the rest of your "1 year extension". That's it. I hope this info helps a few people out. The key is not to get stressed out. Be as patient as you can and get there early. Expect to have a problem, expect to have to come back again, don't leave it to the last day. Yes, the officers there are making money under the table and if you want you can pay an agent a lot of money to do it for you, but despite what it feels like the officers aren't intentionally giving you poor service, they're genuinely doing their best. Good luck.