theoldgit

27 minutes ago, Trudy said:

 

From UK to Thailand - have I posted in the wrong place?!

Yes, not to worry, I'll move it to the correct forum.

1 hour ago, hotandsticky said:

I agree entirely with the comment but would the carrier see the Thai passport other than at the initial check in? I imagine that the Thai passport will not be produced again until arrival in Thailand.

That's what I was getting at when I said the carriers might need to be persueded.

So yes once the passenger has boarded the relevant passport would no longer have to be produced, unless they have a stopover, in which case the validity may be questioned by somebody who doesn't understand the rules.

My wife an I were travelling to the UK via Malaysia, her visa was in her previous passport, no problem at check-in in BKK as they understood the rules, but a guy at KLIA tried to deny her boarding as he was adamant that she wasn't compliant, I had to demand a manager who let her board without further ado.

Tourist Visa to where from where, and what is his nationality?

Providing the children have a valid passport for their destination country, there shouldn't be a problem at the airline check-in here in Thailand, and certainly not when clearing immigration when leaving Thailand, they will need to exit using their Thai Passports.

How long will they be away for?

Returning to Thailand they should use their Thai Passports, as Thai Nationals they enter Thailand as a matter of right and are not subject to any immigrations controls, so it doesn't matter if they have less than six months validity when they return, they could even enter on an expired passport, though the carriers might need to be persuaded in that event.

It’s easy enough to do yourself, the requirements are about the same as a Standard Visit Visa, with the addition that the applicant has to demonstrate that that it’s reasonable for them to visit over a longer period of time.

However you need to be aware that if the decision maker can persuade their manager that a longer term visa is warranted, they can issue a shorter term visa, in which case the higher fees are not refunded.

Whilst an agent isn’t really necessary, some applicants find that using one is quite comforting. I would strongly advise caution when selecting an agent and would certainly recommend that you choose one who is registered with the Immigration Services Commissioner, OISC.

You might find this website helpful https://daytodaydata.net/ it gives indicitive rates for banks and bureau de changes in Thailand, in either direction, it's regularly updated throughout the day.

4 hours ago, fredjaidee said:

The service went bankrupt due to covid.  Someone needs to buy back the boat and restart it.

They'll also need to build new facilities at the Hua Hin Ferry Terminal, they were all demolished after the firm went bust.

A number of countries are bolstering Putins war chest by buying his cheap oil, India, Mexico, China and Israel, to name but a few.

Whilst applications have to be deposited in person, rather than online, it can actually be by any person, that’s why agents are allowed to deposit applications.

So sungods experience is still current, your daughter doesn’t need to attend.

Unhelpful, off topic, post removed.

The thread is regarding transfers to Thailand, not Europe.

41 minutes ago, transam said:

I will report on my PP renewal as it happens using an agent., starting here today....

Sent my PP and completed forms etc to the agent via EMS post, they emailed me to say all is OK, put the fee into this bank account.....

Trans - as a matter of interest was that the agents fee or the agents fee and a HMPO fee?

Just now, Eff1n2ret said:

Whatever the reason, the advice seems to be that if you need to replace your passport urgently, the best way is to go back to the UK and apply online there.

I'd considered doing that if we visited the UK in the near future, but was put off by the media stating that in person fast track appointments weren't available.

I've done a couple of searches of the appointment system and discovered that whilst appointments were not generally available, they often were in the evening, Thai time. I didn't go as far as making a ghost appointment, to ascertain where appointments were available, as I didn't want to reserve a slot I wasn't going to use.

I've heard that applications via the Post Office can be quicker, maybe they go through a different route.

On 6/18/2022 at 11:49 AM, samtam said:

The passport has your current Extension of Stay / or Visa and that alone should be proof of residency in Thailand. But hey, why not overkill with documentation.

On 6/18/2022 at 3:49 PM, Eff1n2ret said:

It is. An extra copy of that page of your passport labelled "Evidence of Residence" should suffice.

The instructions regarding supplying name and address and/or residency evidence, in Table A, are certainly very clear advising that a visa or resident permit (or colour photocopy) is an acceptable method, though I'm led to believe that VFS actually find the instructions from HMPO unacceptable and have made up their own requirements.

I'd be interested to hear if members have successfully challenged VFS on this?

Having been refused a joint account at a branch on Sukhumvit, near Thonglor, wheree my wife and I had individual accounts, because of a new Thai Government law, which I suspected didn’t exist, we called their call centre who confirmed my suspicions that there was no such new rule.

We were advised to return to the branch and ask again, the lady in the call centre gave me her mobile number adding that if we got the same rebuttal we could call her, and she would put them right.

I was quite keen on doing so but my wife wasn’t as she didn’t want to lose face.

In the end we went to their main branch on Silom, near the Bangkok Christian Hospital where our account was quickly opened and without question.

The UKVI provide general guidlines guide-to-supporting-documents-visiting-the-uk

The applicant needs to satisfy the Entry Clearance officer that, on the balance of probabilities, they will return to their home country, or at least leave the UK at the conclusion of their proposed visit. Not every applicant is employed, some applicants use education or even a stable lifestyle here in Thailand. It can become a problem if they are being sponsored by a partner who lives in the UK, as there might be a suspicion, rightly or wrongly, that they may remain in the UK with their benefactor. You are correct in thinking that it's unlikely that the retired parents and the adult son would carry much weight. Personal photos are on the list of items that shouldn't be included as supporting evidence.  

In response to your second point, the requirement is that if you submit a document that is not in English or Welsh, not sure how many Welsh speakers the UKVI employ, it must be accompanied by a full translation that can be independently verified by the Home Office, the applications are not processed in Thailand so I doubt there are many Thai readers employed. Each translation must contain confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document, the date of translation,the translator’s full name and signature, along with the translator’s contact details. 

4 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

I'm no doubt going to get a lot of flak for this but I plan on using an Agent to do all of that tedious work for me. 

I don’t think anyone is going to give you any flak, the use of an agent is really a personal choice, whilst the process is relatively straightforward, some applicants find it quite daunting, or simply don’t have the time or inclination to go through the process without some support.

Don’t forget that your partner is the applicant and she will be responsible for the information and supporting documents submitted and will still need to attend the Visa Application Centre.

I would strongly advise that you choose an agent with caution, there are, unfortunately, a number of cowboys out there.

Good luck.

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

The Schengen visa can only be issued for up to 3 months.

I will put my pedantic hat on now, it’s the visit that is restricted to 90 days, not the actual visa.

My wife’s most recent visas were issued up to six month shy of the expiry date of her passport, the last one had a validity of just over two years.

You’re well versed in Schengen rules Sandyf, probably better than most, and I suspect that was the point you were making.

Troll post insulting other member removed, along with subsequent bickering.

9 hours ago, Pdavies99 said:

Pedantics, I was asked and said the France, then UK, then Spain, so they told me to use French arrival port as the initial Schengen destination, ie for me it was France for 3 days, then the UK for a month, finally 10 days in Spain before return to Thailand.

Not pedantics at all, it's the rules as applied via by the actual staff who process the applications in a accordance with the Schengen Handbook, your information is misleading, unless others had the same itinerary as you, and could well cause the OP to have their application declined.

In the circumstances you outline you initially entered the Schengen Area via France and as you were leaving for the UK before entering another Member State, France was your main destination for that part of the trip, so they, whoever "they" were, correctly advised you, the subsequent visit to Spain would have been classed as a second visit using the multi entry part of the visa.  

4 hours ago, Pdavies99 said:

You as a UK Passport holder need to do nothing, your girlfriend, however, needs to apply for a Schengen Visa ideally for the Port of Arrival country.  It is fairly simple, having done it several times for a Phillipino girlfriend.

I’m sorry but that’s not correct, the applicant needs to apply via the Consulate of the Member State which is the main destination, only if you are spending an equal amount of time in a number of countries should you apply via the country with jurisdiction for the entry point into the Schengen Area.

A friend of mine of mine was flying into Paris, spend three days there before traveling to Italy for a week, on her return journey she intended to fly to Bangkok from Paris, after spending two days there.

She applied via the French Consulate and they refused her visa as Italy was the main destination, she applied there and the visa was issued.

20 minutes ago, Thalueng said:

I would suggest you apply for a UK visa first, which is not a Schengen country. Check with your embassy the financial or garantee requirements. Make it multiple entry.

 

Apply for a Shengen visa after that, it will be easier to get. You will need flight bookings at the time of application, which you could rearrange afterwards if needed. Again apply for multiple entry, but you probably need supporting flight bookings.

Good advice, in fact if the OP is intending to visit the UK as part of the trip, most Schengen States, if not all, require that the UK Visa, or that for other destination, is obtained first.

43 minutes ago, Jen65 said:

Very difficult to get a Schengen visa for Thai girlfriend ( or gurlfriend !) -  tried a few years ago and if you don't actually live in the Schengen area even more difficult !!

The best way is get you girlfriend to book a "holiday "  with a travel company with say a coach tour to different destinations , then they look after the visa bit .   Your girlfriend uses the outward flight and maybe stays at the 1st destination accommodation for 1 or 2 night , then ditches the tour and as long as has the visa , book a return flight before it expires !!  It's the only hassle free way to do it without lengthy paperwork , huge costs and no certainty of approval of the visa at the end -  they don't have to give a reason for refusal AND that refusal will be in your girlfriends passport and registered with the immigration !! 

That's certainly not my experience, and is at odds with the experience of many of my friends.

My girlfriend, subsequently my wife, has applied for, and received, numerous Shenghen Visas over the years we've been together, without an issue, visas have been either for the length of her visit right up to the validity of her passport, I'm a British National.

It's often harder for a an applicant to be granted a visit visa to visit a partner in a member state as the decision maker may believe, rightly or wrongly, that it's the applicants desire to stay in Schengen. A tourist is unlikely to encounter this if they are able to prove their ties to their home country, especially if their partner also live with them in their home country, as seems to be the case of the OP.

You're suggestion of joining a tour and then "jumping ship" is dangerous one to recommend. 

The fact remains that most genuine applications are approved.