theoldgit

Absolutely right, no agents are recommended by the UK Embassy, which this thread is about, it is also correct that there are a lot of vulchers circling around the application centre. A friend of a friend who has done it loads of time before is a disaster waiting to happen.

If you feel you need an agent then it's imperative that you only use an one who is registered OISC, they not only have to register but pass an exam before they are legally able to offer advice in the UK - I really cannot stress this enough.

What information would one need to transfer money from HSBC UK to say a Thai Kasikorn or Bangkok Bank

Thai Bank Account Number

Account holders name

Thai sort code

Bank/branch Address

Any thing else???

Thanks in advance

You need the recepient banks SWIFT Code.

Hey, I have had a plus account for ages and I never knew about the online transfers until now! Only wish I could do the same with my Nationwide account.

Chris

You can with Nationwide International providing your are registered for their Internet and Telebanking services, least that's what I understand, so I would have thought you might be able to do it with their onshore accounts - don't know for sure though.

One more option, usually the cheapest, is on Air Asia via KUL.

Of course Air Asia also fly to Hong Kong from Bangkok, pretty sure that's why Hong Kong Express pulled out of Thailand.

One wonders if he hadn't persevered and insisted on talking to the ECO whether the application might have remained in the "too difficult pile".

All credit to the ECO for at least saying what was holding up the decision, but it beggars the question of how long it would have taken before they actually queried it.

On a side issue I note that the tracking system is once again showing "service unavailable".

Pretty sure not, I have looked before, have to go via Bangkok or Koh Samui.

HBOS do it online for £9.50 and you can send it in Stirling thus ensuring a better rate.

Cheers for the info - I was going to wait until I got back to the UK for a holiday next month , maybe I will do it here instead !

Certainly if you have sufficient time in the UK, and they say three weeks though I think it's quicker, it'd a good idea to renew it there, on price alone.

A standard passport costs £72 in the UK and £124 in Thailand with a jumbo passport costing £85 in the UK against £150 in Thailand.

Edited for typo

I personally wouldn't use an agent for a simple tourist visa, the process itself is a pretty simple process of completing and submitting a form then providing documentary evidence to support the application, remember its your girlfriends application not yours.

Certainly a qualified agent will be experienced in compiling and submitting forms and will point out any errors in the application but they have no sway in the decision making process, and details all the all the documents required are on the VFS website, and there is a lot of helpful advice on this forum, though you have to sort out the chaff from the wheat. Basically your girlfriend needs to convince the ECO that the trip is valid and affordable, if you are sponsoring her then you will need to provide details of your relationship and your ability to finance the trip. The most important thing for her to do is convince the ECO that she will return to Thailand at the end of the trip, she needs to prove strong ties in Thailand, be it evidence of property, a business, employment or continuing studies.

As I say I wouldn't personally use an agent, but that's only my opinion, some people do and are pleased with the results whilst others successfully do it themselves. I would agree with the previous posters that if you feel the services of an agent are needed then only use one that is registered with OISC in the UK, I think there is only one in Thailand, certainly not one of the vulchers circulating the visa application centre or the myriad of agents to be found around Bangkok.

Not quite sure about UK system, but since UK is Schengen too they should basically have the same system than Germany.

In a nutshell, try to find out if it's the embassy making the decision or some bureaucrat in the UK. If it's UK try to get some higher instance involved - at least that can't hurt.

And again, is you agent qualified ? They really SHOULD have forwared either the original or a certified copy of the certificate by

themselves... .

Just for clarification the UK is not part of Schengen but is stand alone with regard to visas.

The decisions are made by a locally bases Entry Clearance Officer and the cases are reviewed locally by a manager, policy is dealt with centrally as are appeals.

Unfortunately "agents" do not need to be qualified to offer advice in Thailand that why there are so many lurking around Regent House ushering people into their offices and so many stories about people getting bad advice and being given promises that are unachievable. I believe that there is only one visa agent in Thailand who has registered with OISC in the UK

Actually her visa says Multi valid from June to December

Visa EEA FP: Family member

I guess she can re-enter Uk after we travel abroad am i correct?

Yes she can enter the UK as many times as she wishes providing that she leaves before the visa expires.

Most visas for the UK are multi entry, though of course the visa holder has to satisfy the Immigration Officer at the port of entry that the reason for the visit is still valid, which actually means there have been no material changes since the visa was issued.

Lotta crap and untruths being posted here

Not sure why you think people are posting untruths just because it differs from your experiences, many people have had first hand experience of airlines enforcing their conditions that are clearly displayed on their websites, I know I have. So you have never experienced this on your flights, well lucky you.

My feeling here is a lot of posters are having fun scaremongering.

I think the posters are far from scaremongering they are just trying to be helpful and giving fellow posters advice that a lot of airlines enforce their rules. They could of course say nothing and let others find out the hard way.

If she is your girlfriend she must apply in her host country that is Thailand.

If she is your spouse and lives in the UK she may apply from here, so i would say the German Embassy have a quick turn round of applications in Bangkok.

The OP said that he wants to visit Italy, France and maybe Spain, I thought that you were supposed to apply at the country you intended to spend most time in and had to demonstrate so, certainly the French Embassy want to see hotel and travel tickets before the issued the visa.

One agent actually posted this advice:

She must apply at the country she will spend the most time and demonstrate this to them. After this she may is free to travel anywhere some countries are quite strict at arrival.

If you can apply at any visa section and would have no problem on arrival it would certainly make things easier.

though he did also say that processing them had caused a strain on their resources

Since all you need to issue a re-entry permit is a rubber stamp and a cash box to put the fee in, their resources must be pretty thin on the ground.

They could sub-contract this routine administrative task to King Power who could open a booth and take commission on each passport stamped. This would be a lot more convenient for many people.

Yes, I am joking. But not by much!

I think you are suggesting a logical solution, that's why it could never happen.

You say you are not employed in Thailand but say you have an Internet business, if that is your business and you are operating it from Thailand you should have a work permit, send an attested copy of that with details of your business, that should suffice.

I have been told that a Schengen Visa (France) takes a little under a week, though you have to schedule an appointment to submit the application first.

I have just been searching within the banking sector on Pensions and this seems to be the Topic to re-vitalise.

My Pension Provider about 2 years ago were using RBS to move pensions around. when I asked if I could have my pension paid into my Thai bank account the reply was RBS do not have this facility, I recently sent another request to my Civil Service Pension provider about this facility by email but no reply as yet, I would be much more convenient to me to have money p[aid into Thailand instead of using a proxy UK address and having to have third parties send new cards every three years .

You will see from my earlier posts that Capita, my Civil Service Pension payer, will, and do pay directly into a Thai Bank. I have been receiving my pension into my Thai bank for a few months and it's credited the same day. The pension is paid in Thai Baht and so far is pretty much on the mark. There is no charge from Capita or the Natwest, their bankers, but I think I pay about 100 Baht this end.

When it comes to my state pension in a few years they will only send a Stirling cheque, but they have confirmed that they will pay into an offshore account in the IOM or Chanel Islands, and you can open a Nationwide Offshore Account online, though you have to send them certified documentary evidence, or pop into a Nationwide in the UK.

I personally will monitor the rate it's paid over the next couple of years and could possibly arrange to pay both pensions into a IOM account, though I have to say that having it paid directly is very convienient.

Everyone seems to be convicting this guy without knowing what actually happened.

Yes the Welshman seems to have had a fractured skull which resulted in his hospitalisation and as a result the other half of the altercation has been charged and spent time in custody.

Maybe, just maybe, the alleged perpetrator was assaulted by the Welshman, was defending himself and the Welshman slipped and banged his head resulting in the injury. I really don't know what happened as I wasn't there, perhaps the Thai Visa Judge and Jury were there or at least have all the evidence, if so it makes all their comments credible.

Maybe the Thai Police have carried out a full and fair and investigation on this occasion, now that would be good.

First of all your friend wouldn't have applied for his girlfriends visa, she would have applied with perhaps him acting as sponsor. She probably didn't convince the ECO of either the likelihood of returning or of the sponsors ability to sponsor her or perhaps a combination of the two.

In theory all applications are treated on their own merit, so if your pals girlfriend applies for a visa and she can convince them because of strong ties to Thailand, be it evidenced employment, Uni, business, property and/or money in the bank she is halfway there.

If your pal is going to sponsor her, they will need to provide details of their relationship, which might be problematical if he sponsored someone else last year. Sponsors are recorded on a central database so if the ECO cares to check, or your friend declared it, it could arouse suspicion.

Whilst it's not impossible for his latest girlfriend to be successfully sponsored by him, unless they can provide proof of their relationship they may need to lower their expectations.

Too busy messing about with the Computers.

I think you will find that the people in the VFS are bored with nothing much to do, ie too few passports to hand back, so they are playing with the computers to keep themselves busy.

Getting a visa to visit the UK and then a Schengen Visa to visit the European countries in the Schengen Area, including France, is no problem for for any nationalities, including Thai, providing you meet the visa requirements.

Basically you can be granted entry clearance in your own right, which means you will not need a sponsor, providing you can convince the Entry Clearance Officer that you have sufficient funds to fund your trip and that you will return to your home country at the end of your holiday.

When applying for your visa give as many details about your plans, an itinerary helps, include costings and proof about how you will pay for your trip, original bank books or statements. The most important part of the process is convincing the ECO that you will return home, this would normally be in the form of details of your employment including proof that the job is open on your return with a letter approving your holiday. If you have a business and/or property give details and proof give details, if it's your own business include cover details for your absence.

Many Thai people successfully apply for visa in their own right, just make sure you provide all the proof that is needed.

I personally would apply for a UK Visa in the first instance as that is currently taking 4-6 weeks, once you have the UK Visa apply for your Schengen Visa, that is considerably quicker.

There is loads of information available on the UK Visa website as there is for the Schengen countries, if there is anything specifically you are not sure about ask on here. Some people use agents, but the process is really fairly simple so I personally wouldn't waste my money, but others may have another view.

Good luck

Yes, you have to call United

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,8566,...ce=RelatedLinks

I have been reading about the current processing times for UK Visas, both settlement and general visitors, which seem to have shot through the roof of late, supposingly because of a massive increase in applicants.

I suppose this increase is not confined to the UK, I just wondered what the current processing times for Schengen Visas is, specifically to France?

I really don't want to put a damper on your plans but unless she can convince the ECO of her intentions to return I think she would be wasting her time and money.

The ECO's have to make their decision on the evidence that is supplied which is normally job, uni land or the the like, saying that she realises the consequences of failing to return is fair enough but the ECO's are only human and they have make their decisions on evidence not promises.

Don't just listen to me there will be plenty of advice coming soon, but I am just trying to temper your expectations.

The first thing to get straight is that you don't apply for a visa your girlfriend does, it's her visa and her application.

You have highlighted the biggest hurdle in her application, as she doesn't have a job what is the reason to return and how does she manage to live. Whilst it's good that you can show evidence of your relationship, you not only need to show the evidence of two way contact but provide a sponsorship letter, I presume you are sponsoring her, which will outline how you met, the reasons for the trip and both of your plans for the future as well as the reason for the trip and as many details as you can provide. Unfortunately with no provable reasons to return your relationship could act against her being granted her visa as an ECO could assume that because of your relationship she wants to stay in the UK. If she doesn't work how does she live, does she go to school or Uni? if so provide proof, does she have land or property? if so provide proof.

Back to your question, what do you need to do? well if you are sponsoring her you need to show evidence that you can afford to do so, details of your employment with recent payslips and they ask for six months worth of original bank statements, doesn't need to show a fortune just that you can afford to sponsor her. You will need to address where she is going to stay and provide proof that it's available to her.

Your other question is should she use an agent, this is a matter of choice, if you both feel unable to complete a pretty simple form and supplying the supporting evidence after reading the guidance from UK Visas and previous threads on this forum then by all means use an agent. If you really do not feel confident then use an agent but be careful who you chose, there are many cowboys out there all promising the earth but you have to remember that that whilst they may be experienced in filling out forms they have no sway in the decision making process. Some will say that that they will coach the applicant with the interview process, but the vast majority of applications are dealt with on the application alone so an interview is rarely called for. I personally wouldn't waste money on an agent but if she feels she must use on use one that has been registered with OISC, Office of Immigration Commissioner.

You need to be aware that whilst applications used to take three to five days, the VFS website is now advising the process is taking four to six weeks even for straight forward visitors visas.

What ever you decide to do good luck and all the best for the future.