London Border Control for Thai visit visa

[ravip]

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

<removed>

 

The only thing I would suggest is to let your girlfriend know that it may not be a pleasant experience and she should expect to get grilled"

 

Absolute nonsense and that statement based factually on five visits to the UK by my Thai partner.

Good example for the Thai immigration officers to adhere to more often on aliens. Take a cue from the learned countries to improve your duties. Big joke, please take note!

[simoh1490]

8 hours ago, Timbob said:

Oh so because it didn't happen to your girlfriend, it never happens. 

 

I personally witnessed it so piss off with your 'nonsense' jibe.

Scaring people into thinking the UK Border entry process is mostly unpleasant and that a majoirty of visitors are likely to be interrogated or grilled is seriously unhelpful and so far removed from the truth as to be laughable, the trouble is many people don't know that and simply believe posts such as yours, unfortunately. If what you had written was true in every case and everyone was in for that sort of treatment, the word would be out and nobody would visit. Yes, if you're trying to scam the system and you look the part you can expect to run into problems and to be interrogated, the UK Borders staff and IO's as far from stupid and they've seen it all before many times. But if you're playing by the rules and not trying to pull the wool over somebody's eyes, are polite and reasonable and you don't look like you've just walked off stage from a Pattaya go-go you can expect a decent normal experience that is hassle free.

[rasg]

11 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

Absolute nonsense and that statement based factually on five visits to the UK by my Thai partner.

It's not nonsense. Let's just say that my, then girlfriend, back in 2015 was interviewed "robustly". They may have been polite but they were very firm in their questioning and they did try and trip her up suggesting that she was coming here to work. She was held up for 40 minutes and she was asked my full name, and my parent's first names and the date that we met. She had my phone number and my full address where she was staying on a piece of paper in case she flattened the battery in her phone on the way over. She was also asked were I was. Waiting outside of course.

 

All subsequent visits she was asked almost nothing. She didn’t enjoy the first one at all.

[simoh1490]

45 minutes ago, rasg said:

It's not nonsense. Let's just say that my, then girlfriend, back in 2015 was interviewed "robustly". They may have been polite but they were very firm in their questioning and they did try and trip her up suggesting that she was coming here to work. She was held up for 40 minutes and she was asked my full name, and my parent's first names and the date that we met. She had my phone number and my full address where she was staying on a piece of paper in case she flattened the battery in her phone on the way over. She was also asked were I was. Waiting outside of course.

 

All subsequent visits she was asked almost nothing. She didn’t enjoy the first one at all.

The process of a foreigner entering a country is the same the world over, Immigration officers are looking for the same things regardless of which country the visitor arrives from - visitors from high risk and poorer countries where visitors historically have been found to violate the terms of their visa and/or known to try and defraud the system will come under greater scrutiny than those from wealthier countries that don't have a similar track record. But 95%+ of that scrutiny takes place during the visa application process, the very last step is that an IO sets eyes on the applicant for the first time, so there must be something in that first meeting that triggers a visitor to be "grilled" - appearance, demeanour, mannerism, dress, match to the profile of past offenders AND I strongly suspect,  probably something in the IO's approved visa application computer screen that says something to the effect of, "take a closer look at this one please".   

 

I come back to and stand by my earlier statement that if people are playing by the rules, not trying to scam, are polite and dressed reasonably they are very unlikely to have to undergo more than cursory verbal checks, the same sorts of checks any Brit. would automatically undergo when entering say the US for a holiday. Having said all those things, I accept that sometimes people are unlucky and get the wrong IO on the wrong day at the wrong time, such events however are very much the exception.

[wgdanson]

20 hours ago, Timbob said:

The only thing I would suggest is to let your girlfriend know that it may not be a pleasant experience and she should expect to get grilled. As someone has already stated, a pretty Thai woman sets of the red flags. The first time my girlfriend visited I was in the same situation, waiting in the arrivals hall. She got through but was very annoyed with their line of questioning. I had to tell her it was nothing personal, etc. The next time I was with her but before the IO saw me standing behind them (I passed through the EU queue and waited) she was quite forceful with her questioning and I didn't like her tone. The third time, we had no problems at all.  

If you are a 'couple' you can both go through the same gate.

[theoldgit]

Nonsensical, off topic post removed.

[sandyf]

On 11/18/2018 at 2:15 PM, evadgib said:

When I last arrived @ LHR I noted the wifi in my phone enabled me to use skype etc in the airport and anywhere where free wifi is readily available without the need of a sim.

HTH

Been around for a few years now and very useful. It is however time limited, 1 hour I think then you have to pay. The free time is not limited to a single login, you can log on and off to stretch the available time. Had to do that a few times in transit.

[Timbob]

6 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

Scaring people into thinking the UK Border entry process is mostly unpleasant and that a majoirty of visitors are likely to be interrogated or grilled is seriously unhelpful and so far removed from the truth as to be laughable, the trouble is many people don't know that and simply believe posts such as yours, unfortunately. If what you had written was true in every case and everyone was in for that sort of treatment, the word would be out and nobody would visit. Yes, if you're trying to scam the system and you look the part you can expect to run into problems and to be interrogated, the UK Borders staff and IO's as far from stupid and they've seen it all before many times. But if you're playing by the rules and not trying to pull the wool over somebody's eyes, are polite and reasonable and you don't look like you've just walked off stage from a Pattaya go-go you can expect a decent normal experience that is hassle free.

I did not say "the UK border entry process is mostly unpleasant". I said it "may not be a pleasant experience", because it may not be and it's good to anticipate this. Then you suggest that such questioning might be because said person is "trying to scam the system" or look like they stumbled from a "Pattaya go-go". My girlfriend has never been to Pattaya and is always polite and well dressed thank you very much. I could have said that maybe your girlfriend was never questioned because she was pig ugly, but I didn't.

[Timbob]

2 hours ago, wgdanson said:

If you are a 'couple' you can both go through the same gate.

Yep, I did not know at that time. I do now and last time we went back to the UK together we were in the same queue.

[rasg]

9 hours ago, wgdanson said:

If you are a 'couple' you can both go through the same gate.

Not if your girlfriend is coming alone, you can't.

[simoh1490]

6 hours ago, Timbob said:

I did not say "the UK border entry process is mostly unpleasant". I said it "may not be a pleasant experience", because it may not be and it's good to anticipate this. Then you suggest that such questioning might be because said person is "trying to scam the system" or look like they stumbled from a "Pattaya go-go". My girlfriend has never been to Pattaya and is always polite and well dressed thank you very much. I could have said that maybe your girlfriend was never questioned because she was pig ugly, but I didn't.

Is she Thai/Chinese hiso with lots of degrees and are you a member of the special forces too!

[theoldgit]

OK Guys, lets reign this in a bit.

 

The OP is asking for advice regarding what to give his girlfriend when she travels through the UK Border.

 

The lady already has entry clearance and the Border Force Officer will not be looking to deny her landing, and neither can they unless they can satisfy a manager that the visa was obtained fraudulently or that there has been a material change in her circumstances since her visa was issued.

 

The lady should know the purpose of her visit, know where she will be staying and for how long, she should be prepared to show a return ticket, or prove the ability to purchase one, if asked.

 

As the OP will be waiting in the arrival area it would be useful if she had his contact details in the unlikely event that she's asked, she doesn't need to worry about a phone enabled for roaming or wi-fi access, Border Force Officers do have access to telephones.

 

Some IO's can appear grumpy and officious, you try sitting on those desks for hours on end, but they have a difficult job to do.

 

So lets cease with all the personal remarks please.  

[ravip]

On 11/18/2018 at 6:09 AM, Crossy said:

A (one assumes) relatively young, attractive Thai lady travelling alone sets just about every flag that a UK IO has available, it really can be like entering a high security zone.

 

Smart move, I hadn't thought of using a UK SIM ????

 

Crossy, just now this came to my mind... 

The presumption of innocence is the principle that one is considered innocent unless proven guilty. It was traditionally expressed by the Latin maxim ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat (“the burden of proof is on the one who declares, not on one who denies”).

Just a fleeting thought...

[Duffman88]

Hi all,

 

My girlfriend arrived last night. She was only 35 minutes between getting off the plane and appearing at arrivals which I was quite impressed with.

 

She was asked several questions about why she was visiting and the duration of her stay but also some specific questions which could only have been asked with visibility of the visit visa application. No documents were asked for.

 

She did not find the experience unpleasant but that was perhaps because she speaks good English and fully understood the application (and it was all true). I could see things getting harder if questions were not answered satisfactorily.

 

Also she commented that there were several Chinese girls in front of her who didn't speak a work of English and the border official seemed to just get frustrated and eventually just stamp them through. I'm not sure if the same treatment would apply to a Thai passport holder.

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

13 minutes ago, Duffman88 said:

Also she commented that there were several Chinese girls in front of her who didn't speak a work of English and the border official seemed to just get frustrated and eventually just stamp them through. I'm not sure if the same treatment would apply to a Thai passport holder.

I'm sure it would.

Human beings are generally lazy and take the easy course.

Most jobsworth are on power trips, and there's no satisfaction in bullying someone who doesn't understand how important you are.