My guide to online E-visa applications via London Thai Embassy (60-day SETV by post)

[roamer]

It's timed. Leave it alone for a few hours and try again. Also uses your email as its unique identifier so you can change that and start a new application.

 

"Having logged on and off the E-Visa website numerous times over the last week, in order to try to find a way to progress past step 3 without being greeted with the "Access is invalid, please try again" screen,"

Timing again. Have all the documents ready for upload. Server in Bangkok works on a peak flow system so if you are idle for too long it cuts you off. Works best around 0500 GMT as Europe still sleepy and USA heading for bed:-)

[r33drum]

On 10/26/2019 at 12:06 AM, samsingsong said:

Monday: I posted my Non-Imm. O Type Single Entry  visa application. 

Tuesday: (as in my previous post) my application status was shown as 'Print Sticker'.

                 Later on Tuesday I found in my junk folder this email:

Request for Further document

 









[email protected]

Tue 22/10/2019 

Dear Applicant, 
Please ignore this email.
*Please note this is an auto generated e-mail. Please do NOT reply to this email.
Best wishes,
E-visa Team

 

As instructed I ignored it - as much as I could, but couldn't help thinking F.F.S and the words 'Pi$$-up' and 'Brewery' sprang to mind.

Wednesday: Status still 'Print Sticker'. 

(By the way, that screen that comes up after making

 payment which says “Please stay on this page. It may take a few minutes.” I'd forgotten that Window and opened it 2 days later to find it was still going!)

Thursday: The status is still 'Print Sticker' whereas in Senior Player's case, his status had changed to 'No data available in table'. Hmmm so my sticker must be a pretty big and sticky sticker, or they have an extremely slow printer. 

 

I'm starting to worry that I shouldn't have ignored the email that they told me to ignore.

 

In previous years it's always been a fast turn around, particularly from the excellent Hull Consulate.

With this new online application system, and not being confident that I did everything correctly, I am a little concerned!

Thursday: About 16.50 the status changed to 'Return Passport'. 

 

Friday: Yippeeee! About 12:30 passport returned via Royal Mail Special Delivery - with my visa. Phew!

Nice! I also got mine, I sent mine that Thursday and it came on that Saturday visa Royal Mail Special Delivery. I just sent all the supporting docs with my passport; 6 months of bank statements, letter of invitation from the missus, proof of relationship, salary, employment letter. Was quite the package and they didn't send any of it back. Just that small Royal Mail Special Delivery packaging with my passport inside.

 

This new website is pants but what do you expect from Thai web developers really...

 

 

[ubonjoe]

7 hours ago, CliffH said:

Thanks for your reply.  The link at the bottom of the Immigration home page leads me to a 'Contact us' option. This however results in the browser (Chrome) 'Connecting...' message being displayed at the bottom left of the browser, and nothing else happening.  Perhaps they switch their equipment off over the weekends?

If only they'd bring back the old postal visa system!

You will be contacting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not immigration. Immigration has nothing to do with issuing visas.

I assume you tried using this at the bottom of the e visa site page.

[sandyf]

12 hours ago, CliffH said:

Having logged on and off the E-Visa website numerous times over the last week, in order to try to find a way to progress past step 3 without being greeted with the "Access is invalid, please try again" screen, I now find I'm greeted with "Information.  Exceeded maximum number of applications (10 applications)" when attempting to log in.  Can someone

help please?  Messages left on the website have, so far, been ignored.

 

You can create another account. Before the UK system I created an account to have a look at the Chinese system but when I logged on to the UK system it appeared to be fixed on Beijing so I created a new account, just need to use another email.

[CliffH]

16 hours ago, roamer said:

It's timed. Leave it alone for a few hours and try again. Also uses your email as its unique identifier so you can change that and start a new application.

 

"Having logged on and off the E-Visa website numerous times over the last week, in order to try to find a way to progress past step 3 without being greeted with the "Access is invalid, please try again" screen,"

Timing again. Have all the documents ready for upload. Server in Bangkok works on a peak flow system so if you are idle for too long it cuts you off. Works best around 0500 GMT as Europe still sleepy and USA heading for bed:-)

Thanks Roamer.  Fifteen hours now and I'm still blocked.  I'll give it a few hours more, and if no good I'll try using another email address.

Re timing, I've been downloading the Page 3 passport and picture jpg files, but have not seen any pass or fail notification.  Maybe the jpegs are too small (143kB each), although they appear to be very clear on a pc monitor screen.  When I get back into the site I'll try rescanning at a higher res. I have been saving the Step 3 page regularly though, so it's not been a time-out issue.

[CliffH]

9 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You will be contacting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not immigration. Immigration has nothing to do with issuing visas.

I assume you tried using this at the bottom of the e visa site page.

Thanks Ubonjoe.  I've used the question/message facility a couple of times, but there's been no response.

I'm looking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, but so far not found any way of contacting them.  I'll wait a while longer and see if the lock-out times out.

[CliffH]

9 hours ago, sandyf said:

You can create another account. Before the UK system I created an account to have a look at the Chinese system but when I logged on to the UK system it appeared to be fixed on Beijing so I created a new account, just need to use another email.

Thanks Sandyf.  I'll give that a go if the lock-out continues for the rest of the day.

[ubonjoe]

14 minutes ago, CliffH said:

I've used the question/message facility a couple of times, but there's been no response.

I'm looking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, but so far not found any way of contacting them.  I'll wait a while longer and see if the lock-out times out.

You would think they would have an email address for thelp with the site but apparently there is not one.

You could try contacting the embassy about it but not sure they would be of much help.

[CliffH]

On 11/2/2019 at 10:33 AM, ubonjoe said:

You would think they would have an email address for thelp with the site but apparently there is not one.

You could try contacting the embassy about it but not sure they would be of much help.

Sunday morning here in the UK and I'm still locked out.

There has been a development though.  On the Dash Board page there is a link to an Applicant's photo quality checking tool, which I'd not noticed before.  Both my portrait scan and passport scan were not recognised by this software, with the message Support jpg & jpeg & pdf only.  My scans were both JPG, and after replacing these extensions with the lower case jpg, both files were recognised.  C**p software! file extension case should not matter. Now the portrait scan is reported as a success.  Wonderful.  Problem with the passport scan though.  The failure message says:  The photograph quality does not meet the ICAO standard. [Fail facial dynamic range]  [Fail background type].  I've tried increasing the contrast of the scan, but this just generates a different set of failures.  I'll be applying for the visa under a different address, but will need to get over the passport scan problem first.  A scan of a passport will never be good quality, as the bio page is coated with a plastic film. And as for the background type fail message, it would appear the this software in inappropriate for this application.

Surely someone must have come across this and the jpg/JPG issue before?

 

[persimmon]

Yes, I had the same problems - the pics I took with my digital camera were classed as JPG and were not accepted , however ,those taken on my phone ( jpg ) were ok.

 

I took a self photo against a white wall for the passport pic.This was rejected due to the background being too dark , so I had to fill in the background with white using Windows paint app.It was then accepted.

[Ampy]

Do you need the bank statements even for the SETV?

 

What is the requirement if so?

 

I have been sending my money to my Kbank throughout the year, would they also be happy to see those statements?

 

They have totally nerfed the visa by post system, all this messing around and you still have to send your passport with docs BY POST!

 

This is NOT an E-visa they have just made applying by post loads more difficult....and who actually benefits?? not us and not them. Massive waste of their time and resources.

 

/rant

 

 

Edited November 3, 2019 by Ampy

[persimmon]

I wonder what happens to all this sensitive personal information such as bank statements - is it kept secure ?

[SunsetT]

On 8/16/2019 at 8:53 PM, SunsetT said:

Thanks Senior Player. Im just about to start an application (Ive been waiting for my last visa to expire) so Im sure your info. will be invaluable.

 

Can I ask if, with all your successive attempts to log in and continue, did u have to re-enter your application ref. every time? And did u initially write it down as I advised in my thread on this? If u recall I lost my almost completed application as I failed to write this down as soon as it appeared and when out of the blue the 'error return to home' message' appeared and when I returned to the home page I was unable to continue where I left off without the application ref. It would be a good idea to also warn people about this in your excellent step by step guide.

I must admit that when I returned to the website in September to start a new visa application I discovered that my previous application had not actually been lost. I couldnt find it because when u login to continue an application there is a box marked reference which I assumed is where one's reference appears or should be entered, but whatever I tried the ref. would not appear in the box so I gave up. But if u enter the correct date range covering the date u started your application the reference # does indeed appear, but not in the box marked reference! I discovered that it appears when u scroll further down the page, and all u have to do is tick the edit box on the left to continue your application. Nothing ever appears in the box marked reference nor is anything required to be entered in the box marked reference! It is a decoy! Just a red herring placed there by Immigration to catch us out.....lol.

[CliffH]

16 hours ago, persimmon said:

Yes, I had the same problems - the pics I took with my digital camera were classed as JPG and were not accepted , however ,those taken on my phone ( jpg ) were ok.

 

I took a self photo against a white wall for the passport pic.This was rejected due to the background being too dark , so I had to fill in the background with white using Windows paint app.It was then accepted.

It appears that the application they're using is designed to deal with the requirements for a passport portrait photo.  How did you manage to get it to accept your passport scan which does, of course, contain required background detail?

[CliffH]

On 11/4/2019 at 3:39 AM, SunsetT said:

I must admit that when I returned to the website in September to start a new visa application I discovered that my previous application had not actually been lost. I couldnt find it because when u login to continue an application there is a box marked reference which I assumed is where one's reference appears or should be entered, but whatever I tried the ref. would not appear in the box so I gave up. But if u enter the correct date range covering the date u started your application the reference # does indeed appear, but not in the box marked reference! I discovered that it appears when u scroll further down the page, and all u have to do is tick the edit box on the left to continue your application. Nothing ever appears in the box marked reference nor is anything required to be entered in the box marked reference! It is a decoy! Just a red herring placed there by Immigration to catch us out.....lol.

I appear to have battled my way through to the "Inquiry" page you're talking about. All data along the bottom, of the page is correct, date started is from before I started the application, and "Status" can be set to All or Completed, but when I hit "Submit Visa Application", a pop-up box appears:  Warning. Please select appication in list!!!  (presumably appication is a typo for application).  Have you any idea what they're talking about?  There is no list.

With any luck I'll have completed this application and be in possession of a visa before my intended flight date in mid December!

[SunsetT]

5 hours ago, CliffH said:

I appear to have battled my way through to the "Inquiry" page you're talking about. All data along the bottom, of the page is correct, date started is from before I started the application, and "Status" can be set to All or Completed, but when I hit "Submit Visa Application", a pop-up box appears:  Warning. Please select appication in list!!!  (presumably appication is a typo for application).  Have you any idea what they're talking about?  There is no list.

With any luck I'll have completed this application and be in possession of a visa before my intended flight date in mid December!

Next year u apply there will be a list of 2 visa applications, and the year after 3, but this is the 1st year and your 1st visa application so there is a list of only one visa application. But u must still select it probably by clicking on it or touching it, if touch screen, to highlight it. Then I think u should be able to proceed to 'submit' it. If not try clicking the edit box on the left, if it is still there, to proceed. Good luck....Hang in there.....The end is nigh....lol.

Edited November 5, 2019 by SunsetT

[CliffH]

16 hours ago, SunsetT said:

Next year u apply there will be a list of 2 visa applications, and the year after 3, but this is the 1st year and your 1st visa application so there is a list of only one visa application. But u must still select it probably by clicking on it or touching it, if touch screen, to highlight it. Then I think u should be able to proceed to 'submit' it. If not try clicking the edit box on the left, if it is still there, to proceed. Good luck....Hang in there.....The end is nigh....lol.

Many thanks for your help SunsetT.

There were two tiny square unnamed boxes on the bottom left of my pc/Win 10 browser.  Once these were ticked, the site crashed (Access is invalid etc. notice), but recovered after several hits the back button, I was presented with the payment page.  Paid my £60, after which a new page appeared with the message "Please stay on this page. It may take a few minutes".  After a wait of over an hour I hit the HOME button, which returned me to the Dashboard, and notification that I was logged out.  Logged back in and found that, despite frequent saves, most of my previously entered data had disappeared. At that point I called it a day.

Wednesday morning, and I've just checked my credit card account.  £60 withdrawal is pending, so I've made my payment.  No time to re-enter today, so I'll wade through it all again tomorrow. What a palarva!  I'll keep you posted.

[SunsetT]

4 hours ago, CliffH said:

Many thanks for your help SunsetT.

There were two tiny square unnamed boxes on the bottom left of my pc/Win 10 browser.  Once these were ticked, thd ane site crashed (Access is invalid etc. notice), but recovered after several hits the back button, I was presented with the payment page.  Paid my £60, after which a new page appeared with the message "Please stay on this page. It may take a few minutes".  After a wait of over an hour I hit the HOME button, which returned me to the Dashboard, and notification that I was logged out.  Logged back in and found that, despite frequent saves, most of my previously entered data had disappeared. At that point I called it a day.

Wednesday morning, and I've just checked my credit card account.  £60 withdrawal is pending, so I've made my payment.  No time to re-enter today, so I'll wade through it all again tomorrow. What a palarva!  I'll keep you posted.

A very Thai experience....No logic whatsoever...lol. I think if payment was made your application has been completed and accepted. Nothing more needs to done. Next time u log in click the 'Check Status' box and see what is there.

[randymarsh]

What docs do I have to include in the post?  I did the online application and it doesnt seem like I have to print out hotel bookings, bank statements etc again.  They were already submitted online, so what would be the point?

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, randymarsh said:

What docs do I have to include in the post?  I did the online application and it doesnt seem like I have to print out hotel bookings, bank statements etc again.  They were already submitted online, so what would be the point?

You send the application with barcode, your passport and  £10 in cash for return postage.

See: http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84397-How-to-apply-visa-by-post.html

[randymarsh]

Thanks.  If I get rejected, do I get a big red REJECT stamp in my passport?

 

I ask as I'm doing a bit of an experiment as I'm applying with a 1 way flight and only 1 nights accommodation booked.  I'm not doing this to be lazy, I'm doing this because in the real world this is how I live, I keep my return open and I don't plan ahead on my exact locations for an entire 90 days.  I fail to see why they ask for such things and I'm hoping if I am successful, it will put others at ease.

[CliffH]

On 11/6/2019 at 1:37 PM, SunsetT said:

A very Thai experience....No logic whatsoever...lol. I think if payment was made your application has been completed and accepted. Nothing more needs to done. Next time u log in click the 'Check Status' box and see what is there.

Indeed, a very Thai experience.  I've checked the 'Status' box and, lo and behold, all that remains is for me to send my Passport off to the London Embassy.  So, within a week or so I should be in possession of a passport sporting a new 'O' visa.  Assuming the E-visa website hasn't been sorted out by this time next year, I may cut my trip short and enter Thailand on 30-day visa exempt rather than go though all this hassle again. That could be extended by a further 30 days, which would be ample.

A  few relevant points wrt the 'O' Evisa that come to mind that may help others:

1)  Dashboard... The photo quality checking tool appears to only work on portrait photos, rejecting passport scans that may be accepted as being good when entered in the application.

2)  The passport and portrait photos/scans must have the lower case extension .jpg    using upper case .JPG will not work.

3)  All necessary printing did not require a colour printer.  (In case you have a mono laser printer, or dried up colour cartridge like me).

 

Thanks again SunsetT and others who have helped me jump through the miriad of hoops encountered during my completion of theE-Visa application process.

[Apiwan2]

5 hours ago, CliffH said:

Indeed, a very Thai experience.  I've checked the 'Status' box and, lo and behold, all that remains is for me to send my Passport off to the London Embassy.  So, within a week or so I should be in possession of a passport sporting a new 'O' visa.  Assuming the E-visa website hasn't been sorted out by this time next year, I may cut my trip short and enter Thailand on 30-day visa exempt rather than go though all this hassle again. That could be extended by a further 30 days, which would be ample.

A  few relevant points wrt the 'O' Evisa that come to mind that may help others:

1)  Dashboard... The photo quality checking tool appears to only work on portrait photos, rejecting passport scans that may be accepted as being good when entered in the application.

2)  The passport and portrait photos/scans must have the lower case extension .jpg    using upper case .JPG will not work.

3)  All necessary printing did not require a colour printer.  (In case you have a mono laser printer, or dried up colour cartridge like me).

 

Thanks again SunsetT and others who have helped me jump through the miriad of hoops encountered during my completion of theE-Visa application process.

Took me ages to work out that pics should be up to 500MB

 

Eventually got free software on the net to reduce them.

 

Once you've got all your stuff in the right format best to keep a file on the desktop , makes it easier for next time 

[SunsetT]

13 hours ago, CliffH said:

Indeed, a very Thai experience.  I've checked the 'Status' box and, lo and behold, all that remains is for me to send my Passport off to the London Embassy.  So, within a week or so I should be in possession of a passport sporting a new 'O' visa.  Assuming the E-visa website hasn't been sorted out by this time next year, I may cut my trip short and enter Thailand on 30-day visa exempt rather than go though all this hassle again. That could be extended by a further 30 days, which would be ample.

A  few relevant points wrt the 'O' Evisa that come to mind that may help others:

1)  Dashboard... The photo quality checking tool appears to only work on portrait photos, rejecting passport scans that may be accepted as being good when entered in the application.

2)  The passport and portrait photos/scans must have the lower case extension .jpg    using upper case .JPG will not work.

3)  All necessary printing did not require a colour printer.  (In case you have a mono laser printer, or dried up colour cartridge like me).

 

Thanks again SunsetT and others who have helped me jump through the miriad of hoops encountered during my completion of theE-Visa application process.

You are welcome. U probably know already but along with your passport u must print and send any one of the several pieces of paper with the barcode of your application on it.

 

[CliffH]

On 11/8/2019 at 6:16 AM, SunsetT said:

You are welcome. U probably know already but along with your passport u must print and send any one of the several pieces of paper with the barcode of your application on it.

 

Passport with gubbins posted to the London embassy on Friday, returned with visa this morning, (Wednesday).  Glad that's all over with now!

Thanks again to all who assisted with the visa application.

[randymarsh]

On 11/7/2019 at 2:19 PM, randymarsh said:

Thanks.  If I get rejected, do I get a big red REJECT stamp in my passport?

 

I ask as I'm doing a bit of an experiment as I'm applying with a 1 way flight and only 1 nights accommodation booked.  I'm not doing this to be lazy, I'm doing this because in the real world this is how I live, I keep my return open and I don't plan ahead on my exact locations for an entire 90 days.  I fail to see why they ask for such things and I'm hoping if I am successful, it will put others at ease.

 

Replying to myself in case anyone's interested.  I applied for a SETV through the London Embassy.  Ignoring all the problems with the online application, which was a nightmare, I was able to get a visa with:

 

A one way flight ticket to Thailand

One nights accommodation booked for my day of arrival

Proof of residence I uploaded my passport page again

 

 

The main takeaway is they are not fussed about return tickets or onward travel.

 

[gilkouk]

It was on my 6th attempt that i managed to get to the payments page that said "wait on this page it might take a few minutes" after 30 mins i rang the embassy and the young lady talked me through back to the home page and to  log back in then to click on check application status and low and behold there was my application marked fee paid and the form with the barcode .

The very first time i tried to submit my application i had the usual problems with the photo sizes , but after a short and plesant phone call to the embassy they asked me to email the photos to them and they reduced them for me and sent them back .

I have found the Embassy staff very very helpful and my advice is if you cant find something your not sure of just  , "Ring the Embassy and ask "  0207 589 2944 or 02072255500 and use extentions 5505 or 5526 .  

[peterdarby]

Invaluable help, great to be able to see another's experience and to know what to expect. As I read it on the Embassy's website, once the supporting documents are submitted online, you only need to post your passport, return address and £10, and the printout of the application with bar code - no need to send the supporting documents by mail. Seems to be working for me.

[Captain Igor]

Thank you so much, Senior Player, for youruseful advice. Having been successful we are adding some notes of our own. What a dreadful website!

 

When you have completed entering your jpeg data and press the DONE button an orange warning says "Warning ..." This means that your jpegs needs to be re-inputted until you can see their names in green in the left column.

 

All the jpegs are entered individually.

 

Whatever it says on the main website, you CAN go to the Thai Consulate in (Kingston on) Hull without an e visa.

 

We think the best time to apply is around midnight to 1.00 AM in Bangkok. Less traffic.

 

On the payment page we too watched the blue bar flashing for over an hour so we followed the advice about logging in on another page and it worked.

[greggraham]

This was useful, thanks. 

 

I sent my passport off with a pre-paid/labelled special delivery envelope inside, it arrived at the embassy on Monday. Today (Wednesday) the visa tracking is saying "Ready to collect passport" and my Royal Mail tracking isn't on the system yet. Do I just hold my nerve a bit longer or did I do something wrong?