Timing for Filing UK Visitor Visa Application and which Optional Service (Premium Package) to Choose?

[Nordlys]

Hi.  Me and my Thai wife are booked for flight from Bangkok to London on May 19th for 17 days trip to UK.  

I don't need a UK Visitor Visa, but my wife being a Thai passport holder she will.  She has been to Japan eight times, all of which when Japan required tourist visa from Thai passport holders, and twice to U.S. and 3 times to Italy, Germany and France respectively (3 Schengen visas).  

Main purpose of our trip is to attend 8 days meditation retreat at a Buddhist Monastery near London in the lineage of a famous late Thai meditation teacher/monk.  My wife has never applied for UK tourist visa and I understand it can be more cumbersome and time-consuming than Schengen visa application.  And they only allow you to file application no sooner than 3 months prior to departure date.  

 

Now the time has come for my wife to prepare filing the costly application (non-refundable even if the visa is denied), however we're holding it as we anticipate a high probability the retreat, which will see a congregation of some 400 retreatants from all over UK and elsewhere including Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia (among others) will be cancelled, due to the obvious concern relating to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The organizing monastery is in winter retreat now until the end of March and hasn't yet made any public announcement about it and doesn't reply to email inquiries. 

As such, I'm holding the application now as I don't want the 5,000-ish Baht application fee to go wasted in the event the retreat is cancelled.  On the other hand, I'm concerned when/if the organizer makes public announcement (expected to be early April at the earliest) that the retreat will go ahead as originally scheduled it might be too late for her to file application in time for the trip.  

Not to mention I hear the visa processing outsourcing agencies for UK embassy does not tell applicant how long the queue is or how long it takes for the visa application to be processed at the time of filing application.  I am under the impression (wishful thinking) that there probably are not too many people traveling in and out of Thailand in the coming months (UK or not) but I really have no clue.  And it's not that we're determined to go to UK at any cost so I want the visa application to be as cheap as possible.  

So my question is, how long does it usually take for UK visa to be granted (or denied) at this time of the year if we file at the cheapest visa application center (VFS Ltd, The Trendy Office Bldg)?

Adding to the confusion is so many "Premium Packages" (specially crafted optional services) to choose from.  If in the event that I have to apply her UK visa in the last minute, which "Premium Packages" should I choose if I want to ensure smoothest and fastest possible processing (again, money is an object here).  

 

Edited March 3, 2020 by Nordlys

[Surelynot]

Doing mine this week for May 20.

[roo860]

Booking next Monday to submit docs etc, in Chiang Mai, last two applications, 2018, 2019 both granted within 5 working days. Wife looking to travel mid May. That was with the Standard application, no extra payment.

Edited March 3, 2020 by roo860

[Nordlys]

20 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Booking next Monday to submit docs etc, in Chiang Mai, last two applications, 2018, 2019 both granted within 5 working days. Wife looking to travel mid May. That was with the Standard application, no extra payment.

What time of the year was it when you submitted 2018 and 2019 application?  

[roo860]

Just now, Nordlys said:

What time of the year was it when you submitted 2018 and 2019 application?  

This month, both times.