Q&A session with the British Embassy Consular Team - ask your questions here!

[Tanoshi]

On 8/3/2020 at 3:31 PM, PeeraponW said:

We were unable to use 3 visit visas for the UK due to the Virus situation.  As they will expire before the next opportunity to travel, will there be any compensation 

No, who stopped you using them.

[Tanoshi]

On 8/3/2020 at 4:11 PM, soi3eddie said:

Or can visit visas be "redated" with future validty if they are unable to be used due to travel restrictions?

 

My GF was issued a UK visit visa in June however due to CV I'm still here in Thailand and we may not go to UK before her visa expires. If she went to UK now she may not be able to return to Thailand easily at end of her visit. I guess I should probably ask VFS anyway but would be good to hear direct from British Embassy.  

No, why would the UKVI 're-date' the Visas.

You've never been prevented from entering the UK.

[Tanoshi]

On 8/3/2020 at 6:20 PM, csmith said:

I should be grateful to be given a strategy on how to have my pension acknowledged as a married person and also to how to have a pension available to my wife after my death.

No such thing as a married persons Pension.

You may be referring to the days when a wife could claim part of your NI contributions as a means to receiving a Pension, but that never applied to foreign wives, unless they had British citizenship.

Since 2014, each person can now only claim the state pension based on their own contributions.

NI contributions are not transferrable.

 

If you had a private pension your wife may be able to claim a widows pension depending on the policy and if it allowed for a widows pension. As for the state pension if your wife didn't pay NI contributions into the scheme in her own right for 10 years, she's entitled to nothing.

[Tanoshi]

On 8/4/2020 at 7:11 AM, DPKANKAN said:

Why do you refuse to notarize British pension income? Other countries do it!!

No they don't, they 'certify the Income letters.

 

On 8/4/2020 at 7:11 AM, DPKANKAN said:

You say you are unable to confirm the income is correct? Surely, if we get it notarized by a legal representative before submission to you it takes away that argument

The Embassy, is unable to 'verify' your Income due to Data Protection law which is intended to protect your personal information. Indeed if a member of the Embassy staff were able to 'verify' my details and Pension amount with any of my Pension providers, I'd be able to sue the Pension providers for breach of Data protection Act.

 

To 'legalise' a document to be accepted as 'genuine' in a foreign Country, you'd first have to have the Home Office 'authenticate' the document, then 'legalised' by the Thai Embassy before entering Thailand.

The Home office can only authenticate documents that are on a public register, not government or private pensions.

[soi3eddie]

41 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

No, why would the UKVI 're-date' the Visas.

You've never been prevented from entering the UK.

Yes of course you are correct. We can go to the UK today. But can you please explain how my GF will get back to Thailand once her UK visit visa expires if there are still no commercial flights into Thailand? She does not want to overstay her UK visa. Maybe the UK would not want her to overstay too but use the visa at another when she can be certain of being able leave the UK and return home?

[richard_smith237]

11 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

Yes of course you are correct. We can go to the UK today. But can you please explain how my GF will get back to Thailand once her UK visit visa expires if there are still no commercial flights into Thailand? She does not want to overstay her UK visa. Maybe the UK would not want her to overstay too but use the visa at another when she can be certain of being able leave the UK and return home?

Your (Thai) girlfriend would be able to apply for a Repatriation Flight with the Thai Embassy. 

OR, by the time her Visit visa is close to expiration Thailand’s Emergency Decree has ended and commercial passenger flights are permitted entry. 

 

That said - given the current situation any Thai flying to another country runs the risk of visa complications due to the difficulty in returning. 

 

 

[Tanoshi]

37 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

Yes of course you are correct. We can go to the UK today. But can you please explain how my GF will get back to Thailand once her UK visit visa expires if there are still no commercial flights into Thailand? She does not want to overstay her UK visa. Maybe the UK would not want her to overstay too but use the visa at another when she can be certain of being able leave the UK and return home?

There are repatriation flights into Thailand from the UK all the time.

Contact the Thai Embassy in London for details and requirements for your wife to re-enter Thailand.

 

She'd need a 'fit to fly' certificate and would be subject to 14 day quarantine at a Bangkok hotel which has to be booked and paid in advance. The requirements on re-entry are made by the Thai government and again nothing to do with the UKVI.

 

[dabhand]

34 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

There are repatriation flights into Thailand from the UK all the time.

Contact the Thai Embassy in London for details and requirements for your wife to re-enter Thailand.

 

She'd need a 'fit to fly' certificate and would be subject to 14 day quarantine at a Bangkok hotel which has to be booked and paid in advance. The requirements on re-entry are made by the Thai government and again nothing to do with the UKVI.

 

I believe that Thai nationals are able to quarantine in state provided accommodation (not available to foreigners) at no cost. They do have the choice of using ASQ accommodation for a price.

[DPKANKAN]

1 hour ago, Tanoshi said:

No they don't, they 'certify the Income letters.

 

The Embassy, is unable to 'verify' your Income due to Data Protection law which is intended to protect your personal information. Indeed if a member of the Embassy staff were able to 'verify' my details and Pension amount with any of my Pension providers, I'd be able to sue the Pension providers for breach of Data protection Act.

 

To 'legalise' a document to be accepted as 'genuine' in a foreign Country, you'd first have to have the Home Office 'authenticate' the document, then 'legalised' by the Thai Embassy before entering Thailand.

The Home office can only authenticate documents that are on a public register, not government or private pensions.

I contacted them by email when they annoucned they were stopping. Their response was they were unable to verify that the information being provided to them was correct as they had no means of corroberating it. Hence they stopped it.

Nothing to do with personal information protection. Probably just an afterthought excuse.

And I have had paperwork notarized here, not at the Embassy, for International use. No problems.

[Jumbo1968]

49 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

There are repatriation flights into Thailand from the UK all the time.

Contact the Thai Embassy in London for details and requirements for your wife to re-enter Thailand.

 

She'd need a 'fit to fly' certificate and would be subject to 14 day quarantine at a Bangkok hotel which has to be booked and paid in advance. The requirements on re-entry are made by the Thai government and again nothing to do with the UKVI.

 

Getting on a repatriation flight could be a problem the 3 flights in August are already full up, whilst she doesn’t need to pay for the 14 Day Quarantine she would need to pay for the flight at around £700 with Thai Air from Heathrow.

[Tanoshi]

8 minutes ago, DPKANKAN said:

I contacted them by email when they annoucned they were stopping. Their response was they were unable to verify that the information being provided to them was correct as they had no means of corroberating it. Hence they stopped it.

They were unable to verify the incomes due to Data Protection law.

 

10 minutes ago, DPKANKAN said:

Nothing to do with personal information protection. Probably just an afterthought excuse.

What do you think the Data Protection Act does?

 

11 minutes ago, DPKANKAN said:

And I have had paperwork notarized here, not at the Embassy, for International use. No problems.

 Thai documents, yes, UK documents, No.

[soi3eddie]

3 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

There are repatriation flights into Thailand from the UK all the time.

Contact the Thai Embassy in London for details and requirements for your wife to re-enter Thailand.

 

She'd need a 'fit to fly' certificate and would be subject to 14 day quarantine at a Bangkok hotel which has to be booked and paid in advance. The requirements on re-entry are made by the Thai government and again nothing to do with the UKVI.

 

Do you know what dates of the repatriation flights "into Thailand from the UK all the time"? Only 3 in August and all long since fully booked. Are there any in September, October or November that can be booked as part of a roundtrip ticket without paying a fortune and needing fit to fly, CoE and quarantine? There are no scheduled passenger flights into Thailand currently until 1st October and there are unlikey to be any, based on authority comments, until 2021.

[Tanoshi]

45 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

Do you know what dates of the repatriation flights "into Thailand from the UK all the time"? Only 3 in August and all long since fully booked. Are there any in September, October or November that can be booked as part of a roundtrip ticket without paying a fortune and needing fit to fly, CoE and quarantine? There are no scheduled passenger flights into Thailand currently until 1st October and there are unlikey to be any, based on authority comments, until 2021.

Eddie, go to this site and enter your preferred dates.

https://www.skyscanner.net/routes/bkkt/lond/bangkok-to-london.html

There are numerous return flights available. Bangkok - London - Bangkok.

 

Your wife will certainly require a 'fit to fly' certificate and will be subject to 14 days quarantine on return.

Contact the Thai Embassy London for latest updates on requirements for Thais.

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/organize/81604-AddressNumbersEmail-Addresses.html

 

Unless it is absolutely essential travel, I suggest you wait for better times with less restrictions and requirements.

[DPKANKAN]

3 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

They were unable to verify the incomes due to Data Protection law.

 

What do you think the Data Protection Act does?

 

 Thai documents, yes, UK documents, No.

No I had UK documents done including birth certificate!! Not Thai

[howerde]

26 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

Do you know what dates of the repatriation flights "into Thailand from the UK all the time"? Only 3 in August and all long since fully booked. Are there any in September, October or November that can be booked as part of a roundtrip ticket without paying a fortune and needing fit to fly, CoE and quarantine? There are no scheduled passenger flights into Thailand currently until 1st October and there are unlikey to be any, based on authority comments, until 2021.

Thai have not announced future flights yet, hopefully by the end of August they might have flights for sep, there seem to be only 2 or 3 flights a month, The embassy website shows tickets only 1 way economy was about £700 and business class £2880, i dont see there being any scheduled flights til at least Nov or even this year.

[Tanoshi]

4 minutes ago, DPKANKAN said:

No I had UK documents done including birth certificate!! Not Thai

Not 'legalised' as you stated, maybe something else.

[Jumbo1968]

5 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Eddie, go to this site and enter your preferred dates.

https://www.skyscanner.net/routes/bkkt/lond/bangkok-to-london.html

There are numerous return flights available. Bangkok - London - Bangkok.

 

Your wife will certainly require a 'fit to fly' certificate and will be subject to 14 days quarantine on return.

Contact the Thai Embassy London for latest updates on requirements for Thais.

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/organize/81604-AddressNumbersEmail-Addresses.html

I am not sure it has been mentioned, yes flights are listed on Skyscanner with the proviso the airports are open and allowing flights, currently only repatriation flights allowed. 

[Tanoshi]

7 minutes ago, howerde said:

Thai have not announced future flights yet, hopefully by the end of August they might have flights for sep, there seem to be only 2 or 3 flights a month, The embassy website shows tickets only 1 way economy was about £700 and business class £2880, i dont see there being any scheduled flights til at least Nov or even this year.

There are many repatriation flights other than what the Embassy website shows, going to and through many European destinations. https://www.skyscanner.net/routes/bkkt/lond/bangkok-to-london.html

I personally know of 3 expats who have booked and departed in the last two months without issue.

[Tanoshi]

6 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

I am not sure it has been mentioned, yes flights are listed on Skyscanner with the proviso the airports are open and allowing flights, currently only repatriation flights allowed. 

These are inbound repatriate flights, taking foreigners out.

As stated I know 3 expats booked and left in the last 2 months.

No cancellations or delayed flights.

[howerde]

2 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

There are many repatriation flights other than what the Embassy website shows, going to and through many European destinations. https://www.skyscanner.net/routes/bkkt/lond/bangkok-to-london.html

I personally know of 3 expats who have booked and departed in the last two months without issue.

It seems quite clear on this link, a few months ago eva air were used but were still repatriation flights

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/119247-Requirements-for-Certificate-of-Entry-during-trave.html

[Jumbo1968]

6 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

There are many repatriation flights other than what the Embassy website shows, going to and through many European destinations. https://www.skyscanner.net/routes/bkkt/lond/bangkok-to-london.html

I personally know of 3 expats who have booked and departed in the last two months without issue.

You mean departed from Thailand ? You are a regular on here so are aware of the conditions imposed by the Thai Government ?

It’s well known that the only flights allowed in are Repatriation Flights, you have to have a Certificate of Entry issued buy the Thai Embassy along with the Covid19 Test, Fit to Fly Certificate, $100k Health Insurance and booked a reservation at an OSQ Hotel.

[Tanoshi]

25 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

You mean departed from Thailand ?

Repatriation flights into Thailand - foreigners taken out.

 

25 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

It’s well known that the only flights allowed in are Repatriation Flights, you have to have a Certificate of Entry issued buy the Thai Embassy along with the Covid19 Test, Fit to Fly Certificate, $100k Health Insurance and booked a reservation at an OSQ Hotel.

I replied to soi3eddie, who enquired about his Thai wife visiting, then returning to Thailand from the UK. You've just quoted requirements for a foreigner to enter Thailand.

 

I'll repeat, I wouldn't advise anyone to fly at this current time unless it was absolute essential travel. I do not consider travelling to the UK or anywhere for a 'visit' as essential.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Hello All.

 

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions and to those who keep on providing advice and sharing info in this topic. 

 

Answers to some of your questions are here: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1177205-interview-with-the-british-embassy-consular-team-in-thailand-august-2020/

 

[longstebe]

How do I renew my childs British passport here in Thailand?

He has dual citizenship. 

 

 

My search takes me to the UK gov site and mentions the Royal mail etc???? 

[Tanoshi]

14 minutes ago, longstebe said:

How do I renew my childs British passport here in Thailand?

He has dual citizenship. 

 

 

My search takes me to the UK gov site and mentions the Royal mail etc???? 

You should start from this page:

https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

 

Applications are made via appointment through the VFS at the Trendy building.

 

You should come to this page after entering the details.

https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/overseas/information/thailand/renew/child?cookies=true

 

[MJKT2014]

On 8/4/2020 at 12:54 PM, soi3eddie said:

On 8/4/2020 at 10:32 AM, Kadilo said:

I am on an extension of stay ( retirement) as over 50 but still working. 
Stuck in UK, cannot get back to Thailand to see partner and Thailand’s quarantine rules along with UK rules make that visit impossible. 
 

When my extension of stay expires, what are my options to renew as I can’t get into Thailand and I dont want to lose the 5 years it’s taken to get to this point. 

A very valid question which will apply to many who are on retirement and marriage extensions. Can the British Embassy lobby Thai Immigration to make concessions on renewal of extensions?

So that went well didn't it? Just watched the video and Dan asked this question posed above on lobbying for expats stuck OUTSIDE Thailand and the consul answered another topic altogether! Presumably Dan was dumbfounded as he never said a thing as a followup about the consul not answering this question?

 

There must be many expats stuck outside Thailand or not risking going outside Thailand to work, pay for their Thai families and with 800,000THB in Thai banks whose annual extensions perhaps running many tens of years are about to expire or have done already?

[Uroller]

Why has Thailand been taken off UK no isolation required list? What exactly has prompted this?

[Jumbo1968]

8 minutes ago, Uroller said:

Why has Thailand been taken off UK no isolation required list? What exactly has prompted this?

Have you a link that shows this, up until very recently anyone returning from Thailand had to self isolate for 14 days.

[MAJORUS]

On 8/3/2020 at 3:42 PM, MAJORUS said:

I have two pensions,The British State Pension and A British Army Pension Both are British Government pension but the British"Embassy"refuses to provide any letter for Thai Immigration certifying it's own government pensions WHY?? perhaps you should drop the word Embassy and call it a trade mission as that is what it is.

I am still waiting for an answer to a totally justified question,WHY will you not authorise your own governments official documents,is that not what normal embassies do?

[Jumbo1968]

3 minutes ago, MAJORUS said:

I am still waiting for an answer to a totally justified question,WHY will you not authorise your own governments official documents,is that not what normal embassies do?

Thailand doesn’t have a Reciprocal Agreement with the U.K. Immigration also asked when validating the  Pension Statements did the Embassy check if the Embassy had anyway of knowing they were genuine. The Embassy said no so Immigration said they could no longer accept the Pension Letters.

Maybe the Embassy could check somehow but obviously not prepared to do so probably because of the time and effort and data protection laws.