3 hours ago, SunsetT said:

I agree that the thaievisa and COE websites are appallingly user-unfriendly and what gets me is that they have done absolutely nothing to improve the former yet it has been up and running for a 2 or 3 years now. Glad u got it sorted though.

 

It is difficult to get through to the embassy on the phone but as others have said if you email (Not the COE website email provided which does not work!) the embassy: [email protected] politely asking for help the response is appropriate, helpful and usually prompt (Same or next day, excluding weekends). The service has improved greatly with the Pandemic (couldnt have been much worse before!).

 

You have to sift the wheat from the chaff with the answers to questions on these two Facebook groups but both are very helpful and useful and have been a Godsend to many pulling their hair out like yourself:

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/272003337395576/?multi_permalinks=535388357723738&notif_id=1629309804941097&notif_t=group_highlights&ref=notif

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/408498092970363/?multi_permalinks=1147963465690485&notif_id=1629399700218608&notif_t=group_highlights&ref=notif

 

 

Maybe you meant to direct your advise to the OP, I have already been through the process a year ago and I agree you need to weigh up the quality of advise given on facebook groups, plus rules and conditions change regularly, hence todays facts might be outdated information in a short period of time.

As the original poster, I should in fairness add that while I stick to my criticism of the website as inexcusably user-unfriendly (after having had ages to get it right), I should imagine that is no fault of the London Thai Embassy, which I have been finding superlatively efficient so far in dealing with my application. For example, I got prior approval at 11 pm on a Sunday night, only 11 hours after my application.

19 hours ago, Denim said:

Many a true word said in jest .

I recall an incident a few years back in the UK where a pensioner  phoned the polioce to report that some people were breaking int his shed at the bottom of the garden, which contained a lot of valuable tools etc, and he was told that they were too busy to attend. A couple of minutes later he phoned back again and said "Don't worry about the people that were breaking into my shed - I've just shot one of them and they've taken off now!" Within 5 minutes his house was surrounded by police cars, and armed officeres, dogs etc, and the investigating officer the investigating officer was reprimanding the pensioner who said "But 2 minutes before I phoned you, in an earlier call, you said that you were too busy to attend?" I don't know the outcome, but I can verify that a few years ago I reported my next door neighbours burglar alarm going off in his empty house, and the police asked me to check if there were any signs of any break in or people inside! I said "Is that not your job?" and put the phone down! 

I agree that the thaievisa and COE websites are appallingly user-unfriendly and what gets me is that they have done absolutely nothing to improve the former yet it has been up and running for a 2 or 3 years now. Glad u got it sorted though.

 

It is difficult to get through to the embassy on the phone but as others have said if you email (Not the COE website email provided which does not work!) the embassy: [email protected] politely asking for help the response is appropriate, helpful and usually prompt (Same or next day, excluding weekends). The service has improved greatly with the Pandemic (couldnt have been much worse before!).

 

You have to sift the wheat from the chaff with the answers to questions on these two Facebook groups but both are very helpful and useful and have been a Godsend to many pulling their hair out like yourself:

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/272003337395576/?multi_permalinks=535388357723738&notif_id=1629309804941097&notif_t=group_highlights&ref=notif

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/408498092970363/?multi_permalinks=1147963465690485&notif_id=1629399700218608&notif_t=group_highlights&ref=notif

 

21 hours ago, Aussieroaming said:

Maybe you meant to direct your advise to the OP, I have already been through the process a year ago and I agree you need to weigh up the quality of advise given on facebook groups, plus rules and conditions change regularly, hence todays facts might be outdated information in a short period of time.

Yes sorry,  I did but I thought he'd read it anyway. Ive now reposted it as a direct reply to him. Cheers

16 hours ago, jrmaanda said:

As the original poster, I should in fairness add that while I stick to my criticism of the website as inexcusably user-unfriendly (after having had ages to get it right), I should imagine that is no fault of the London Thai Embassy, which I have been finding superlatively efficient so far in dealing with my application. For example, I got prior approval at 11 pm on a Sunday night, only 11 hours after my application.

Your post will have helped many people applying for the COE and all because of the "upload " button feature that also tripped me up . If the "upload " button had been prominent , say 3 times the size , then it would have been more obvious . 

The fact that you got pre-approval on Sunday night suggest to me that maybe the Thai embassy workers are working weekends ?  Finally , I just wish that the London Thai embassy call center could employ more agents to answer their phones as being told you are number 22 in the queue is frustrating and one such time after waiting 45 minutes to speak to an agent I was cut off when I said  " Is this the Thai embassy express service "  and chuckled  ( true )  .