What is typical time for London embassy to approve a Tourist Visa?

[JonMac]

I'd appreciate any inputs.

Thanks.

[Will B Good]

I take it you mean applied for within Thailand for a visitors  visas to the UK?.........not that long from memory......maybe a week, assuming all the paperwork is in order?

 

Happy to be corrected.

[ubonjoe]

As little as 2 to 3 days up to a week at the most.

As soon as it is approved you will get a email with your stickerless visa.

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I take it you mean applied for within Thailand for a visitors  visas to the UK?.........not that long from memory......maybe a week, assuming all the paperwork is in order?

He is asking about a Thai visa applied for online to the Thai embassy in London.

[RichardColeman]

Do us Uk'ers still get our 30 days free entry ? 

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Do us Uk'ers still get our 30 days free entry ? 

Yes they get a 30 day visa exempt entry.

A tourist visa allows a 60 day entry.

[joe shaw]

i am waiting 8 days at the moment the phone line is very busy all the time 

[alex8912]

What does it say on the website? The Los Angeles consulate page says minimum 15 working days!  I asked about any reports on that yesterday but no one commented. I assumed nearly no one would apply considering you may have to wait another 7 or more working days for Thailand pass after getting a tourist visa. 

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

What does it say on the website? The Los Angeles consulate page says minimum 15 working days!

What the LA consulate has on it might be old info posted before they started doing the application online in the US.

Which is well before the started issuing  stickerless visas by email.

[neilscolt]

Did an online application last month, visa approved and issued electronically within 48 hours. Have always found the Embassy in London to be efficient, even turning the old postal applications around in 3-4 days. 
 

Though you can never get through on the phone they do respond to emails within a day or two if you have any queries 

[baboon]

2 hours ago, joe shaw said:

i am waiting 8 days at the moment the phone line is very busy all the time 

Me too. According to a Facebook group I belong to, the system is down in some way and visas are not currently being processed. A right pain in the backside, this new system is...

[JonMac]

"the system is down in some way" That is one relief, I was worried I had uploaded incorrect data.

 

Six working days so far and "being processed."

 

I submitted my wife's yesterday, the system gave a receipt for the fee but fee not charged to our account yet.

[AKJeff]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

What the LA consulate has on it might be old info posted before they started doing the application online in the US.

Which is well before the started issuing  stickerless visas by email.

True the web page hasn't been updated but I applied two weeks ago to the embassy in Washington DC and it is still "processing." No communication from them at all.  I have done multiple different types of visas in the past so I am fairly familiar with what the embassy is asking for.  

 

For me it is the lack of communication is the worst part.

[baboon]

46 minutes ago, JonMac said:

"the system is down in some way" That is one relief, I was worried I had uploaded incorrect data.

 

Six working days so far and "being processed."

 

I submitted my wife's yesterday, the system gave a receipt for the fee but fee not charged to our account yet.

Latest I heard is that it 'should' be back up and running on the 16th, but expect delays in processing....

[alex8912]

13 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

What the LA consulate has on it might be old info posted before they started doing the application online in the US.

Which is well before the started issuing  stickerless visas by email.

Hmmm I'd really like to get a real report. 
In 2019 and before never did a consulate say 15 working days even into 2020. I feel this ridiculous minimum 15 working days is quite a recent thing. I understand what you say but it seems like almost no one from the states who supposedly are the most recent visitors to Thailand try to get a 60 day tourist visa. Here is one reason Ubon Joe perhaps. If you are really or " just about" a tourist in Thailand and want to stay say 31 days or 35 or 40 or 50 days. Why even bother with a 60 day tourist visa?  MAYBE it could take 15 ( or more ) working days!  Let's get REAL reports. I see zero!  So just like me and others.   Why even bother to come to Thailand for 45 or 50 days and have to apply for a stupid 60 day TV.  WE will just come for 30 days!  Visa exempt and no hassle to bother with TV. MAYBE extent 30 days but probably many won't. So Thailand wants visitors 30 days or less!  So, well, silly! What a consulate website says is what everyone would have to abide by. I don't see how anyone can have a different opinion.  How can I find out if "info" is " old " or not?? 
Your opinion is highly regarded by me and most others.  I just can't start a tourist visa without knowing is " 15 or more working days " is even remotely possible to get a simple 60 day visa. 
Just imagine if the genius's who make decisions said All people who are accepted for 30 day visa exempt are now able to arrive 60 or even ( god forbid ) 90 days visa free stay. Would Thailand ???????? gain a lot of $$/baht by this CRAZY idea?  They just go straight to Thailand pass , skip stupid too long to get to short 60 day visa! I guess we could only dream of such a simple way for Thailand to rake in so much money!

[DoctorB]

On 11/10/2021 at 11:52 AM, ubonjoe said:

As little as 2 to 3 days up to a week at the most.

As soon as it is approved you will get a email with your stickerless visa.

The current update to the UK Thai Embassy website says "Please apply for a visa at least 4 weeks in advance before departure" - item 7 of the "Requirements For Foreigners...etc" list. All a bit of a deterioration from the old days.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, DoctorB said:

The current update to the UK Thai Embassy website says "Please apply for a visa at least 4 weeks in advance before departure" - item 7 of the "Requirements For Foreigners...etc" list. All a bit of a deterioration from the old days.

It would help if you posted a link to the page where it states that. 

That may be good advice but it might not be always be possible.

What I wrote is general info for a visa application. It was not specific to one embassy or official consulate.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, alex8912 said:

In 2019 and before never did a consulate say 15 working days even into 2020. I feel this ridiculous minimum 15 working days is quite a recent thing. I understand what you say but it seems like almost no one from the states who supposedly are the most recent visitors to Thailand try to get a 60 day tourist visa

The embassy and consulates did not start using the e visa website until this year. And the stickerless visa started in September of this year.

Things have changed a lot since 2019.

[TroyC]

Currently been waiting 8 working day since submitting my Evisa for Tourist. The system has just been displaying "Processing" on my application.

 

After emailing the UK Embassy yesterday i got the following reply which i find hilarious as seriously how can they expect us to believe there are high volumes of tourists applying for a visa at the current time.

Edited November 12, 2021 by TroyC
update

[alex8912]

Well it seems that some REAL reports are coming close to what the embassy/consulates websites actual say. Up to 10 working days ( and perhaps more ) and probably 15 or more working days in some instances perhaps Los Angeles. Does anyone else have a real time frame for just a simple 60 day tourist visa? As the poster above me mentioned it's a complete JOKE to think that the embassy in London is telling people in REAL life there are high volumes of people applying for a tourist visa. Complete BS!! 

[alex8912]

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The embassy and consulates did not start using the e visa website until this year. And the stickerless visa started in September of this year.

Things have changed a lot since 2019.

Yes I understand that. I was just comparing 2019 because the volume of visas being given was probably 20x or more  the amount that are given now ( and 60 days only ) for tourist visas. I think there are few real reports about the time it takes to get one NOW. Whenever I see a report it is always more that 3 or 4 days. Even the poster above me has been waiting 8 business days and received one lying , ridiculous reply from the London embassy. The visa exempt system should simply be 60 days for all countries already approved for 30 days. It's just too simple for the powers that be to see how ANY tourist easily able to stay 31 to 60 days contributes more to the Thai economy than someone coming for 29 or less days !  A tourist visa taking 8, 9 , 10/15/20 working days is insane! THEN you finally get one and you have the honor to apply for Thailand pass which has already taken MORE than 7 working days from several reports!  Wow! 

[DoctorB]

9 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It would help if you posted a link to the page where it states that. 

That may be good advice but it might not be always be possible.

What I wrote is general info for a visa application. It was not specific to one embassy or official consulate.

Link as requested:-

 

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/requirements-for-foreigners-travelling-to-thailand-during-covid-19-tra?page=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072dd&menu=5f4b6eb3f6ae4b236972c562

 

See note 7, right hand side.

[JonMac]

Update: my wife's visa, application Nov 11, was approved Nov 12.

Mine, application Nov 4, is still being processed.

[ubonjoe]

On 11/12/2021 at 6:11 PM, DoctorB said:

Link as requested:-

 

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/requirements-for-foreigners-travelling-to-thailand-during-covid-19-tra?page=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072dd&menu=5f4b6eb3f6ae4b236972c562

 

See note 7, right hand side.

What is written there is wrong. You can apply for a 30 day extension of a visa exempt entry. They have been allowed since 2014.

"Foreigners of a national eligible for the 30-days visa exemption scheme planning to stay over 30 days will have to apply for a visa to enter Thailand at thaievisa.go.th. Please apply for a visa at least 4 weeks in advance before departure."

The 4 weeks might be good advice in some cases.