Beware glitch in online e-visa system that cost me $80US

[JCP108]

I recently submitted an application for an e-visa to come to Thailand from the U.S. I have used that system before without any issues. However, this time, something happened that made them reject my initial application (thus causing me to lose my non-refundable application fee). 

 

On the second of the four screens for the application you enter your name (and any former names if yours has changed). At the bottom of the screen are two buttons, "save" and "continue". I entered all the information on that screen and hit "continue" as on most such online forms that button is a combo save and continue. In fact, it did retain all that information which meant that it did work as both save and continue. However, what I failed to notice when I get to the very last step on the last of the four screens is that when I hit "done" and a box popped up with my basic information that the system had changed my name from my full name with my middle name spelled out to my name with just my middle initial. I had entered my full name spelled out but the system converted it to having only my middle initial. I didn't catch that because all my life, 99.99% of the time, I see my name with only my middle initial. It looked normal to me. So, I submitted.

 

Then a few days later I got an email saying my application was rejected due to my name not matching my passport and it specifically said because my middle name had to be spelled out. It said that this issue could not be corrected and a new application would have to be submitted (thus costing me another application fee).

 

So...

 

I went back and started a new e-visa application. I did all the same things (including spelling out my middle name) and when I got to the "done" button at the end and the box popped up for me to review...

 

The system had again changed my name to only have my middle initial even though I carefully entered my full name on that eariler screen. 

 

I went back and spelled out my name on the second screen and again at the end, it had changed my name to only have my middle initial. 

 

I figured out that on that second screen, if you only hit "continue", it would change my name. If I hit "save" and then "continue" it would retain the info as I entered it without changing anything. So, do that to avoid any issues with your application if you use that system. 

[bunnydrops]

I can see how that could trip someone up. I will watch for that. Where did the form get your name with just the middle initial?

[JCP108]

10 minutes ago, bunnydrops said:

I can see how that could trip someone up. I will watch for that. Where did the form get your name with just the middle initial?

That's a good question. After I uploaded the image of my passport, the form populated the relevant boxes with the information on my passport which includes my full name with my middle name spelled out. When I typed my name in, I spelled it out. There was no place where I typed only my middle initial and no document I uploaded had only my middle initial. It seems that their system changed my middle name to my middle initial on its own (then inconveniently rejected me for that change).

[Caldera]

Quite harsh that they reject an application outright in such a case, instead of providing a way to fix it.

 

I say this because in other cases, such a missing supporting documents, they do (sometimes?) give the applicant a chance to email them the missing documents.

 

That it's apparently a glitch in their system that causes this issue in the first place makes it even worse. 

[Srikcir]

There are times I wish Thai programmers (assuming they do not based on my experience) would beta test their e-systems intended for foreigners first with foreigners before release. Not only for filling in required data but also for logic of sequential steps.

Not all foreigners are equal with regard to language tradition and culture. In the subject case, what if the foreigner has no middle name or a hyphenated last name? Would that reject the application?

[JCP108]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

There are times I wish Thai programmers (assuming they do not based on my experience) would beta test their e-systems intended for foreigners first with foreigners before release. Not only for filling in required data but also for logic of sequential steps.

Not all foreigners are equal with regard to language tradition and culture. In the subject case, what if the foreigner has no middle name or a hyphenated last name? Would that reject the application?

This is a new glitch. I did the e-visa exactly the same way with no glitches in November 2021. 

[BritTim]

I am used to incompetence in Thai online systems. Actual malice is unusual. Some programmer has actually gone to the effort of silently corrupting your data entry. This is not just an inadvertent programming error. If he is reading this thread, the programmer is probably laughing himself silly.

[JCP108]

6 minutes ago, BritTim said:

I am used to incompetence in Thai online systems. 

You must be familiar with the Thai Pass system, then.

[OJAS]

31 minutes ago, BritTim said:

If he is reading this thread, the programmer is probably laughing himself silly.

And no doubt he will receive an award for having pocketed 80 USD for his clients under allegedly false pretences.

 

[Caldera]

2 hours ago, BritTim said:

I am used to incompetence in Thai online systems. Actual malice is unusual. Some programmer has actually gone to the effort of silently corrupting your data entry. This is not just an inadvertent programming error. If he is reading this thread, the programmer is probably laughing himself silly.

I wouldn't be surprised if they just copied and pasted some code they found somewhere, without thinking.

 

Many companies, especially in the U.S., shorten a middle name to just the initial, so if they happened to find a code snippet that does just that and didn't test it properly, that would also explain the outcome.