British Embassy Introduces Biometric Visa System In Thailand

[sriracha john]

British Embassy introduces biometric visa system in Thailand

BANGKOK – The British Embassy in Bangkok has begun using a new biometric visa system, a high-technology procedure which requires fingerprint scans and digital photos of visa applicants to improve the immigration system and to prevent visa fraud or other misuse.

Andy Pearce, counsellor and deputy head of mission, told a press conference on Wednesday that from June 21, UK visa applicants aged over five years old must apply in person to have their biometric information collected, including their fingerprints and digitalised photos.

The new biometric system has already been implemented in more than 50 countries and will cover every country early next year.

The aim of the biometric data storage is to strengthen immigration and asylum control system and to prevent visa fraud.

In Thailand, there are 43,000 UK visa applicants each year. Of these, 10 per cent were interviewed by officials for more information and only 9-10 per cent of all applicants were rejected.

The fingerprint scan process takes less than two minutes. With the new system, the British embassy will no longer consider giving visas to applicants who reject providing biometric identification.

- MCOT

[ewelve]

In Thailand, there are 43,000 UK visa applicants each year. Of these, 10 per cent were interviewed by officials for more information and only 9-10 per cent of all applicants were rejected.

This surely must be the mother of all porkies, only 10% of applicants interviewed?, 9-10% rejected?, in my experience (18 years in Thailand) giving the figures in the opposite direction would be a lot more believable.

Never mind we will soon have the likes of Gay and Unpopular at 22 years old, to prove otherwise.

Ewelve.

[ashacat]

This surely must be the mother of all porkies, only 10% of applicants interviewed?, 9-10% rejected?, in my experience (18 years in Thailand) giving the figures in the opposite direction would be a lot more believable.

What do you mean?

[PhilHarries]

This surely must be the mother of all porkies, only 10% of applicants interviewed?, 9-10% rejected?, in my experience (18 years in Thailand) giving the figures in the opposite direction would be a lot more believable.

What do you mean?

btw ewelve, 10% of 43,000 is 4,300. If we assume interviews are held five days a week for 50 out of the 52 weeks (taking out Christmas and New Year, that works out at a little over 17 interviews per day or roughly 30 minutes per chat. I doubt if they achieve that.

If you were challenging the reject rate then what is your basis, where are your figures? 9 - 10% of total applicants may translate into a far higher reject rate when applied to bg's.

Edited June 21, 2007 by the scouser
Flame removed.

[RalphUK]

Only this morning I posted in another topic that I found the figures for approvals of visas "quite remarkable". I have since discovered that the figures for all British embassies are published on the UKvisas website, with a breakdown by type of visa. Although it is normally wise to take government issued statistics a tad sceptically I don't see that any purpose would be served by fabricating these figures.

I think there are an increasing number of well off middle class Thais who are going to the UK for a holiday. There has been a sharp increase in visa applications over the past 5 years which I don't think can be explained by an increase in the number of "ladies", as philharries euphmistically described them above***. So on reflection 10% refusal rate is probably about right.

Edited for clarification

***his post has disappeared

Edited June 21, 2007 by RalphUK

[the scouser]

Thread tidied up. Please keep it civil.

Scouse.

[sriracha john]

UK starts scanning. Andy Pearce, deputy head of mission at the British Embassy, has his fingers scanned at the launch of the new UK biometric visa application system, at the VFS Visa Application Centre. From yesterday, all visa applicants will have to visit the VFS Centre and have their fingers electronically scanned and a digital portrait photograph taken.

The Nation

Edited June 22, 2007 by sriracha john