Thai Need Visa For Transit In London?

[semper48]

My fiancee and I are flying through Heathrow on our way to Scandinavia. She has a Visa for Schengen, but to my surprise I was told UK arent part of it and she might need a Visa for UK. Makes sense if she enters the country, but dam_n harsh just for checking in at a different terminal, the flights being 3 hours apart.

Anybody have experience with this one?

[tominchaam]

To be transit waiting for a connecting international flight does not mean you enter the UK. There should be no problem even if your outbound flight is from another terminal within the same airport. But make sure you are allowed to check your luggage in to your final destination as you otherwise has to enter the UK.

Edited March 6, 2008 by tominchaam

[sungod]

From the Home Office web site;

Do I Need A UK Visa

Home OfficeFCO

You asked if a national of Thailand needs a visa to come to the UK in transit.

At the discretion of a UK Immigration Officer, you may transit without visa (TWOV), but only if:

* you will continue your onward journey from the United Kingdom by air within 24 hours, and

* you will hold a confirmed onward ticket, and

* you will have the necessary documents (passport, visa, etc. ) for the country to which you are travelling and any countries that you will pass through en route, or

* you will arrive on a cruise ship and intend to depart on the same ship within 24 hours.

If not, you need a Visitor in Transit or Visit visa.

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pa...d=1006977149962

[Maestro]

I am moving this from the forum “Thailand Travel Forum” to the forum “Visas and migration to other countries”

--

Maestro

[Crossy]

As others have noted, provided you remain airside there should be no issues (so no low-cost point to point airlines). There are inter-terminal buses to get you to your next flight.

It is VITAL that you check your baggage through to destination, if you're on the same airline you may even get all your boarding cards at initial check-in.

[the scouser]

As sungod noted, providing that your wife has a visa for her destination country and has a confirmed onward ticket, she can benefit from a visa waiver of twenty-four hours. As others have noted, if you remain airside, she won't even see a UK immigration officer.

Scouse.

[CbrLad]

As sungod noted, providing that your wife has a visa for her destination country and has a confirmed onward ticket, she can benefit from a visa waiver of twenty-four hours. As others have noted, if you remain airside, she won't even see a UK immigration officer.

Scouse.

Indeed, and to clarify there are two types of tranists. There are airsides which are the ones where you do not need to even enter the country. Ie you stay inside the same airport and just go to new terminal or gate. Then there are also landside ones where you do need to enter. In the UK the classic case of a landside visa is when you are travelling to the Republic of Ireland. Flights to ROI leave from the 'domestic' gates so you must enter. Another example of a landside transit is when you need to change airports, for example arrive Heathrow leave Gatwick etc.

The post above descibes clearly what is needed for a landside transit.

[semper48]

I certainly hope Ethiad will book my flight onwards all the way, but I dont think all airlines book with all other airlines, not quite sure on that one. Sometimes one can and sometimes not.

I am thinking that IF we have to go landside to check in again, I might do so alone, leaving fiancee airside, taking with me her passport and ticket. A little bit worrysome for her to be alone for an hour, but she will live.

Doable, right?

[CbrLad]

I certainly hope Ethiad will book my flight onwards all the way, but I dont think all airlines book with all other airlines, not quite sure on that one. Sometimes one can and sometimes not.

I am thinking that IF we have to go landside to check in again, I might do so alone, leaving fiancee airside, taking with me her passport and ticket. A little bit worrysome for her to be alone for an hour, but she will live.

Doable, right?

Wrong. What you suggest about leaving the wife airside and going landside to check-in won't work. By all rights the airline will not check in a person unless they sight them.

However what you will find is if you have to change airline the orginating airline will book your bags right through to your final destination and, you to check in for the second flight only need to visit the 2nd airlines transfer desk airside (ie before immigration). This applies even if the airlines are different alliances or not alligned at all, most major airlines are members of IATA who co-ordinate all this with a company called SITA who run's most of the international check-in and baggage handling systems.

The only major exception is many low cost carriers don't allow through checking, but most of these operate from the secondary airports or seperate terminals (such as at KL) and you have to do a landside transit anyway.

For example a few years ago I flew from Vientiane to Bangkok with Thai, then Qantas to Sydney (then Canberra).

When I checked in Thai asked where I was going and I said Canberra. They checked my Qantas tickets which was a seperate booking and then checked my bags all the way to Canberra. They, because they are not alligned could only issue the boarding pass as far as BKK. At BKK I went to the Qantas transfer desk airside, showed them my baggage tickets from Thai, collected my new boarding passes and was on my way. No need to collect the bag, no need to go landside and recheck. Very simple.

[rimbung]

Heathrow is the pits and you are doing a dog leg journey with two stops en-route!

You would have been a lot better off routing via Amsterdam Schipol.

I suspect it would have been cheaper using China Airlines direct to AMS.

Edited March 7, 2008 by rimbung

[semper48]

Heathrow is the pits and you are doing a dog leg journey with two stops en-route!

You would have been a lot better off routing via Amsterdam Schipol.

I suspect it would have been cheaper using China Airlines direct to AMS.

I looked into all options (China air via Ams also), but the crux being my connecting flights with home country. Price of, days flown and time waiting (fx at Ams). China air flight is very reasonalbly priced, I´ll give you that!

My main hassle (and cost) is getting my ass to the mainland from home country, namely Iceland.

[semper48]

I certainly hope Ethiad will book my flight onwards all the way, but I dont think all airlines book with all other airlines, not quite sure on that one. Sometimes one can and sometimes not.

I am thinking that IF we have to go landside to check in again, I might do so alone, leaving fiancee airside, taking with me her passport and ticket. A little bit worrysome for her to be alone for an hour, but she will live.

Doable, right?

Wrong. What you suggest about leaving the wife airside and going landside to check-in won't work. By all rights the airline will not check in a person unless they sight them.

However what you will find is if you have to change airline the orginating airline will book your bags right through to your final destination and, you to check in for the second flight only need to visit the 2nd airlines transfer desk airside (ie before immigration). This applies even if the airlines are different alliances or not alligned at all, most major airlines are members of IATA who co-ordinate all this with a company called SITA who run's most of the international check-in and baggage handling systems.

The only major exception is many low cost carriers don't allow through checking, but most of these operate from the secondary airports or seperate terminals (such as at KL) and you have to do a landside transit anyway.

For example a few years ago I flew from Vientiane to Bangkok with Thai, then Qantas to Sydney (then Canberra).

When I checked in Thai asked where I was going and I said Canberra. They checked my Qantas tickets which was a seperate booking and then checked my bags all the way to Canberra. They, because they are not alligned could only issue the boarding pass as far as BKK. At BKK I went to the Qantas transfer desk airside, showed them my baggage tickets from Thai, collected my new boarding passes and was on my way. No need to collect the bag, no need to go landside and recheck. Very simple.

I remember this being the case when I flew Thai to Iceland first time. Other times it has not been so simple, maybe because of some reasons posted here, ie budget airlines and such. I trust Ethiad will book us all the way or else I´ll sik CbrLad on ´em

[CbrLad]

I remember this being the case when I flew Thai to Iceland first time. Other times it has not been so simple, maybe because of some reasons posted here, ie budget airlines and such. I trust Ethiad will book us all the way or else I´ll sik CbrLad on ´em

If Ethiad is a member of IATA and do interlining they should be able to through check the bag. If in the very unlikey event they don't, then don't do what you suggested, ie leaving your missus in no mans land (before immigration) without a passport and going out to re-check!!! Very bad thing to do.

[the scouser]

For heaven's sake, this is making a mountain out of a molehill.

The essence is that the OP's fiancée will not experience any difficulties transitting the UK.

Scouse.

[semper48]

Amen!

Thank you men!

[torrenova]

But as Etihad does not fly on all legs of the OP's journey it may be that he has to collect baggage if they do not have an agreement with the corresponding airline at Thiefrow.

[CbrLad]

But as Etihad does not fly on all legs of the OP's journey it may be that he has to collect baggage if they do not have an agreement with the corresponding airline at Thiefrow.

Read all the posts above. BTW it is VERY VERY rare for one major carrier to not do BAGGAGE interlineing with another major carrier and IATA member will do it. In anycase it has been shown that even if they do have to collect them they will be right for a transit visa.

Edited March 9, 2008 by CbrLad

[Governor]

Scouse has already pointed out that a visa will not be required providing all the docs are in place, and they seem to be.

Regarding checking the baggage through to the final destination, I recently booked a connecting flight, albeit through Hong Kong, and they wouldn't/couldn't book my luggage through. As pointed out for the boarding cards, I went to the airline transfer desk and they also sorted out my luggage without me having to go landside

[CbrLad]

Scouse has already pointed out that a visa will not be required providing all the docs are in place, and they seem to be.

Regarding checking the baggage through to the final destination, I recently booked a connecting flight, albeit through Hong Kong, and they wouldn't/couldn't book my luggage through. As pointed out for the boarding cards, I went to the airline transfer desk and they also sorted out my luggage without me having to go landside

What were the two airlines involved just out of curiosity?

[Governor]

What were the two airlines involved just out of curiosity?

I flew into Hong Kong on Virgin, then to Bangkok on Thai.

Edited March 11, 2008 by Governor