Ok,

We are due to make the journey down to BKK to arrange a holiday visa for my wife. She has previously had a settlement visa and lived with me in the UK for nearly a year on that visa - at which point we decided it wasn't for us. We have joint bank accounts and when we visit the UK we'll be living at my parents. We've been married for 3 years and lived together all this time (also have a 4 month old baby).

Living in Vientiane it's a royal pain in butt having to travel down and stay while the visa is process (particularly with a 4 month old baby in tow) so I don't want any pissing about - something I know the UK embassy is highly qualified at.

In my opinion based on her previously having a settlement visa, it should be straight forward.

However this is the UK embassy we are talking about!

So what do I need to take - this is the list I was thinking - have I missed anything?

Copy of my passport

Copy of Bank Books

Copy of Land ownership

Photos of house

Photos of us, son and parents!

Letter from my parents saying we'll be staying with them

Anymore for anymore? Car & motorbike ownership documents? Anything from when we lived in the UK such as UK bank statements or bills (this was 2005 so I don't think they mean much)? A Lao electricity bill?

Then the payment - I understand it need to be a bank draft - but what is this 'surcharge free' option them say on the website? Is it I don't pay a the bank surcharge for the draft or a surcharge related to the visa . . . the website doesn't really say!

All advice welcome!

Evidence of your income/savings, whether it be derived from Laos or the UK, and the same for your wife if she works. I'd also provide some evidence of your parents' occupation of the house, e.g. a recent utility/council tax bill and mortgage statement or tenancy agreement as appropriate. Why not throw in your motorcycle docs, too, as that provides an indication that you'll be reutning to Laos.

You do have to pay for the draft, but it's only a matter of a few baht. The draft can be obtained from any high street bank.

Scouse.

Evidence of your income/savings, whether it be derived from Laos or the UK, and the same for your wife if she works. I'd also provide some evidence of your parents' occupation of the house, e.g. a recent utility/council tax bill and mortgage statement or tenancy agreement as appropriate. Why not throw in your motorcycle docs, too, as that provides an indication that you'll be reutning to Laos.

You do have to pay for the draft, but it's only a matter of a few baht. The draft can be obtained from any high street bank.

Scouse.

Evidence of savings is in the Lao Bank books - which has currently has nearly $20k in her name (well joint account but it shows her name on the book) . . and show 2 years worth of statements - not just deposited recently.

Thanks for the utility bill suggestion - that's something that didn't occur to me - got that done.

I believe reading another thread there is a bank located on the ground floor of the building where the VFS is located so I'll just go in there and get the draft.

Thanks again!