Thai Gf Transit Uk?

[seanwg]

Hi

I'm Canadian, and living in Bermuda - just need a quick bit of advice.

Thai GF works as a nurse, reads & writes english, speaks a bit... and was divorced Dec 2003.

She's flying from BKK - Gatwick on Phuket airlines, and then BA from Gatwick to Bermuda. She has about 5 hours in between flights..

She called the UK embassy in BKK, they said no problem.. Bermuda needs no visa and as long she spends < 24 hours in the UK, she'll need no transit visa...

Your thoughts? We are just paying for flights, and everything sounds like its a no-brainer but just wanted to hear what others say.

So - in summary, Thai GF wants to visit me, transit via Gatwick < 6 hours.. does she need a visa and is she likely to run into any problems with UK Immigration... she needs no visa to visit Bermuda.

Sean

[the scouser]

Your g/f doesn't need a visa to transit the UK, indeed as she is both arriving and departing from Gatwick she will transit airside and not even see an immigration officer. If she had to pass through immigration she would be given a stamp for 24 hours providing certain conditions are met. Namely:-

"11.3 - Twenty four hour Transit Without Visa (TWOV) concession

An Immigration Officer has discretion outside the Rules to allow visa nationals to transit the UK without requiring them to hold a visa for that purpose.

However this waiver is not a blanket concession; it can be granted only by an Immigration Officer. ECOs should take care not to inform applicants that they do not need a visa; they should merely explain that if the applicants fulfil the criteria below they can choose to travel without a visa. Applicants should not be given guarantees about gaining entry.

The requirement to hold a visa is normally waived for passengers who are:

Travelling through the UK by air, and whose sole intention is to pass in transit through the UK (such passengers may travel by road or rail between 2 airports in the UK), if

they have a confirmed booking on a flight departing within 24 hours to their country of destination;

they have the necessary documents (visa/passport) to gain entry at that destination;

they have the necessary documentation including, if appropriate, transit visas for any other country en route."

Cheers,

Scouse.

[welshchris]

Does that apply to other European countries to? eg Spain??

[the scouser]

As a general rule if a Thai national were in direct airside transit through an airport in a European country no visa would be required. However, if the transit involved changing airports one might be necessary. It's best to check with the relevant embassy/consulate.

Scouse.

[boogie]

Hi Sean,

Your GF doesnt need a Transit Visa. I am also in Bermuda and have a Thai wife. She has a visit visa for the UK so didnt need a transit visa anyway, but I have a good friend with a Thai wife who made the trip here several times before they were married and didnt need a transit visa. She used to fly BA to Heathrow then Gatwick to BDA and even with changing airports didnt need a visa.

[DeDanan]

Hi All,

My GF was told at Heathrow on her way to Dublin that she needed a transit visa for the UK, he did let her through and on to Dubiln. Same thing happened to a friend with his GF in Heathrow on her way to Dublin.

On both occasions we were going between two terminals at the airport.

Have a Happy...

DeDanan

[seanwg]

Ok great.. sounds like there should be no problems.

Does anyone know what terminal phuket air lands at? The bermuda flight leaves from the north terminal.. suppose it lands somewhere else... does she have to goto immigration etc? Or can she go straight to the other terminal?

I assume she'll have to goto immigration as she'll need to go get her bags etc? ie one half of the flight is phuket air, one half is ba?

Sean

[muenwai2]

Phuket Air uses South Terminal.

Yes, because there is no interline agreement your GF will have to pass immigration & reclaim bags then transit to North Terminal to check in with BA.

As others have pointed out there is no need for a transit visa. Although transit is at Immigration officers discretion so too is entry even with a visa.

[the scouser]

Hi All,

My GF was told at Heathrow on her way to Dublin that she needed a transit visa for the UK, he did let her through and on to Dubiln. Same thing happened to a friend with his GF in Heathrow on her way to Dublin.

On both occasions we were going between two terminals at the airport.

Have a Happy...

DeDanan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi DeDanan,

The information given to your g/f by the immigration officer is correct but only applies when the individual's destination is Ireland. The reason being is that in the past some people have posed as being in transit to Ireland, got their 24 hour visa waiver and disappeared in to the woodwork in the UK.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[the scouser]

Although transit is at Immigration officers discretion so too is entry even with a visa.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In terms of admitting a person with a visa the immigration officer has no discretion and must abide by the immigration rules. The visa grants the permission to enter the UK and the holder has a legitimate expectation to be allowed in. The immigration officer can only refuse a visa holder entry if the individual's circumstances have changed since the visa was issued, the holder lied to get the visa or misrepresentations were made in order to get it.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[muenwai2]

So here goes my foolproof advice for Thais wishing to come to England without a visa. Book tickets to Bermuda via London USING DIFFERENT AIRLINES FOR EACH SECTOR ideally flying into Heathrow and out from Gatwick go through immigration on 24 hour exemption rule and disappear into the woodwork. Forget the Irish scam - it's been rumbled.

[the scouser]

So here goes my foolproof advice for Thais wishing to come to England without a visa. Book tickets to Bermuda via London USING DIFFERENT AIRLINES FOR EACH SECTOR ideally flying into Heathrow and out from Gatwick go through immigration on 24 hour exemption rule and disappear into the woodwork.  Forget the Irish scam - it's been rumbled.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's been tried and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. As already established whether an individual qualifies for the visa waiver concession is at the discretion of the immigration officer. If for some reason he/she believes that the passenger does not truly intend continuing to their ultimate destination then the passenger will be refused leave to enter. The sting in the tail is that if this happens the Immigration Service will very kindly escort the person to their onward flight and ensure that they leave, thus leaving the passenger, in this example, Bermuda bound when they have no desire to go there whatsoever.

Scouse.

[SK1972]

Wouldnt it be much easier to try to find flights that depart from the same terminal in the same airport so she doesnt have to go through immigration/customs. Transit usually does not require custom clearance.

Secondly, if she is going to Bermuda, cant you find her an alternative flight route besides going through UK??

I think Thais need visas to visit Bermuda, so you better double check!!

So what if its a little more expensive............. Solves everything doesnt it??

[boogie]

Thais dont need visas to visit Bermuda. Travelling through the UK is easy. An alternative route would mean travelling via the USA which would require visas.