Hi All, A good friend of mine is in UK at the moment, was unable to renew his "Retirement Visa" in Thailand because his passport was almost expired. Anyway, he has new passport, and to enable him to come back to Thailand to get the retirement visa process back in place, he applied for a non immigrant O (12 month, multiple entry, leave the country every 90 days) visa at the Thai London office.

Heres the thing. They have told him that they will only grant a non immigrant O 12 months if he can show either monthly income or 800,000 in a Thai account, in other words, the same criteria as a retirement visa within Thailand. Surely, that cant be right? Previously, non immigrant O granted in 5 minutes for just under £100 with no proof of anything needed. Is this another area of tightening up? It sounds bizarre to me. Anyone else know whats going on?

I stress again, this is for a non immigrant O granted abroad, in London. Weird or what? Any info gratefully welcome. By the way, money no problem at all for him, its just the annoyance of what appears to be yet another tightening up.

London does not grant multi entry non immigrant O visas with "no proof of anything". That they would grant at all is more than most of use would expect I suspect. All he needs is a single entry if he can meet retirement financial conditions. If he wants a one year multi entry non immigrant O visa instead he should contact an Honorary Consulate, such as Hull.

Tell him to go (or post) to Hull, multi non-o (not oa) no problem.

London has always been a pain, the honorary consulates are much more user-friendly but cannot issue retirement visas.

I stress again, this is for a non immigrant O granted abroad, in London.

There you go.

Use Birmingham, or Hull instead. (can do by post)

//edit/Lop & Crossy type quicker than me

They are trying to give him a non-oa visa which gives a one year entry.That requires the money, police check and med certificate.

He probably won't get a regular multiple entry non-o in London.

Tell him to get in touch with one of the consulates in Hull, Birmingham, Liverpool and Cardiff. The all accept mail in applications.

Why does he want a multiple entry if he has been on a reirement extension before or was he on multi before.

If he is going to get an extension he only needs a single entry.

Hull give great prompt service.

A mate recently got his PP back using post within 5 days.

Dave

Agree with everyone else. Go to Hull. Apply by post. Hull Consulate

London is the worst place he could have gone.

Agree with everyone else. Go to Hull. Apply by post. Hull Consulate

London is the worst place he could have gone.

Many, years ago I applied for a single-entry tourist visa in London and they even wanted a bank statement.

To the OP. Hull is the way to go. (In person or by registered post/special delivery).

I have heard reports that Cardiff require documentation now.

I have heard Birmingham is user friendly.

Is the one at Liverpool still operational?

Liverpool still appears on the the list that is on the London embassy website that has phone numbers for all the consulates. http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/newversion.../visa_inst.html

I stress again, this is for a non immigrant O granted abroad, in London.

There you go.

Use Birmingham, or Hull instead. (can do by post)

//edit/Lop & Crossy type quicker than me

Yea i went to wales,, so easy, paid 106 pounds i think? it took 15 mins, they can do by post to,, no bother

Agree with everyone else. Go to Hull. Apply by post. Hull Consulate

London is the worst place he could have gone.

Many, years ago I applied for a single-entry tourist visa in London and they even wanted a bank statement.

To the OP. Hull is the way to go. (In person or by registered post/special delivery).

I have heard reports that Cardiff require documentation now.

I have heard Birmingham is user friendly.

Is the one at Liverpool still operational?

Hi Syd, no paper work at cardiff, straight forward, 1 marriage document,£106 15 min,, i think you still have to show some bank details,, statement, if for retirement non im o visa, stay safe,,