Quick question:

On the UK Visa website it says the settlement visa is £585 but on VFS its 33930thb which is actually closer to £650 - why is there a difference??? Or have they failed to update the website with the changing exchange rate?

Thanks

There exchange rate is different from the rest of the world.

I asked if could pay in £ NO in local currency only. So yes more expensive.

Change your money in Thailand in cash a better rate than bringing baht.

I got on the 1st Feb 51.18 to the £.

In the UK it was 48 to the £

As normal for me as soon as I arrive in Thailand it drops.

Last week I would of got another 1000 baht per £1000

From the VAC fees page on 3/2/10

The consular rate of exchange is 1 GBP = 58 THB. Please note the visa fees are subject to change.

From Bangkok Bank on 3/2/10

GBP United Kingdom, bank note, buying 52.08, selling

(I've no connection with the Bangkok Bank, merely used their rate as an example. Rates from other banks may be better or worse.)

Of course, exchange rates change several times a day. The embassy obviously cannot change the visa fees that often! They do change it from time to time, and sometimes the rate they use is lower than the 'real' rate; sometimes, as now, it's higher.

Unfortunate for those applying at the moment, but not a lot that can be done about it.

I have found that to get the best exchange rate one should not change cash or travelers cheques, but simply withdraw money from your UK bank via an ATM in Thailand. This gets you the higher commercial rate rather than the lower tourist one. You may have to pay a fee for the withdrawal, but the better rate usually covers this and you're still better off.

Yes, but however you change your money or do the conversion you still lose out with the Embassy's conversion rate.

I accept that the Embassy cannot be expected to change the rates hourly, but their conversion rate has not been changed for almost three months. When they set the current rate of 58 Baht to the GBP in November the telex rate was 55.6 to 1 GBP, still erring on their side, the telex rate is now 52.27, which as has been pointed out means applicants are paying significantly over the odds.

I do have a vague recollection of the embassy's rate being lower than the commercial rate once; but I think they changed it pretty quick!

Governments are always on the look out for ways of making some extra dosh.

Would you happen to know who sets the rate? Is it done locally at the embassy or on instructions from someone in London; UKBA, treasury, etc.?

Would you happen to know who sets the rate? Is it done locally at the embassy or on instructions from someone in London; UKBA, treasury, etc.?

It's set locally, but I suspect they have to justify it to FCO in London, whilst it might go towards the profit that the Thailand post makes I don't suppose for one minute they intend to rip people off. The rate is, of course, used for all Consular Services as well as Visa Apps.

One problem with the ATM is withdrawl limits.

We arrived in Thailand and went to the Embassy. So an ATM would not allow me to withdraw 2 settlement fees in one day.