Which Visa Company

[chongam]

Key Visa charged my friend 60.000 Baht-----and failed to get the visa, he went to another agent for 15.000 and got it!!

60000 baht thats shocking ! is that not like £1200 , unbelieveable !

Yes, and that EXCLUDED the price of the visa!!!

Edited July 31, 2010 by chongam

[007cableguy]

If you have nothing to hide ,do it yourself its just straightforward form filling and using common sense !.

You can get most the info from members on here .

Visa companies will tell you how difficult it is to do and loads of paperwork needed ,in my mind just scare

mongering so you use them .My G/F got hers 1st time with the minimum of paperwork !

[Lickey]

What i did near 5 years ago was to print off 2 sets of the relevant forms, one set, i filled in as many things as i could, like acommadation adresses ect, anything that she could not possibly know,

Doing this meant she had to fill in the application form herself, so perhaps the ECO thought, this lady means buisness!! and Pan got her visa,

The other docs were 6months of bank statements, copy of house ownership,about 10 pics of our first and only meeting in thailand, and a covering letter stating,

I have always been interested in SE Asia culture and food, and i found this lady on the internet in the province i wanted to visit, Pan took me to all the local Buddha temples,a boat ride on the Mekong,Historic parks ect,

I really want to repay her kindness and if you would grant her a visa to visit UK in the spring time, 6/8 weeks max, i would consider it a great kindness, I will cover all costs, Thanks, ......

Its a lot different now i would think,or at least reading the posts on here it is,

Been here 4 years full time, going to UK in Sept for daughters wedding, i think i had to supply more proof than the mrs that i am here pemantlley, well, she does have a registered buisness and employs staff,

I would sugest as above, 2 copies of the relevant applicattion forms, you fill in one, GF copies onto another,

Copies of what is relavant to your life in the UK,

Pics,

If your GF has anything atall with her name in it, [ie goverment document] blue book, car/pick-up book, land paper, hire purchase agreement,bank book, Definiteley get translated certified copies done, every little helps,,

Anyway, if you try and fail, the good news is, the fail is what youve got to work on''''

[Mercury]

We put photos (all digital) in a MS Word document with notes on what the photo was about (many were obvious, such as Xmas, Songkran etc.) and just printed it out in colour and in duplicate (everything was duplicated) rather than just putting in a bunch of actual photos. I suppose we could have chucked a CD in there as well with everything in digital format but that is all available immediately if they need anything else.

[pcruzer]

visas plus near chonburi immigration always works for me....

[silverdales]

I have been looking for a while and whilst I did the application myself (we are putting in Tue) its a lot of work and taken me around a week of solid work to get it all together, this was for a settlement - I would say whatever you do NOT lie any way shape or form, some people told us to lie and with the language causing misunderstandings sometimes its simply not worth it, if there is no lies then there can be no nasty suprises even if interview the ECO thinks they have picked up on something wrong digging deeper will prove no lies....

And I read lots about agencys etc,,... the only one I would consider using would be Thai Visa express never heard a bad word about them,,, would save a lot of my time however as I sure others will tell you its gives one pride to be fighting for a basic right that so many people take for granted to be happy and together... good luck!

[7by7]

I would say whatever you do NOT lie any way shape or form

Very sound advice.

From Para 320 of the immigration rules; Grounds on which entry clearance or leave to enter the United Kingdom is to be refused

(7A) where false representations have been made or false documents or information have been submitted (whether or not material to the application, and whether or not to the applicant's knowledge), or material facts have not been disclosed, in relation to the application.

7B) subject to paragraph 320(7C), where the applicant has previously breached the UK's immigration laws by:

(d) using Deception in an application for entry clearance, leave to enter or remain (whether successful or not);

unless the applicant:

(ii) used Deception in an application for entry clearance more than 10 years ago;

Note that it says is to be refused, not may. There is no discretion available to the ECO; refusal in these circumstances is mandatory.

[silverdales]

:)I should have added that I could never have even started the application without the help and support of the people on this forum, its greatly a marvellous forum and my big thanks to everyone who has helped and answered some my sometimes stupid obvious questions!

[Mercury]

:)I should have added that I could never have even started the application without the help and support of the people on this forum, its greatly a marvellous forum and my big thanks to everyone who has helped and answered some my sometimes stupid obvious questions!

I totally agree that the resource and experience of people here is invaluable. Perhaps without TV, more would feel obliged to run to visa agents who, in response to email enquiries I have made of them, appear akin to car mechanics who suck in air through their teeth when presented with a non mechanically minded car owner looking for a solution to their car problems and then let out a "oooohh, that is going to be expensive" sort of response.

We don't want to make mistakes with our applications I know but we can do dummy runs, even with the online submission and we can print out the forms and improve our answers before we finally submit our applications.

It is true that near illiterate types with limited ability to fill in a bus pass form will have trouble and they are cannon fodder for the visa agents. They are unlikely to meet here on TV either. Over involvement of the Thai person and allowing them a decision making capacity will have you running to visa agents as well in some cases and that is understandable as a poorly educated Thai woman from a village is likely to be totally overwhelmed by the process, which is in a foreign language to start with. Add in the Thai reverence to authority and all those on the make with "good" advice and you have a recipe to instil a fear which only visa agents can overcome.

You really have to start with the question as to why they refuse to publish their prices. Even the best lawyers in the land will quote a price per hour or day for their basic service and they will advise on additional costs. Email a few agents and you'll never get a price list for a straightforward application. Why ? well I leave that to your imagination but my position is that they find it impossible to justify the massive fees they want, comparative to the actual work involved. Perhaps like some other sales people who will never quote a real price, such as double glazing, the true price is just how much of a mug / victim they think you are are and the price will be as much as they think they can extract from you.

[bridge]

:)I should have added that I could never have even started the application without the help and support of the people on this forum, its greatly a marvellous forum and my big thanks to everyone who has helped and answered some my sometimes stupid obvious questions!

I totally agree that the resource and experience of people here is invaluable. Perhaps without TV, more would feel obliged to run to visa agents who, in response to email enquiries I have made of them, appear akin to car mechanics who suck in air through their teeth when presented with a non mechanically minded car owner looking for a solution to their car problems and then let out a "oooohh, that is going to be expensive" sort of response.

We don't want to make mistakes with our applications I know but we can do dummy runs, even with the online submission and we can print out the forms and improve our answers before we finally submit our applications.

It is true that near illiterate types with limited ability to fill in a bus pass form will have trouble and they are cannon fodder for the visa agents. They are unlikely to meet here on TV either. Over involvement of the Thai person and allowing them a decision making capacity will have you running to visa agents as well in some cases and that is understandable as a poorly educated Thai woman from a village is likely to be totally overwhelmed by the process, which is in a foreign language to start with. Add in the Thai reverence to authority and all those on the make with "good" advice and you have a recipe to instil a fear which only visa agents can overcome.

You really have to start with the question as to why they refuse to publish their prices. Even the best lawyers in the land will quote a price per hour or day for their basic service and they will advise on additional costs. Email a few agents and you'll never get a price list for a straightforward application. Why ? well I leave that to your imagination but my position is that they find it impossible to justify the massive fees they want, comparative to the actual work involved. Perhaps like some other sales people who will never quote a real price, such as double glazing, the true price is just how much of a mug / victim they think you are are and the price will be as much as they think they can extract from you.

Please don't put all visa agents in the same boat. There are certainly MANY unscrupulous rogues operating out there who have absolutely zero experience/qualifications in migration law and practice (I know who they are, but can't name them here unfortunately), but somehow they are able to hold themselves out to be professionals. They prey on the weak and vulnerable. When seeking advice on any professional services, do your due diligence, find out what qualifications the said professional has. Also stay well clear of any agent who says that they have connections with a particular embassy/consulate.

As for the TV resources, some of us, myself and Thai Visa Express for example are qualified and we offer advice and feedback on this forum - free of charge. I get personal messages constantly and more often than not I advise potential clients that under the present circumstances their (girlfriend/partner) would not qualify for a visa at this stage, but these are the steps that needs to be addressed before lodging a valid visa application. I provide a lot of advice to people on this forum FREE OF CHARGE so that they won't get ripped of by a rouge operator. It is unfortunately ill founded comments like yours that lends myself towards having NO involvement in this forum.

Bridge

Regards

Bridge

[ankwa]

Yes i agree this forum is excellent and a big thanks to everyone for all the advice and help,

Does anyone know what length of time you have to wait for a answer after the application is submitted ? , im thinking to make my next trip in November and to have the application ready to submit when i arrive , the reason for that is my partner is wary about travelling to Bangkok to do it alone and although she can speak english a bit and read , i think it would be better for us to go together, also could i get the address of the place to submit the visa ? and do they take the biometric data in the same place , is the embassy fee to be paid in cash ? baht or sterling ?

Cheers

And enjoy your Sunday

[bridge]

Yes i agree this forum is excellent and a big thanks to everyone for all the advice and help,

Does anyone know what length of time you have to wait for a answer after the application is submitted ? , im thinking to make my next trip in November and to have the application ready to submit when i arrive , the reason for that is my partner is wary about travelling to Bangkok to do it alone and although she can speak english a bit and read , i think it would be better for us to go together, also could i get the address of the place to submit the visa ? and do they take the biometric data in the same place , is the embassy fee to be paid in cash ? baht or sterling ?

Cheers

And enjoy your Sunday

Ankwa,

I mean no disrespect, but perhaps Mercury can answer that for you.

Bridge

[7by7]

Processing times are impossible to predict; it depends largely on how many other applications have been submitted around the same time. My sister-in-law submitted at a quiet time and got her decision the next day; others have had to wait several weeks.

The answers to you other questions can be found on the Official UK visa application website in Thailand (I did provide you with this link earlier!)

Bridge,

The advice you and TVE give, free of charge, in this forum is much appreciated, and this forum would be a far poorer place without you. I hope that in his remarks Mercury was referring to the unqualified spivs, not to qualified persons such as yourself.

[bridge]

Processing times are impossible to predict; it depends largely on how many other applications have been submitted around the same time. My sister-in-law submitted at a quiet time and got her decision the next day; others have had to wait several weeks.

The answers to you other questions can be found on the Official UK visa application website in Thailand (I did provide you with this link earlier!)

Bridge,

The advice you and TVE give, free of charge, in this forum is much appreciated, and this forum would be a far poorer place without you. I hope that in his remarks Mercury was referring to the unqualified spivs, not to qualified persons such as yourself.

Thanks 7by7, I am sure that is who Mercury was referring to, as I stated in a post a few weeks ago (12, July):

"If anyone has any questions I am more than happy to answer them, but please don't PM me, as i would like others who may have similar questions/concerns to benefit from the posts".

Unfortunately I cannot offer any advice with regards to EU/UK/US visa inquiries as I have no experience/qualifications in this area whatsoever. Thai Visa Express is suitably qualified with regards to EU/UK inquiries, whereas Integrity Legal with regards to US inquiries. I am more than happy to offer a modicum of free advice to anyone who has Australian visa issues. If it saves them being taken by a rogue operator, then I am more than happy.

At the end of the day a true professional will qualify a client and advise them accordingly on visa options (if any) before taking any payment.

Bridge

[Thongkorn]

Key Visa charged my friend 60.000 Baht-----and failed to get the visa, he went to another agent for 15.000 and got it!!

I did it myself got it first time cost about 10 000baht, Passport, ID card, the lot for a holiday/visit visa, I got all the information of this site, that's why I try and put some information back,

What were the costs of 10000 for ? , and is it possible for me to do the application while in the UK then Submit it at the start of my next trip with my partner ?

You will have to get a passport if your lady does not have one , also a new ID card if she has not got the chip in the card, OK if she already has these then it will be cheaper . the main cost is the visa fee itself , If you have all your supporting documents, like your bank statements and mortgage statements, Job grantee letter, Photos of you and your lady and any other proof of your relationship, write a letter of introduction to the visa officer of how you meet and what you intend to do with your relationship.The main thing is you will have to prove that your lady will return to Thailand after her visit , having children is not any grantee, She will have to have her blue book, job grantee letter, Birth certificate, Bank book, don't worry if she has not got a lot in the bank , they are looking for banking history mainly , You could get all your visa file together post it to your lady get her to put all her relevant paperwork in and submit it, That way all your costs, are posting the file to Thailand and the visa charge, hope that helps you best of luck .

[Mercury]

Ankwa,

I mean no disrespect, but perhaps Mercury can answer that for you.

Bridge

No need to be sarcastic. However, if you want to be transparent, does your company publish a basic fee list ?

[Mercury]

Bridge,

The advice you and TVE give, free of charge, in this forum is much appreciated, and this forum would be a far poorer place without you. I hope that in his remarks Mercury was referring to the unqualified spivs, not to qualified persons such as yourself.

Many spivs also have qualifications but you are partially correct. I am indeed referring to those who are scammers but those who are qualified and wish to be viewed as professional could take a step ahead of the market and publish a list of standard fees. We all know no two cases are the same as are no two clients but the sheer lack of transparency does not help their case at all. The future is in their hands.

I guess it is a difficult line to tread. One the one hand you need to gain new clients as the nature of the business means there should be no repeat business but on the other hand blurting into every thread suggesting that the OP contact XYZ Visa Co. is more likely to get people's backs up. Again, if a company were transparent and professional I believe they could clean up in the market.

[bridge]

Ankwa,

I mean no disrespect, but perhaps Mercury can answer that for you.

Bridge

No need to be sarcastic. However, if you want to be transparent, does your company publish a basic fee list ?

Hi Mercury

Not taken as sarcasm. No my company does not publish a basic fee list, but I advise clients on what fees/costs are involved after I give them a free assessment on what visa options may be available (if any) give their own circumstances. All fees/costs are confirmed in writing. Can't get more transparent than that can I?

On the 11th of June I posted a PDF on the average fees charged by RMA's for visa advice for different classes of visas:

Bridge

[theoldgit]

I think it would be very difficult for agents to publish generic fees to assist with a visa applications, you are not buying a can of beans from a supermarket, no two cases are the same.

I am not an agent but I imagine that a fee would be quoted after the agent has ascertained the complexity of the case and the work involved after which, as Bridge has explained, a written quote is given and the applicant can decide what to do.

Agents are not charities, they have overheads and have to make a living, but they seem to maintain a good balance of offering some free advice on this forum and paid work. The dodgy characters are those that lurk around the various visa application centres and are to be avoided at all costs.

I for one am very grateful for the advice they offer.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

I would also like to add you do not need to bee regulated to operate in Thailand, my experience is a lot of the agents do not know the rules or go through the relevant questions last week we gained a new client and saved him 35000 baht.

Example :

How old is the applicant ?

How old is the sponsor ?

Have you a UK Passport?

Have you any Irish family as you may qualify for an EU Family permit ?

Any immigration history ?

Can you demonstrate your relationship is subsisting ?

He did qualify for an EU Family permit I then went through various other questions with him at one point he asked me if I worked for M I 5

The sponsor and applicant had obviously been around several offices with the no visa no fee scenario , my advice to anyone is either do the application yourself or use an adviser who has positive feed back and always do your home work, if they claim to be registered then check.

Some companies have various qualifications etc which do not exist if they are making false claims will they fill in the necessary immigration forms correctly ?

Good luck

[Asianrider]

Key Visa charged my friend 60.000 Baht-----and failed to get the visa, he went to another agent for 15.000 and got it!!

ultimately the visa is issued at the discretion of the embassy's officials, but 60,000 seems a hel_l of a lot of money for filling in a form etc sren't these the same company at the Pattaya Expats Club in Grand Sole Hotel ?

[chongam]

Key Visa charged my friend 60.000 Baht-----and failed to get the visa, he went to another agent for 15.000 and got it!!

ultimately the visa is issued at the discretion of the embassy's officials, but 60,000 seems a hel_l of a lot of money for filling in a form etc sren't these the same company at the Pattaya Expats Club in Grand Sole Hotel ?

Yes, they are the same

[Thongkorn]

Maybe it would be a good thing , for some , To have a Visa section on Thai visa with step by step advise on how to apply for a Holiday visa, Then There would not have so many repeat post about the same thing over and over again, I think the Visa Agents would not be pleased though.

[ankwa]

Hello Folks

Just a couple of questions , how long is the tourist visa for 3 or 6 months ? Do you think this is the best visa for us to apply for ? And when we apply can my partner just go to the emabssy office with the papers and submit them along with her biometric data, or will she need to make an appointment ?

Cheers

Have a nice day

[bangkockney]

Hello Folks

Just a couple of questions , how long is the tourist visa for 3 or 6 months ? Do you think this is the best visa for us to apply for ? And when we apply can my partner just go to the emabssy office with the papers and submit them along with her biometric data, or will she need to make an appointment ?

Cheers

Have a nice day

Best to fill our your application on-line and schedule an appointment. Saves time spent waiting as a walk-in. See http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/applyonline/

Tourist visas are issued in most cases for 6 months.

[theoldgit]

You apply for whatever visa suits your needs, when you say "us" do you both need a visa?

If you apply for a six month visa, then that's you will get if you are successful.

Have a read through this link http://www.vfs-uk-th.com/ as well as the relevant posts in this forum, if you have any specific questions then ask away.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Guidance is on the UK/VAC site either do the application yourself or employ professional help.

[ankwa]

Guidance is on the UK/VAC site either do the application yourself or employ professional help.

Ok no problem ,

Cheers

[raven0099]

Guidance is on the UK/VAC site either do the application yourself or employ professional help.

Mr ThaiVisaExpress

If you dont want to help people on the forum then you dont need to comment , leave it alone and stop using it if your of that opinion , ankwa was only asking a question and thats what these forums are for !

[Thongkorn]

Guidance is on the UK/VAC site either do the application yourself or employ professional help.

Mr ThaiVisaExpress

If you dont want to help people on the forum then you dont need to comment , leave it alone and stop using it if your of that opinion , ankwa was only asking a question and thats what these forums are for !

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Mr Thai Visa is a sponsor, to Thai visa, he is entitled to comment,