On-Line Application,Appointment And Submission...Report

[rawhod]

I completed the on-line application for my partner (female) for a 6 month UK Visitor Visa (we require 3 months).

The on-line system worked very well for me. I could return to previous questions and modify answers no problem. It retained my answers so that when I went forward again, the answers were retained. In fact after getting more than 75% the way through, I returned to the first questions without a problem. I saved the application at a 'save point' and got an instant e-mail confirmation. Getting back into the system again was no problem.

One problem with on-line questionaires is their inflexibility. For example, where the applicant has employment, the system asks for an e-mail address. You have to put in an e-mail address or the system will not let you continue, you cannot just put 'None'.

On completion ,I printed ot the application with no problems.

The next stage is to make an appointment. The appointments windows showed appointments all the following week. I selected the Wednesday, just one week ahead of making the application. Appointments were available at all times as far as I could see. I selected 09:30hrs. An instant e-mail response gave the date and time and the fee payable.

We turned up at Regent House at 08:45. the place was quiet. We went up to the check in at the VFS at 09:00. The first noticible difference, if you have been before, was the lack of people waiting. Previously the first floor was awash with people. The security person checked the appointment printout, the applicants passport and that she had a print out of the application, pointing out that only on-line applications would be taken. My partner went streight in. She told me that she only waited a few minutes before being seen. So that was well before 09:30. After 3-4 minutes she came out, to say that they wold not take the cashier check that we had taken. We obtained a cashier cheque from Kasikorn Bank, Chiang Mai. From what I can make out, they only take cheques issued by banks in Bangkok, where the British Embassy do not have to pay the 30 Baht charge to cash them. We had to go down to the Siam City Bank in the foyer Regent House and obtain the cheque there. No problem, my partner just returned to the VFS to complete the Biometrics and pay up.

If you are going from outside Bangkok, it is worth remembering that you should get the cashier cheque from Siam City Bank in Regent House and if you are from a city where they courier the document, you pay for that in cash.

Included in the original documents we submitted were a Land Chanote, Tabien Baan and Bank Books. The copies of the Chanote and Tabien Baan were checked as authentic and the originals returned immediately, the Bank Books were retained.

I had seen reports on this forum of documents going through 'a pre check' before going in to the VFS office. No such thing happened. I can only suggest that those people were hijacked by the Visa Agents staff in the adjacent office, nothing to do with VFS Global

All together, the system worked smoothly, particularly at Regent House, the seats are gone, no mad crush of people and no constant annoying announcements of numbers.

Edited May 6, 2011 by rawhod

[aland2012]

All sounds good, looking forward in doing the same in a few weeks. Nice to hear that it went so smoothly.

:rolleyes:

Alan

[BIGJIMMY]

I did Mrs Bigjimmys online appliaction last week and all went smoothly, the only query was the limit of characters you can enter into some of the answer boxes, for example - previous visits to the UK, international travel etc, I ran out of space but included a hard copy with the application submitted.

The Mrs went up last Wednesday and had a hassle free half hour in the VAC - which is nice. The cheque was issued at The Bank of Ayudya in Pattaya that is listed on the site.

All good.

bigjimmy

[banchangbob]

• If your bank account is held at a bank outside of Bangkok
  You can pay the visa application fee by 'bank draft' from any bank made payable to 'The British Embassy Bangkok'. Bank charges for this service will vary. You should bring your bank draft with you when you visit the visa application centre to submit your application

There should be no problem as long as you get a 'bank draft'. This is what I did in November from a Kasikorn Bank in Rayong. I will be doing the same today and the wife will hand it over on Tuesday. I'll write again if it is rejected. But according to their regulations it should be ok.

Bob

[rawhod]

After a smooth application...

SUCCESS...............