Disappointed With Treatment At The Embassy

[wayner]

My wife (Lao national) presented her Spouse visa application at the British embassy today in Bangkok. (27th January)

When she presented her papers she was asked for a contact address in order to be notified of her upcoming interview date.

My wife proceeded to write her address in English, the Thai lady at the desk told her that she should write this in Thai. My wife speaks Thai very well but she is Lao and can't write in Thai. She gave her "postal address" because there isn't a door to door postal system in Lao. The Thai lady at the desk insisted that my wife gave her village address. The upshot is that the address is now written in Thai by the lady at the desk. The first part of the address taken down is her village and the last part is the post box number.

I've often travelled from lao to north-east Thailand, I speak Lao but not Thai, the 2 languages are quite similar, epecially in Isaan. I've often been told that "You are in Thailand, you should speak Thai" There is some anomosity between them and I felt that I've been told this with a dash of attitude. I fear that this may be the case in the way the Thai lady dealt with my wife.

We are very concerned about this, my wife is now almost 16 weeks pregnant. We have provided all the documentation necessary. Any confusion over the address could possibly delay things. We are hoping that she has an appointment for a short interview soon because if she had to wait 12-14 weeks she wouldn't be able to fly here to join me.

I'm very suprised at the attitude of the Thai woman on the desk. I can't believe that my wife was asked to give written details regarding her application in a language other than her own.

If I were to apply for a Chinese visa at their embassy it would be absolutely ridiculous to ask me to write anything in Chinese, as an example.

This is the British embassy, it should be straightforward that anything could be written in English, I'm assuming that anyone making an important decision would be a British employee. Am I right in thinking this? If this is the case then I guess that the info taken from my wife would need to be translated!!!! This has really wound me up big time.

My wife has been to the UK before on a V-visa, we are married in both Lao and the UK. I have provided everything they've asked for plus more with the help from the very kind folks on this forum.

She was told that if she required a short interview, she could be looking at a couple of weeks. But for a longer interview she could wait 12-14 weeks. The latter worries me, as I've stated, my wife is now 14 weeks pregnant, a 12-14 week wait would mean that she may not be able to fly, that is my worse case scenerio/nightmare.

Does anyone think that she'll have to wait for a long interview?

I've emailed the visa section explaning about the confusion over my wife's address, do you think they'll deal with that and update/check the info?

Thanks in advance

[the scouser]

Wayner,

My perception of the situation you described is that of an uppity locally engaged member of staff having ideas above her station: someone who can't accept that a "lowly" Lao could write in English. The problem is that they're not trained to think and exercise some judgment.

Anyway, today's incident will have no bearing upon where your wife gets either a short interview or a long interview. The visa section should take note of your e-mail confirming the correct address, but if you haven't heard anything after 2 weeks, then I'd either telephone them or send them an e-mail.

The decison whether either a short or long interview is allocated is made by one of the visa officers. It's impossible to tell exactly what will happen, but that your wife is pregnant should go a long way towards getting her a short interview.

I take it you did mention that your wife is pregnant?

Scouse.

[silomfan]

Hi Wayner,

I don't understand why you are surprised at the curt and unreasonable way you were treated at the British Embassy. You say you have been on this forum and read the threads so you must know they are both curt and unreasonable to many people. I have been saying this for ages , and held to ridicule by many as a result.

Probably nothing will ever change (cos the government wants them to be that way.. and we have one of the most spiteful governments we have had since Margaret Thatcher was PM. In the 90's the Tories were called the "nasty party" . Now its Labour. Have you read about the enforced deportations to Zimbabwe to be tortured ? How inhuman can you get ? ) , however you have nothing to lose by complaining to UK Visas about your treatment and to your MP . Wait until you get the visa tho won't you !! Personally i can't see why a spouse doesn't have automatic right of entry , but then thats me .

Good luck !!

SILOMFAN

[GU22]

As Scouse says, this is almost certainly a case of a local staff member not being as polite as she should have been. It's bad, and it shouldn't happen and you could, indeed should, certainly complain.

One thought, though. Could it bee that the embassy want the address written in Thai for the benefit of the Thai postal service? Although this does not, of course, excuse the clerk's rudeness.

[daleyboy]

however you have nothing to lose by complaining to UK Visas about your treatment and to your MP . Wait until you get the visa tho won't you !! Personally i can't see why a spouse doesn't have automatic right of entry , but then thats me .

Good luck !!

SILOMFAN

Why wait? When we got refused the first time, it was the same old excuse, "we dont think you will stay together as husband and wife" With this i got seriously mad, i wrote to anyone and everyone. I wrote to the head honcho at the embassy, i wrote to my local mp, who then invited me to see him. He then took on my case and started a barrage of letters being sent to the embassy and also to the immigration dept here in the uk. Long strory short 2 months later my wife had another interview and was given her visa, even though the visa officer said she still didnt believe we would stay together as husband and wife.

Ohh well shows how much they know, will be six years together 5 of those married later this year, with our first child due in April.

So dont give up hope and use any means necessary to fight these facist, jumped up, mini hitler thugs that they have working in the embassy.

Many time i have been tempted to saunter back into the embassy and say there you go Jane lacy Smith shows how much you <deleted> know about relationships.

[kenk3z]

It stands to reason that Thai staff at your embassy will be the ones scheduling the interview and sending out the notification - through the Thai postal system. That is why they asked for the address in Thai language.

They do the same thing at the American Embassy.

The issue is that your wife doesn't write Thai, of course. This surely presents a lot of problems for the Lao family members that have to be processed through the Thai embassies.

I hope it will not be a serious issue for you on the notification for the interview date. Hopefully you can periodically E-Mail or call the Embassy and ask if your case has been assigned a date yet. It may be better to be proactive in this way than to wait and see if the letter can be delivered successfully.

I really believe the Thai person you dealt with at the Embassy was trying to help you. They have a lot of experience and maybe they have some idea that their style of addressing is to some advantage. And, they tend to act authoritative and curt because they are under some time limitations - and, if you think about it - the job sucks. How would you like to deal with people every day going to a better life?

kenk3z

[the gent]

Daleyboy,

Quite seriously, why not drop her a line c/o King Charles St advising her of the progress of your relationship enclosing a suitable photograph concluding that in your wife's application her judgement was patently crap. If nothing else, it might remind her of her fallibility and the effect it had upon you. It all helps to keep them accountable.

[daleyboy]

Daleyboy,

Quite seriously, why not drop her a line c/o King Charles St advising her of the progress of your relationship enclosing a suitable photograph concluding that in your wife's application her judgement was patently crap. If nothing else, it might remind her of her fallibility and the effect it had upon you. It all helps to keep them accountable.

Not a bad idea Gent After all the horror stories i have heard over the last 4 years, it amazes me that these people can keep their jobs. They are just a bunch of jumped up dictators playing with peopes lives, i sometimes wonder how they sleep at night, they are like traffic wardens, they like to have a power over their stations.

Not sure if Jane lacy smith still works in the bkk embassy, anybody come across this woman? she was head of visa applications when we got our visa 4 years ago. I went in with my wife to speak to her, and within 10 minutes she had my wife in tears, and she just sat there with such a smug look on her face i will never forget it. In all of my 29 years i have never felt like hitting a woman, but i tell you now my blood was boiling and it took all my self restraint not to stand up and start smashing the glass between us and then battering her.

I appreciate they have a job to do, they have to try and weed out the fake from the real applications, but there are ways and means of doing these things, and people like her who are so obviously failing in people skills really shouldnt be dealing with the public, they should be tucked away in a little office somewhere and kept out of site.

[the scouser]

I have personal professional knowledge of Lacey-Smith, and I can confirm that Daleyboy's assessment is not libellious. She is no longer present at the UK embassy, having gone on some sort of extended leave.

Scouse.

[daleyboy]

I have personal professional knowledge of Lacey-Smith, and I can confirm that Daleyboy's assessment is not libellious. She is no longer present at the UK embassy, having gone on some sort of extended leave.

Scouse.

Well thanks scouse i am glad it wasnt just me that had this assement of her.

[wayner]

I don't understand why you are surprised at the curt and unreasonable way you were treated at the British Embassy.

My apologies, I'm obviously naieve (but not entirely) to the dealings of the embassy. When my wife first applied for a visa (visitor) they were a little difficult, I wasn't aware that they might ask for copies of my p-port pages. Luckily I was here in the UK pulling my hair out with worry , computer literate and in possession of a scanner. When she returned the next day with the said copies she was told and I kid you not that "people usually give up by now" They seemed disappointed and didn't even look at the newly presented copies. The visa was issued

My perception of the situation you described is that of an uppity locally engaged member of staff having ideas above her station: someone who can't accept that a "lowly" Lao could write in English. The problem is that they're not trained to think and exercise some judgment.

Nice one Scouse, I believe you hit the nail where it matters.

I work for an organisation that deals with homelessness. In my opinion, the benefits agency in particular must have some covert training in saying NO first. I suspect it may be the case here. Do they get a bonus for this?

It stands to reason that Thai staff at your embassy will be the ones scheduling the interview and sending out the notification - through the Thai postal system. That is why they asked for the address in Thai language.

OK, I've taken this onboard. But I must add that luckily my wife was accompanied by a good friend of ours, an American gender specialist who works throughout the region with numerous NGOs. She was really taken back by the Thai ladies attitude. The thought of my wife (Lao- female) travelling all that way from Lao to Bangkok, on her own is scarey, I'm sure you're all aware of the risks that involves.

I'm sure I don't need to stress that this is of the upmost importance and to us, especially with the time frame we have to work with. I have read many posts regarding accepted and denied applications. This has obviously added to my distrust in the system itself. I suspect that I'm probably getting a little too crazy about it and if I were to counsel a friend in the same situation I would no doubt say "there's no point in getting stressed about it, it won't help" The reality is how could I not? This was an unfortunate start I feel after making every effort to get everything right.

I'm very grateful for the prompt help I've received on this forum, it re-ignites my faith in peoples will to help others. Something I have forsaken in the past.

Thanks all for your input.

[lopburi3]

It stands to reason that Thai staff at your embassy will be the ones scheduling the interview and sending out the notification - through the Thai postal system. That is why they asked for the address in Thai language.

I also tried to use that as an excuse; but the letter was going to Laos. You do not write the address in Thai for a foreign country. English or Lao would have been the languages to use. But agree the woman may have just been acting on standing instructions to obtain the address in Thai to increase the delivery prospects for Thailand.

[technocracy]

Wayner,

Firstly don't worry about it! My wife is also Lao and had pretty much the same treatment, however we travelled down to Bangkok together for both the application and interview. The summary being Thai's particularly the old tart at the embassy don't like Laotians! I had a job to convince her to apply for her permanent visa following her treatment for a failed Holiday application.

My wife is the same being fluent in Thai and Lao but writes only Lao (although can read Thai). What that are asking for is a contact address for informing of when the interview will be and could of been your address in England or your wifes. The most annoying thing about it all is that they will phone her!!

I've sent mail in and out of Laos written in Lao and English without any hassles what so ever.

My wife particularly disliked the Thai woman in the embassy who apparently was condescending in the extreme however I just told her 'jao man jai gap bo kii tua' before the interview and she came out with her visa. The english interviewer ignored the general moaning of the thai woman and saw the common sense.

As you'll know Thai's see Laotian as some kind of 3rd class citizen - however they flood into Vientiane as if they own the place - neither my wife or I can stand them my wife will not respond to anyone who speaks Thai to her in Laos.

Anyway as is said 'don't let the bastards grind you down!'.

[wayner]

Fingers crossed, she'll have an interview in 2 weeks. I thought the red tape involved when marrying a Lao person in Lao was tedious. This is our last hurdle in trying to achieve normality.

I sincerely hope that I'll be able to be of some help on this forum to somebody one day.