Getting A Uk Tourist Visa...

[dee_jai_maak_maak]

Let this be a warning to others. Read the guidance notes and if unsure about anything ask on forums such as this. All the advice you will need can be got here for free.

Why pay an agent a large fee to stress you out? The agent needs to make it look difficult to justify their fee!

Totally agree with this. My gf's 2nd visa application was nearly messed up after she (against my wishes) involved an agent. They stick their oar in and complicate things, mess up the paperwork, and just generally get in the way. Luckily she told them to <deleted> off in the nick of time, and everything went fine thereafter. (Well, apart from the fact she subsequently lost all the paperwork I sent to her. )

OK, this is probably not true of all agents, but why bother with them? You can get all the guidance and links you need from this site.

Best of luck with your application, ChrisP.

djmm

[Mobi]

A certain gentleman, who will remain nameless, liked my posting so much frpm another thread that he requested that I reproduce it here because.... quote It is run by the most absurdly pro-ECO/BE crowd you could ever find. Would certainly cause a stir there unquote.

Ever being one to oblige... I'll light the touch paper and run....

here it is:

"So many threads are dedicated to the so-called incompetency and un-business like

attitudes of the Thai people, yet I reckon that shower at the British embassy

are the biggest load of arrogant, incompetent, overpaid, lazy ######s that ever

gathered in one building. They make up their opening hours as they go along,

they treat most people, especially Thais, with utter disdain, sell off their

land to the highest bidder (that was given to them for nothing by Thai

Royalty), and try to pretend that their precious country is God's gift to

mankind - judging by the problems they create when someone wants to have a

holiday there.

What the hel_l they have to do there except issue passports, stamp visas and

visit drug dealers in Jail?

British Embassy? More like Bedlam embassy!

Nuff said. (as dear old Trink used to say). "

[GU22]

As I have already said in the relevant thread, but will repeat here if you want duplicate posts:-

I have only needed to use the consular section at the embassy once, for my Affirmation of Freedom to Marry. (A requirement of the Thai government, btw, not the British.)

I found the staff there to be helpful and efficient, but maybe I caught them on a good day. Then again, maybe you caught them on a bad one.

(Neither I nor any member of my family have ever worked for the diplomatic service in particular nor the FCO in general.)

I would add that in my dealings with the visa section, whilst sometimes time consuming and frustrating, I have always found the staff to be reasonable, polite and attempting to do the best they can.

Am I the only one?

[Mobi]

This letter to the Bnagkok post today may be of interest to silomfam, GU22 and others.

Imperious and unlawful behaviour

The rash of embassy bashing by disgruntled Brits (Postbag, April 24) fails to address a more grievous concern - the embassy acts discourteously towards all applicants for visit visas; to many, it also acts imperiously and unlawfully.

There are no published guidelines or acceptability standards. Refusals are made for undisclosed reasons. Interviews of applicants (who stand as prisoners at the dock) are confrontational, hectoring and abusive, the questioning and recording language is English but the delivery language is Thai - whether or not that is the applicant's mother tongue. Decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

In a recent case, Miss Suwunna Priabying, a minor, applied for a visa to accompany me for a three-week visit to England on her school holidays, having registered at school for the coming year. Had she been asked why she wanted to visit England, Suwunna (like Sir Edmund Hillary) would have answered, "Because it is there."

She submitted a visa application that conformed in all respects to Thai-language instructions given her by the embassy, which indicated that an interview was not mandatory. Later she was forced to travel third-class on an overnight train from her home in Surin, arriving in Bangkok at 4.30am, to attend an 8am inquisition with a British dragon lady, who issued an order refusing entrance into Britain for unspecified reasons.

Among the negative points noted by this local wielder of the power and majesty of her queen (and mine) was the fact that Suwunna's widowed mother is employed as a maid in a Bangkok hotel.

Processes followed by the British Embassy in handling applications for entry into the UK constitute an assault on the sovereignty and people of the Kingdom of Thailand. They constitute Star Chamber processes last used by Charles I (1640) but always remembered for being arbitrary, secretive attacks on personal rights and freedoms. They also restore the long-gone Consular Courts over which King Mongkut challenged Lord Bowring. Also, they ignore civil rights granted to all people in Thailand by the Family Law chapter of the Civil and Commercial Code of Thailand.

Postbag, Bangkok Post.

[GU22]

Well, that is one unhappy chappy!

Obviously, not knowing any details at all about the case, any comment would be pure conjecture.

Some questions do spring to mind

In a recent case, Miss Suwunna Priabying, a minor, applied for a visa to accompany me for a three-week visit to England on her school holidays

Who is "me" and what is his/her relationship with Miss Priabying? Maybe the correspondent is an elderly English spinster living in Surin who wishes to take the granddaughter of a neighbour for a holiday. Perhaps it is the girl's mother's boyfriend, but then one wonders why the mother isn't going too. Or maybe there is something more sinister. If it's the latter, then thank God the ECO had the wit to refuse!

But, as I said, pure conjecture, and making judgements without knowing all the facts is a silly thing to do.

Later she was forced to travel third-class on an overnight train from her home in Surin........Suwunna's widowed mother is employed as a maid in a Bangkok hotel

It is not unusual for a child to live with it's grandparents, or other family, while the parent or parents work away. But one wonders why the child was 'forced' to travel overnight. Forced by whom? One wonders why this generous person, willing to fund a trip to the UK, couldn't arrange a hotel room for her in Bangkok!

NB in 2004/05, the British embassy in Bangkok issued 31,029 visit visas and 3.332 family visit visas. (Source, page 42)

[ChrisP]

The end of the Saga...

Today May 2nd, my Thai Bf picked up his approved 6 month UK Tourist Visa..!!

First, the new VFS procedure was relatively sane and pleasant... (see my post in the main Thread about VFS..)

Second, did we actually NEED all the items we collected, in the end..? We will never really know.

The one thing you DO need to have when you go, though.. is a signed xerox copy of the Thai applicants passport... (even though it doesn't SAY that... VFS insist.)

Lastly, my "Legal Agent" I used was "Siam Legal".

Chris P.

[Krub]

The end of the Saga...

Today May 2nd, my Thai Bf picked up his approved 6 month UK Tourist Visa..!!

First, the new VFS procedure was relatively sane and pleasant... (see my post in the main Thread about VFS..)

Second, did we actually NEED all the items we collected, in the end..? We will never really know.

The one thing you DO need to have when you go, though.. is a signed xerox copy of the Thai applicants passport... (even though it doesn't SAY that... VFS insist.)

Lastly, my "Legal Agent" I used was "Siam Legal".

Chris P.

Congratulations Chris

What was the cost for the agent's part and what was the timing from application to delivery of visa ?

Also if I may did your BF really have an average of 100.000 in his bk account ?

Edited May 3, 2006 by Krub

[SDH]

I've been working with a BKK Legal Company (who advertises on ThaiVisa) for a UK Tourist (Visitors Visa) for my Thai BF... just for a 2-week vacation to visit my (aged) mother on her 75th birthday in Wales, and to see London, this summer.

I am an American Passport Holder, living in the USA, originally born in the UK. We have been in a proveable relationship for 2 years.

You might be interested in the list of 24 items we've been expected to provide for the UK Visitors Visa application for him - most are Originals required if not stated otherwise:

1. Complete Xerox copy of every page of my US Passport, each page signed.

2. Complete Xerox copy of every page of his Thai Passport, each page signed.

3. 6 months of Bank Statements for him showing at least 100,000Baht average balance in the acct.

4. 6 months of Bank Statements from me (no minimum asked for (!))

5. Copy of my Birth Certificate.

6. Copy of his Birth Certificate.

7. 6 months of my savings account records.

8. 6 months of my US Employer Paychecks

9. Copy of my bf's House Tambien papers

10. Copy of my bf Thai ID Card

11. 2 x Passport pics of him.

12. Copy of the Land / House Deeds for my mother's house in the UK. (To prove she exists!.)

13. Invitiation letter from my mother.

14. Sponsorship letter from me to guarantee my bf's travel and accommodation costs are covered, and to certify why we are going.

15. Address and phone of all places we will stay.

16. Letter of guarantee of employment from my US Employer.

17. Letter of guarantee of employement from his Thai employer.

18. His Graduation/Study Certificate.

19. Copies of Long Distance phone call records for at least the last 6 months between us (in both directions)

20. Copies of e-mail directory/folder listings, proving e-mail correspondence, for at least 6 months.

21. Any Personal Cards/letters etc between us.

22. At least 10 pictures of us together in various locations with a note of the date, place and what we were doing, from the last 2 years...

23. Any Travel tickets and Hotel Reservations with his name on, to show that we have travelled outside Thailand together in the past 2 years..

24. A Questionnaire answered by him.

Ohh, and the Visa Fee as Certified Check.

You can imagine the planning, organization, money (and patience) required for this....

IMHO, this is crazy. There's something badly wrong here.. somewhere.. with the Tourist Visa system, these days.

ChrisP

Moderator

Gay in Thailand

Chris,

Why don't you tell them to get stuffed? Why would you want to go there? You're welcome to stay if you've commited any violent crime or have been deported just watch Sky News!

[ChrisP]

What was the cost for the agent's part and what was the timing from application to delivery of visa ?

Also if I may did your BF really have an average of 100.000 in his bk account ?

The agent's fee was 24,000B... up front.

We submitted the application to VFS on a Thursday, and got the passport/visa back the following Tuesday.

Nope, he really had about 55,000Baht on average in his account.

Chris