barlinnie Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Thought I would post a warning about delays at Hull in issuing Visas. We have always sent our passport and visa application off to the Hull Consulate about a week or so before our departure date. We send by special delivery at a cost of about 6.22 GBP, and it has always come back by return of post. My husband sent his off a week before he was due to leave for Thailand. It didn't arrive back by return of post as usual, so we checked the tracking on Royal Mail website and it had been delivered to them the day after posting. He allowed another day and when it still hadn't arrived, he got a bit concerned with his departure date getting nearer. He rang Hull who told him that they now have to have approval from the Thai Embassy in London. In the meantime, they had put a notification on their website to allow another 24 hours for the passport/visa to be returned. To cut a long story short, it didn't arrive back for another week (around 10 days after they areceived it) resulting in him missing his flight (non-refundable) and him having to book another. Just a warning to anyone due to apply to Hull or if you have any friends who may be joining you, to inform them to allow much more time than usual! The visa was a Multi-Entry Non-Immigrant 'O' by the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiengmaijoe Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 This would be best posted on the visas forum because as it is you're only notifying people in Chiang Mai and I'm sure others are interested. Good of you to post though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Moved to visa forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lite Beer Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Yes. Non Imm O Visa applications are now sent to London for approval. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiestyFarang Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 This would be best posted on the visas forum because as it is you're only notifying people in Chiang Mai and I'm sure others are interested. Good of you to post though. I am not in Chiang Mai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiestyFarang Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 They should have put a notice up before, you should ask them for the missed flight money back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMA_FARANG Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 (edited) I'm not being critical, I'm really not, but at least a month ago the topic of: visas from Hull, in particular multi entry Non O visas which must now all go through the Thai embassy in London for approval. which of course will cause a delay. was discussed as a topic on this forum. I realize you were probably busy and missed that topic .... but it ran for several days if not more as a hot topic. One poster even said he had been advised that way by the Thai consulate in Hull. It seems that is the way it will be done in the future for multi entry Non O visas, at least from Hull, probably also from other U.K. honorary consulates, and possibly for honorary Thai consulates around the world. As I recall one U.S. poster said something to the effect that an honorary Thai consulate in the U.S had also said the same thing to him. I don't remember the exact details on that. It is possible that multi entry Non O visas will become much more difficult to get anywhere in the world from Thai honorary consulates, and you may have to go through the Thai embassy in that country to get one. What happened last year or the years before that seems to be changing. As Bob Dylan says in one of his songs,, "You don't need to be a weatherman to know how the wind is blowing" Edited October 9, 2013 by IMA_FARANG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangon04 Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Yes. Non Imm O Visa applications are now sent to London for approval. My Multiple "B" was also sent to London for approval this time... causing a delay of 24-48 hours . Hull was always excellent in the past. They are using the stick in visas now instead of the traditional stamp-in visas before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtb Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 My Non-Imm Type O took ten working days to arrive. After a week of waiting I spoke to a very helpful person at the Hull consulate who confirmed that my application was in the system and also informed me that the forms are not sent to the embassy in London but rather scanned and forwarded electronically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaitlinHappyMeal Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 It is obviously no help to you now but I can't help but think why you leave it so late before departure to sort the visas out when they have such a long validity on them before you have to travel? Like I say no help now ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jobsworth Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 so what is the point of using the services of the thai consulate in hull? would it not be quicker to use the services of the thai embassy in london? are the english thai consulates being reduced to the status of mailboxes without authority? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris1101 Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Not sure if I am missing something here, but in the past when I have required an O multiple entry visa so I could return home, I have always waited until I had the visa stamp before booking my flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon999 Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 so what is the point of using the services of the thai consulate in hull? would it not be quicker to use the services of the thai embassy in london? are the english thai consulates being reduced to the status of mailboxes without authority? If you want to apply to the Thai Embassy then it requires a personal visit. That is why the Consulates are/were the most convenient way to apply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SantiSuk Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Four weeks ago (but immediately after the sudden changes) Hull staff were nonetheless promising (in a phone call I made) a 2 day turnaround - possibly 24 hours - from receipt of application to mailing out visa, notwithstanding the additional faxed approval from London requirement. Clearly, from the couple of postings reported here, the Thai embassy is not being as quick in their approvals as Hull had initially hoped for. I thought at the time that Hull sounded pretty keen to keep the business flowing in - not surprising as their jobs are on now obviously very much on the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannot Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 is this though another attack from the embassy in London on the Hull consulate " making them wait" Birmingham 5 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko45k Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 It is obviously no help to you now but I can't help but think why you leave it so late before departure to sort the visas out when they have such a long validity on them before you have to travel? Like I say no help now ? She didn't actually say how long they had been in the UK before sending it off. If a UK person plans a short trip to the UK, and hopes to obtain their Non_imm O while there, well perhaps deliberately add a few days and beware of holidays. (Thai and UK). Rescheduling flights can cost £100s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyLew Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 They should have put a notice up before, you should ask them for the missed flight money back. 555 I hope you are kidding I hope your visa arrives in time but I find it baffling that you would wait until one week before departure before applying for your visa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 They should have put a notice up before, you should ask them for the missed flight money back. How does that work? Are the Consulates supposed to use clairvoyance now and send you a notice before your apply? It was posted on their website and the onus is and always has been on the applicant to check whether procedures and costs have changed. Also, as said earlier, there's been at least 2 rather lengthy threads on this very issue that have been running for as long as the official word was posted. If people chose to read TV only a week before they are due to go for a holiday, then som namnah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lineofentry Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 Does anyone have any news on how Liverpool consul is fairing? Got my last multi entry non imm O based on marriage by return of post in June, no financial disclosures required, just marriage cert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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