UK embassy retaining passports!

[naka dia]

Last monday I wanted to apply for a UK entertainer Visa to perform in Silverstone this weekend. After I applied and paid for an urgent 3-day process, the lady told me that Entertainer visa can not be in 3 days, it takes 15 days. I need my passport every weekend to fly to my performances so I cancel my application and want to get back my passport. Even it was right there on the table, the lady refused to give it back to me. She said it is in process now and it takes 3 days to get the passport back. My visa agency would take care of it and pick up the passport on thursday. But... no passport. Also no passport on friday. They even went to the embassy and tried to get the passport there. Nobody cared about it. I have a flight to Munich on saturday night to play there on sunday, followed by gigs on Ibiza and Barcelona. Now I can not fly and I will loose the gigs, thousands of Euros, good business contacts and much more. My passport belongs to me and the kingdom of Thailand. What right does the UK have to keep it away from me? Should I report it to the Police and declare it stolen (by UK embassy) to be able to make a new passport?

[David48]

Thai Police would not have Jurisdiction at the Embassy as it's my understanding that technically the Embassy grounds are not part of Thailand.

Could be wrong ... often are.

Given that your tight time schedule to obtain the Visa and the fact that you didn't check that an Entertainers Visa can't be granted in 3 days, it's maybe not the best to blame the UK Government as the fault may not lie with them.

BTW ... welcome to Thai Visa ... 19 mins a new member ... welcome.

[naka dia]

Thai Police would not have Jurisdiction at the Embassy as it's my understanding that technically the Embassy grounds are not part of Thailand.

Could be wrong ... often are.

Given that your tight time schedule to obtain the Visa and the fact that you didn't check that an Entertainers Visa can't be granted in 3 days, it's maybe not the best to blame the UK Government as the fault may not lie with them.

BTW ... welcome to Thai Visa ... 19 mins a new member ... welcome.

Sure, Thai police can not do nothing to get the passport back.

but to get a new passport I have to report the old one stolen.

Also, I understand that I can not get the UK visa. But if I already not want to have it anymore, they should give back the passport. Keep the passport of somebody for three days is already a long time. To keep more than 3 days is sure to blame on the UK embassy. For what reason they keep it? I even pay 5000 bt extra for 3 day process. If can not process the visa, at least process the passport back

[rwdrwdrwd]

Thai Police would not have Jurisdiction at the Embassy as it's my understanding that technically the Embassy grounds are not part of Thailand.

Could be wrong ... often are.

Given that your tight time schedule to obtain the Visa and the fact that you didn't check that an Entertainers Visa can't be granted in 3 days, it's maybe not the best to blame the UK Government as the fault may not lie with them.

BTW ... welcome to Thai Visa ... 19 mins a new member ... welcome.

The British embassy do not own her passport and it is absolutely outrageous behaviour to seize a foreign passport when an application has been retracted. The fault 100% lies with them, why on earth would they require processing of a passport for a non application?

Edited August 30, 2014 by rwdrwdrwd

[theoldgit]

If the passport was in front of you then it seems it was at the Visa Application Centre, not the British Embassy, from what you say the British Embassy haven't stolen anything.

To be frank, what you are alleging just doesn't add up.

[naka dia]

If the passport was in front of you then it seems it was at the Visa Application Centre, not the British Embassy, from what you say the British Embassy haven't stolen anything.

To be frank, what you are alleging just doesn't add up.

Yes, I handed my passport to the visa application center and they send it to the UK embassy for processing - even I cancelled my application. The visa application center also would hand out the visa again after 3 days. But they did not because the UK embassy kept my passport.

What doesnt add up?

[theoldgit]

If the passport was in front of you then it seems it was at the Visa Application Centre, not the British Embassy, from what you say the British Embassy haven't stolen anything.

To be frank, what you are alleging just doesn't add up.

Yes, I handed my passport to the visa application center and they send it to the UK embassy for processing - even I cancelled my application. The visa application center also would hand out the visa again after 3 days. But they did not because the UK embassy kept my passport.

What doesnt add up?

In your opening post you said "Even it was right there on the table, the lady refused to give it back to me"

You now say "the UK embassy kept my passport"

That's what doesn't add up, was it on the table in front of you or still at the Embassy?

Did you cancel your application a few days after the application, or did the VFS staff advise you when you applied that you didn't qualify for the fast track procedure, which is clearly laid out on the website? If you cancel the application when you tried to submit, then they would normally stop the application and hand back your passport.

If you pitched up on Friday to collect your passport without being advised it was there, then of course it wasn't there and the UKVI office and VFS are in different buildings.

[naka dia]

If the passport was in front of you then it seems it was at the Visa Application Centre, not the British Embassy, from what you say the British Embassy haven't stolen anything.

To be frank, what you are alleging just doesn't add up.

Yes, I handed my passport to the visa application center and they send it to the UK embassy for processing - even I cancelled my application. The visa application center also would hand out the visa again after 3 days. But they did not because the UK embassy kept my passport.

What doesnt add up?

In your opening post you said "Even it was right there on the table, the lady refused to give it back to me"

You now say "the UK embassy kept my passport"

That's what doesn't add up, was it on the table in front of you or still at the Embassy?

Did you cancel your application a few days after the application, or did the VFS staff advise you when you applied that you didn't qualify for the fast track procedure, which is clearly laid out on the website? If you cancel the application when you tried to submit, then they would normally stop the application and hand back your passport.

If you pitched up on Friday to collect your passport without being advised it was there, then of course it wasn't there and the UKVI office and VFS are in different buildings.

I apply at the Application center. When I apply, I immediately ask for my passport back when she tell me that the visa takes 15 days. She say she can not give it back to me because it is now already in process - even the passport was still there on the table.

Now the Uk embassy has my passport since 6 days. That is the information I have form the visa application center. So- the UK embassy keeps my passport for no reason...