The title explains the situation. She handed in bank statements, supporting letters, tabien baan for her house, current passport, marriage certificate etc. We're applying for a visit visa to stay for a couple of months over christmas and new year to visit my family.

However, because the guy behind the counter didn't specifically ask for them, she didn't give him her old passports which show that she's travelled in and out of Thailand plenty of times in the past and never overstayed her visas to other countries. To me, this would be a good thing to show in the application.

Moving beyond my annoyance (and I am very annoyed because we've come all the way down from Chiang Rai to do this, plus the application fees) is there a chance they'll ask us to send those old passports separately once they realise they're absent?

I can't see there being a problem with our financials or anything else, so if she gets rejected for this I'm going to be f**king livid.

As you know the UKVI do specifically say that previous passports should be submitted because, as you say, they show previous travel.

Not submitting them could lead the ECO to believe, probably wrongly, that the expired passports contain adverse travel history which your wife doesn't want the ECO to see.

You can't contact the UKVI, either by phone or email, any longer, so I don't know what to suggest. Are you still in Bangkok, maybe your wife could try and get into the VFS office to try and salvage the problem. There is a UKVI helpline, but that's a premium service and doesn't have access to your application so I'm not sure if they could help,

I would like to think that the UKVI would ask for the passports, but I suspect they wont.

However, because the guy behind the counter didn't specifically ask for them, she didn't give him her old passports which show that she's travelled in and out of Thailand plenty of times in the past and never overstayed her visas to other countries. To me, this would be a good thing to show in the application.

Moving beyond my annoyance (and I am very annoyed because we've come all the way down from Chiang Rai to do this, plus the application fees)

It is up to the applicant to ensure they submit all the necessary documents to support their application; it is not up to VFS staff to ask for them.

It is certainly not up to them to advise an applicant on which documents to submit; they are actually not allowed to give any such advice under the terms of VFS' contract with UKVI.

If she had them, why didn't she simply include them with her other supporting documents?

Crisis averted - she managed to get back into the VFS office and they let her include the old passports in her application.

As for why she didn't hand them in originally, I have no idea. I love her, but I wish she'd take a few moments to consider WHY we brought them with us if not to include them. I would have gone with her to the counter, but I was in the other office picking up my own replacement passport.

Anyway, thanks for the replies and alls well in the end so no harm done.

There is no mandatory requirement to submit "old" passports with an application. Indeed, the guidance says that previous passports are a document that you "may" want to submit to evidence previous travel. So, it would be wrong for an ECO to refuse the application solely because previous passports had not been submitted. In such a case it would be good customer service for the ECO to ask to see the passports if he had any doubts about the answers to questions about previous travel in the application form. If the application should be refused on this point alone, then contact the forum sponsor - Thai Visa Express - and they may be able to assist.

There is no mandatory requirement to submit "old" passports with an application. Indeed, the guidance says that previous passports are a document that you "may" want to submit to evidence previous travel. So, it would be wrong for an ECO to refuse the application solely because previous passports had not been submitted. In such a case it would be good customer service for the ECO to ask to see the passports if he had any doubts about the answers to questions about previous travel in the application form. If the application should be refused on this point alone, then contact the forum sponsor - Thai Visa Express - and they may be able to assist.

I understand that it's not mandatory, but it probably will be very beneficial for the application for them to see that she's frequently travelled abroad in the past without any issues with overstaying etc.

There is no mandatory requirement to submit "old" passports with an application. Indeed, the guidance says that previous passports are a document that you "may" want to submit to evidence previous travel. So, it would be wrong for an ECO to refuse the application solely because previous passports had not been submitted. In such a case it would be good customer service for the ECO to ask to see the passports if he had any doubts about the answers to questions about previous travel in the application form. If the application should be refused on this point alone, then contact the forum sponsor - Thai Visa Express - and they may be able to assist.

I understand that it's not mandatory, but it probably will be very beneficial for the application for them to see that she's frequently travelled abroad in the past without any issues with overstaying etc.

Yes, for sure, it would be beneficial to the application. The point I was trying to make is that the ECO shouldn't refuse the application because the passports weren't submitted, and that if he did, then you would have a good case for a review of the decision. I was also pointing you in the direction of professional help, should it have been necessary. Fortunately it wasn't.

There is no mandatory requirement to submit "old" passports with an application. Indeed, the guidance says that previous passports are a document that you "may" want to submit to evidence previous travel. So, it would be wrong for an ECO to refuse the application solely because previous passports had not been submitted. In such a case it would be good customer service for the ECO to ask to see the passports if he had any doubts about the answers to questions about previous travel in the application form. If the application should be refused on this point alone, then contact the forum sponsor - Thai Visa Express - and they may be able to assist.

I understand that it's not mandatory, but it probably will be very beneficial for the application for them to see that she's frequently travelled abroad in the past without any issues with overstaying etc.

Yes, for sure, it would be beneficial to the application. The point I was trying to make is that the ECO shouldn't refuse the application because the passports weren't submitted, and that if he did, then you would have a good case for a review of the decision. I was also pointing you in the direction of professional help, should it have been necessary. Fortunately it wasn't.

Thanks for your advice