Hi all,

Quick questions:

My girlfriend went for her visa appointment on Tuesday 10th May and we received an e-mail which states the following:

UK Visas and Immigration has made a decision on your visa application and this email explains how to collect your documents.

THAILAND APPLICANTS: documents can be collected from the Bangkok visa application centre 2 working days after you receive this email.

So am I correct in thinking we still don't know if it has been successful or not? We now have to wait 4 days until Tuesday wondering? I don't know why it wouldn't be mentioned in the e-mail.

Thanks guys.

You are correct. You may get another email (from VFS) when they receive from the embassy but it still wont tell you the outcome though.

They always cite data protection, VFS won't know the outcome for the same reason, the pack is returned to them sealed.

I understand the email is auto generated, and seem to have habit of going out on a Friday, a lot of finger crossing over the weekend.

Ok thanks guys.

Am I right in thinking "after 2 worknig days" would mean Tuesday?

p.s oldgit you are a star.

It is a standard computer generated email. I think it means that all is OK, but you won't know until she has the passport with the visa!

Yeah it is like saying to a child....

I have decided if I will buy you the new toy....but I will not tell you my answer for a few days!

It is a standard computer generated email. I think it means that all is OK, but you won't know until she has the passport with the visa!

No, it means a decision has been made - hopefully the right one.

Ok thanks guys.

Am I right in thinking "after 2 worknig days" would mean Tuesday?

p.s oldgit you are a star.

I got the automatic email on Wednesday, which said "two days" but later on that day I got an SMS from VFS so went to pick up my girlfriends passport the next day (Thursday).

If you get the SMS or an email from Trendy today in the next hour or so, if you have enough time left, you would be able to pick it up today. Otherwise, this weekend may drag on.

Ok thanks guys.

Am I right in thinking "after 2 worknig days" would mean Tuesday?

p.s oldgit you are a star.

I got the automatic email on Wednesday, which said "two days" but later on that day I got an SMS from VFS so went to pick up my girlfriends passport the next day (Thursday).

If you get the SMS or an email from Trendy today in the next hour or so, if you have enough time left, you would be able to pick it up today. Otherwise, this weekend may drag on.

Thanks Gary. Good news for you?

If I get today I can pick up tomorrow I think.

Ok thanks guys.

Am I right in thinking "after 2 worknig days" would mean Tuesday?

p.s oldgit you are a star.

I got the automatic email on Wednesday, which said "two days" but later on that day I got an SMS from VFS so went to pick up my girlfriends passport the next day (Thursday).

If you get the SMS or an email from Trendy today in the next hour or so, if you have enough time left, you would be able to pick it up today. Otherwise, this weekend may drag on.

Thanks Gary. Good news for you?

If I get today I can pick up tomorrow I think.

It was good news for me. It is open 8:30 to noon tomorrow.

My girlfriend collected the visa this morning so all good news on that front.

One question, do they normally stamp the date on the visa as the date you "planned" to travel? I asked my girlfriend to ask at VFS interview if we could ask for an earlier date if was possible (like from date of visa issue) but I think she forgot to ask.

Thanks for help as always everyone.

My girlfriend collected the visa this morning so all good news on that front.

One question, do they normally stamp the date on the visa as the date you "planned" to travel? I asked my girlfriend to ask at VFS interview if we could ask for an earlier date if was possible (like from date of visa issue) but I think she forgot to ask.

Thanks for help as always everyone.

I always make such requests in the body of the introduction letter with the application. Only once have they failed to pick up such a request.

I heard of one friend who was refused a flight at check in because she had tried to travel 10 days before the 'intended date of travel' and that date was the start date of the visa - she hadn't noticed.

My girlfriend collected the visa this morning so all good news on that front.

One question, do they normally stamp the date on the visa as the date you "planned" to travel? I asked my girlfriend to ask at VFS interview if we could ask for an earlier date if was possible (like from date of visa issue) but I think she forgot to ask.

First of all well done with the visa, hope you have a good trip.

On the second point, they used to date the visa from the day they were processed unless the applicant asked for it to be posted dated, that meant that you could travel straight away but if you'd applied earlier than your date of intended travel, you effectively lost up to a couple of months use.

They now seem to date the visa from the declared date of travel, whilst that's good you lose any flexibility if you wish to bring forward your travel plans.

To be quite honest, even if your girlfriend had mentioned that she might want to travel earlier, I doubt if they would have done anything. All the staff do is collate the documents and forward them to the UKVI for processing, they certainly don't/shouldn't interview applicants. If it happens again, just include a note to the ECO, and make sure it's highlighted.

Have a great trip.

hi without going totaly off the main thread could i take advantage of the obvious knowledge displayed on this thread

I have enquired by email to the VFS on whether my wife will need any bio-metrics done for her visitor visa

we are only spending three weeks in the uk and she has a bio-metric passport.

I have been through the F A Q and got no where , and even asking successful applicants other halves were not 100% sure

and to make it as clear as mud the email reply to my question was just a link back to the application site. With no answer to my question.

after ten hours trawling through the internet I eventually gathered that if my wife was not staying more than six months she gets a vinaigrette

​or something sounding like that stuck in her passport? still not 100% on this.

i am at present collecting documents and wedding cetificates ect and intend to have them translated from thai to English is there a

decent translation firm in pattaya. thanks in advance. cheers zoza.

Thanks Jipp, I thought about that, be it late.

My girlfriend collected the visa this morning so all good news on that front.

One question, do they normally stamp the date on the visa as the date you "planned" to travel? I asked my girlfriend to ask at VFS interview if we could ask for an earlier date if was possible (like from date of visa issue) but I think she forgot to ask.

First of all well done with the visa, hope you have a good trip.

On the second point, they used to date the visa from the day they were processed unless the applicant asked for it to be posted dated, that meant that you could travel straight away but if you'd applied earlier than your date of intended travel, you effectively lost up to a couple of months use.

They now seem to date the visa from the declared date of travel, whilst that's good you lose any flexibility if you wish to bring forward your travel plans.

To be quite honest, even if your girlfriend had mentioned that she might want to travel earlier, I doubt if they would have done anything. All the staff do is collate the documents and forward them to the UKVI for processing, they certainly don't/shouldn't interview applicants. If it happens again, just include a note to the ECO, and make sure it's highlighted.

Have a great trip.

Thanks for all the help, oldgit. I followed your post on my original topic when providing the documents, wealth of knowledge there, many thanks!

hi without going totaly off the main thread could i take advantage of the obvious knowledge displayed on this thread

I have enquired by email to the VFS on whether my wife will need any bio-metrics done for her visitor visa

we are only spending three weeks in the uk and she has a bio-metric passport.

I have been through the F A Q and got no where , and even asking successful applicants other halves were not 100% sure

and to make it as clear as mud the email reply to my question was just a link back to the application site. With no answer to my question.

after ten hours trawling through the internet I eventually gathered that if my wife was not staying more than six months she gets a vinaigrette

​or something sounding like that stuck in her passport? still not 100% on this.

i am at present collecting documents and wedding cetificates ect and intend to have them translated from thai to English is there a

decent translation firm in pattaya. thanks in advance. cheers zoza.

Biometrics? Yes, they will be done by VFS at Trendy when she drops off the application.

Vinaigrette? Well, a Visa Vignette will be stuck in her passport for sure.

hi without going totaly off the main thread could i take advantage of the obvious knowledge displayed on this thread

I have enquired by email to the VFS on whether my wife will need any bio-metrics done for her visitor visa we are only spending three weeks in the uk and she has a bio-metric passport.

after ten hours trawling through the internet I eventually gathered that if my wife was not staying more than six months she gets a vinaigrette ​or something sounding like that stuck in her passport? still not 100% on this.

i am at present collecting documents and wedding cetificates ect and intend to have them translated from thai to English is there a decent translation firm in pattaya. thanks in advance. cheers zoza.

Yes, your wife will have to have her biometric details captured, this is done when she hands in her supporting documents and hard copy of her application in Bangkok. Biometric details are captured for every application whatever the length of the visit and how many applications have been made previously.

The Visa Vignette is her actual visa and contains all the details of the visa, these again are used whatever the length or type of the visit.

For translations in Pattaya, I would make contact with Thai Visa Express in Pattaya, as well as being the sponsors of this forum and visa agents, I think they can arrange for appropriate documents to be translated.

And just to add regarding biometric data; my girlfriend brought her passport photo but told it wasn't needed and they took her photo there and then. So for anyone taking photos before the appointment at Trendy, it is not needed.

They always cite data protection, VFS won't know the outcome for the same reason, the pack is returned to them sealed.

I understand the email is auto generated, and seem to have habit of going out on a Friday, a lot of finger crossing over the weekend.

If you have the passport returned by EMS, VFS open the envelope from the embassy and put the contents in an another envelope and then send you an email to say they have dispatched it by EMS.

They always cite data protection, VFS won't know the outcome for the same reason, the pack is returned to them sealed.

If you have the passport returned by EMS, VFS open the envelope from the embassy and put the contents in an another envelope and then send you an email to say they have dispatched it by EMS.

How very strange, I have absolutely no reason to question what you say, but I wonder why on earth they would do that, they certainly didn't do so when my partners pack was returned by EMS.

As a matter of interest do VFS then charge two EMS fees, do they swallow the extra expense or do they send the supporting documents by snail mail?

They always cite data protection, VFS won't know the outcome for the same reason, the pack is returned to them sealed.

If you have the passport returned by EMS, VFS open the envelope from the embassy and put the contents in an another envelope and then send you an email to say they have dispatched it by EMS.

How very strange, I have absolutely no reason to question what you say, but I wonder why on earth they would do that, they certainly didn't do so when my partners pack was returned by EMS.

As a matter of interest do VFS then charge two EMS fees, do they swallow the extra expense or do they send the supporting documents by snail mail?

I have never seen the pack that comes from the embassy to VFS so wouldn't know. All I do know that we have done 5 visa applications and the passports and supporting documents have come back loose in a large envelope from VFS.

The only collection we have made was from VFS Canada office and I saw the lady take a small package from the pigeon hole, open it and bring the contents to the desk. In that instance there were no supporting docs, only the passport and a couple of slips of paper so it was quite small.

One possibility is that the embassy uses different sizes of envelope and the larger may not fit inside the VFS envelope so they open them to make them fit.