New British Visa Procedures

[aging one]

Wow you Brits have it tough trying to get visas for friends to the UK.

New Regulations.

The British Embassy has entered into a partnership with VFS Thailand limited to process visa applications.
From April 21st applications for all UK visas should be made at the UK Visa Application Center, 2nd floor, Regent House, 183 Rajadamri Rd. Lumpini, Bangkok.

A service charge of 425 baht plus 7% vat will be levied on each application.
The visa section of the British embassy will be closed 19-21 April to prepare for the change.

[mrsquirrel]

This in theory is meant so to speed up applications.

However I am sure that it just means that I can now bribe an underling to issue visas to 16 year old girls easier

[aging one]

Happy Songkran Squirrell!! Keep up the straight shooting.

Seems like a way for a company to make a little quick cash.

[Thetyim]

I wonder what VFS stands for.
Ant suggestions ?

Visa For Sex ?

[peterpan]

THe OZ embassy changed to this "system" some time ago, previously it took me about an hour and maybe 1200 baht for a visa now takes 4 days and 1800 baht. Thats the goverments idea of ramping up efficiency. Good for the Embassy, tehy make the same dosh but now do fuck all for it. I am fucking glad I used to make full use of tax minimisation measures when I lived there.

[Marmite the Dog]

^ Yeah, the Aussie embassy staff are wankers too.

The Kiwi's do ok I reckon. Their ambassador is a good chap too.

[peterpan]

Your right! takes the same 4 days or so to do but the staff, both thai's and expats seem to be quite user friendly. I went there last year with Wifey and the ankle biters. One Paki guy in front of me wasn't too happy tho' because when he applied for visa he was told he had to do it in India because that was officially the nearest Point of of contact for Pakistan. When heard that he hit the roof. " Don't you people understand, Indians hate us, they will never give me a Visa, I would sooner slash my wrist than ask an Indian for ANYTHING" He wasn't a happy little Paki AT ALL.

[DrAndy]

my wife is in the process of applying at this very moment!!

She already had a 2 year settlement visa, but we were not in the Uk to convert it to an indefinite leave one.

so we are having to apply for a new 2 year one. They will not take into account the fact of the previous visa, so all the proof has to be submitted again. I gave them a couple of bank accounts with about £20K and $25K; they said it was not enough!!! to support her...are they weird or what?

they also want pics of us together, even though we have been married for 3 years and have travelled to Uk several times.

oh well, these Thai counterstaff have no leeway in making any judgements. They also charge outrageously for photos and copies, if they reject the ones you have.

whinge whinge