Applying for and obtaining a UK visitor’s visa for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is very stressful, especially the first time. It is also harder for some people to get in than others. Unfortunately, here as elsewhere, money counts and people from poorer countries have to provide evidence that they will not be a burden on the state. This applies to Thais It may appear that the embassy staff are against you at times. This is not true, they are doing their jobs: they are looking out for the interests of the British people and it would benefit you not to get personal with them.

It is worth remembering that a bog-standard UK visitor’s visa as issued in Thailand is good for six months stay in Great Britain and multiple entries and exits. However, when applying for the visa in Bangkok, you will be asked the dates you want to go for. If you stipulate, say, the first three weeks in March, you will be asked to sign a note guaranteeing that you will return after that. The note is then pinned into your passport. You are required to sign this although the visitor’s visa is actually valid for six months.

The visa also expressly forbids the Thai applicant access to any ’social benefits’ such as social security, health care or pension rights. Be aware that many/most Thai applicants are refused their first attempt, because their submission is ‘half-hearted’. If the stated reason is, say, to visit a friend or lover, the you really need to prove an on-going, long-term relationship of at least six months with your partner.

So, how do we provide proof of a ‘continuous long-standing relationship’? well, it’s not that hard if it is true. Keep photos, mementos, hotel bills, bus tickets, ATM receipts, phone cards, letters and such like. Don’t exaggerate how long you have known each other besides the stamps in his passport there are other ways of becoming suspicious too. Do you know the names of any of his family? Do you know what he does for a living or where he lives? Is his father still alive? Get the picture? You must prove to a doubting Thomas that you are having a relationship (of over six months to be safe). They have seen many Thais try it on over the years.

After collecting the proof, it is time to get the Uk visitor’s visa application form (VAF) from the embassy in Wireless Road, Bangkok or its website (Google it). Their website is very useful actually; especially for detailing what you should enclose and how much the fee is (about 75 these days). don’t forget the sponsor’s letter.

So the sponsor is very important here. It is really up to your sponsor whether you get your first UK visitor’s visa at the first attempt. He has to guarantee that he will take care of you and provide you with somewhere to stay and the embassy staff will have to be convinced that he is up the job.

Therefore, the sponsor has to show a letter from his company proving that he has a steady income or a bank passbook or statements proving sufficient funds to be able to cover his guarantee of taking care of your welfare while in Britain. But not only that, if you have said that you will stay in his house, you must provide a letter from the mortgage provider, the council or something similar proving ownership or lease. Proof of marriage or divorce does not appear relevant although the applicant may be asked. Sometimes seemingly strange reasons are cited for a refusal for a UK visitor’s visa:

“the applicant for a UK visitor’s visa has not been outside Thailand before ” a piece of cake, eh? Just fly down to Malaysia for a short vacation to break in her new passport.

“the person applying for a UK visitor’s visa does not seem to have strong socio-economic ties to Thailand” or, in other words, they don’t trust you to return to your country. A letter from your boss, doctor, solicitor or village elder; proof of children or living parents; proof of property are all useful.

Take your time over the application - if you get it wrong, it’ll cost you at least six weeks before you can reapply. Consider why you really want to go to Britain. They will ask you and you don’t want it to come as a surprise. The answer may seem obvious to you now, but in the embassy you may not feel comfortable giving it. Above all, behave like a lawyer and provide irrefutable evidence for everything you say.

Make sure you know the answers to questions about your sponsor: about his family, town and work. You will be alone in the embassy, but don’t let that make you nervous. Some questions will be in English, but if you get stuck it’s not a problem, just speak Thai.

Hint: apply for more time than you need as the UK visitor’s visa runs from the day it is granted, but you may not be able to get a flight out of Suvarnabhum straight away. You will probably also be required to return to the Bangkok embassy when you arrive back to have the UK visitor’s visa cancelled; after all, it is a multiple entry, 180-day visa that could be used to return to the UK without the sponsor’s knowledge, so try not to arrive back on a Friday unless you want a holiday in Thailand’s capital city.

No 1 Tip: don’t tell lies to the embassy staff, they have heard it all before. If you’re unsure of something, just say so.

Tags: Travel Tips

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