How to Get a UK Visitor’s Visa for a Thai.
March 29th, 2009 by Owen Jones, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
Applying for a UK visitor’s visa for a Thai friend to go to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland can be very stressful. I am also certain that it is more difficult for people from some countries than for others and Thailand falls into this latter category. This is because the staff are concerned about the applicant’s ability to support him/herself when they originate from a Third World country. This is UK government policy and you must not hold it against the British embassy staff – they are only carrying out orders! It is worth your while remembering this when you speak to the embassy staff about a UK visitor’s visa.
Note well: a standard UK visitor’s visa for a Thai (or any other nationality) to the United Kingdom lasts 6 months and allows the recipient to enter and leave the country as often as he/she wishes. Usually, though, at least for the first visa, you will be asked to restrict the length of stay to what you specify in the interview. So, for example, if you say you want to go for two weeks, your six months visa will have a note pinned to it requiring you to leave after two weeks. You have to agree to this limitation in writing, although your UK visitor’s visa is clearly valid for six months!
Your UK visitor’s visa strenuously forbids you from claiming any money from the state, free help from the hospitals or doctors or working. It is not a work-permit! Many Thais are refused a UK visitor’s visa because they dither when asked why they want to visit the UK. You must be clear about why you want to go there. If it’s to visit a friend or lover, say so. It really is not a problem. But you must be prepared to prove your relationship. It must have lasted at least 6 months although this is not really ‘official government policy’.
Let’s think about providing that evidence of a long-standing relationship first of all. Most Thais that apply for a UK visitor’s visa will need a sponsor – most often a lover of an employer. Don’t be tempted to say you have known your sponsor for longer than you have, because he has entry stamps in his passport. This gives an indication of how long you could have known each other but it is not conclusive evidence. You will need to provide much more: try keeping all hotel bills, ATM receipts, mobile phone cards, menus, photos, letters, postcards etc. Anything that will help you establish that you are having an on-going long-standing relationship. It is far better if you can prove that the relationship is older than 6 months.
After having gathered all your proofs you can get the visa application form (VAF) from the embassy or its website, which is really very useful for explaining what should be enclosed with the form and what the fee is (3,800 Baht or thereabouts). This is your last real chance to make a good impression, so get it right. You will only get an interview if you make the application impressive.
This where the sponsor plays a pivotal role in getting that first UK visitor’s visa for a Thai. As your sponsor, he has to be prepared to guarantee your well-being while you are in the UK and he will have to prove this to the embassy staff.
Your friendly sponsor will have to make you an offer of a holiday with accomodation in the UK. Then he will have to back up his claims with written proof. If he says he has money, he will need a letter from his employer or the bank. If he says he has a house, he will need a letter from his mortgage provider, a contract, deeds or a letter from the council. Marriage is not an issue, but some odd reasons given for refusal are:
“this Thai applicant for a UK visitor’s visa has never been outside the country before ” this is an easy one, just pop over to Cambodia for a weekend.
“the Thai person applying for this UK visitor’s visa does not have strong socio-economic ties to her country of origin” They don’t believe that you have enough to return to Thailand for. A letter from your boss, doctor, solicitor or village elder, your house book; proof of children or living parents and proof of property are all very useful.
Don’t rush into your application. If you get this wrong you will have to wait at least a month. Think about why you want to visit Britain. It may seem obvious to you now, but in front of an interviewer you may ‘freeze’. Learn to prove everything you say. Treat it like a game and pretend you’re a barrister for a day: provide incontrovertible, written proof.
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.
