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.
Then you can proceed by obtaining the 'Visa Application Form (VAF) from the British embassy in Wireless Road, Bangkok or from its website. The website is very helpful for advising what you should include with your visa application form, but it will often include the 'evidence' mentioned above, the passport, the fee, photos, and sponsor's letter etc. In fact anything that helps you prove your case even a little bit.
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:
"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 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.
Run through your story until you have it well-rehearsed (they will not want to see the sponsor and sometimes, he is not even allowed to wait on the embassy compound). The applicant for a UK visitor's visa will be required to attend an interview the first time and this can be held in English or Thai. The UK visitor's visa will normally be available for collection the next day.
Advice: if you want to stay in Britain for two weeks apply for four, because you don't have flights yet and you may be delayed on your return. Also, if you kneed to cancel your visa, don't fly back on a Friday, because the embasy is closed for the weekend.
Please do not be tempted to lie! The embassy staff are trained to weed out liars and they are good at their job. It will cost you your UK visitor's visa if you are caught out. If you don't know an answer, just say so. - 30299
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.
Then you can proceed by obtaining the 'Visa Application Form (VAF) from the British embassy in Wireless Road, Bangkok or from its website. The website is very helpful for advising what you should include with your visa application form, but it will often include the 'evidence' mentioned above, the passport, the fee, photos, and sponsor's letter etc. In fact anything that helps you prove your case even a little bit.
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:
"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 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.
Run through your story until you have it well-rehearsed (they will not want to see the sponsor and sometimes, he is not even allowed to wait on the embassy compound). The applicant for a UK visitor's visa will be required to attend an interview the first time and this can be held in English or Thai. The UK visitor's visa will normally be available for collection the next day.
Advice: if you want to stay in Britain for two weeks apply for four, because you don't have flights yet and you may be delayed on your return. Also, if you kneed to cancel your visa, don't fly back on a Friday, because the embasy is closed for the weekend.
Please do not be tempted to lie! The embassy staff are trained to weed out liars and they are good at their job. It will cost you your UK visitor's visa if you are caught out. If you don't know an answer, just say so. - 30299
About the Author:
Do you want to get a UK Visa for a Thai? We have helped dozens of Thais get to the UK and we can help you on our free website called http://uk-visas-for-thais.the-real-way.com.
