The UK Visa Application Centre

[Wanderlust]

I'd better warn everyone before I start that this is an undiluted, unadulterated rant, so if you are not in the mood for that go to another thread now.

My (Thai) wife and I have been planning to go to the UK since last year, with the original plan being to go in May for my Mum's 80th birthday; however we had a nice surprise when my wife got pregnant, with the only drawback being the baby was due in May! Anyway, we rescheduled our plans, and decided on September. Last week we travelled up to Bangkok to get all the necessary applications done - baby's Thai passport, UK birth registration and UK passport, and visa application for my wife. We had all the necessary documents. We first went to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who were quite efficient and everything was done within about half an hour, and they will post the passport to us. Next port of call was the visa application, and we had to go some distance across Bangkok. Sometime in the last year or two, the British Embassy handed over the processing of visa applications to another body, The UK Visa Application Centre, located in Bangkok not far from the Embassy (but still a 40-50 baht taxi ride away in the traffic) and we arrived there about 12.45. I expected it to be an improvement on the crowded little room they used to use at the Embassy, but I was sadly mistaken.

To start with, only the applicants are allowed into the waiting room, so I had to wait outside with our baby and my wife's aunt, where there were precisely 7 seats to accommodate at least 40 people also waiting for their loved ones. Now that wouldn't be too bad if the submission of the application was as quick and efficient as we had experienced earlier, but oh no; we had to wait over 2 hours! There was also nothing in the way of refreshments available. I was getting concerned at this point because the Embassy, where I had to go next for the other things, closes at 3.30. Fortunately I grabbed a taxi and made it in time, and that process was fairly quick, although despite it saying on the passport and birth registration application forms that only one of the parent's passports were needed they wanted to see my wife's as well, which was, of course, impossible as it was at the VAC!

Anyway, we returned to Hua Hin, safe in the knowledge that we could 'check the status of the visa application' on the VAC website after a couple of days, and that we could return to pick up our daughter's UK birth registration and passport on or after 6th August. We started trying to check the status of the visa on Friday 27th July, having put the application in on the Monday. For some reason it says you can only check after 1pm, but this became irrelevant as the system didn't work! Every time we tried it returned an error. Never mind, we can call them on Monday we thought, having checked that they were not going to be closed for the holiday.

Called the number given today, between the prescribed hours of 3.30 and 4.30, and after the usual BS recorded message and the 500 numbers I had to press on my phone to get to a real live person, I asked politely what the status of my wife;s visa application was. "The passport is ready for collection" the chap on the other end gleefully announced, "So does that mean she has got the visa then?" I queried. "Oh no, we don't know that. All we can tell you is that the passport is ready for collection." "So is there anyone who can actually tell me the status of the visa application?" I asked, getting a tad frustrated. "No - the passport comes in a sealed envelope so you will have to collect it to find out." I explained that we were in Hua Hin and that I couldn't see the point of the 'find out what the status' service was if they can't tell you this vital bit of info - I want to book our tickets asap, and we don't want to have to make 2 trips to Bangkok (one for the wife's passport and another for the baby). Same answer so I asked if the Embassy would be able to tell me; they said maybe and gave me a number but of course when I called them it was too late - 'All telephone visa enquiries must be made before 3.30' (It was 3.40) and not even an option to speak to someone - AARGH!

Anyway, I am going to try tomorrow afternoon but i'm not hopeful, and it looks as though I will have to leave booking the flights until next week, when we are planning to leave aaround 28/29th August - not much time. I could take a gamble and book now, as it seems likely the visa has been issued because the passport is ready for collection but.... [/rant]

[Big Boy]

You have my every sympathy - been there, done it, but they didn't have a T Shirt in my size. The Bureaucracy is horrendous, and you have to wait to see if the little tin gods at the embassy (or wherever it is these days) have found the smallest discrepancy in your application.

I wish you every success - not very much winds me up, but whenever I hear genuine cases being put through the mill at the British Embassy I do get quite wound up.

Good Luck Let us know that everything has worked out OK.

[lomuamart]

I went through this process last August when my wife was applying for a Visit Visa.
First off, it's definitely not a step in the right direction to only allow applicants in to the VAC office. Last year I was allowed in, both for application and collection. I know what you mean about those few seats outside the office. The whole point of outsourcing applications in the first place was because The Embassy couldn't cope with us Brit husbands/boyfriends being in that downstairs place. Initially, Brits were allowed into the compound - but not the office - and then we simply weren't allowed into The Embassy grounds at all (if the purpose was to accompany our partners for a visa application). Standing out there on Wireless Road must have been fun. The visa office at The Embassy was simply too busy. Hence the move to the VAC offices. Seems to defeat the purpose, eh? Both times we were there last year, the office was quiet.
I have to also say that they were really helpful. As I was changing the cash for my wife's application to a banker's draft at the appropriate counter, a Thai woman was taking to my wife about her application. The official was simply trying to make sure that all our paperwork was in order. It turned out that I'd made a couple of minor mistakes on the application form - 1. I'd ticked tourist, rather than family, as purpose of visit. 2. Under what funds are available to you during your stay, I'd put in something like "up to my husband". We were advised to alter that to 500 pounds. Both were easily corrected.
As far as tracking the application was concerned, I was trying to do so using my usual Firefox browser, but it kept coming up blank and asking me to enter the details again. This went on for days, until a friend told me that most government sites like that can only read in IE. So, tried that and hey presto - passport ready for collection.
Unfortunately, that's all the message says (as you've found out by telephone). The British Embassy will not divulge in advance what the outcome is. And yes, the passport and all your supporting documents come in a sealed envelope. Frustrating isn't it, as you've said?
I'm sure you'll be successful, WL, but I'd offer a bit of advice at the end of your ordeal:
When you go to collect, don't sit outside the office and open the envelope up. You'll have a number of Thai women hovering around to see what the outcome is. Some may be applicants, but most will be from that office next door who will ask you immediately if you want to book your tickets from there - assuming the visa is granted. Basically, they're leeches and how The Embassy can allow a travel agency/visa agent to operate right next to the VAC is beyond me. They simply prey on everyones' insecurities.
Hope that helps. The two of us went through it, but it sounds like we were lucky and got an easier ride than you and your family.
Let us know how it turns out.