After a lot of research, we decided to try and get a holiday visa for my Thai girlfriend for up to 3 months. The first thing we did was apply for a Thai passport in Pattaya they have a new office next to the avenue mall in soi 15 Pattaya, it took around 5-10 days to get her passport back.
We then started doing our homework visiting the embassy’s official websites in Bangkok it was then we realized they had outsourced visa applications to a company called VFS Thailand, you submit all your documents at vfs they service most embassies in Thailand. We then sought people who had applied for a Thai girlfriend visa in Thailand to see how they did it & their experiences of the visa procedures.
After reading various forums it seemed Thai citizens have travel issues & a lot of Thai girlfriends visa get refused visas to the UK & Australia. Looking at the visa system as a whole unless you are a hi-so Thai person here are the main reasons your Thai girlfriend may get refused a visa.
- No Assets
- No Employment
- Education (lack of it)
- No family ties
- No previous immigration history
Everything looked bleak my Thai girl had none of the above what was I going to do now do we need professional help from a visa agent?
I did meet my partner in a bar in Pattaya she would obviously be classed as a bar girl surely?
We decided to contact a registered adviser after a while w found one he advised that we follow his guidance :
- Secure employment for 6 months in a hotel
- Show evidence of contact ( phone – chat logs)
- Evidence of financial support
- Evidence of strong family ties
- Evidence of 2 further visits
The visa agency did some research and called her family my Thai girlfriend’s mother had over 11 Rai of land in Chiang Mai they got mama to transfer a rai into her name giving an asset to return to. We waited for the full 6 months & then they applied for the UK Tourist visa some of the information we supplied was the following :
- Passport
- Tabian Baan
- Evidence of strong family ties
- A letter from her employer
- Bank statements
- Accommodation in the UK
We submitted my Thai girlfriend’s visa on Friday in Bangkok the agents took her to VFS UK to apply for the visa they filled in the online visa application forms, booed all the appointments, and paid the visa fee our initial outlay was a mere 5000 THB. I got to think about how are these guys making money the visa fee was 5000 baht transport cost, other factors business costs including staff and transport they are losing money surely. but they worked on the scenario of a 10k deposit and a balance of 25000 THB once the visa was issued, no visa no further fees to pay!
Positives About using a visa Agency In Thailand :
- Saved my airfares
- Saved my work holidays
- I continued to work and earn money
- I did not need to run around Bangkok looking for buildings.
- All I needed to do was pick her up & take her home with me.
The visa application was submitted & we waited 12 working days I have to say this was nerve-wracking with many sleepless nights. we then got the call the visa was issued & she could travel immediately!
- Obtain a passport for your child – how we got a UK passport
- My Thai girlfriend – ” is it worth the hassle ” loves me long time
- How I got married in Thailand – marry your Thai sweetheart in Bangkok
- Australian tourist visa – ” how i took my tee rak to Australia “
- UK Visa – VFS Thailand UK Visa
- How to get a UK family visa
We can help you process UK visa applications for those close to you. Please contact us.