UK Visitor Visa for Thai

It stands to reason because of UK immigration policy that any Thai citizen traveling to the UK will need A UK Visitor Visa. Without a Visa the Thai Citizen will not get as far as the plane in Bangkok, but if they do manage to travel to the UK will be detained by the immigration officers and then returned to Thailand without ever have stepped foot in the UK.

UK Visitor Visa

A UK Visitor Visa is suitable for Family members and friends that are visiting for a holiday. The visa will be valid for a period of 6 months from the date issued at the embassy. In most situations Thai citizens applying for all UK visas will need a sponsor. The sponsor will need to provide evidence of their income and living situation. If you are the sponsor, remember that from 2009 the application includes a section asking for your National insurance number. It is believed that the sponsor is looked at in more detail to ensure that they are not people smuggling and are of good standing.

The biggest reason that Thai citizens are refused a UK visitor Visa is because the British sponsor becomes too confident and forgets that the visa is not about them. The sponsor’s part in the application is a small part, without the sponsor the Thai has no chance of getting the visa, however there are many areas of an application that can cause concern to the immigration officer. The sponsor owning a house and having a lot of money in the bank will only answer the sponsorship side. Having a small amount of money and large amount of money to the immigration is the same thing; they are ticking boxes not granting visas if the British sponsor has more money.

Another reason why a Thai will be refused a UK Visitor visa is in a family situation. If the sponsor is married to a Thai lady and has children with her, if the person applying for the visitor visa is the Thai wife’s sister, often they are refused because the immigration officer will conclude that the reasons for the sister to travel to the UK is to look after the children while the wife and sponsor are working. Applying for a six month visa will also more often than not end with disappointment.

When the UK Visitor visa has been granted it is given a valid time of 6 months. The visa begins to run out the moment it is issued. Do not allow any person to over stay a visa, in the event of this happening, when applying for another UK visa, the chances are you will be refused and in some cases even banned from the UK for 5 or 10 years.

The visa only permits the traveler to remain in the UK as a tourist, not being able to work or to claim benefits. Again if the traveler is caught working while visiting the UK on a visitor visa, they could be banned from the UK for 5 to 10 years.

Applying for a UK Visitor Visa for Thai

When applying for a UK visitor visa there are many pitfalls. People are refused the visa daily for being too confident, making a small error or not understanding the difficulties in applying for a UK visa. UK immigration department is part of the UK home office, the crown prosecution service; police and prison service are also a part of the home office. Get the advice of a visa consultant when applying for a UK visitor visa, but never pay any money until a visa has been issued.