British Embassy in Bangkok

[Peter]

In March, my Thai partner wanted to visit me in London. Before granting a visa, the Embassy wanted a mountain of paperwork including proof of my income, whether or not I woned my own home and a whole lot of other things. At this stage, I have to say that we have many controversial issues in the UK concerning illegal immigration and bogus asylum seekers who come to our country and sponge of our welfare state. However, this does not apply to the many Thai people I have met over here who are extremely hard-working and are an asset to our economy. Unfortunately, my partners application was refused on the grounds that the Embassy did not think she would return to Thailand in spite of a written assurance by my Member of Parliament that she would. We have all sorts of garbage people from all over the world coming into our country to live off the state or, worse, to plot insurrection against our people, yet, when my partner wanted to visit me for a two week holiday, they turned her down. Next year I am moving to Thailand. I am sick of our politically correctist country.

[Rooster]

Hi, Peter. There are nothing news of what have happened to you. Many foreigners complained about Thailand immigration policy also, but they did not totally realized that the immigration laws in their own countries are many times more notorious and discriminatory. With all the fresh trade and mafia operated prostitution rings, Thai women are labeled as potential prostitutes. Yes, Thais are hard working people. Where elses would you find highly educated waiters and waitresses if Thailand would not supply them with these educated laborers or prostitutes. I think it is a big joke on our country and poor leaderships. Oh. Are you a pilot or a person with advance degrees? You will find good jobs in high positions with high pay than Thais if you have advance degrees and technical skills. Since Thai governments fell to educate Thais for these positions like aircraft pilot and advance engineering degrees. Yet, you better have some good money saving in the bank to get residential visa and work permit. Since white faranges who married Thai women do not have the same rights as Chineses married Thai women. It is all in the politic, and who are at the political steering wheel.

[Zemran]

I am married to my partner, she has property and a business. We have money in the bank and live here with goods jobs (both of us). When I wanted to take her to England to visit my family the British Embassy failed to decide whether to give her a visa or not until the day after the flight. They knew when the flight was because you give that information on the visa application. They are nothing to be proud of. The only easy way to get a visa is a fiance visa. I think this is sick. I think people should be encouraged to visit their partner's country *before* they decide to marry. What if they do not like it? Does it make sense to force people to get married before they are ready? Does this mean there are many people that get married, end up in a country they find they do not like and that has a negative effect on the marriage that may have been premature anyway?

My partner came on a later flight as I could not wait. At Heathrow they gave her a hard time because they thought there must be something wrong because she was alone. "Why isn't your husband with you?" I can imagine how my previous (British) wife would have responded to that :) I would have just loved to watch :) No matter what, the Thais are treated badly in the west. As Rooster says though, you will find that Thai immigration is not perfect either.

[Peter]

Hi Zemran and rooster. I have heard other stories about the British Embassy in Bangkok whichleave a nasty taste in the mouth. Seven years ago, there were rumours going around the Khao San Road that British visas could be obtained at the embassy by way of corrupt officials. This story was resurrected two years later in a television programme aired on BBC 2 about the trafficking of Thai women to the UK and once more the accusation was made that UK visas were being made readily available to traffickers. The women were traced to a massage parlour in London's East End where they had been forced into prostitution and regularly beaten by Eastern European pimps. The girls were subsequently rescued, repatriated and returned to their villages. However, to get back to my original post, a month after my partner's application was refused, I returned to Thailand and called the embassy requesting an interview so that we could go through the application, I could convince them that this was a genuine application and seek their guidance on how to make a successful application in the future. They refused to see me.
I understand that that after the TV programme was shown, enquiries were made as to what had been happening at the embassy but when I checked, I was informed that nobody had lost their jobs or had been reprimanded.
At times like this, I feel ashamed to be British.

[Zemran]

In today's Bangkok Post (hard copy) letter's page is a missive from a British guy (who is married to a Thai lady) about Ken Bigley who has just been killed by kidnappers in Iraq. British Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke to Ken Bigley's family in the UK and Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw went to see Ken Bigley's family in the UK to offer condolenses from the government and the Queen sent a letter of condolenses to Ken Bigley's mother.

No one on an, official level, has said anything to Ken Bigley's Thai wife, Sombat Bigley !!! I know how I feel about the prospect of my government treating my wife in that same way. My heart goes out to her in her loss and I must admit that I am ashamed of the way my government has ignored her in her loss.

[Rooster]

Well, we can talk about all these biggerings about how badly foreign governments treated Thais. But I would like to know whether Mrs. Bigley would get any of her husband's social security compensation from the UK government beside his life insurance?

[Peter]

Hi Rooster and Zemran, You have both made valid points. I understand that Tony Blair was due to phone Mrs. Bigley but I do not know whether he has done so yet. As far as Mrs Bigley's social security entitlements are concerned, the entire British benefits system is set up to ensure that those who are entitled to claim are dissuaded from doing so. I suspect that Mrs Bigley probably did not think she was going to lose her husband so soon and did not give this issue much thought. She will be confronted by a mountain of deliberately confusing paperwork to complete and the relevant officials will require documentary proof of everything. In between contracts, I used to claim Job Seekers allowance even though I knew I wasn't entitled to receive payment due to my level of savings. I claimed so that I would continue to receive my National Insurance stamp so that I would not lose my pension entitlement. I was eventually dissuaded from claiming by the 50 odd page application form and the insistence of the officials that they had the right to probe my affairs in minute detail. It is a very Orwellian system which, sadly, will not take any account of Mrs Bigleys status or her grief. Are you surprised that people are leaving the UK in droves?

[RICH]

I'm amazed about the fact your MP wrote in support yet you were turned down, how do they justify defiance of our own politicians? Have they got a secret agenda in the Embassy?

[Peter]

Hi Rich, They seem to be a law unto themselves. A Member of Parliament has no authority in his own right but his recommendation should not be overridden without an explanation. What really angered me was, after I took the trouble to contact them especially to analyse my partner's application, they refused to see me and suggested I sent an EMail. I did but it was ignored. When they returned our paperwork, I noticed that they retained the letter from my MP. which was curious. But you are right. There is something very fishy going on in the British Embassy in Bangkok. I hope I never need their help.

[david]

Nothing has changed for the better.
I went to the embassy recently with my fiance to apply for a visitors visa, so that she could excperience the british people, food and weather before we commit ourselves to applying for settled status.
As previous authors have noted - the embassy officials do everything they can to be offensive in their questioning, evasive in their answersing and obstructive in providing any positive service. I have made a complaint to the head of department but have not even received the courtesy of an acknowledgement - let alone answers to my complaint. The man who i am happy to name and shame is Steve Taylor - an individual who in my opinion is solely unsuitable for his position and acts as though he is god - his decisions appearing to be based upon his whims rather than any subjective or objective criteria. If anyone has a more positive story or who knows of someone with teeth that could help in obtaining a visa i would be grateful. Other than that i think given the number of similiar stories we should consider a class action suit against the immigration department on the grounds of discrimination - your comments gentlemen please.