THAILAND TRAVELS: A Journal BANGKOK (cont'd) Page 2
Thursday 12th:
Up early and taxi to VFS [*see note below] in Regent House for Aom’s final submission of documents, subject herself to biometrics. I couldn’t think of a single thing we’d missed out and I was convinced she’d be in and out after the expected 30minutes. Oh dear, not to be!
She returned within 2 minutes still clutching the 2 folders… now what, I thought.
Well, to stay ahead of the game and so’s not to miss anything out I visited the Ayudhya Bank to get the required Cashier Cheque several days prior to the submission. Well how was I to know that they’d upped the amount payable by 3000Baht the day before submission?
Luckily VSF told her they’d keep her appointment open for 4 hours.
So taxi back to the apartment; collect receipt for original cheque; taxi to nearest Ayudhya Bank; get old cashier cheque cancelled and new cheque issued (surprisingly simple for Thailand).
Taxi back to Regent House and off she went….
… only to re-appear within 5 minutes (minus the folders [sigh of relief]) with a fistful of papers. For God’s sake now what, I thought !!!
Getting rather angry now but the only recourse was to view the papers which turned out to be a colossal questionnaire about many things they already had the answer to in the huge raft of documents we had compiled. One has to remember here that it is the applicant, not the UK national, that fills out this information and one has to assume the applicant would be there in Thailand
Some of the questions were, frankly, unbelievable and probably impossible for the applicant to answer without frequent contact with their partner/spouse.
Examples:
Question: What was your partner/spouse’s last wife’s birthday?????
Question: What is your partner/spouse’s National Insurance Number????
Question: What is your partner/spouse’s DWP number??????
Qustion: How many bedrooms has your partner/spouse’s house got???
Etc, etc.
How on earth was she suppopsed to know the majority of these details? Absolutely carzy!
Clearly bureaucracy gone bonkers.
If I hadn’t have been with her, the whole thing would have gone pear-shaped. As it was, I had to get permission to enter VFS (very tight security) with Aom and ask to see my own documents in order to fill in parts of the new form. I mean, who can remember their NI or DWP numbers?
Anyway, at last all the stuff was surrendered and we were set to leave but not before the clown of a VFS official dropped one of our folders springing the file locks and then watching the entire contents spew across the floor. Fortunately this was the copy folder but still somewhat dismaying!
[NOTE] * VFS at time of writing was UK Border Agency’s commercial operator. They vet, accept/reject all applications for all types of visa for the UK and Canada. Once vetted, the applications and support documentation are couriered to the British Embassy who make final decisions. VFS have no part in the actual decision making.
Also it's worth noting that UK Visas & Immigration service has now relocated its visa decision making centre from Bangkok to New Delhi
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TOP ROW: More Bangkok city centre scenes.
TOP RIGHT: The 'skyscraper' in the distance is the Baiyoke Sky Tower and is the highest structure in Thailand.
ROW 2 LEFT: Typical small river-side Temple in Bangkok suburb.
ROW 2 RIGHT: A Bangkok underground or MRT station. Unlike UK 'metros' the trains are accessible via the glass sliding doors. These open automatically in the correct position to access the train. Very clean and very safe.
ROW 3 LEFT: Inside a public Bangkok bus. Note the wooden floor; you can see the road through big holes and they're bone-shakers
ROW 3 RIGHT: A very pleasant night out in Nana, Sukhumvit, Bangkok.
ROW 4: Typical street eateries. Anything from barbecued meats, corn-on-the-cob and a host of various insects...YUK!!
ROW 5 LEFT: Just a snack for my dearest...oink!
ROW 5 RIGHT: Another snack! She never stops eating.
BOTTOM ROW: LEFT No comment! "Gade Glao" (Aom's top) is the name of the College of Beautification Cthat Aom attended.
BOTTOM ROW RIGHT: Well even I'm allowed some fun now and again. With Aom and friend Kik in Climax night-club Bangkok.
Bangok's a great city but it's wall-to-wall chaos.
Traffic light systems that are ignored at times and motorcycles that use the pavement/footways as short cuts to avoid the constant traffic jams.
No lane discipline; overtake, undertake when and where you want but surprisingly few accidents.
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TOP LEFT: Well she is a trained hair stylist... not much style in me though.
TOP RIGHT: God! I spoil that lady.
CENTRE LEFT: I've always been one for the birds. In Chatuchak Park, Bangkok.
CENTRE RIGHT: A farang steak dinner with red wine at a Bangkok restaurant. ["farang" is a Thai word for a non-Asian; i.e., European, Yank, Aussie, etc. Not insulting in any way].
BOTTOM LEFT: And afterwards... a cocktail or two for madam.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Yep! You can get Guiness in Bangkok, but it's pricey. Although Aom took a few swigs it was up to me to complete the arduous exercise. And it was in an (psuedo) Irish Bar (Irish bars seem to be get everywhere)
