Visitor visa
This category of visa is a catch all that can be applied for under a multitude of reasons. It is issued with validity for 6 months but bear in mind applicants must state how long they intend to stay and should stick to that time. Generally foreign nationals are permitted to stay a maximum of 6 months in any 12 month period - this is important where a partner, spouse or girlfriend is making numerous regular visits every year, it may be time to consider the settlement route.
Tourism
This is the most popular type of application and issued to Thai nationals who wish to visit for a short holiday of 1 or 2 weeks and who can show evidence of regular employment and income. Most of these applications are quickly issued where the applicant can show previous travel to the UK (or USA, Canada, Australia, NZ) and intends to travel as part of a tour group.
Business
Where the applicant is traveling for business (meetings, trade shows, training etc) they would normally need to be sponsored by their employer in Thailand and will require a reciprocal business sponsor in the UK with an official invitation.
Family visits
For short periods of up to 6 months, the same requirements of previous good travel history and stable circumstances in Thailand will apply. The family member in the UK must be present and settled and should be a close relation, for example spouse, parent, sibling or children. If the UK relative is a distant relation or is themselves on a temporary visa then the normal tourism category should be pursued.
Marriage
A Thai national can apply for a visit visa on the basis of getting married. On this route the applciant must still return to Thailand and at a future date can apply for settlement. This is a popular route for same sex couples who are unable to get married in Thailand. The applicant and sponsor must satisfy the usual requirements for a visit visa but must show that a ceremony has been booked or at minimum an appintment booked with the appropriate registry office.
Children
Children are always processed in their own right and the primary requirement is that they will be travelling with an adult who already has been issued a visa. Unaccompanied child applications will be given particular focus as you can appreciate and are best avoided if possible.
There are a plethora of other visa categories:
Students
The rules are very strict for student applications (full time education for a period of 1 year+) and thorough checks are conducted to ensure the applicant is a genuine student. Note that the financial requirements are high. It is still possible to get a 6 month visa for a short course usually to study English language (sometimes 6+ months) but these are generally used by Thai graduates preparing for a Masters degree.
This category of visa is a catch all that can be applied for under a multitude of reasons. It is issued with validity for 6 months but bear in mind applicants must state how long they intend to stay and should stick to that time. Generally foreign nationals are permitted to stay a maximum of 6 months in any 12 month period - this is important where a partner, spouse or girlfriend is making numerous regular visits every year, it may be time to consider the settlement route.
Tourism
This is the most popular type of application and issued to Thai nationals who wish to visit for a short holiday of 1 or 2 weeks and who can show evidence of regular employment and income. Most of these applications are quickly issued where the applicant can show previous travel to the UK (or USA, Canada, Australia, NZ) and intends to travel as part of a tour group.
Business
Where the applicant is traveling for business (meetings, trade shows, training etc) they would normally need to be sponsored by their employer in Thailand and will require a reciprocal business sponsor in the UK with an official invitation.
Family visits
For short periods of up to 6 months, the same requirements of previous good travel history and stable circumstances in Thailand will apply. The family member in the UK must be present and settled and should be a close relation, for example spouse, parent, sibling or children. If the UK relative is a distant relation or is themselves on a temporary visa then the normal tourism category should be pursued.
Marriage
A Thai national can apply for a visit visa on the basis of getting married. On this route the applciant must still return to Thailand and at a future date can apply for settlement. This is a popular route for same sex couples who are unable to get married in Thailand. The applicant and sponsor must satisfy the usual requirements for a visit visa but must show that a ceremony has been booked or at minimum an appintment booked with the appropriate registry office.
Children
Children are always processed in their own right and the primary requirement is that they will be travelling with an adult who already has been issued a visa. Unaccompanied child applications will be given particular focus as you can appreciate and are best avoided if possible.
There are a plethora of other visa categories:
Students
The rules are very strict for student applications (full time education for a period of 1 year+) and thorough checks are conducted to ensure the applicant is a genuine student. Note that the financial requirements are high. It is still possible to get a 6 month visa for a short course usually to study English language (sometimes 6+ months) but these are generally used by Thai graduates preparing for a Masters degree.
