VFS inaugurates UK visa application centre in Northern Thailand
The UK in collaboration with local partner VFS recently opened a new visa processing facility in Northern Thailand. Although prospective visitors still submit their visa applications online, the physical handing in of all the necessary documents and the collection of biometric details can now be done in Chiang Mai.
In Bangkok, the British embassy’s chargé d’affaires, Paul Bute, noted that the additional visa submission option would be a boon for people wishing to apply for UK visas in Northern Thailand. He noted that VFS efficiently managed UK visa application processing in numerous locations around the world and was bringing the same professional services to Chiang Mai.
People attending visa appointments in Chiang Mai have to pay a premium service charge, which is called User-Pay, of £55 (THB2,800 at current exchange rates). VFS Chiang Mai also offers all the same priority services as the VFS Centre at the Trendy Building in Bangkok does. These include Walk-in appointments and Five-day processing.
The new VFS application facility is located on Floor 6B of the Siripanich Building at 191 Huay Kaew Road in the Suthep District of the city. Tourists applying for visas to visit Australia can also do so at the VFS facility here.
The organisers of the 2017 edition of Viral Fest Asia have released a line-up of the musical artistes scheduled to perform. South Korean singing icon Rain and Thailand’s very own Hugo will be headlining at central Bangkok’s Show DC lifestyle and entertainment mall.
Contractors in northern Laos say work on boring tunnels for a new railway line from China is progressing in leaps and bounds. In Luang Namtha Province, spokesperson Chanthachone Keolakhone says three tunnels on the route are up to 50 metres through mountains.
The Vietnames seaside resort town of Nha Trang will be the centre of activities to mark the Khanh Hoa Sea Festival next month. The 2017 edition of the fest features an eclectic range of entertainment and activities.
