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 People’s Committee in Ho Chi Minh City has given the green light to a proposal to inaugurate water music performances. Tai Nguyen Company tabled the plan to launch the audio-visual shows from a barge moored on the Dia Canal.
Figures released by Thailand’s National Parks Department show a surge in income from entry fees at parks under its jurisdiction. Between October last year and the end of May, the parks collected a total of almost THB1.68 billion from visitors.
AirAsia took the top honour in the category of low-cost carriers at the Skytrax annual awards ceremonies held in France yesterday. The latest triumph for the Malaysia headquartered budget airline was the ninth year running it has scooped up the same prize.
