UKBA launches priority UK visa service for Thai applicants

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The British Embassy in Bangkok introduced this week a priority visa service for Thai citizens applying for UK visitor visas.

The visa service allows eligible applicants to pay an additional fee in order to have their UK visa application expedited.The new service costs 3,000 Baht (£60) and the UK Border Agency (UKBA) expects to process priority visa applications within three working days.

In 2011, over 50,000 UK visitor visas were issued to tourists, family visitors and business travellers. This is a 16 percent increase compared to 2010. Also, 94 percent of all UK visit visa applications made in Thailand last year were successful, according to UKBA. The premium visa service will also help expedite applications for those looking to travel to the UK for the London Olympics this summer.

In addition to the visa premium service, the UKBA also introduced a Prime Time appointment service. Those who pay an additional fee will be allowed to make an appointment to submit their visa application and biometrics at the UK visa application centre on Saturdays. Prime Time appointments must be made online.

"It is great to see that even more Thai people are choosing the UK as the ideal destination to travel and do business. The UK offers a wonderfully diverse range of attractions, from historical sites to modern architectural designs, and some of the best business event and conference facilities in the world," said British Ambassador to Thailand, Asif Ahmad.
"We hope to welcome even more visitors in 2012, the year of the London Olympics, where the world can see the best of what Britain has to offer."

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