The Swedish embassy have introduced new procedures for applying for a visa. An appointment must be made in beforehand.
Making an appointment in order to apply for a visa can be done through a call centre on telephone number 1900 222 202(valid only for calls within Thailand). Calls will be charged at 9 Baht per minute. The operator who will assist in making the appointment will speak either English or Thai. The operator will also be able to answer questions regarding what documents are required as well as assist with contact details for the embassy.
The call centre will be open Monday until Friday from 8.00 am until 7.00 pm during the high season, i.e. March until October. During the rest of the year the opening hours will be Monday until Friday from 8.00 am until 5.00 pm. The information on visa applications available on the embassy’s web site
www.swedenabroad.com/bangkok
can also be obtained through the call centre by means of pre-recorded voice messages on an automatic answering machine, in English, Thai or Swedish, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These calls also cost 9 Baht per minute.
It will also be possible to make an appointment by visiting the embassy personally Monday, Tuesday and Thursday between 2.00 and 3.00 pm. It will, however, not be possible to make appointments directly through the embassy via telephone, e-mail or text messages. Personal visits to the embassy will not mean any kind of preferential treatment, such as being given priority in the queue, in relation to those making appointments through the call centre.
The application fee charged is linked to the Euro and varies in relation to major fluctuations in the exchange rate. The call centre will inform the applicant of the current fee when making an appointment. The current fee applicable can be found on the embassy’s web site under “Content”. The fee must be paid and a receipt must accompany the visa application submitted to the embassy. The fee can be paid at any UOB bank in Bangkok. It should be paid to account number 095-2-05431-0 and made payable to account holder “Embassy of Sweden”. At the moment, the fee cannot be paid anywhere else other than in Bangkok. There is a UOB bank very close to the embassy and situated in the lobby of Two Pacific Place.
Only applicants who have made an appointment will be given admittance to the relevant visa section of the embassy. It is here that the application will be registered and a check made that all necessary supporting documentation has been provided. On completion of this process, the application is forwarded to an official designated to the case. Normally, it takes about 7 days for the application to be processed and a decision made. The applicant is informed by the embassy at the time of submission of the application when passport and visa can be collected. If the application is incomplete, or if necessary supporting documentation has not been provided, the application can be rejected. Should an applicant fail to appear at the appointed time, then a new appointment must be made.
At the same time as the new system for making appointments is implemented, the embassy is introducing some new requirements as regards the necessary supporting documentation. The requirements vary according to the purpose of the visit.
