Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok will implement an improvement in its visa handling procedure similar to the improvement implemented on 1 May 2008 by the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok.
As of 1 July 2008, making an appointment to apply for a visa/stay permit to Denmark must be done through a call centre on telephone number 1900 222 050. Making appointments directly through the Embassy via telephone or e-mail will no longer be possible.
The call centre will be open Monday to Friday from 8.00 am until 7.00 pm from March until October. During the rest of the year the opening hours will be Monday to Friday from 8.00 am until 5.00 pm. In comparison, the current booking number at the Danish Embassy 02 343 1135 is only open from Monday to Thursday 9.00-12.00 am & 1.00 -3.00 pm and Friday: 9.00-12.00.
The new call centre will also have a pre-recorded voice message system on an automatic answering machine, in English, Thai or Danish, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
All calls to the centre cost 9 Baht per minute.
The operators at the call centre will assist the applicant in making the appointment in 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.
Should an applicant fail to appear at the appointed time, then a new appointment must be made through the call centre. Only applicants who have made an appointment will be given admittance to the 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. If the application is incomplete, or if necessary supporting documentation has not been provided, the application can be rejected.
“It is our hope that applicants will welcome this extended opportunity to obtain information about visa requirements and book an appointment with us through the call centre,” informs the Royal Danish Embassy.
Swedish Embassy: 12 weeks appointment cue
The Embassy of Sweden implemented their call centre solution as per 1 May. The Swedish Embassy uses telephone number 1900 222 202. The new procedure has created a bottleneck of applications. Currently it will take about 12 weeks before an appointment can be scheduled with the Swedish Embassy. After the appointment about a week is needed before the visa is ready and the applicant can travel.
