UK Visa

Some information about UK Visa that I need.

Category: Student
Fee: 7,128.00 (may change, Bank draft, can be purchased at the application centre)

Documents

• Completed visa application form (VAF-1) -- need more filling
• Application fee
• Passport ( minimum validity 3 months and sufficient blank pages on both sides )
• 2 Photographs
• 
• White background
• Clear and of good quality
• Printed on normal photographic paper
• Unmounted - 45 mm x 35 mm in size
• Full face (without sunglasses)
• Photocopy of the data page of passport ( passport page with photo)
• Supporting documentation
• A photo
  
• A letter of unconditional offer the University confirming your acceptance for a study. It should show the course starting date, its duration and costs ( original + 1 Photocopy )
• Photocopies of previous education qualifications/certificate.
• Student Questionare
  
• Evidence of Funds -
  
• Questionare form
• A TOEFL score (tentative, call the office if the real one is needed)
  
• Tuberculosis Certification (obtained from IOM, see IOM section)
• Declaration form
  

Instruction:

1. Apply
   
2. Wait 2 - 5 working days (if no interview required) track the application
3. Get the passport and visa

• Original receipt issued at the application centre at the time of submission.
• Data page of the passport with VFS stamp

For safe, spare a month for visa.

Security
Security regulations restrict carrying the following items to the Application Centre effective 21st of June 2007.

1. All battery operated or electronic gadgets such as cameras, audio/video cassettes, compact discs, MP3's, floppies, laptops, or portable music players.
2. All bags such as travel bags, back packs, briefcases, suitcases, leather, jute or cloth bags and zip folders. Only a plastic bag containing your application related papers would be permitted. Ladies personal handbag will be permitted.
3. Sealed envelopes or packages.
4. Any inflammable item such as matchboxes/ lighters/ fuel etc.
5. Any sharp objects such as scissors, pen knives or nail filers.
6. Weapon or weapon like objects or explosive material of any kind.

Limited facility at the Application Centre has been provided for safe custody of mobile phones.

UK Visa Office, Bangkok
UK Visa Thailand Website
Submission of applications: 0830 - 1500
Collection of passports : 1500 - 1630

Visa enquiries telephone helpline: +66 (0) 28008050
Email : info@ukvac-th.com

IOM
IOM Bangkok web
[map]

120 Kasemkij Building 8th floor Silom Road , Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel: + 02-234-7950-1 Fax: + 02-234-7956
E-mail: bkk.tbdp.uk@iom.int
(Saladang exit 3)

Price: 2,600 THB
Documents:

• Valid passport, and copy of the passport
• ID Card and copy of the ID card
  
• 2 recent colour photos, size 45mm x 35 mm (2"x2") (not older than 6 months)
• Ante-Natal Care Book for pregnant women. (for pregnant woman)
  

Instruction:

1. Made an appointment -> (8:00 - 15:00)
   
2. Registraton & paying fee at IOM office
3. Chest X-ray: Payathai 2 Hospital or Bamrungrad (Sukumvit)
4. Get the X-ray result
   
5. Go back to IOM and get the certificate (afternoon or tomorrow)

The certificate is valid for 6 months

A Pantip entriy about grad school

Yesterday, I found a popular Pantip post about finding scholarship for graduate school (Both in Thai). This is quite useful note about graduate study in German, since he talks about the life style of German people too.

[Part I] [Part II]

The writer study in economic field. He done his master at Germany and plan to find his doctoral scholarship at Italy. He also introduce a useful article advising about surviving fist year of graduate school by an economist student. The document is in English.

More useful website about scotland

p'Tan just sent some useful website about Scotland.

• http://www.talentscotland.com - a section in this website is useful
  
• http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ - some health information
• http://www.scotlandistheplace.co.uk
• http://www.scottish-enterprise.com
• http://www.scotland.org/study/index.html
  

Theme changed!

Changed theme because I want bullets to be shown.

Survey of Air Travel to Edinburgh II

Amornsak* called me last night and gave some advices about air travel.

• Book the Qantas air rather than British Air. Because they are allied, but Qantas seat is more comfortable.
• Emirates is cheapest and grant you carry highest weight of luggages.
• Try observe another airways that land in Europe and continue to Edinburgh. Remember to check if the bags can be check-through.
• China Air
• FinAir Bangkok -> Helsinki -> Edinburgh
• Swiss Air Bangkok -> Zurich -> Edinburgh
• Eva Air
• British Airways and Lufthansa is not comfortable and very crowded. (My last trip to Europe, I took Lufthansa. It is so-so.
  
• Try the website kmt.co.th
• He knows some travel agencies that is the cheapest. (in Rangnam, Lang-suan, Central Chid-lom)
• When arrive at immigration, go to the red entrance and declare everything. The passenger is less congested. The officer is good. In addition, most of time they treat you better.
  

* Amornsak is my old friend form the primary school. Now, he finished Bachelor degree in economics and will pursue Master in this year. He is very wise and know many people.

Survey of Air Travel to Edinburgh

I've observed some website:

STA Travel:
The house lease will start at 8 Sep. (A Saturday before the semester starts), so I'd better get there around that day.

The student rate from STA does not have the trip BKK (7 Sep.) -> EDI (8 Sep.). I'm not yet figured out how to range search on this site yet.

British Airways:

• Bangkok (7 Sep. 00:45) -> Heathrow (7 Sep. 7:00)
• Heathrow (7 Sep. 13:15) -> Edinburgh (7 Sep.) 29,885 THB
  
• Heathrow (7 Sep. 15:15) -> Edinburgh (7 Sep. 16:35) 29,885 THB
  
• BA0010 Bangkok (8 Sep. 00:20) -> Heathrow (8 Sep. 6:20)
• BA1442 Heathrow (8 Sep. 11:15) -> Edinburgh (8 Sep 12:35) 30,720 THB
  
• (more but not transfer at Heathrow)

Air France:

• 40415 THB. Most trip arrive at Paris. There is one flight that is direct to Edinburgh. Another filghts makes me go to Netherland first.

Emirates:

• The flight will arrive at Glasgow at noon. I think that is not convenience to travel from Glasgow to Edinburgh with my bulks.

In summary, it is quite sure that I have to pay around 3x,xxx to 4x,xxx for the flight. I have to find more if I can save the cost using the student document.

Thai Airways:

• There is no flight to Edinburgh. (Just have only flights to London which cost 31,xxx THB already.)
  

More information:

• p' Tan suggest that I should book the flight through STA Travel because it will be easier for change the flight, if anything happens.
  

University Ranking Websites

Guardian:
http://browse.guardian.co.uk/education?SearchBySubject=true&FirstRow=0&SortOrderDirection=&SortOrderColumn=&Subject=Institution-wide&Institution=&Tariff=5
Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/good_university_guide/
World ranking:
http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/ranking.htm

Accomodation Reserved

I've just reserved the accommodation with regarding Note and p'Tan advice. My choices are:

• Roxburgh Place, Standard, Standard Size, £99.96 / week
  
• Richmond Place, En-suite, Standard Size, £99.68 / week
  
• Morgan Court, En-suite, Standard Size, £92.96 / week

Although, at Roxburgh, the toilet is not en-suite, p'Tan said that it is not a problem. The toilet is cleaned daily and the rate is 3 persons to 1 toilet. See the Roxburgh Place homepage.

I've also paid the deposit of £250 which cost around 15,xxx ฿. The final (including currency conversion fee) cost is around 17,xxx ฿. T.T

Started German Lessons

I've started German lessons with Deutsch für den Alltag Band 1 (Chulalongkorn Press) with a CD. The book aims to train the student to talk and have a daily-life phrases impressed along with cultural details.

I also downloaded the Tell me more CDs from bit-torrent. The tools there is quite helpful especially the pronunciation tools with shows the wave graph and evaluation.