Mobile visa clinic to encourage travel between UK and Laos

A mobile visa clinic opening in Lao capital, Vientiane on Sept. 26, will allow residents to obtain a UK visa without visiting the UK visa application center in Bangkok, Thailand Deputy Head of Mission for the British Embassy in Vientiane, Alexandra Needham told Xinhua on Wednesday. "The visa clinic will make it much easier for Lao people to go to the UK," Needham said. The clinic, which will be available every three months, will mean residents of Lao PDR will not have to travel to Thailand in order to obtain a UK visa as was required in the past. "The old system meant that it was often prohibitively expensive to travel to the UK," Needham said. The British embassy, which opened on April 2 this year after a 27-year absence, is seeking to reinvigorate and enhance the friendship between the UK and Laos. "We're starting to see an increased British presence in Laos," Needham said. The visa program could increase engagement between the two countries by facilitating, trade, business and tourism. According to Needham, a number of educational institutions in UK are interested in creating exchange programs with Lao schools and universities. The clinic, run by UK Visas and Immigration's commercial partner in South East Asia, VFS Global, will charge 75 British pounds ($117 USD) for the service in addition to the visa application fee. The application will travel by courier to Bangkok for processing, before being sent to an address chosen by the customer. Those who wish to apply for their visa in Bangkok may still do so and wave the additional charge.