I applied through the London embassy. After they requested e-tickets to Thailand and a stamped bank statement from a local branch, I spent a lot of money to purchase the ticket and convert my dollars from my Wise account into pounds. Then they told me I needed to renew my UK visa because it did not have enough validity remaining.

I have been on a post-graduate visa in the UK for almost two years, and there are a few months left on it. Nowhere on their website does it state how much validity is required on my UK visa, and they are refusing to refund my money.

Is there any way around this? Is it possible to apply through the embassy of another country without actually being in that country?