daveyravey

Im planning on making a UK settlement application for my Thai wife later this year and feel now is the time to get some things in order.

I have a few questions.   

 Should i get my wife to try a B1 or A1 test.?   She speaks better than average english and we have been married nearly 10 years.

I believe the test is valid for 2 years and i wonder how much harder the B1 test  is over the A1. We have looked online and B1 seems reasonably 

simple but has anyone had any experience of the B1 test, good or bad?  It seems if we do the B1 it makes life easier in the UK .

Also how long after the TB test is taken is the result valid for?

Many Thanks in advance.

Im planning on making a UK settlement application for my Thai wife later this year and feel now is the time to get some things in order.

I have a few questions.   

 Should i get my wife to try a B1 or A1 test.?   She speaks better than average english and we have been married nearly 10 years.

I believe the test is valid for 2 years and i wonder how much harder the B1 test  is over the A1. We have looked online and B1 seems reasonably 

simple but has anyone had any experience of the B1 test, good or bad?  It seems if we do the B1 it makes life easier in the UK .

Also how long after the TB test is taken is the result valid for?

Many Thanks in advance.

8 hours ago, wanderluster said:

there is a water park just north of bira race track, not more than 1 km i think. it was a take off on an american show called wipeout. google if interested.  not sure if still in operation or not now.  this was about a yr ago i went there.  slow business, not really much advertising but might be a possibility for you..    depending on age and mobility of your staff..  are they 20 somethings or 50 somethings?   makes a big difference.  the other 2 water parks are also something to think about if your staff is younger and then just ask management if they have package deals.

Thanks. I have been in touch with the team at Splashdown Pattaya and they have  a custom team building activity available under my budget. The other team building place was well over my budget. Thanks Wanderluster for the heads up. I will post a trip report later. Here is their website if anyone else is interested.   http://splashdown-actionpark-pattaya.com/

I am not sure if some people read the OP. Our company already has a charitable foundation . I am also capable of going to an island if i wished and

we have all been to the islands here 10 times before..

and beyond limits is a CPR course.not a team building course.

What i am looking for is a dedicated team building event that's affordable.

Surely there must be a dedicated team building event venue in Pattaya thats fun and affordable?

I would like to treat my staff to a day out and wondered if i could incorporate a team building theme also. Probably 30+ people mostly Thai.

Does anyone have any ideas of something fun and affordable. Budget around 1000b a head. We have our own transport? Food will be a must knowing

my colleagues. We are based in Sattahip so something close to Pattaya would be ideal.

I would like to do this early April.

Thanks for your replies.

I have some plans for an offroad buggy and i wonder if any members know of a mechanic/engineer who can build it for me in or around Pattaya?

I don't wish to buy one i want to build from scratch.

My kids went to Hastin on Maprachan. Excellent.

Just go to any shop that sells windows and doors etc. They are everywhere. They all do mirrors in any size you want. Pay per s metre.

I am looking for someone to teach me webdesign, wordpress, seo and PS and AI.

I do have a basic knowledge of websites already.

 I am willing to pay the going rate and would like around 2/3 days a week.

I am based in Bangsaray area and can travel or you can come to my office.

Please message me if you are the man or woman for the job.

Goodluck. My wife just got her second 6 month visit visa although our initial 2 applications were turned down.

With hindsight our applications were now strong enough and we were married.

Make sure her documents are all in order, and she has proff that she has a job/business to come back to.

Do not tell lies as the ECO's are very good at catching you out. They might phone people to check on what you tell them.

When you complete the application think of these requirements and think if you have satisfied them with irrefutable proof.

1. Is this a genuine tourist with a genuine reason to visit?

2. Can this person afford the visit?

3. Does this person have a reason to leave the UK ?

Satisfy these and you will be fine.

In my eyes your biggest hurdle will be proving your GFs business is genuine with company papers or a lease and tax papers.

Goodluck.

Ok trip report as promised after diving with Siam sub aqua club yesterday. Turns out the club was started by a few foreigners who want to offer different diving experiences for members at low prices. They are not profits based and usually just share costs of a trip a bit like some clubs in the UK. The two main guys are both Padi instructors and have the diving bug. they even have some spare gear for members who don't have all the kit.

On sunday we went for a 2 dive day to the far islands off Pattaya. We dived on the Kram wreck which was an amazing dive with visibility around 7 to 10 metres it was better than i expected. On the dive we saw a turtle, a box fish, rays, giant puffer fish, barracuda's(big), schools of snapper, sweetlips, and lots of beautiful corals. Our second dive was on Koh Krok which is well known for turtles but only one turtle was seen. The boat the club uses is well run and the owner of the boat even did a bbq for the divers.

Overall i am very impressed with this club and i will be diving with them again. They have a trip going to Koh Chang to dive the wreck there end of January and the price is stupidly low and includes hotel and diving and food.

The club also has a FB page https://www.facebook.com/SiamSubAquaClub

The club is quite new and is looking for new members to make more trips viable. In my opinion it is a winner.

sounds a little expensive if you are using mid priced materials. 8437b would be correct. Go and ask them if they can discount a little.

They overcharged you because you are farang. Ask them for Thai price.

Hi,

Thank you for replying. The material is polyester with cotton. I think it's not a high-end material. Do you have the contact information for that quote (8437)? Thank you!

Actually i was being pedantic.The variables in quality make knowing the price unrealistic.

My advice is to go to Homepro and buy ready made curtains . They also have poles and fittings. Consider getting blackout ones if they are for a bedroom. It will cost half of the price from a shop.The quality is very good.

Thanks for the info.

The http://www.meetup.co...-sub-aqua-club/ is exactly the type of dive club in thailand that i'm looking for. I contacted both these clubs mentioned but the other one was the same price as diveshops. This siam sub aqua club one is nearly half the price and seems well run. I am diving with them tomorrow. Will let you know how it turns out.

Thanks Peter267 for the link.

There are a lot of empty condos and shop houses around, but they keep building more.

sounds a little expensive if you are using mid priced materials. 8437b would be correct. Go and ask them if they can discount a little.

They overcharged you because you are farang. Ask them for Thai price.

As a keen diver i would like to join a club or meet with like minded people to explore the reef and wrecks of Thailand.

Does anyone have suggestions of clubs i can join like BSAC in the Uk so i can keep the costs lower than

using diveshops.

Does anyone know how much a visa costs if you havent got the 800k required in the bank in Pattaya and who can do it?

Many Thanks

The negativity of some TV posters make me wonder why they just don't join the Thailand Flying Club and end ALL our misery.

To the OP i say 350k is plenty enough if you find the right niche. Food is always a winner but aim it at Thais as your potential market will be 100 times bigger and most Thais eat out a lot.

Maybe a small guesthouse with food stand at the front in a tourist area. 350k would be enough for that.

So a quick update.

Visa was approved and passport and documents returned today.

That was 8 days after online application and 6 days after my wife went to the VFS office and lodged the application papers.

On the whole i'm very happy with the quick turnaround.

Thanks for your advice and comments 7by7 and The oldgit and other members i appreciate all of your help.

Airgun and shoot them is the only way. They are vermin.

Im a bit Jai Lon at the moment that as part of my application they have our bank books and out Chanode for our land. They also have my wifes passport. Thats a lot of trust i am putting in them and i need these documents. I didnt expect they would keep the originals.I put copies in of everything.

Strike that. I just got an email the wifes application has been been decided.

We paid for EMS so i assume we will get it back in 2 or 3 days time.

Fingers are still crossed!

Went there with my Thai wife a while back. She had no problems. Didn;t need a visa.

We always add a letter of support from family member saying we're staying at their house during these dates and attach family members passport so they can be checked if they wish.

The OP has already been advised to include a letter of an offer of accommodation, and replied that he's doing so.

A copy of a family members passport is unnecessary and adds nothing to the application, not everyone holds a valid passport.

My parents sent an email saying we could stay with them at their house and they have 2 spare rooms. I have printed it and included it in the application with their phone number if the ECO feels the need to check.

I would imagine in a situation like yours, the visa is 100% likely to be granted. The only thing I would have included is evidence of your status in Thailand, such as employment contract or retirement extension.

We are between jobs at the moment having sold a business a few months ago and we are currently building a new one. This was explained in my supporting letter and they can see my spouse visa that i have held for 5 years now.

Actually my wife was twice refused a visa when we first got married 5 years ago, and we went to Tribunal in the Uk

and got the refusal overturned. Well actually the ECO changed their minds 3 days before the Tribunal.We then visited the UK

and the wife left as per her visa.

All of the reasons from that time for refusal are now irrelevant because we have a joint bank account now and the wife

now owns a bit of land and our kids are in school in Thailand but i am still quite nervous as i never expected the refusal 5 years ago.

As i said my fingers are crossed but its not the end of the world.

Just a little update. I completed the online application on the 9/11 and then tried to book an appointment for the wife. I was surprised but even dates as soon as the next day (10th) were available. I opted for the 11th due to the fact we were waiting for KEY Visa in Pattaya to do some overnight translations for us.

Wife went yesterday and found the VFS staff to be very polite and efficient. Application was lodged, biometrics taken and she was out of there within 1 hour. This VFS service is much better than the previous service at the embassy.

We are now waiting for her passport to be sent back. I will update on the timings when we get it.

Fingers are now crossed!