tribalfusion001

I would rather be hot than cold, as I look out of my window seeing grey skies, drizzle, 10c and it's only November. I've got another 5 months of this weather and it's only going to get colder, wetter and icier to come.

When I was living in Bangkok in 2011, there was one day that I actually wanted a nice cool breeze, well, sod the cool breeze, it's not very pleasant after month upon month of it.

I never used to moan in Thailand, well, not that much, but here in the UK, everyone moans about something, including, horrible place, can't wait to land back in BKK!

Ok, thanks.

Does anyone know if the applicants passport is posted back with the ILR/FLR visa biometrics card when you apply in person at PEO office or is the passport handed back that day?

Thanks for your replies, hopefully it won't be a problem.

I don't normally plan in advance, but I'm getting quite bored waiting for her visa renewal in May 2014!

I'm planning to meet a English friend of mine who now lives in Melbourne in October or November 2014. I know that I need an Australian e-visa for myself, but how likely is it to get a tourist visa for my wife to visit Melbourne with me, she will have UK FLR visa in May 2014 with a biometric card? I thinking going for about 5 to 7 days and flying from Bangkok to Melbourne, we will be both working in Bangkok from June 2014.

The Crossbar is good, 3 or 4 screens to watch sport, a pool table, British and Thai available all day, the owner is from Wolverhampton, nice bloke too and The Black Swan is also very good, looks like old style British pub inside and out, wide selection of European beers too, plus British and Thai food, although I think the food is a tad expensive, 2 or 3 screens for sport, the owner is from Sheffield.

Thanks for the info.

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Deep tech house will suffice. Anyone know of any techno nights? What about funky villa and demo, what styles of music do they play. I'll bkk for up to 1 year, so plenty of time to check some clubs out.

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Has anyone been to Glow bar in sukhumvit, soi 23 recently? I've read about it on resident advisor and trip advisor, plus several other websites. What style of music do they play, do they have tech house, techno and progressive DJ's playing?

I've been to Narz in soi 23 quite a few times, the trance and progressive room, I looking for somewhere in BKK that plays tech house and techno, I'll be back in BKK in May 2014, unfortunately I'm stuck in the UK at the moment

My wife hates learning English and learning LITUK, so not much chance of her getting ILR and buggering off!

I downloaded the Trinity graded examinations in spoken English pre-grading test parts 1 and 2 to see what level my wife's English is and she is level 2 which is A1 CEFR. I don't think it's possible to achieve B1 level and LITUK before the visa expiry date, but I've ordered three new books for GESE level 1-2, level 3-4 and level 5-6, she will be able to pass the A1 CEFR level and this will hopefully improve her understanding of English grammar.

FLR is the only option now and hopefully in 2 or 3 years time she will be at the level to pass B1 and LITUK.

Dark skinned man, so not a farang this time, possibly one of our African friends?

Joint bank account, I don't think so, here in the UK, we have a joint bank account, but only my wifes salary goes into it, I have my own bank account for my salary and in Thailand, I bank with Kasikorn and she banks with Bangkok Bank, nice and simple, no arguments!

9 to 12 months, it all depends on what type of jobs we get, but 12 months maximum.

So you are both planning to start from scratch with the next settlement visa?

Today is a prime example of why learning is difficult for my wife, today she started work at 7.30am and finished at 5.30pm, she didn't get home until 6.30pm, working 10 hours a day doesn't leave much time for studying.

Can't argue with that. Priorities change over time and I definitely wouldn't be studying after a twelve hour day with travelling.

Ultimately, it depends on what you both want.

Hmmm, I don't plan that far in advance, apply for FLR in May 2014 and take it from there. I just fancy doing something different, see a few more places in Thailand and SE Asia, getting a bit bored with my local pub...

Baccara, Soi Cowboy, hot girls, hot tunes from a decent Thai DJ, topless dancing upstairs and you can smoke upstairs, if having a smoke is your habit, beer is about 150thb per bottle, although I was last there iin March, so it may have gone up now!

Maybe some time back in BKK living and working will galvanize her into learning, the lower wages should help in this matter, for me the wages will be roughly the same, so no great loss working in Thailand again.

How long is your planning on staying in BKK?

dam_n, that's awkward, she can apply in person on Friday 2nd May 2014, but it's the bank holiday on the Monday 5th May 2014.

That's assuming your wife manages to bag an appointment for that very day. Not so easy.

Another downside of FLR is the false comfort it can inspire. There's no rush to do anything for another two years for some, is there?

9 to 12 months, it all depends on what type of jobs we get, but 12 months maximum. I have some good friends who live and work in Bangkok, plus another old friend who lives in Melbourne, so I want to head out to Australia next year too, it will be easier and less flying time to do it from Bangkok.

Today is a prime example of why learning is difficult for my wife, today she started work at 7.30am and finished at 5.30pm, she didn't get home until 6.30pm, working 10 hours a day doesn't leave much time for studying.

Damn, that's awkward, she can apply in person on Friday 2nd May 2014, but it's the bank holiday on the Monday 5th May 2014.

You may sense from my writing thomasteve that I'm eager to return to Thailand, my wife is not so eager, but she is unwilling to put the hours in for LITUK/B1, she does put in 45 hours of cooking per week at work and also makes damn fine food at home too, aroi mak mak!

In that case, she will need another English certificate, that will please her, 555!

I suppose the biometric residence permit for FLR needs to posted after she applied in person or would it be produced on the day/ I need to be in Bangkok for the first week of May to sort out a teaching job before the new Thai school term starts, I was hoping that a FLR visa would be the same as the visa stamped in her passport.

I've already told her that she will not get a UK passport if she doesn't pass LITUK and B1 level, she's not bothered about a UK passport, but she wants to come back again and work in the UK.

Yes 7by7, she is paying for the FLR visa and also it will be in person, so even more expensive for her!

Maybe some time back in BKK living and working will galvanize her into learning, the lower wages should help in this matter, for me the wages will be roughly the same, so no great loss working in Thailand again.

I'm still collating my evidence, two plastic wallets full so far. There is no expiry date on her A1 certificate, but I'll check with Trinity College to see if there is one.

I have been firm with her, but typical Thai stubbornness and relying on farang to sort it all out for her.

Is a FLR visa stamped into a passport and also does it look like the spouse visa obtained in Thailand?

It's now Monday 9th September and no progress has been made, in fact LITUK learning has merely disappeared and has been forgotten! She will now apply for FLR in the 2nd week of May 2014, although that will require me to be present in the UK, that is 50/50 at the moment if I will be.

The carrot and stick of a British passport only works if the learner is prepared to learn, unfortunately in this case, the learner does not want to learn and teacher has better things to do in life than to be bored and cold!

I've been using Windows 8 since April on my laptop, it came installed on the machine. I bought Stardocks Start8 software, it's boots straight to the desktop rather the start screen and at less than $5 it's perfect Windows 8 is quicker than Win 7, I use use windows defender rather than an anti virus program, I rate Win 8, but only used with Stardock Start8.

If you want Win 8 to be more like Win 7, then buy and install Stardock Start8 for $4.99, it boots straight to the desktop, my computer, control panel etc are all accessible from the Start8 start button, plus win 8 runs a lot faster than win 7.

Here in the UK is far too lenient, so we should deport him. I'm getting quite fed up with we our softly softly approach and the EU human rights act, complete joke!

I think Bangkok is fantastic city to live in. I spent 9 months living in Ratchada soi 3 in 2011 and 4 months living in Ratchada soi 3 in 2012, plus a holiday this year for 2 weeks living in the same soi and the same apartment. I plan to relocate back to Bangkok at the end of this year or possibly May 2014 when my wifes UK visa runs out. Bangkok has everything I need, apartments to rent are so much more affordable than here in the UK, cheap transport like the MRT and BTS, the taxis are cheap too, I can eat out cheaply, although western food is about the same as in the UK, beer is slightly cheaper, there loads of good clubs, bars and also naughty nightlife to enjoy, cigarettes are cheap, plenty of malls for shopping, it's a lot safer to walk around at night compared to London.

For me Bangkok has a vibe about it, a more relaxed vibe than London, London this days if you step outside the tourist places has dark nasty side to it, full of wannabe gangster kids and not a pleasant place to be.

In Bangkok some of the pavements are not maintained well, but I notice here where I live in Essex the same thing, the UK is going downhill fast, it's expensive to travel on trains, the taxis are complete rip offs, eating out is too expensive, forget renting or buying on a low salary.