ukexile

I am now going to go out and have few glasses of something strong with my wife.

Have a great time, you deserve it. :jap:

The following post on another thread got me thinking about all this.

September 2011

• 1 X Australian Tourist Visa
• 3 X UK Tourist Visa
• 1 X Schengen
• 1 X UK Settlement visa
• 1 X Irish Visa
• 2 EEA Family permits

A list of successful applications made through our Thai office in September 2011. Still awaiting two settlement visas these will go into Octobers figures plus various other applications of which 3 have come back today all the visas have been issued.

Whilst the above is clearly business promotion, the author outlines successes yet offer up no reason as to why another should opt for this service or offer any tangible benefit.

What is the benefit of your service or the services of any of the scores of similar set ups from Chang Mai to NST???

• but everyone wants to do the same thing .be with there t/g /misses

Yes, obiviously. So you feel that agents are good for the extremely lazy (I'd disagree) or the rich?

]Hand bags out hey?

Not at all. There is no need for hostility. Just opinion so people can make up their own mind.

if it takes you 2 days or 2 months does it matter ?

That is nonsensical. Of course it matters.....If it took 2 months to compile an application then I'd pay an agent top dollar to do it for me. Because it matters that I'd have to spend 2 months on it. However, it doesn't.

everyone different get a grip mate its not a big deal

A grip? You mean by not posting and offering an opinion?

No, of course its not a bog deal. What on a discussion chat room is?

exuse the multiposts please.

In short - someone will use an agent if they don't want to do/can't do the paperwork themselves.

Fill out the form? Surely sending the supporting docs to the agent is the same as sending it to the processing cenre? Where's the advantage?

:jap:

There are people who who know bugger all about the visa process

Thats why they provide accompanying guidelines - all very simple. What do you need to know about the visa process?

If I have an electrical fault at home I call out an electrician - because I know bugger all about electrics.

But you are comparing apples and oranges.

If I have to fill out a form for the council, I dont call out a civil servant. Its a simple application form and a case of printing out supporting data and writing a letter. Why do you think that requires a specialist skill?

It took me 5 weeks to put our application together and i needed the help from the forum members to guide me in the right direction.

five weeks ????!!!??? Mine took two days and perhaps eight mates have done it in the same or less, perhaps a little more. How on earth did yours take 5 weeks? What were the factors for such a massive amount of time?

some people don't have the time to put a application together and need the help of a agency.

As I said:

Personally, I can understand why someone would employ an agency, in particular a trained ex-immigration office for a diffiucult case

Your application was obviously a very difficult one. Can you offer a little insight as to why it was fraught with such difficulty?

I'm sure there are some bad ones out there

Bad in what sense?

as well as some excellent ones,

Excellent in what sense?

but if someone wants to use an agent, pays their money then that's up to them.

I agree completely. Though why would someone use an agent?

Your post offers no explanation, rather, it just raises questions.

Did you give them money to get a visa for someone you know and for whatever reason didn't get it?

No, as the post suggests I have no idea why anyone would use an agent. Do you know why?

I wonder who uses this plethora of visa agents, set up around the country, to get a setllement visa for their partner?

It takes perhaps two days to put together an application on one's own. Meeting an agent, providing the necessary information and supplying the requested documents alone would take at least a day.

So, who are these people that pass over 1000s (how many is it??) of baht for this 'assistance'?

My own thoughts are that they are the very green, the newbies who wash up on Thailand's fair shores and meet the person of their dreams, quick smart. Or, perhaps they are Gentlemen who go down the mail order / Internet romance date who, lets face it, aren't usually the sharpest tools in the shed.

Then there are the 2 weeks in Pattaya sex tourists who fall in love and fancy getting little Noi back to the UK as quick as possible.

All likely overly worried about the complexities of such a process and, perhaps, having heard to many net scare stories, part with their money.

I ask this in all seriousness, I have never met anyone who didnt fall into the above catagories who actually paid for this service.

And, what qualifies these people? Are they ex-taxi drivers? Long term ex-pats? Surely there are agencies staffed by ex UKBA staff? And if so, why would these staff charge for what is, a rather simpe task?

Personally, I can understand why someone would employ an agency, in particular a trained ex-immigration office for a diffiucult case. But for a spouse or visit visa? Why??

No immigration office in Ban Phe.

A list of successful applications made through our Thai office in September 2011.

You make it sound like an accomplishment. Fact is, most applications are approved and unless the applicant is very green, there is no need to use an agent. It takes, what, 2 days t put together an application. And even if an agent is used, it would still take a day to dig and and supply the neccessary docs/information.

The muslim are in Rayong, Nong Bua is notorious for drugs and is a no go area for many locals. During Taskin's war on drugs perhaps 6 deaths occured there and many arrests. It used to be more of a chilled dope smoking area but that changed about 9 years ago with an massive influx of yaba. Many youths are addicted, and a bloody good number of older adults.

Hello Folks

Any recent experiences?

Thanks

OP the Bullats test tests the full range of English language levels A1 to C2, it is a placement test. The test suits your purposes well. And if your wife scores higher, that simply translates into a high CEF grading IE B1 etc.

reason to return is as important as affordability.

I dont think you get too many 60 odd year old Issan rice farmers doing a runner to work in the UK.

You'll be fine OP. Absolutely fine

Hello

My wife is reaching her 3 years in the UK and we want to get the forms submitted on that day we also want to get the Brit passport sorted ASAP. We plan on leaving the UK poste haste as soon as she has her passport. Any ideas how long the process is and is there any 'express service'?

Thanks all.

2,000 baht / ten minutes / nothing but a copy of my passport the blue book - job done, easy peasy.

Has anyone done this? If so, did you arrange a mortgage and how did that go and what does the mortgage agreement look like?

If you were considering a condo in BKK, where would it be? And in what kind of price range? And how about the legtalities - anything which stands out and a particular ball ache / hurdle?

I am thinking one bedroom/livingroom/kitchen/good balcony and views.

Wifey (thai) and I are getting increasingly bored in the UK, especially after 14 years in Thailand, so rather than come home each night to sit around and spending the weekends fannying around, we are starting to buy property on the cheap, renovate and turn a profit. The plan is to filter the profit into a BKK condo, if poss, through a local mortgage. And if that isn't possible then to buy for cash in a couple of years.

Any advice on buying a condo would be most appreciated.

cheers