hotandsticky

Nothing to do with welfare, the question relates to occupational pension. The OP is from the UK there is no welfare due to his widow upon his death. As @prakhonchai nick said, many pension funds will accept a nomination. Mine did 15 years ago and we are not married. The 20 year age difference mean s that she loses 10% of the 50% Widows pension. Note - that 50% is based on the pension BEFORE I took my lump sum. Widows occupational pension benefits are an enormously valuable thing to the Thai partners we leave behind - often overlooked. I retired early and took my pension at age 52. My partner will get around 45,000 Baht a month.

Freewilly

They don't play games, silly or otherwise. They are a big organisation who occasionally make mistakes though. That was a waste of your lawyers time then.. and unfortunately, in this case not very effective. Never mind, a phone call to IPC quickly sorts it out .

That is not true...do some research. The form probably also says add their 'stamp'.....that is also not required. I have certified over a 100 of these if you wish to doubt my credibility. Even with that wording on the letters they published the fact that anyone who satisfied the criteria for countersigning a British passport application could certify the Life Certificate. I don't have a copy of their latest missive to hand but, essentially, anyone who is not related to you can certify. Quite right too, better still. allow it to be done digitally with a registered password. Next.

My gripe is also with the visas granted and travel history. I think it is the visa history that is limited to 10 , but the travel history isn't....my missus has probably made 40+ other country visits in the last 15 years. I commend the Schengen system where they just grant longer validity periods once you build up a history - my missus was granted a 3 year Schengen in 2023. Hopefully, next year she will get 5 years.

A strategy that was no doubt learned from Pattaya bar girls. How many phones did the mistress have?

Billy

Do you condone all law breakers with a tap on the wrist? Revoking visas is clearly inappropriate but a suitable financial penalty and a yellow card should perhaps be the minimum.

Camisole

I will dig out the requirement when I get get chance....it may not be a question, it may be a statement. I will come back on that one. Absolutely no argument with you wanting to submit a marriage cert - I enjoy the discussion 🙏... Not necessary is my only point. If I don't need one (because we are not married) then neither should you - only for the first application. Whilst an ECO treats each application on it's own merits, after my first I then stated that the genuineness of the relationship was accepted in application GWY12345678. There is no requirement to prove marriage, only the genuine relationship (unless a spouse visa application). Similarly I wouldn't submit birth certificates for children just to 'add' to the relationship because you would likely be submitting British passport ID pages. As we said, it is a debate with the intention of broadening/sharing knowledge and experience. If something works, fine (unless it really is a wad of superfluous paperwork) - a marriage certificate certainly does not fall into that bracket. If I really wanted to pay I would make sure the missus had enough money to apply 100% in her own right and remove myself as sponsor. I think I could get away with submitting 1 x bank statement/passbook, 1 x chanote (arguably unnecessary given the immigration track record) and 1 x introduction letter. Possibly add an invitation letter if the intention was to stay any length of time in the UK. 😏

LOL.....you posted before I finished my reply to you. 😀 Absolutely, not everyone knows, or takes the trouble to find the information you posted. After making a tit of myself on my first application I resolved to learn a lot more about the process.

Each situation is obviously different. In our case we are not married so, for example, we don't need/have a marriage certificate. In our case, after 20+ successful visa applications(I have been involved in 40+ others) I wouldn't submit a marriage certificate even if we were married. However, if this was our first application (and we were married) I would include the marriage certificate to strengthen the 'genuine relationship' criteria. The point is that there is not a straight answer to your question because everybody's circumstances are slightly different. An ECO is required to treat each application on it's merits and the detailed criteria to which they operate is available online. However, provide evidence to satisfy the 3 key criteria and it would be difficult, all things being equal, for an ECO to decline an application. As a reminder those key criteria are:- Genuine relationship and genuine reason to visit, Financial adequacy and thirdly, Reasons to Return to Thailand. The relationship is easier to prove if you are married and is evidenced by the marriage certificate. The introduction/sponsor letter will give a few more details to show it is not a 'sham marriage'......it is not for no reason that one of the application questions is whether the applicant has actually met their husband. In our case I did not make the first visa application until 4 or 5 years into our relationship so I had enough of a story/evidence to supply. NO photos**. The financial adequacy part is black and white - you either have enough money that you can evidence, or you don't. For UK visas there is no published minimum, unlike Schengen visas for, say, Spain where you need to show something like EUR 77 per day (and have accommodation and flights booked). Reasons to return to Thailand is the nebulous one with the only UKVI indication given towards showing "strong family ties". Owning property and land is almost a guarantee, returning to employment (with an employers letter confirming that) etc, etc....having kids apparently is not a strong case, whereas ageing/dying relatives is. I repeat everybody's story is going to be a bit different. I am not trying to be a smart ar5e by only submitting 5 or 6 documents; I am genuinely trying to make it easier for the ECO to give me the decision I want. Some applicants will need to submit a lot more. ** My very first application - I submitted 3 folders each with over 50 pages including dozens of photos. I quickly learned that the bar stool advice I had received wasn't accurate.

QATAR were the only airline to upgrade me to business class. It was OK but I certainly would not have paid for it.

Red

Emergency

6 months ago? Hmmm.... would that not weaken your case?

The silence is deafening......

That is why many should have done it sooner. Hopefully my 2 accounts will suffice. If not I will pay my condo invoices direct from WISE and WISE payments to the missus for anything I need to get out by of ATM withdrawals. Not a situation on which I am sweating.

Yes. Although you might not like it, those high rolling Russians are far more likely to be targeted than any lovely Brit.

A very useful post but just to clarify for those using it as guidance (and it is good for that). The sponsor would not submit their passport. It is not required. A copy of the ID would be uploaded to confirm the sponsor's 'immigration status'. Whilst there is more there than is actually needed, to satisfy UKVI key criteria, it does no real harm to throw in a few more assets or income details. Over the years I have tried to make my applications as simple/brief as possible to make the job easier for the ECO who is assessing and making the decision on the application. I try to limit it to 6 documents which are:- My passport ID page My Bank statement Copy ID card (front) for the missus.....probably not required, the number is on her passport. My sponsor letter Translated copy of chanote. A one page summary if how the application (and evidence provided) meets the 3 main UKVI key criteria** ** Which are:- Genuine relationship and reason to visit. Financial adequacy. Reasons to Return to Thailand. ..and to reiterate the point made by @Millian NO PHOTOS

I am obviously in that minority everywhere....that is a simple truism that does not just apply to Thailand. The fact remains that the original comment was a bit sweeping.

BBC again:- The driver of a car that ploughed into football fans during Liverpool's Premier League victory parade is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, police have said. Merseyside Police said a Ford Galaxy avoided a roadblock by tailgating an ambulance responding to reports of a member of the public having suffered a heart attack. The force said the 53-year-old man, from the West Derby area of the city, was also being detained on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs. A total of 50 people, including children, were treated in hospital following the incident in Water Street, which happened shortly after 18:00 BST on Bank Holiday Monday.

Quesadilla

Police comments (as reported on BBC) said that drug use was involved.

I don't see the fuss; wine is still ridiculously expensive and the 'low-cost' fruit wines are worse than 1 Euro bottles of Spanish plonk. I am currently on a 2 month sabbatical in Europe to escape the worst of the Thailand heat. I have been buying Rioja Crianza for just over 100 Baht a BOTTLE and it is better than most wines in Thailand priced 850 Baht up.