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durhamboy

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Posts posted by durhamboy

    UK ILR for +65 year olds

    in Visas and migration to other countries

    Posted

    Thanks for the replies. My wife was in the UK with me for 8 years on a spouse settlement visa but she was unable to pass LITUK - she studied hard and took it twice but couldn't do it. So she never had ILR. So I got totally fed up with the UK visa system and the ludicrous expense of it and we emigrated to Thailand 2 years ago just when covid hit. However, despite covid (and actually because of it in some respects) this was a good move financially and at the moment we have no plans to return to the UK. We might in the future depending on circumstances so I was just wondering what her status would be if we returned for settlement.

     

    From what you guys have kindly told me, there are rules for people returning with ILR - 2 year max out of the UK etc. I was aware of that. However, there doesn't seem to be anything in black and white to cover our situation. I suspect that she would have to complete another 5 years before being considered for ILR regardless of how old she is.

     

    I would imagine that this situation has occurred in the past so it would be useful to hear from anyone with practical knowledge of it. Cheers.

    UK ILR for +65 year olds

    in Visas and migration to other countries

    Posted

    As I understand it, a foreign spouse aged over 65 years does not need to pass the Life in the UK test (or any English tests) to be granted Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.

     

    My Thai wife and I now live permanently in Thailand after having lived 8 years in the UK. So she previously stayed continuously for more than 5 years in the UK.

     

    My question is, should we decide to return to live in the UK when she is 65 years old, would she still have to stay another 5 years to qualify for ILR or could that be granted immediately?

     

    Many thanks.

     

    Transferring 150K GBP To Bangkok Bank

    in Jobs, Economy, Banking, Business, Investments

    Posted

    I am also looking to do a similar transfer via transferwise. I get the same message from transferwise about there being a B2m limit on transfers into a Thai bank. However when I look into my Thai bank's (Bangkok Bank) rules they say under FAQ :-

     

     

    What is the largest amount I can transfer into a Bangkok Bank account in Thailand?

    There is no limit to the amount of funds that can be transferred from abroad into a Bangkok Bank account.

     

    However, senders must specify the purpose of the money transfer for every transfer, as commercial banks are required to report this to the Bank of Thailand on the client’s behalf.

     

    So will the Transferwise system allow me to transfer over THB 2 million? 

     

    Btw, I don't agree with the previous poster that it is crazy to transfer now "whilst the baht is still pretty much ballistic" The rate is the rate and always will be. Anyone who can forecast future rates is either kidding themselves or should be making a fortune by trading currencies. The best thing to look at is recent history of the baht v sterling. Sterling has appreciated since the post Brexit trade deal was done and the baht has depreciated due to the effect of covid on tourism. I would hardly call that ballistic.

    A Covid Odyssey

    in COVID-19 Coronavirus

    Posted

    1 hour ago, MarleyMarl said:

    Sounds like you made the right decision, for the short/medium term anyway. I have my fair share of gripes living in Bangkok, but it's not that bad.

    Did you live in Thailand previously? Was it not possible after 8 years in the UK to get your wife permanent residency? 

    Yes we lived in Thailand for over a year c.2012 whilst we got married and sorted her initial UK visa e.g. English test etc.

     

    It was not possible for my wife to get ILR (permanent residence) until she reaches 65 years old. Up to that point she would have to pass the Life in the UK test (LITUK). She studied it for 2 years and took the test twice and failed. She got around 50% when the passmark is 75% so she was well short of it. I didn't want to put her through it anymore. The thing that really bugs me about it is that the vast majority of Brits (at least 90% I would say) could not pass the test without any preparation so the UK Govt is expecting foreigners to know more about the UK than its own citizens! Absolute disgrace. Btw, I don't have to do a Life in Thailand test - there isn't one.

    • Like 1
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    A Covid Odyssey

    in COVID-19 Coronavirus

    Posted · Edited by Jonathan Fairfield
    non-standard font used

    Almost a year ago, just as covid was starting to bite in the UK, my Thai wife and I decided that after living happily in the UK for 8 years, we had had enough of the UK Immigration System. My wife was still subject to immigration control, paying out thousands of pounds in visa and NHS fees (the nhs surcharge is now more than the visa fee but it amounts to the same thing i.e. get money out of foreigners). We also had to go through a number of hoops to maintain her status e.g. fill in huge forms, travel about 100 miles to submit documents and show letters addressed to our home as proof we lived together. Bottom line was that she couldn't pass the onerous Life in the UK test. I don't blame her – most Brits couldn't do it.

     

    So we put our house on the market and found a buyer. The housing market was extremely busy despite covid. The stamp duty holiday helped. However owing to hold ups in the chain the actual completion only went through about 6 weeks after we arrived in Thailand!

     

    We left our home in Devon on my wife's birthday Thursday 17th December taking the National Express Bus to London Victoria. We were the only ones on the bus and didn't pick up any more passengers until Somerset. More joined at Bristol but the bus was less than half full. Checked in at Premier Inn Victoria for 3 nights to have my covid test nearby (my wife being Thai didn't require one!) and both get Fit To Fly certificates. This was all part of the Thailand Covid Requirements in which, in addition, I had to get a Certificate of Entry, 90-day visa, Special Covid Insurance, Book and Pay for 15 nights quarantine in a Bangkok hotel (my wife got her quarantine free) plus numerous forms to fill in. Btw, I got an email from Premier Inn a couple of days before saying our booking would be invalid if our visit was for leisure purposes. Was never questioned about this when we arrived. Sign of the Covid times – the Prem Inn was only £50 a night, probably 3 times that in normal times.

     

    Next day went for my covid test. Cost £159 and you don't get the results that day because the test has to go to a special lab. I was worried on 2 counts – firstly that the test would be positive but more concerning was would I get the result in time for our flight 2 days later on Sunday? Next stop was an appointment with a doctor to get our Fit To Fly Certificates. Another £98. Lady doctor was very nice and issued the certs there and then rather than emailing them to us.

     

    So that left us with 2 days in London waiting for my covid result and our flight. No restaurants or pubs open – takeaway food only. I was shocked that only around 50% of people were wearing masks. For the rest of Friday I met my lifelong friend who lives in London. But there was nowhere to go so we ended up eating takeaway falafel on the concourse of Victoria station, went for a walk and ended up having a can of beer under one of the Thames bridges. We weren't tramps but felt like we were doing a very good impression!

     

    On Saturday, my wife and I went out for a long walk around central London. Again shocked at the number of people not wearing masks. Demonstration in Parliament Square by about 2,000 people wanting their freedom back – freedom not to wear a mask and die! The numpties followed us up to Trafalgar Square which made us feel even more uncomfortable. 8pm that night I finally got my covid result via email – negative thank God! So I actually didn't know I was definitely on Sunday's flight until then! That night London moved from Tier 3 to Tier 4 and the BBC News said Paddington Station was closed! I was worried that maybe we wouldn't be able to get to Heathrow. Again we were on a National Express bus and it was actually no problem.

     

    Sunday got to Heathrow and managed to check-in after showing them numerous documents. Actually that day was the date my wife's UK visa expired – one more day could have cost me about £2,700! Lady questioned me about my covid insurance and was happy with my answers. The plane was packed. Not a single spare seat as it was a repatriation flight run by Thai Airways only twice a month. We later learned that there was a family from Kent on our flight who actually brought the so-called UK covid variant into Thailand. We were very lucky we didn't get covid on the flight. Felt sorry for the flight attendants who were fully kitted up in PPE and masks etc for the whole 12 hour flight.

     

    Flight was ok and we managed to sleep. Arrived next day in Bangkok. We were almost immediately separated – Thais ushered into one queue whilst foreigners into another. Loads of medical and immigration staff again in full PPE and masks. Temperature checks every few minutes. Felt like we were aliens arriving from outer space! Have to say though, it was very well organised and friendly. Eventually after about 3 interviews I got through all the formalities and got my luggage – never saw my wife again in the airport. Managed to find the driver for my quarantine hotel (my wife and I were in different hotels). Needless to say the driver and his assistant were in full PPE. I was the only passenger in the minivan. Looking out of the window on the way EVERYONE in the streets was wearing a mask.

     

    Arrived at my hotel. All the staff in PPE. Had to put plastic coverings on my shoes. Was led to a special lift reserved for me! Got to my room. Home for the next 15 days! Maintained contact with my wife via Facebook video chats. She found the quarantine tough going. I found it ok but the middle of the second week it started to get to me a bit. It was the Christmas and New Year time as well so not the best time to be totally on your own. Had 2 more covid tests plus had my temperature taken twice a day – I actually looked forward to the nice young lady coming to take my temperature! Pity she was always fully kitted up in PPE!

     

    We agreed that after quarantine we would head to a popular beach resort for a few days. However, covid once again raised its ugly head. There were a few cases near to the resort (actually minuscule compared to the UK) so the Thai authorities shut everything down. So we thought we'd have a few days in Bangkok instead. Same story, a few cases and everything was shut down. So we decided to go straight to my wife's sister's place just outside Bangkok. Then we started to hear about covid roadblocks to stop people leaving Bangkok! Finally got “released” from quarantine and I asked the hotel to get me a taxi. Eventually one arrived. The driver started talking to the hotel staff. Much scratching of heads and looking at maps on phones. Went on for about 20 minutes and eventually he just drove off. Maybe there were road blocks. Hotel called another taxi and fortunately the lady driver was very good and drove me straight to my sister-in-law's without any problems. My wife arrived shortly after.

     

    We still needed to get to our ultimate destination of Khon Kaen in Northern Thailand. Because of the covid problems in Bangkok some places in Thailand were placing restrictions on people travelling from the Bangkok area – even putting people in 14 days isolation! So we got the earliest flight we could get to Khon Kaen in the hope there wasn't a shutdown. Eventually we arrived in Khon Kaen on the 8th of January – 22 days after leaving Devon!

     

    Since arriving in Khon Kaen we have taken a 6 month rental of a small condo in the centre of the city. We found a lovely house to buy near the airport and have secured it with a small deposit. It is a newbuild – 4 beds, 4 bathrooms, gated community, clubhouse with swimming pool, fitness gym and pool table etc. Cost around £130,000 – would be about £400,000 for an equivalent house in Devon. Everything is open here in Khon Kaen – bars, restaurants, shops, schools etc. Everywhere you go people are wearing masks and virtually every place you go in has a temperature machine and track and trace system. At one point recently there were 6 known cases in Khon Kaen and the authorities said they would close everything down if the number of cases reached 10. It hasn't yet so everything is still open. Khon Kaen has a population of over 100,000.

     

    So was it all worth it? I guess only time will tell in the long run but right now it most definitely feels like we have done the right thing at the right time. By coming in these horrendous times of covid I think we have managed to secure a lovely house at a price which would have been a lot higher if there were foreign investors around. Because of covid there are virtually no foreigners arriving here – who wants to pay for 14 days in quarantine? Also I've managed to save between £10,000 and £15,000 in UK visa fees for my wife plus all the hoops we would have had to jump through. Don't get us wrong we both loved Devon and England – I am just appalled at the UK government's attitude to foreign spouses and its disgraceful record on covid which, in my opinion, amounts to criminal negligence.

     

    Total covid deaths to date – UK +117,000, Thailand 82 (not 82,000 just 82). Put another way, 1 death in Thailand = c.1,400 deaths in the UK. The countries have about the same population. Makes you wonder doesn't it? Also, I'm not saying Thailand gets everything right and UK gets it wrong e.g. average number of road accident fatalities per day – Thailand 60, UK 5.

     

    Hope you found this interesting. I would appreciate any thoughts, questions and comments.

    • Like 5
    • Thanks 2

    Covid-19 Insurance - number of days coverage to buy?

    in COVID-19 Coronavirus

    Posted

    Your quote seems expensive. I paid THB6,400 for 90 days from a Thai insurer. Go to 

     

    I got my COE with this. As I understand it the insurance should cover the period of your visa although yours is a bit different in that you already have one that is mostly expired. I would think that you would need only cover for the remaining period but does your visa still be ok to get your COE? Unsure,

    Fit To Fly & Covid Free Certificates

    in COVID-19 Coronavirus

    Posted

    I'm getting really confused (again!) about the documentation needed to board Thai Airways flights to Bangkok. My confusion is whether the documents for a negative covid test and the Fit To Fly certificate have to be SEPARATE documents.

     

    I was thinking of using a company called Medicspot. Has anyone used them for going to Thailand? They issue a single certificate that covers both - negative covid and fit-to-fly. However some websites say that they must be separate documents e.g.:-

     

    https://thaiest.com/blog/fit-to-fly-health-certificate-for-travelers-to-thailand

    Fit-to-Fly Certificate vs. COVID-19-Free Certificate

    Fit to Fly Health Certificate is a statement by a doctor that you are free from symptoms and fit to fly. While COVID-19-Free Certificate is the test result with a laboratory output indicating that COVID-19 is not detected. Both documents must be issued within 72 hours before departure.

    The COVID-19 test result and fit-to-fly health certificate must be two separate documents. It is your responsibility to present these two documents upon check-in with the airline and on your arrival in Thailand.

     

     

    However MFA websites e.g. https://image.mfa.go.th/mfa/0/mkKfL2iULZ/migrate_directory/news3-20200724-174515-136626.pdf and https://coethailand.mfa.go.th/regis/step?language=en are silent on the issue.

     

    Apparently on the last flight from London to Bangkok 7 people were refused boarding for irregular fit-to-fly certs. I don't know the nature of the irregularities.

     

    So my question is has anyone flown to Thailand with a single document?

     

    Thanks.

    tgia.com Covid Insurance

    in COVID-19 Coronavirus

    Posted

    From my tgia policy re cancellation :-

     

    7. Refund of Insurance Premium The Company will refund the Insured Personthe insurance premium that has been paidby the Insured Person after deductingthe actual international fund transfer fees and difference of currency exchange rate upon the occurrence of any of following cases: 7.1 The Insured Personhas not been granted a visa and/or certificate of entry; 7.2 The Insured Personchanges the date of departure and/or arrival. In the case of 7.1 and 7.2, the Insured Person must inform the Company of such event before the date of departure that the Insured Person has declared to the Company, with the exception that the Insured Person can demonstrate that there is a justifiable reason that the Insured Person was unable to inform the Company within the specified period. 7.3 If the Insured Person does not have a result of the medical examination for the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic issued to him or her within 72 hours prior to the departure from the country of origin, or the result of the medical examination for the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) positive is positive within 72 hours prior to the departure from the country of origin. In the case of 7.3, the Insured Person must inform the Company in advance of the Period of Cover, with the exception that the Insured Person can demonstrate that there is a justifiable reason that the Insured Person was unable to inform the Company within the specified period.

    • Like 1

    Covid Travel Insurance Warning

    in COVID-19 Coronavirus

    Posted

    4 hours ago, jaizan said:

    Anyone going to Thailand has 3 scheduled covid tests. 

     Not sure where you get that 3 tests are required unless you are counting the ones done in quarantine and those would be after getting the insurance. Only 1 test required before departure and, again, that would be after getting the insurance.

    Fit To Fly Certificates for Thai Nationals

    in COVID-19 Coronavirus

    Posted

    I am going to Thailand with my Thai wife. She already has her COE and we have booked on Thai Airways. It seems from everything that we have read and heard that she (being a Thai National) does not need a negative covid test but only a Fit To Fly Certificate issued within 72 hours before the flight. Seems it's quite difficult to get a Fit To Fly Cert here in the UK without also having a covid test. So it seems that many Thais are using the services of a guy in Thailand who goes by the name Bank Saksit Banham. Seems he is not a doctor himself but will for about £40 arrange a Fit To Fly Cert signed by a doctor. At first I thought this was a scam but many Thais have done this without any problems. Do you have any thoughts about this?

    covid-19 insurance for certificate of entry

    in COVID-19 Coronavirus

    Posted

    I have just purchased the covid insurance at https://covid19.tgia.org. Eventually I got an email from a company called Dhipaya Insurance. It has an attachment with the suffix .bin which is a format I have never heard of. Tried to open it but couldn't. Sent it to my wife's nephew in Thailand but he couldn't open it either. I'm hoping it contains my Certificate of Insurance which I need for my COE registration.

     

    I clicked on another part of the email and some details of my insurance came up in Thai but doesn't seem to be the certificate. It also has the sum insured as THB6,400,000 but doesn't specifically mention covid. I thought I was getting the required THB3,200,000 (ie US$100k) of covid cover.

     

    Anyone had these problems with this company and how did you resolve them. Thanks.

    Covid-19 test before flying

    in COVID-19 Coronavirus

    Posted

    My Thai wife and I (farang) are going through these procedures right now. Before we started we rang the Thai Embassy in London and hung on for an hour with nobody picking up so that was a waste of time. I booked us on Thai Airways LHR to BKK on 20th. December. It was quite easy to book the flight and we have to go Thai Airways to get free state quarantine for my wife in Thailand. With this ticket we managed to get her COE (Certificate Of Entry) and it was a reasonably straightforward procedure. I can't get my COE until I get my Thai visa, covid insurance and ASQ (Alternative State Quarantine) bookings.

     

    The problems will be with the covid test and Fit To Fly certs 72 hours before flying. As I understand it, she needs a FTF cert but not a negative covid cert. Problem is where do you get a FTF cert without having a covid test? It seems to me that she has to get a covid test in order to get a FTF cert. Anyone know different?

     

    Regarding the covid test it has to be the RT-PCR test.  The PCR bit stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction. However there are 2 types of RT tests - Reverse Transcription and Real Time. Thai Airways website just says RT-PCR test - that means that the new tests being done at Heathrow (as someone suggested above) are not valid because they are LAMP not PCR tests. Anyone know for sure what tests are required and their validity? Thanks.

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