DonW

Its easy, as 7by7 says

German embassy by post, takes 3 days and its free.

Extremely easy

Congrats Yorkieb

sanook2me - submitted 12th September - Awaiting.

yorkieb Submitted 15th May - Received 10th Oct

Gents, when you post submission dates etc, please cut and paste the previous ones and and add yours to the list

Hi

As the rules stand at the present if you are married in the eyes of the UK government she will get a state pension, based on your contributions, when she reaches state pension age,

Your wife will also on your death be entitled to bereavement payment (a one off lump sum of £2000) and bereavement allowance if she is over 45 ( a taxable weekly benefit. It is paid for up to 52 weeks from the date of your death, ranges from £32 at age 45 to £106 at age 55+)

see here bereavement payment - http://www.direct.go...ved/DG_10018703

and bereavement allowance here - http://www.direct.go...ved/DG_10018684

claim form, national insurance number will be issued as part of the claim here - http://www.dwp.gov.u...s/bb1_print.pdf

there are separate rules if there are any young children.

it may be useful to fill in the form bb1 as far as possible and leave it with any legal docs, etc.

sorry billd766 missed your attachement

Where in this does it say non EU spouses may claim from abroad?

I am almost sure that she will get nothing as a foreign wife. Indeed, a mate of mine in Thailand is close to passing, lives riggght out in the boonies on the Burmese border and when he goes they have no intention of informing the authorities so the pension keeps getting paid into his account and she keeps the ATM.

Good planning skills though.

Yea! nice honest people,commit Fraud,rob another Country,that owes them nothing. I'm sure they will be proud of themselves.

And this question of debt - he paid his NIC stamps, should the nationality of chosen wife really have anything to do with it?

I am almost sure that she will get nothing as a foreign wife. Indeed, a mate of mine in Thailand is close to passing, lives riggght out in the boonies on the Burmese border and when he goes they have no intention of informing the authorities so the pension keeps getting paid into his account and she keeps the ATM.

Good planning skills though.

Yea! nice honest people,commit Fraud,rob another Country,that owes them nothing. I'm sure they will be proud of themselves.

I dont believe there is a provision to be 'proud' when one lives in abstract poverty; though I could be wrong.

On behalf of :

sanook2me who said:

'My Thai wife has just submitted her ILR September 12th..We had a letter of confirmation of receipt from UKBA and the money has gone from our bank account...but now waiting for the biometrics letter. Sorry to talk about ILR on a citizenship posting but DonW asked who else is waiting..we are waiting for ILR...'

I am throwing this thread up in keeping with both the settlement visa and British Citizenship waiting times threads.

sanook2me - submitted 12th September - Awaiting.

Gents, when you post submission dates etc, please cut and paste the previous ones and and add yours to the list

Thanks

Best you contact a barrister in the UK, TV can only give you basic information at best. If the UK is similar to the US you would be best to document (hidden video/audio) of the wife blackmailing you. This you could use in a court to prove she should not be allowed to take your child out of the country. Custody wouldn't even help you if she gets out of the country how would they proceed to get her to return with the baby to the UK. Better if she isn't allowed to leave with the baby in the first place.

Yes i'll defo be trying to get it recorded

Not sure how i'd legally stop her getting out the country, I have her passport in my safe as i wanted it somewhere really safe because it has the ILR in it, but all she'd have to do is call the cops and they'd arrest me if i didn't give it back to her.

Poste haste, get yourself down to the citizens' advice because, with all due respect, you dont seem to be able to afford a lawyer. And start hard - tell them about her being an ex prostitute and that ex johns are offering to fund her escape with your son.

Also, record her threatening and blackmailing you. IF you cant afford a Dictaphone then PM me and I'll send you one mate, I am sure you are good for its return some time. I know what its like to be on minimum wage and broke.

I am almost sure that she will get nothing as a foreign wife. Indeed, a mate of mine in Thailand is close to passing, lives riggght out in the boonies on the Burmese border and when he goes they have no intention of informing the authorities so the pension keeps getting paid into his account and she keeps the ATM.

Good planning skills though.

I've seen some locals put (full) water bottles on the pavement and their driveway to ward off stray cats and dogs. I have no idea how it works, but the locals claim it to be effective.

Reflections and the way cats and dogs see. It works to the same principle of small hanging mirrors over pre-prepared food. Those mirrors are to flies what repugnant maggots are to humans.

It's the equivalent to a local council. They will have a person/department that deals with stray dogs.

And, if the 'local council' can't do it, then mix some 'X85' powder and mix it with some rice and meat. Usually found in farm shops but anyone will advise you where to get it. Protect your babies, animal rights come second.

Hello Everyone, following on from this thread http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/588028-british-citizenship-ukba-response/ and how successful the settlement waiting times thread is, I have decided to create a thread on BRITISH CITIZENSHIP waiting times.

So, please feel free to add your name and the dates of your partner's submission or, alternatively, just add your partner's experiences if their citizenship was already granted.

Thanks and here goes.

feasantplukka Submitted 31st July - awaiting

DonW Submitted 5th September, via nationality checking service in Peterborough - awaiting

Gents, when you post submission dates etc, please cut and paste the previous ones and and add yours to the list

Thanks

Whilst aged chaps marry slappers, there will always be some friction.

As far as I am concerned, whatever works. I bet for every 55+ farang married to some LBFM there are 55 other 55 year olds wishing they were him!

Have fun Gents, enjoy your life and screw anyone that doesn't agree with you. Life is no secure, could be gone tomorrow so its all about sanook.

laislica You, Sir, are a Gentleman - thank you

Your experience in the US is different from mine. I find women in the US to be aggressive sexually - as much as men are and they will screw you

And that is sexually aggressive is it? Hell, I had visions of some overweight 'mrican sort with a strap on.

Ah so cause you are a neverwas, then you assume all others are too? Well, that does - in a fuc_ked up way - make sense.

Last time it was an American guy with a million dollars, now it a UK guy with a million dollars.

I think that a person from the UK would value his fortune in POUNDS, so I am not willing to take any further notice of this thread.

Well that's a real loss, bbw. I think that the tread would have really befitted from your obvious valuable input. Your assumption that I am somehow similar to a seemingly unsavory America because A: We sate we have a million USD and B: We are both, erm, 'guys'; has overridden your choice to take 'any further notice'.

Seems that, in your opinion, a Brit cannot value his net worth - held largely in USD in that currency. British should, logically, convert back into the currency of Blighty. We aren't in Zimbabwe, no Sir.

But, I am sure your sock can contribute on another channel.

What a strange world we live in.

I have a condo for sale at Shukumvit soi 102 by Central Bangna for 2.7 M 2 bed 2 bath if you are interested I will send you pictures it's 3 years old and very well maintained.

Yes, please do!

I don't know if the OP is still even reading this thread but I have minimal experience of condos in Thailand; my sum experience is that I bought one and then went through the hassle of selling it. It's not much, I know, but when I read the OP's question a few thoughts sprang to mind. 1) look at how much tax to have to pay when you sell.....it sucks, the more the unit appreciates, the more you pay, it's hard to come out on top unless it doubles in value in a few years. 2) look at where the BTS line is being extended, buy an existing unit close by; when you know how torturous it is to sell a condo, you'll know how desperate owners are to sell. 3) buy somewhere which has, at minimum, double glazing. 4) rent a unit for a while first to discover all the bad aspects of the condo.

Good post and thank you.

Perhaps start a thread like the settlement visa waiting time thread which seems very popular.

I think I will try and do the same regards citizenship

Cheers and good luck mate

It's time to calm down now boys. Any more flames or snide remarks will get their poster a 3 day holiday. Promise.

If you can't be civil be quiet.

Sorry, looks like I created a monster.

It seems to me that there is no point having a large amount of cash sitting in a bank account. I wonder how a the yield from a lump of capital locked up in bonds and such safer investments compares to just buying a house to rent out at around 15,000Bt per month. I'm guessing the rental income would be worth more so I'm looking at buy-to-rent as the better investment. I've still got a lot to learn, so any thoughts on the matter would be very welcome.

Diversify and yes, but to lets are good IF they are in the right area, IF you are looking for a long term investment and also haing someone else pay your mortgge is also nice !

I have 1mill USD in savings and a house in Thailand on the Eatern Seaboard.

You wealth seems to have increased dramatically since your OP stating you had "a million USD in property, savings and investments".

I don't know whether to say congrats or call bullshit.

Say whatever you like, Luv.

My 1mill is made up of mainly dollars and 2 rental.

My house is Thailand isn't part of the portfolio its worth very little and cant be sold on.

If you bought your house when you were younger (or inherited your parent's house), and had a decent job and saved a bit, then a million dollars is relatively easy - especially if any of the property is in London...

If you already own property in the UK that's rented out, I'd be inclined to continue to rent it out so long as the after-tax rental income more than covers the mortgage payments. (Admittedly I'm selling a rental property of my own at the moment but that's because the rules on EU residency for student loans means I'm moving back so that my kids can afford to go to University. But I've been out of the country long enough that I'm currently exempt from capital gains tax, so can realise the capital gain tax-free now.)

In the long run, property should rise in line with wages, which should generally rise faster than inflation, so it's usually a good place to put money long term. (But transaction costs are quite high, and prices can fall as well as rise, especially in the short term, and there are additional costs with being a landlord, like leaky plumbing or roofs, etc.) It's also an area where it's relatively easy to use leverage to increase your capital (by having a mortgage that's covered by the rental income).

Alternatively you could buy a range of shares with a reasonable dividend yield and hope the shares rise in line with inflation and the dividends are enough to live on.

All good points but shares NEVER work for me, I lose every time! Property on the other hand......

Oops! - I mean USD 1.0M, not 0.5M.

Brain malfunction. Same comments apply.

0.5M US is about 15M baht. Invested and say you can get an average of 5% (that might be a big if).

That would give you about 60K baht per month and you wouldn't be touching the capital: I could live on that .

(plus I'm 49 and none of us are going to live for ever, get to about 65-68 and you can start spending the capital).

The problem there is that to preserve the capital you still need it to increase at the rate of inflation else its value will steadily get whittled down so, once you take your inflation rate off the return which could be higher than the official figure, you potentially could be looking at a negative return.

Good point and that's my concern.Lets say I cash in the mill USD and have 625k Sterling. If I get a 5 year bond and go non-resident I may secure 4.5% interest though to bet inflation I can only draw on 2% of the interest (the other 2.5% goes back into the capital to keep, or at least try, and keep up with inflation.

That leaves me just 12.5K Sterling a year - about 48000 baht a month - not enough to live well in Thailand never mind the trips home. Definately need to secure income in Thailand or keep working another 10 years / restart a business!