21 minutes ago, Sandboxer said:

Excellent. Can you name (or PM) your condo please? 

I would be interested to know also. We have a similar problem, mainly with Russians but with individual condos now being purchased by Chinese.

Pleased to hear it !  Enjoy your holiday.

7 minutes ago, sandyf said:

I didn't say anything, take it up with the UK parliament.

Well, you quoted it in your post, so you can take the criticism as you didn't say that it is wrong. 

35 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Why was it £18,600?

The threshold was originally set at £18,600 after the coalition government considered advice from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).

The MAC’s report recommended a minimum gross income threshold of between £18,600 and £25,700 per year. The range reflected different approaches to calculating when someone would cease to be a burden on the state, with £18,600 the threshold on one methodology and £25,700 the threshold on another.

The lower threshold of £18,600 represented the level of annual gross pay above which a couple would not receive any income-related benefits. The MAC estimated that 45% of sponsors would fall short of the lower threshold amount and 64% of sponsors would not satisfy the upper threshold. The government chose the £18,600 option. The coalition said that it expected to review the level of the financial requirement annually. In the event, it remained at £18,600 until 2024 (although the Conservative Party’s 2017 general election manifesto had committed to increasing the threshold).

In April 2024, the Sunak government increased the threshold to its current level of £29,000 (see section 4 below). This time the MAC was not involved.

Various sources of income and funding can be used to meet the financial requirement, although there are conditions and restrictions.

One important restriction is that the visa applicant’s employment income can only be taken into account if they are already in the UK with permission to work (that is, if they are applying to ‘switch’ immigration category or extend an existing partner visa). Otherwise, only the sponsor’s employment income can be considered for the initial visa application. This condition has prevented some British people from being able to return to the UK with their partner. 

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06724/SN06724.pdf 

That is a fairly simplistic view of the requirements, and seems to imply that only employment income can be used in an initial application (I know that you did say  that various sources of income and funding can be used).  Other sources can be cash savings (for both applicant and sponsor), pension income, property rental income. Saying "Otherwise, only the sponsor’s employment income can be considered for the initial visa application"  is not quite true.

Here's a useless "fact" (from ChatGPT) for you. Maybe up to 50% of Home Office employees would not be able to meet the 29,000 GBP a year financial requirement:

Based on the Home Office's annual report for the 2022-2023 financial year, the median salary was £35,372. This suggests that approximately half of the employees earned below this amount. Additionally, the 25th percentile salary was £27,014, indicating that about 25% of employees earned £27,014 or less. While exact figures aren't provided, it's reasonable to infer that a significant portion of Home Office employees—likely between 25% and 50%—had a maximum annual salary of £29,000 or less during that period.

22 minutes ago, Asmoseus_uk said:

The most efficient with less cost & hassle... Hoping someone with experience of going through either route can advise...

 

Thanks

They are almost identical. As I said earlier, one is marriage in Thailand and the other is marriage in UK.  And the cost is almost the same.  The cost of a "fiancee" visa is slightly higher as you have an extension of stay to apply for in the UK after marriage. 

7 hours ago, Asmoseus_uk said:

 

I'm an Irish guy living in the UK. Looking to bring my Thai GF to live in the UK. Not legally married but have had a ceremony in Bangkok.

 

Already had several visitor visas without any issues

 

Any advice re best option for fiancee or spouse visa to live in the UK? 

 

Thanks!

What do you mean by "best option" ?   If you mean the difference between  a "fiancee" visa or a spouse visa, then the only difference really is whether you marry in Thailand or in the UK.

2 hours ago, Walker88 said:

Good news for MAGAs!

 

Lots of jobs now available!

 

Because of the program of mass deportation, many undocumented farm workers are staying home, fearful of being rounded up and deported, especially since their kids have US citizenship, so cannot be deported. Right now the primary impact is on citrus farms, as now is the harvest season for all your favorite Vitamin C carriers. Soon it will be other produce. It's even going to impact abattoirs where chickens are slaughtered and end up in the KFC buckets your messiah so favors. He's going to get really angry, and likely blame Biden, if his extra crispy bucket shoots up in price.

 

Unless you MAGAs drop the SSDI and hit the farms, produce is going to rot. That will result in huge price rises. Now farmers are not going to pay you minimum wage, because that would render their business unprofitable, but you can show both your patriotism and fealty to the President by stepping in where undocumented workers have left gaping holes. You can assume their wage levels and keep produce coming to market.

 

Don't like farming? How about hotel room cleaning? Imagine if your messiah travels somewhere and has to make his own bed and clean his own toilet, because the hospitality staff---many of whom are undocumented---are staying home out of fear. Wouldn't you be honored to scrub the toilet where your hero did his business, likely while Tweeting?

Wasn't slavery abolished ?  

2 minutes ago, Card said:

If u remit earnings that are assessable in thailand above 120000 baht per year irrespective of their tax status in uk then u need to file a tax return in thailabd

So, I might be taxed in Thailand, but not in UK on those two incomes ?   And I might receive a useless tax credit ?

2 hours ago, Card said:

Of course. Being covered by a treaty means any tax paid in your home country has tax credits for thai taxation. It doesn't necessarily mean its not assessable in thailand requiring a filing. If you transfer some funds that are taxable in thailabd along with the untaxabke income then a filing is required. I an referring to transfer of non thai taxable earnings only.

My income in the UK is not taxed (small frozen pension and small rental income) as it is below my personal tax allowance.  But it will be taxed in Thailand if I remit it ?  A tax credit in UK is no use to me if I don't pay tax in UK ?

19 minutes ago, Stocky said:

No, there's no sole custody, parent's separated and we offered to raise the child. Her passport needed amphur letter from both parents. I can get her father to supply a similar document if that's required.

Yes, you should. Get it translated and submit with the visa application.  Include the father's contact details in his letter in case they want to contact him to check.

It looks okay, but if the mother has custody (legal or from the Amphur) you should include that with the application (with translation).  She should have something as she probably needed it to obtain her daughter's passport.

10 minutes ago, Stocky said:

 

I clarified the original post, the document is from my daughter so it refers to her mother, who is the child's grandmother.

Well, good luck.

10 minutes ago, Stocky said:

The letter from her mother would state her daughter has permission to apply for a visa and to travel accompanied by her mother and step father. I have copies of mother's ID card and granddaughter's birth certificate. The letter will detail travel is for 3 weeks during April school holidays as well as giving the accommodation address in the UK.

 

I'm well aware of the Entry Clearance Officer likely approach, on the last trip with my wife she was questioned alone for 5 minutes, the line of questioning was apparently quite aggressive, it seemed to imply she'd been drugged and was travelling to the UK under my coercion. He seemed unwilling to accept she was simply drowsy from a long flight.

Now I'm confused.  A letter saying that  she is traveling with her mother and step-father ?   But she is traveling with you, her grandfather ?

The letter on its own is not likely to be enough.  It depends, of course, on what the letter says.  In addition, if the letter was just to obtain a travel document (a passport) then you will need to evidence the relationship between you and the child if you are taking her out of the country.  A statement to the ECO saying that she is your granddaughter will not be enough.  It might seem a bit over the top, but Entry Clearance Officers have to consider such things as child trafficking.  Without evidence of the relationship, reasons for travel, etc, the visa will possibly be refused.

Believe it or not, there is a law that might possibly apply. If you are prepared to engage a lawyer and spend money, you maybe want to try it ?

The law is a Civil law :

Wrongful Act in the Civil and Commercial law of Thailand, any act that will damage the rights of another, unless it is done in the exercise of another equal or superior right. Wrongful acts is not limited to illegal acts, but includes acts that are immoral, anti social, or libel to result in a civil suit.

TITLE V

WRONGFUL ACTS

CHAPTER I

LIABILITY FOR WRONGFUL ACTS

table of contents

Section 420. A person who, willfully or negligently, unlawfully injures the life, body, health, liberty, property or any right of another person, is said to commit a wrongful act and is bound to make compensation therefore

Good luck.  Maybe try a "class action" with other affected condo residents ?

That paragraph seems to apply to parents and/or guardians.  Are you the child's guardian(s) ?  This link might be more appropriate :

https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor/if-youre-under-18

Other considerations in the applicant  should/could include the length of the visit, is the visit during the child's school term, who does the child live with in Thailand, where are the child's parents, does the child live with either of her parents, etc, etc. 

Yes, any documents need to be translated to English (or Welsh).

In UK I have partially installed Pvc wall panels in the bathroom.  I see that the panels are now available in Thailand, although with limited suppliers.  Is anyone aware of any companies in, or near, Pattaya that are experienced in fitting these panels ?  Any recommendations ?

23 minutes ago, D2Pipes said:

Please allow me to add my ha'penny worth:-

@Tony M You sound most knowledgeable and have given sound advice.  As you are no doubt well aware and I have tried to highlight here with myn experiences, there are many pitfalls so I understand your OISC recommendation.

I have personally dealt with the UK immigration authorities in both the UK and the country of the lady whom I married so had no need of an OISC registered agent and certainly a lawyer would have provided no useful useful assistance.

I currently have a long standing Thai girlfriend and have arranged both UK and Schengen visas without incident though I must admit the Schengen visa was fraught with difficulties due to my previous marriage and divorce.  

From my experience it is imperative that @sidjameson registers the divorce with the UK authorities otherwise a visa application would be a non-starter.

With respect, I cannot agree with you.  Register the divorce with which UK authority ?  As I said in an earlier response, the OP has not explained what his "divorce paper" is. Depending on whether it was a court registered divorce or a District Office divorce, then it will be legal and only needs translating into English by a certified translator.  I do not see, nor have I experienced, in 15 years of assisting in UK visa applications, any application that was a "non-starter" because a divorce was not registered with the UK authorities.

On 11/10/2024 at 4:09 PM, Negita43 said:

So her last trip from UK to Schengen and return to the UK 15 days later triggers another 180 days permission to stay as a tourist?

No, it doesn't.  The time spent in UK is calculated on a "rolling" 12 months.  So, if someone enters the UK on the 1st January for 30 days, then the total time in UK, between Jan 1st and Dec 31st will be the calculation of time spent in the UK in 12 months.  If that person doesn't re-enter UK until November, then that will be the start of the next rolling 12 months, and the time spent in UK from November until the next October will be the 12 month calculation.  I know that might be confusing, but it is the total time spent in UK in any rolling 12 month period that the Border Force officer will be looking at.

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Who was rating him and how many were deleted?

That's all you have to offer ?   You really don't have any idea what you are posting about.   Who mentioned ratings (what ratings ?) and deletions (deletions of what ?) ?   The agent is well known in Pattaya, and also on this forum (previously having been a sponsor of the forum).  If you have any evidence that he is not a qualified, successful, UK government approved visa advisor, then let's have it. Otherwise, you are just wasting oxygen.