apb1919

On 05/08/2014 at 5:21 AM, apb1919 said:

Reading some of these replies makes me wonder why some people bothered to get married!

I would love to see you in the uk / us / az work away for a month or two and send your wife with kids £200-300 for the month even with the bills paid!

Surely you want your wife to be happy, have a nice time, make sure the kids are looked after, eat well have new things etc?

i live in Thailand for about 9 months of the year, we (Mrs, and x2 kids) will be back in the uk for a few months but when i leave for a month or so i am not worried how much money i put in the joint bank account or how much the Mrs is spending on the credit card i worry that they are happy, having a nice time and are cared for!

Typically when i go away i would put:

18,000 bht - Mortgage on the house

7,500 bht - loan on the car

4,500 bht - phone internet water electric

then

50,000 bht for spending on whatever for the month

i never check this and where its gone and ask for receipts etc, some months i come back and its all gone and she's used 30-40k bht on the credit card other months i come back and 10,000 bht has gone, the main thing is my family is cared for and looked after.

My wife would be the last person to start sending money to her family unless they really needed it and if they did then so what! Yes she loves shopping and buying new clothes and toys for the kids but who doesn't.

if you don't trust your wife then really what is the point!

When we go back to the UK we have joint accounts which my salary goes into and she has full access, like any couple we would discuss any big expenditure but other than that she is her own person.

I still pay for everything back in the uk also:

50,000 bht mortgage

25,000 bht car

20,000 bht bills

and always have paid for everything over both countries but its for my family why would i ever be bitter or have any issues over money, it seams to me this is why most relationships fall down, money comes and goes!

When we go back to the uk i will keep paying for the house and car in Thailand but her family won't be in the house / use the car / motorbikes etc they are for us, she understands this more than i do and wants everything nice and new for when we come back!

the only thing she has ever asked me for in terms of money for her family was to buy her dad a 25,000 bht medical policy as her works in bangkok, and it covers any and all medical problems, he doesn't get the money we buy the policy every year and my wife can know in medical terms he is looked after and has peace of mind.

lol posted this almost 3 years ago and just saw this thread float back to the top of the forums.

I got some sarcastic replies and some people thinking i was talking bullshit.

Just to say it was true, our bank account is still joint and we live happily sharing the good times and the not so good :)

Money comes and goes, my Mrs spends a fortune sometimes and not a lot other times, but its all for and about the family :)

That said those figures posed above appear to have, like the years, trippled

:)

On 05/08/2014 at 5:21 AM, apb1919 said:

Reading some of these replies makes me wonder why some people bothered to get married!

I would love to see you in the uk / us / az work away for a month or two and send your wife with kids £200-300 for the month even with the bills paid!

Surely you want your wife to be happy, have a nice time, make sure the kids are looked after, eat well have new things etc?

i live in Thailand for about 9 months of the year, we (Mrs, and x2 kids) will be back in the uk for a few months but when i leave for a month or so i am not worried how much money i put in the joint bank account or how much the Mrs is spending on the credit card i worry that they are happy, having a nice time and are cared for!

Typically when i go away i would put:

18,000 bht - Mortgage on the house

7,500 bht - loan on the car

4,500 bht - phone internet water electric

then

50,000 bht for spending on whatever for the month

i never check this and where its gone and ask for receipts etc, some months i come back and its all gone and she's used 30-40k bht on the credit card other months i come back and 10,000 bht has gone, the main thing is my family is cared for and looked after.

My wife would be the last person to start sending money to her family unless they really needed it and if they did then so what! Yes she loves shopping and buying new clothes and toys for the kids but who doesn't.

if you don't trust your wife then really what is the point!

When we go back to the UK we have joint accounts which my salary goes into and she has full access, like any couple we would discuss any big expenditure but other than that she is her own person.

I still pay for everything back in the uk also:

50,000 bht mortgage

25,000 bht car

20,000 bht bills

and always have paid for everything over both countries but its for my family why would i ever be bitter or have any issues over money, it seams to me this is why most relationships fall down, money comes and goes!

When we go back to the uk i will keep paying for the house and car in Thailand but her family won't be in the house / use the car / motorbikes etc they are for us, she understands this more than i do and wants everything nice and new for when we come back!

the only thing she has ever asked me for in terms of money for her family was to buy her dad a 25,000 bht medical policy as her works in bangkok, and it covers any and all medical problems, he doesn't get the money we buy the policy every year and my wife can know in medical terms he is looked after and has peace of mind.

I cant confess to have read the 22 odd pages this has now spanned but it did spark a little interest when i saw it still on the front page, i do read the forums fairly often but post very little.

Just to say that in the 2 and 1/2 years since i posted this i can honestly say this has been one of the corner stones of our relationship, as it would have been had i married any other lady from any other culture.

I am 31 now and my wife 26 so i dont see a massive age gap personally but everything financially and otherwise is split, we use what we use and if we 'indulge' we do so without affecting the family.

My wife sorts everything in Thailand as she has always done and we have several properties overthere and all i ask once every few months is 'car and houses all sorted and good with no problems?'

Similar to the UK she takes a role with the finances here and makes sure we are all sound as a family.

As i said two years ago if you enter into anything other than a relationship on a trusting basis then whats the point :)

If you want to have fun then do so, if you want a relationship sort the boundaries out from the start so everyone is on a level playing field :)

Hi,

Documents can be translated in Thailand very easily it just depends if you need them certified and what they are needed for.

Not sure what the embassy in the UK charges but i think the translation services in the Trendy Building (for Visa's, Passports etc) are about 200-300 bht a page.

hi all, quick update from our recent application relation to time scales:

Attended VFS on December 22nd with all docs to apply for a new UK Passport for my son (4 months old)

Seen by the member of staff and dealt with in 1 hour

Went away for Christmas

Money for the application was taken on the 29th December

Got a phone call on 12th Jan saying we can pick the passport up today.

All in all a great service especially given we put the Application in over the holidays.

I submitted my birth cert and that of my parents also, along with their marriage cert. We used the government service to get all the birth certificates needed and then used DHL to get everything from the UK to Thailand, a little expensive but all docs arrived within 3 working days. You can fast track the birth certificates and parents marriage certificates for next day delivery if you are in a rush.

i did put a load of information in the VFS staff member said wasn't needed (P60, letters from employer, rental contract for the house in UK) to make sure everything was covered.

My wife had lost her birth certificate some time ago but a covering letter appears to have been fine.

Edit: for anyone with an issue over a counter signatory;

I had a slight issue given i don't know a UK / EU national in Thailand that is classed as qualified to counter sign a form

I simply showed a suitable person my son on Skype in the UK and then got him to sign the printed form, when I sent the Birth Certs etc via DHL i included the form.

I presume this 400k bht has to be in a Thai bank account or will they accept UK bank accounts with the money sat in for some time ?

Is often mentioned on this forum. Can be done once per entry in country, clause 2.24.

Bring copies of everything, dated and signed by your wife.

Much appreciated

Just a quick query rather than start a new thread, the OP mentions extending the visa for 60 days, how is this possible? i was issued a non immigrant 'o' visa but this expires on the 4th, due to purchasing a house i used the money in our thai bank account meaning we havent had 400k bht in the account for 2 months +

i believe the account shows more than 40k coming in per month from my uk account...

i would rather just extend this for 60 days as we are going to the uk early december but was under the impression i need to fly to Laos and get a new non immigrant O visa again, at the moment i would rather not go as we are having work done etc and i would prefer to be at home,

if anyone can point me in the correct direction rather than flying to Laos it would be greatly appreciated.

As answered above, apply to local immigration with the documents listed above, wife should be present, fee 1,900 Bt.

Thanks for the reply, as i am sure you can understand i just wanted to be sure as booking flights now will be cheaper etc,

Also I couldn't find anything on the internet about extending like this or on these forums but that might just be me,

So (again sorry for acting thick) if i go to Ayutthaya Immigration 134 Au-Tong Road. Horattanatri District Muang Ayutthaya Province 13000 (i live near Future Park)

With:

Marriage Certificate

Child Birth Cert

Tabien Ban

Wife & Child in person

I will be able to extend my non immigrant single entry O visa for 2 months for 1,900 bht

if so this is excellent news... can this only be done once?

Just a quick query rather than start a new thread, the OP mentions extending the visa for 60 days, how is this possible? i was issued a non immigrant 'o' visa but this expires on the 4th, due to purchasing a house i used the money in our thai bank account meaning we havent had 400k bht in the account for 2 months +

i believe the account shows more than 40k coming in per month from my uk account...

i would rather just extend this for 60 days as we are going to the uk early december but was under the impression i need to fly to Laos and get a new non immigrant O visa again, at the moment i would rather not go as we are having work done etc and i would prefer to be at home,

if anyone can point me in the correct direction rather than flying to Laos it would be greatly appreciated.

Might be best using an agency, if you get the correct one (a very good one already commented on your posts - from experience) they will ensure all your documents are in line and ready to go

i was ready to submit my wife and child's application and when it has been reviewed it appears it was lacking in some very important areas!

if i had submitted i would have waited 3 months and got a decline!! is it really worth (for the sake of what in reality is a small sum of money) risking missing something out.

i will give you an example i am recieve my salary every month and as a Director i pay our staff the wages, when i pay myself i also include my ad-hoc expenses and then the accountant allocates accordingly. This however means my wageslips and bank statements differ, what i have now found out can cause a problem!

Had i not engaged an Agent this seamingly small detail could have been missed and lead to a rejection and in effect a delay of 3 months +

Each to their own and i am sure there will be a flurry of posts saying its easy to do it yourself, i prefer to have another proffesional eye cast over this and make sure all is done properly.

if you want to know my experience with the two agencys i have used please send me a PM and i am happy to discuss, but as mentioned the one who commented already is processing my application for me and are very good and proffesional.

 

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You could get the multiple entry non-o visa from the embassy in London in person or by post 

one for the journey back in 6 months ta

 

"i wasn't just sat in my house doing nothing" - can someone clarify if this is not allowed, as per the Thai Immigration's policy?

it didn't sound very 'touristy' 

 

Ahh ok. I may turn up in a jogging suit to immigration next time. May try sweatbands too.

 

don't forget some of that sarcasm i'm sure that will go down a treat ;) 

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You could get the multiple entry non-o visa from the embassy in London in person or by post 

one for the journey back in 6 months :) ta

"i wasn't just sat in my house doing nothing" - can someone clarify if this is not allowed, as per the Thai Immigration's policy?

it didn't sound very 'touristy' 

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If you were to go to Savannakhet you could get a multiple entry non-o visa with the same paperwork that got you the single entry visa.

Also you can get 60 day extensions at immigration to vist your wife. If you did that for your 90 day entry from the O visa that will give 5 months without needing to leave. If you did want to make a short trip out of the country you could get a re-entry permit to keep the visa entry/extension valid.

unfortunately i didn't see your post about this before i booked the flight to Vientiane but I'm going back to the uk for 3-6 months with the family in Oct / Nov so single entry should tide me over, if i need a little longer i will take your advice and get a 60 day extension but in all honesty i like flying out for a few days either on my own or with the Mrs and kids its good to see new places

so it cost you 4,000 baht??

why??

2000 bht for the visa

2000 bht for some guy to sort it for me

much better paying 2000 bht and letting someone do it all, line up at the embassy, and any unexpected problems whilst i sit in a swimming pool lol 

On Monday i left BKK - Lao as my 30 day exempt stamp was running out and i wanted to get a proper visa with all the clamp downs,

When i arrived at immigration the lady took some time looking at all the in/out stamps in my passport (18 over 2 years) and one triple entry tourist visa and asked why i had so many 'in/out stamps'

I explained i received money from the UK and that i liked to travel around Thailand and surrounding countries and she explained she was not happy and i would not be able to come back in on a visa exempt stamp again!

I didn't like the sound of that so i asked why when i could show i was a tourist and clearly not working here, she smilled and walked off to get someone else presumably her boss who was actually a nice chap.

i explained i didn't want anything on file saying i couldn't come in on a visa exempt stamp as i didn't think it was fair, i explained i was going out to get a new visa at which point i showed him bank statements, agoda bookings (on my phone) and flight bookings which clearly show we do travel around thailand and are tourists of sorts, i explained we also have a house but i don't work here and hope he could see that.

I also explained i like to take a trip to the surrounding countries and a visa exempt stamp was the best way to do this rather than paying for tourist visa's and getting leave of absence on the visa etc.

He explained as long as i kept the statements showing i clearly wasn't working in Thailand due to the monies coming over from the UK and other evidence that i wasn't just sat in my house doing nothing or working somewhere then i would have no problem coming back in on a tourist visa or exempt stamp but if i chose the exempt stamp i would be asked these questions every time. 

He explained that as i had all the paperwork it would be better just to get my Non Imm 'o' visa but if i wanted to come back in on the visa exempt stamp then be prepared to show i was a tourist every time.

I flew to Lao, very easy process i turned up a the embassy, a chap was waiting presumably for visa people i gave him copies of:

Wifes ID Card (signed) 

Marriage Cert

Tabien Ban

Kor Ror 2

All were copies no originals, i paid him the visa fee of 2000 bht and when he delivered my passport back i would pay him his fee which he asked to be 2000 bht.

they took photographs and i was gone within 5 mins, very good service as the embassy looked busy but i didn't go back inside.

I was back at the hotel after 15-20mins round trip and went for a swim!

Next day my passport was at reception (i left the 2000 bht in an envelope for him) with the single entry non immigrant 'o' visa in which will cover me until i return to the UK.

Just reassuring that i can come back on a visa exempt stamp if needs must and i just need a bit of documentation to show i am not working here and have funds available and we do go on 'holiday' within Thailand its self.

hope this is useful to some people who may be worrying about back-back entries and tourist visas.

Yes the last few months she has been pushing me up to 20,000 with numerous reasons as to why she needs more.

Think partly because her mother / sister want her to go to 'work' and she has started complaining about how much 'bad' girls in her village get.

One girl is getting 50,000 (from a farrang who wants to take her abroad) she says (despite being fat and having a Thai husband who she lives with) and

lots of stories about how she doesn't ask for big money 30,000 or 40,000.

Then lots of stories about what farrang boyfriends / husbands have done for other girls in her village.

I fear she may be turning into that monster!

Don't worry about the sex or that you have a kid together, you first need to look out for yourself! Don't be weak and if she threatens with leaving you for another farang or Thai man, then you have your answer.

Totally disagree if a child is involved it should have the best possible start in life, why should he or she suffer because the parents can't work it out?

if any couple (of any nationality) split up i am sure there are ways you can make sure the money you send gets spent on the child, be it in the form of you buy x y and z for the child and send it over or use a 3rd party etc

Thanks to every body for the advice. I am clear on what I have to do and unfortunately it will mean a trip to bangkok. I just wanted to clarify if i could do it in the home town or not but no getting out of that. We are there a week so time should be ok. As for the posters saying do the monk ceremony neither of us want this and as a poster said already for future plans the legal way is how we want to go. The kor por 3 is that something we can get after? For when we eventually head overseas .

i believe the Kor Ror 2 is the document you get that accompanies the marriage cert (Kor Ror 3) and you receive both from the Ampur when you have all the documents signed etc

they also gave us several copies of both for use later (visas etc)

Reading some of these replies makes me wonder why some people bothered to get married!

I would love to see you in the uk / us / az work away for a month or two and send your wife with kids £200-300 for the month even with the bills paid!

Surely you want your wife to be happy, have a nice time, make sure the kids are looked after, eat well have new things etc?

i live in Thailand for about 9 months of the year, we (Mrs, and x2 kids) will be back in the uk for a few months but when i leave for a month or so i am not worried how much money i put in the joint bank account or how much the Mrs is spending on the credit card i worry that they are happy, having a nice time and are cared for!

Typically when i go away i would put:

18,000 bht - Mortgage on the house

7,500 bht - loan on the car

4,500 bht - phone internet water electric

then

50,000 bht for spending on whatever for the month

i never check this and where its gone and ask for receipts etc, some months i come back and its all gone and she's used 30-40k bht on the credit card other months i come back and 10,000 bht has gone, the main thing is my family is cared for and looked after.

My wife would be the last person to start sending money to her family unless they really needed it and if they did then so what! Yes she loves shopping and buying new clothes and toys for the kids but who doesn't.

if you don't trust your wife then really what is the point!

When we go back to the UK we have joint accounts which my salary goes into and she has full access, like any couple we would discuss any big expenditure but other than that she is her own person.

I still pay for everything back in the uk also:

50,000 bht mortgage

25,000 bht car

20,000 bht bills

and always have paid for everything over both countries but its for my family why would i ever be bitter or have any issues over money, it seams to me this is why most relationships fall down, money comes and goes!

When we go back to the uk i will keep paying for the house and car in Thailand but her family won't be in the house / use the car / motorbikes etc they are for us, she understands this more than i do and wants everything nice and new for when we come back!

the only thing she has ever asked me for in terms of money for her family was to buy her dad a 25,000 bht medical policy as her works in bangkok, and it covers any and all medical problems, he doesn't get the money we buy the policy every year and my wife can know in medical terms he is looked after and has peace of mind.

By your calculation you earn over 125,000 baht per month after tax and NI which equates to approx £2,450 per month I do not think there are many on Thai visa who earn that type of monthly salary and I doubt the op is on that type of money , so your wife is extremely lucky in what you provide her.

My point was three fold;

Even if i had £2,550 a month i would still rather my wife and family be happy supported and well looked after, and i can go back to the uk and eat rice and nothing else i trust my wife in that she will be doing the best thing for all of us, and should that be the situation i know she would be the first to cut all luxuries out and insist i be happy when not here!

If you are in a good relationship then the money shouldn't matter, my wife fully understands if she goes and spends 50k bht on some clothes then thats 50k bht we don't have to put into a savings account for the children, or buy another house or to better the family life. Not to say she can't (and she has lol) do this but its when things are good.

The final point was just to answer the OP question, when he asked how much people 'give' to their thai wife to live.

The fact is that i would send over 100% of what i earn if it was needed, just because i work doesn't mean that money is mine its a joint enterprise and she is an integral part of my life so whilst she may not get a dividend at the end of every month she looks after everything including the two children and makes sure everything is good and in my eyes thats important.

Vientianne will only issue a single non-O, Savanakhet will issue a multiple non-O.

 

Wiht a letter from a doctor stating your wife had just a baby and can't travel you should be able to get a 60 day extension. Also print some photo's of you and the baby.and mother. It is even reason for a medical extensio for reason of having to take care of your wife.

thank you for the quick reply i am only staying here until we get the settlement visa's so single entry should be ok i guess although a little in-flexible.

if i do leave for whatever reason i presume i could just apply for another one before i come back?

edit: the 60 day extension will be about 5 days short of what i need, i think getting the visa will be best and i've never been to Vientianne :)

You can apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife at immigration. You will need your marriage certificate (plus copy) and copies of your wife's house book an ID card. She will need to go with you when you apply.

If you wanted to make a short trip out of the country during the 60 days you could get a re-entry permit. 

Like the idea but my wife just had a baby and isnt really in the best of condtions to take a trip to immigration before the time runs out :(

thanks for all the replies much appreciated, i like the idea of going to Laos to get a O visa and booked a flight for Monday, i have all the docs sat infront of me but i have just read several other stories on TV about people doing this in Savannakhet as Wayne has also posted... i have booked my flights to Vientiane (oops)

Can i still get the O visa in Vientiane without showing the monies in the bank account?  i have taken copies of my uk bank account and wage slips to show i get sufficient monies coming in every month but get the feeling this will be ignored.

if i can't get the visa in Vientiane then i guess its a bit of a journey to Savannakhet which is going to be a real pain as my flights and hotel are non-changeable or refundable!!

Hi, i have read all the recent news on the Visa update and the issues with tourist visas and in-out now being an issue.

i do however find myself in a bit of a problematic situation now, in that:

i travel to Thailand with  my wife and child (thai) for 2-3 month periods and we then return to the UK for the same period of time

In Thailand i never work and have sufficient funds to support myself and my family, we have a car house motorbike here. My income from home simply allows me to take extended holidays away from the UK.

I previously travelled to Thailand on a mult entry tourist visa but found that it wasnt good in terms of we like to visit surrounding countries and if i left for example after 2 weeks of renewing the visa it 'wasted' an entry that could have been for 3 months. Therefore i have found the 30 day visas fine and just before they expire i go visit cambodia or singapore etc for a few days, sometimes on my own sometimes with the Mrs and kid.

My 30 day visa expires on the 9th August and i have booked a 1 day trip to Cambodia my issue is that when i come back i have 10+ stamps showing 30 day entries into the country...

i would also need to do another visa run around the same time in September and my flight back to the UK is then on the 7th October

When i go back to the UK we should have x2 settlement visa's for my wife and child i dont expect any issues with this.

My concern is that i am a tourist within Thailand and do have a return flight but it isnt until the 7th October! i am concerned that trying to get back in with 1 30 day stamp is risky enough but to try for two (or an extension) is pushing my luck a little far.

I don't however see another alternative at the moment, i cannot apply for the marrage visa as i dont put more than 100k bht into the thai bank account as we rairly use it, we both have joint uk bank accounts and credit cards with plenty of cash in but i assume this wont help...

i am just wondering what the best advice is going to be - go home isnt an option at the moment as we have just had another child (5 days old!) and i really dont fancy going back to the uk and missing out...

if i can apply for any other type of visa or any other suggestions would be much appreciated. i am not looking to cheat the system or use any type of visa as its not meant to be i just want to stay here for the planned 3 months we had and then go back to the uk.

advice much appreciated

Simple answer - no, you cannot naturlize the child as yours or british just by marrying the mother.

Any children you do have with her that are boilogically yours, born in Thailand, will be British citizens (providing you were born in UK)

You must be married to the mother for Thai government to recognise your legal rights as a father of any biological children. if you aren't married the mother will have full rghts over the child & you will have none.

If she is still married to the father of her first child & gets [pregnant with yours, HE will be considered the legal father under thai law & COULD petition court for custody.

As for spending 75/25% time in UK, Thailand, how will you do this when you will have a child in school full time in a couple of years? Paying for 3+ people flying back & forward to thailand a couple of times a year during school holidays is a very expensive idea.

Thank you both for your replies,

As far as i understand obtaining a settlement VISA should be fairly easy, we have had a visitor visa granted a few weeks ago after a second attempt.

• you and your partner are both aged 18 or over at the date of application;
• your partner is not related to you in a way that means you could not marry in UK law;
• you and your partner have met in person;
• your relationship with your partner is genuine and subsisting;
• if you are married or in a civil partnership, your marriage or civil partnership is valid in UK law;
• you meet the suitability requirements;
• any previous relationship has permanently broken down (this does not apply to certain polygamous relationships);
• you and your partner intend to live together permanently in the UK;
• you meet the financial requirement;
• you meet the English language requirement; and
• if you are in the UK and want to extend your leave or apply for settlement in the UK you will need to meet the suitability requirement.

We can tick all of the above points so fingers crossed it shouldnt be an issue.

Is it possible just to register in the Ampur as the legal farther of the 2 and 1/2 year old?

As for flying backwards and forwards it shouldnt be an issue during school holidays, it will be no more expensive than taking holidays elsewhere during holidays.

Hi all,

I have read TV for some months now and (on the most part) am able to answer any queries i have from other peoples threads.

That said i cannot easily see any questions that relate to my circumstances and so here goes;

I have been seeing a my Thai GF for the best part of a year now (she is 23 i am 28) and i have lived in Koh Samui and BKK with her since January (with the occasional 1 week trip back to the UK)

We have decided to get married next week and are both very happy about this, she also has a child (2 years old) from her previous relationship with a Thai man. He does not see the child any more as he was using the child to blackmail money out of her and generally treated the child badly.

From what i understand she has got papers signed at the Amphur signed by a person of authority in her village that she looks after the child on her own and the farther is no longer around. (She explains this means he has no rights at all to the child and cannot be involved in any way with the child any more) I believe his name is on the birth certificate however they were not married (and never have been) and he was never registered as the farther of the child at the Amphur.

My 1st Question is: Is the above correct and he can have no more involvement with said child?

Secondly, once we are married as per the 'pinned post' any future children will be in the eyes of Thai law mine and i can apply for a uk passport accordingly, is this correct?

Thirdly and finally - the current child i would like to also have a UK passport, the pinned post is not to clear, once we marry do i become the legal farther of the existing child ? and if so can i then apply for a UK passport?

If this is not the case can i be registered at the Amphur as the legal farther? Even though i did not know my GF 3 and 1/2 years ago!?

The aim of this is to get my GF and any children over to the UK where we will spend 75% of the year and 25% of the year in Thailand.

Thanks in advance and if any more info is needed please let me know.