giruz

How long must a Thai passport have left until expiration for them to enter S. Korea? I am considering a job in S. Korea and will want my wife to come and stay. Her passport expires in January of 2009. This is what I have found out so far;

1-She can stay indefinately without a Visa, as long as I have one, and of course, her passport is valid(essentially staying on my work Visa)

2- She will need to go to the S. Korean embassy in Bangkok and have an english translation of our marriage cert. Certified.

3- She may have trouble getting out of Thailand, if she needs to travel to Korea alone. I have read that she MIGHT not have any problems, as long as she has the english "S. Korean Embassy Certified" copy of the marriage cert.

4- THE THAI EMBASSY TOLD HER THAT THEY WILL NOT GIVE HER A NEW PASSPORT UNTIL THE CURRENT PASSPORT IS NEARER THE EXPIRATION DATE.

5- Normally the under the standard visa rules, she can come to stay for 3 months, without a Visa at all.

But what are the passport exp. requirements?

Where are you based?

My gf renewed her Thai passport that had 9 months left and no question was asked.

This was done in 5 or 6 working days (BKK office), no bonus on the duration on the passport tough (5yrs from the renewal request).

The bonus for me was my second waffle of all times at the foodcourt where she renewed the passport!

We've been told that in London the same thing would have required 3/4 months.

giruzz

Do a search on this site plenty of information.

From my experience. You can go to germany without visa (check on the consulate's website).

Forget about asking for a Visa for Netherlands, Spain, Italy or France if you're wife doesn't have the residency card issued on the passport.

If you have a marriage certificate you might try to go directly to the airlines but again, the check-in people might stop you or you might have issue s when you land (border security guards might not aware of this law).

Search on the forum also...

g.

It seems that if your partner has a EEA Family Member issued in the United Kingdom you will not need anymore a Schengen Visa to enter Germany.

The Dutch embassy in London said that soon will be the same for them... (not that I trust much the Dutch..but at least we can hope).

http://www.london.diplo.de/Vertretung/lond...isa__seite.html

giruz

Ok, just a quick update.

I've called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After speaking with 6 people (excl. receptionists). I've got the following answers:

1- It's not me. I don't know (x2)

2- It's my colleague

3- I'm to busy to take call this week. Call back next week

4- You don't need a Visa you are EU Cit (<deleted>!! I know I don't need a visa, it is for my gf!!!)

5- Send an email to [email protected] (their generic address)...

Well, after this...I've finally managed to receive a reply:

Dear Mr. XXXX,

Thank you for your e-mail. I have forwarded your request to the competent member of this office.

It might take some time before we get a reaction because of the upcoming holidays.

Kind regards,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Movement of Persons, Migration and

Alien Affairs Department

Aliens and Visas Division

Visa-section (ms)

The Hague

Just wanted to highlight that there is no name for the person that handled the request. There is no name of the person in charge for this request. And 'it might take some time' is quite scaring...

g.

1. I was referring to YOUR sentence: "We tried with the Dutch because I didn't want to pay £45 for the visa " meaning that you have to pay the same whatever the Embassy you apply with

2. It would have been much better if you would have accompanied your gf (long term relationship but not married) to the Dutch Embassy when she applied for a visa.

You could either try again or have the Home Office phone the Embassy to explain the situation (or send them an email/fax)

Also, if you have a visa for another country it's no problem to visit Holland first. There are several ways to travel from the UK to the mainland, train or ferry not just by plane.

Friends, married Chinese girl and Norway guy traveled from Shanghai to Bergen/Norway via a stop in Holland, went through customs/passport control in Amsterdam for a few hours to give my wife a present parcel...no problem. Since their plane from Shanghai arrived much too late (and missed their plane to Bergen) they had to stay the whole night and preferred to stay outside the customs/passport area.

LaoPo

1. Well, you pay if you ask for a tourist visa. The EEA Family member visa that we asked was free-of-charge. The French and Italians do not recognized long-term relationship so the only way to get a visa is to apply for a tourist visa (and therefore pay the 45 quid fee).

2. We do have Eurostar tickets for France and we booked an interview with them for mid-may..will see (last resort)

3. I know about the visa rule. We chosen Holland because it was free of charge. We do have tickets for Italy and France. However, those two have been excluded because they charge a fee. Also, when emailed requesting info the Dutch replied saying 'all good', the Italians replied saying only tourist visa and the French didn't reply at all.

4. We are now waiting for the Home-Office reply about the application. The Dutch person just didn't give a shit about calling the home-office. She knew the UK EEA Family permit member is valid but she applied their policy that don't allow Schengen visa to be issued if the Visa is not endorsed to the passport. Full stop. Explanations & Talks were just a waste of time. Plus, my original plan was to go to the interview but then...a colleague resigned another one was sick so it was 2 out of 4 on my team and my boss said 'forget about going to the interview'.

g.

Well,

few more infos.

1) Just spoke with a guy at work who has a bit of experience with Visa matters (He is singaporean, everyone else at work are Brit, Europeans or Americans so don't know much about it). He said that from his experience obtaining a Dutch visa is really hard. He suggested us to go to the Germans or Austrians.

2) My gf just spoke with an old classmate from when she was @ chulalongkorn. This girl is now studying here and working part-time (so student visa and limited cash to spend). She asked for a tourist visa to the Italian consulate and got a 1 year visa with 90 days stay!!! (Much more than what the Italian consulate in Sydney gave my gf in the past even tough she had heaps of reasons for leaving the country..but anyway...).

So..we decided to mail all our papers to the Home Office and start calling them on Monday. If we don't get the visa endorsed on the passport in three weeks we are going to have everything returned and will see if the Italians are more reasonable (my gf has been in Italy three times for a total of 27 days in the last 6 months). In the meantime we've booked for another interview with the Dutch (first date 9th of May).

g.

I'm afraid I don't follow you....

A Visa for any country in the Schengen area would cost (most likely*) the same and you are entitled to travel within ALL Schengen countries, no matter which country supplied the Visa.

* If I'm wrong I will hear it, no doubt

LaoPo

Ok, this is the story. Schengen for countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden and a few more (I think Spain, Hungary and the other Scandinavian country) we can ask for a EEA Family member permit because they recognize a stable and durable relationship if you can provide documents that attest the relationship dating back no less than 2 yrs.

Italy and France DO NOT have this so you need to ask for a Tourist Visa that cost 60EUR.

After posting, I've called a few embassies and the only one I've been able to speak with was the Swedish embassy. A very nice guy told me that is a European Rule that requires a residency card endorsed on the passport if you want to get a Schengen Visa.

As a matter of fact the Dutch gave my gf a letter that says something like 'your residency card has to be endorsed, security guards at borders DO NOT know that this is a valid document'.

g.

Strange indeed; are you talking UK residency card ?

Strange and maybe the one who talked to you in the Embassy didn't know the rules her/himself.

Can't you ask a tourist visa with the Belgium Embassy or ask the Home Office to phone the Dutch Embassy; better hurry...it's Friday afternoon....

Surely your gf isn't the only one in the UK with a residency card.

Must be a misunderstanding somewhere.

LaoPo

She has a UK residency card that expires in dec-2012 (after her passport expires). It has been issued as EEA Family Member (I'm Italian).

We tried with the Dutch because I didn't want to pay £45 for the visa (Italians & French do not recognize de-facto relationships).

The problem with asking for a German/Austrian/Swedish visa is that we don't plan to go in any of those countries in the near future....

g.

My GF just left the Dutch Embassy in London a few minutes ago.

Her dutch visa has been refused because her residency card is not issued on a passport but it is issued on a paper.

They gave her a letter and told to ask the home office to obtain a new label on the passport.

We went to the Dutch because we are not married and they recognised the un-married partnership while French and Italians don't (we are going to do a few days in Amsterdam, Paris and Milan) (which means free visa).

Anyway...

I've called the French and the Italians on their premium rates (£1gbp/min) and I'm still unsure if they can issue a (tourist) visa or if they will reply as the Dutch did...is there anyone that could help with this?

(In the meantime we will try with the Home Office)

g.

OK,

I had the same experience before. I'm not sure where the 9b/min call goes but try to call directly the embassy.

Try to get hold of someone Italian not the two Thai employees who are useless and hostile (at best). If you shout and scream they will transfer your call to the guys in charge for visa and you can explain your situation.

On the other hand, you can go to the Danish embassy and get a visa for your wife without too much hassle (assuming you have a marriage certificate).

g.

Hi,

I'm just wondering if anyone of you Brits working in the UK could help me.

I'm entitled to participate to an ESPP and I was wondering if anyone could direct me to some kind of information regarding the Taxation of these plans.

I've searched online and I found only references to the US.

Thank you

giorgio

OK, don't have time to translate the whole piece.

It says that the there have been 5 arrests plus another man is held without charges.The people have been found with thousands of movies & pics showing child abuses.

One of the arrested is the 'star' of some of the movies. He is having sex with at least 8 different children also the movies has been shot with 4 cameras. There are about 200 movies each with a length of 180 mins and were ready to be published on Internet.

The people arrested have been caught while exchanging pics, they are a 62 yo man, a 34yo and three 50yo.

The man held without charges is a 55yo University Lecturer that has been stopped while entering Italy after a trip to Thailand. He was carrying movies with child abuses and is he seems to be participate in one of them.

(cut)

There have been raids in different regions which include: Sicily (16), Campania, Tuscany (12 each), Lombardia and Emilia Romagna (11 each), Veneto (9), Liguria (6), Friuli and Calabria (5) (and so on...for the others).

Police investigations started after Telecono Arcobaleno reported the internet trade (note: telefono arcobaleno is a well know NGO against child abuses). The article finishes with the director of this NGO highlighting the links between sex tourism and child molester.

g.

Many foreign countries do not recognise de facto marriages, Singapore for one. Has anyone had problems for example immigration, checking into a hotel, obtaining govt services,renting property? There are disadvantages to defacto marriages (but they do not seem to apply in western countries now).

I'm assuming you are talking about an Aus defacto..well..

I had an Aussie student visa with a defacto for my gf (this mean she was dependant on my visa as unmarried partner) and we didn't have any troubles when she asked a Kiwi Visa in Sydney, all the lady asked to see was a credit card. Showed my Amex & my gf's VISA and the interview was over with a big smile from the interviewer.

We went to the Italian consulate asking for a Schengen-tourist visa with my lady having an EEA Family Permit Member/Unmarried visa from the UK+the Aussie Defacto on my student. The result was that I had a fight with the lady while doing the interview. She didn't like that my gf had a family member without being married (note that I'm Italian).

Having a valid UK Issued-EEA Family member you can get in Switzerland (not sure about Aussie one but might be the case), the border control guard didn't asked. In fact they didn't care at all.My GF was the first passing for that border with that visa.

If you are holding a Eu passport, and your partner has a defacto and you both want to travel in EU will be much easier to ask for a FREE EEA family member-unmarried partner. Just remember that not every country will issue one (E.g. UK does, for schengen you can choose from Netherlands and Scandinavian countries, forget about Spain, Italy, Portugal, France and Greece).

I really don't see problems. A defacto makes things much much easier for the part that has a passport with less value (e.g. for the part that doesn't hold a western passport)

g.

Applied on the 13th of November for both EEA1 & EE2 (myself and for my girl - unmarried family member).

The 5th of December she asked her passport back which was returned the 21st of December

I've requested my passport back the 27th of December (she was planning to apply for a new EEA-6months in BKK)

Today she cames back home and found in our mailbox an envelop with:

1- My passport

2- All the documents submitted

3- My residency card (which is on paper not on plastic)

4- Her residency card, which is attached on a plain A4 paper (the one you use in a printer).

Both residency card were issued on the 14th of December 2007. Last thing...we didn't even submit original docs because those were lost somewhere in a UK custom office (we shipped all our stuff from Australia were we lived and everything was stuck for 60days in a custom deposit)

For coincidence. tomorrow we are flying to Belfast...guess will be a Friday/Saturday full of Guinness

g.

A big thank you to the scouse for his help!!!

W. may apply for another family permit at any point. The downside is that she's going to have to show all the evidence again stretching back over the two years and include proof of both your and her employment. However, the process should be straightforward as she has already been issued with one permit.

Scouse.

Thank you again!

Submitting the documents isn't a problem...

Merry Christmas

g.&w.

Hi G.,

Did W. ask for her passport back? If not, why did the BIA return it without a residence permit endorsed within?

If W. so wishes, she can apply for another family permit from a British embassy abroad once this one has expired, and this will not cancel her residence permit application. She can then re-submit her passport to the BIA once she returns.

Scouse.

Hi,

Thank you for your help.

W. had to ask the passport back because as you know she has to travel for work. She is going to Thailand at the beginning of January and she should be back before the current EEA Family permit member expires. Do we have to wait until the current one she has is expired or can she apply one in Thailand?

The main issue is that she should also apply for a Japanese visa (trip is scheduled for Feb) and the Embassy in London said that will not give her a visa unless she has valid EEA Family Permit with an reasonable expiry date on it (so can't get a Japanese visa here in London then on the way back from Japan stop in Thailand and get a new EEA Family Permit)

g.

Hi All,

Right now I'm in the UK with my GF (thanks to the scouser). She is here on a EEA Family Member Visa (I'm EU Passport holder).

She applied a few months ago for a 5 years residency card who hasn't been guaranteed yet (so far we haven't heard anything from the BIA).

Now, her visa is expiring the end of January and she will have to travel abroad about 6 times between February and March. Also, she is going to Thailand in January (work related trip)...we were wondering if she can apply for another 6 months EEA family permit member without compromising her current residency card application.

Today she received back her passport with a letter that states ' Family member of an EEA national who are not themselves EEA national, wishing to return to the UK should apply for an EEA family permit at a British Diplomatic Post Abroad before returnig to this country'. Now, from my understanding she can apply...but I'm just wondering if this is a problem because her current visa isn't expired yet....

can anyone confirm that is ok to do so?

thank you!!

giruzz

How hard is it for a Chinese citizen living in Thailand on a student vsa to obtain a tourist visa to the US from Thailand?

Thanks

Sorry to rain on your parade.

I don't think you can apply a tourist visa to the US from the second country.

Years ago, my Thai friend was visiting her daughter ( attending the Univ. ) in the US. Her son was in school in UK. She had her son gone to the US Embassy in London to apply a visiting visa, so he could come to US to spend a x-mas together.

The US Embassy told the son that he has to go back to TL (the original country), to apply from there.

It's worth to call up the US Emb. to hear more up-dated regulations.

Good luck!

When my girlfriend was studying in Australia won a scholarship to go in the US for a 6months exchange as part of her master.

She went to the US embassy and the guy at the entrance (kind of security/receptionist) told her that was almost impossible to get a US-Visa outside the country of origin (Thailand) unless permanent resident of Australia. However, he said that she was allowed to apply.

This because nevertheless she had a master to complete after the exchange period, immigration did not believe she would have returned to Australia once terminated the semester/scholarship in US. Also, she has been told that even a tourist visa was out of mind due to her limited finances (she was working part/time)

The guy suggested her to fly to Bangkok and then apply there. (It is out of my comprehension why applying in Bangkok would have made any difference than applying in Sydney.)

Another story in London (were we live now). Again my girlfriend has a Chinese colleague who holds a 2 years working Visa.

This person applied for a two weeks tourist visa and obtained a 1-year tourist visa to the US without hassles. (Her salary is about 21,000 GBP/pa so it is just a bit over entry level here in London)

g.

g.

Thank you, nonthaburial. Comprehensive reply.

I've been googling and I discovered that for 55 MOPs you can avoid being stamped in in Macau and get the Express Link bus to the ferry terminal. Has anyone done this? Actually I think I rather like stamps in my passport although I would have to queue for immigration whilst the Express Link avoids this.

Hi,

I've done BKK-MACAU-HK just 1 month ago.

I don't remember the prices for the ferry but if you check on thornetree or on their website I'm sure you can find it.

Once landed you can do customs as usual (no more than 10min), then take a bus AP1 (i think) that for 3.5MOP (or 3.1) will take you to the ferry terminal. If you got luggage there is an extra fee of 3MOP for piece.

It takes about 20 min from the Airport to the Ferry terminal.

Just remember:

if you aren't a gambler or if you don't want a young Chinese girl for the night...well...Macau won't be interesting for you. Don't spend more than a night there (and do it only if you feel compelled to do it). Couldn't find any decent place to eat (with decent prices).

We (me and my gf) ended up eating @ mcdonalds.

Really a depressing place, and remember...if you are flying out with the night flight...please EAT while in HK. Macau has only ONE foodcourt so...forget about nice food.

hope it helps

g.

Not wishing to start another thread along the same lines:

Anyone with brief knowledge of the requirement for a Thai citizen to enter Singapore for a Tourist Visit?

Thai wife,Thai Passport / Australian husband accompaning!

Same as for HK/Macau.

Landed from Darwin, We had one-way ticked and we got 30 days (eu passport for me and thai for my gf).

No one asked an outward ticket.

The girl that did our check-in asked if we had a ticket, she said that even without wasn't a problem.

Cheers

g.

Hi,

I've been there with my gf two weeks ago.

EU citizens get 90 days (except Brits who get 180)

Thai citizens get 30 days

Same story for Macau.

g.

Nice that they can rule out terrorism so quickly. Guess he's going by their track record.

Nice!!! I'm flying with China to FCO next week....this really boost my morale!

g.

My advice is to always refuse the Dynamic Currency Conversion(DCC) as it is of little or no benefit to the consumer and almost always of detriment.

There was also mention of Visa levying a 1% charge regardless of whether they carried out the Forex transaction. So you pay twice.

Just say NO.

Exactly.

I've been to the Bayoke hotel recently, I asked to pay in THB and I've been wrongfully charged in EUR.

The total in EUR using DCC was 143.09EUR (I refused to sign the slip)

The total in EUR charged by Mastercard was 139.43EUR

Merchants are pushing this DCC as an advantage and I see many gonzo-like people believing that it is ('it protects me from currency fluctuation')

I think is just another way to rip-you off!!

I experienced this for Bayoke (I've been asked and I refused, however I've been charged in EUR and I spent about 40 min trying to explain that I wasn't going to sign the slip. The cashier said that type of transaction couldn't be voided (<deleted>) then at the end I suggested to call the bank and she finally managed to void it)

Fuji (the japanese rest.) again, I've been offered the conversion I refused and the lady did what she wanted. Again, I refused to sign the slip.

Bumrungrad Hospital: the cashier offered the conversion I refused and she billed me in THB.

Also, I hate that AMEX does a conversion THB-USD-EUR and this funny double passage increases the final cost for about 2%

bye

g.

Multi entries is no problem to enter AND leave within validity of visa.

I am not sure on the overall maximum length of stay but am sure she isnot suppose to stay for the whole validity period.

The idea would be a total of 30 days.

In any cases changing your travelling dates is perfectly ok within the validity of the visa

I'm asking because I remember the lady that typed her visa did asked and entered the port of entry and the days on her computer.

She said it was requested in order to obtain a Shengen visa.

So, my worry is that once we land the cops will see a different entry and will start to annoy.

I tried to call several embassies/consulates to clarify this but it is Saturday so no one is open (I tried BKK, Jerusalem, Riahd, Dhakka and Mumbai).

Unfortunately we had to change our tickets today because there are only two places for the 2nd of September otherwise we had to wait for the 15th which is a bit to late (about 20days too late).

Anyway, thanks for your help!

g.

Then the visa is valid for 7 months which seems unusual for a Schengen visa, which country is that ? Isit a multi entries or a single entry ?

Multi entry, 23aug to 22nd of feb(6 months).

Sorry for my mistake . Issued in Sydney by the Italian Consulate.

g.