MangoKorat

Because of the interest rate and the fact that should a UK bank go bust my money (max £85k per account) is protected. I also believe that the UK's rules on fraud, should anyone access my account, are likely to be much better than those in Thailand where many things are governed by 'Caveat Emptor' principles. With a UK account, as long as I can show that I have not revealed my personal details, PIN etc. to a fraudulent party, the bank has to refund any money obtained by fraudulent means. I have to show an income of at least 40k baht per month to maintain my work permit in any case.

Thai PM Orders Standardised Smoking Areas at Airports for Travellers About bloody time!!!

A further question regarding the 400K in the bank. It is my intention to change to the income method for my second extension - I will have to have an income of 40k per month to maintain my work permit in any case. However, it has long been my intention to keep a similar figure (£10k) as my 'insurance policy' should I ever have to return to the UK permanently. The intention was to keep the £10k in a UK bank as the interest on Thai accounts is pitiful. I might just though, keep it in a Thai account as a sort of back up should there be any problems with the income method. Does anyone know of a Thai account that pays reasonable interest and is of a type acceptable to immigration?

I may have asked this question before as part of another enquiry - however, I can't find such a post or remember any reply if there was one, so....... With regard to the first application, does the 400K in the bank for a marriage based Non O extension have to be seasoned in a Thai bank account? For some reason I seem to think that provided its the first application, it doesn't.

Is the Visa Exempt Entry for a British national entering by air still 60 days - I know there was some talk of it returning back to 30? The Royal Thai Embassy in London's website still says 60 but they are not famous for updating their site often.

Thankfully there is no gas in my village 😁

Do these drugs actually work anyone? I had covid over New Year for the 4th time and it was the worst I'd ever had it - jeez I felt bad. I thought there was no actual treatment?

Got me worried now. Did an underground cable joint on my UK household incomer (post meter) and can't remember if I retightened the allen screws after bending the cables into line so the joint covers aligned and clicked into place. Had a similar problem previously, not my doing though - the electricity provider made a bad joint onto the main cable when the house was built. 15 years on I turned on the microwave one morning and lost all power - been a little flickering for a week or so prior to that. Provider arrived and found the burned out joint. Still, house is sold and I'm heading for Thailand soon 🙂.

They wouldn't be there if their customers weren't there. So lets get rid of them all right? Then what happens to the Sukhumvit, if not the entire country's economy? Bars all close as do restaurants, 7/11's, gift shops, tailors, etc. Thailand wants more tourism, not less. Yes, there are many more familes choosing to holiday in Thailand these days but there's still a lot of males that visit the country for one main purpose. Lose that and you lose a big chunk of tourism income. Never going to happen - these raids are just a token gesture so the BIB can say they've done something. The arrested girls will have been out and back to work within a few hours. It wouldn't be a wild guess that many of the foriegn girls make 'donations' to be able to ply their trade - certain officers won't want to jeopardise that income stream, that's why they've only picked up a few. Hope they 'refunded' their 'licence fees'.

Yeah right!

Unless France has changed - these plans could spark riots. Its been a long time since I spent any time in France but when I did, I was amazed at how many people smoked - just about everybody it seemed. Couple that (unless its changed drastically) with the popularity of protesting in France and there could be trouble.

As you will have realised by now, the main thing you have to do is to convince the ECO who handles your application that your wife will return to Thailand before her visa expires. Therefore, evidence of a settled life in Thailand is required. She doesn't need to be working or have any money in her bank account - if she doesn't work just state why........housewife, retired etc. As it seems you will be paying for the entire trip, you do not have to provide any evidence of her finances, only that you have enough money to pay. I don't have time to read this entire thread and some/all of these points may have been covered already so I'm just going to make a few suggestions as to evidence you might provide to support your wife's application. I don't know your personal details so I'm making a few assumptions - adjust to suit if they don't fit you. Settled life in Thailand: Evidence of your marriage. Your visa/extension of stay. State how long you have been in the country and provide evidence if you can. Describe and provide evidence of your accomodation, house/flat, owned/rented. How long you've lived there. Tabien Bahn copy, electric/water bills in yours or your wife's name. Bank statements or similar for you both to prove same address - not finaces. If your wife has close family ties in Thailand - give details. This one often crops up so it is clearly on the ECO's checklist. I'm assuming that you are retired (as you say you don't work) and maybe your wife is middle aged? State this + how long you've been together. If your wife is 40+ she is in a lower risk category - one thing that I know (from an ECO) is that with younger women they consider the likelihood of them disappearing after entry to work in certain 'professions' in the UK. Describe the purpose of the visit - there is nothing out of the ordinary about a husband and wife visiting their family abroad. British visas are nowhere near as difficult to obtain as people often state they are. That is often caused by people telling lies on their applications and being caught out or failing to provide the key points of evidence to suit their particular circumstances.. People may tell you your wife needs to be working to be successful - this is not true. I know one guy who has helped his wife with 3 UK visa applications over the years - beginning when she was in her mid 20's. Apart for a part time job (cash in hand) she hasn't worked since they were married. In a letter supporting her application he simply stated that they are a married couple and his wife takes care of the house and her children - she dosn't need to work as he is the breadwinner. I hope the above gives you some ideas of what you need to do to convince an ECO that the application is for a genuine visit - adjust or add to the information to suit your circumstances. I am a big believer in a supporting letter - used one many times and never had a visa refused. However, you need to keep it concise - you want the ECO to actually read it. Many years ago a friend of mine provided vital financial evidence, it was missed and the visa refused on the grounds of lack of financial evidence! The application was massive with pages and pages of pointless so called 'supporting evidence'. So, describe your circumstances along the lines that I have suggested, give the reason for this visit etc.etc. Then edit it and edit it again - several times if necessary. Paragraph it and try to keep it to just 1 A4 sheet. Make sure anything you state is truthful. I have not mentioned everything as others have covered much of what's needed - like a letter from any friends or relatives stating that they are happy for you both to stay with them during your visit. You should also provide details showing that they have sufficient accommodation - not always needed but it helps. Finally, I would advise against using an agent unless they come well recommended - there really is no need for one in a straightforward case. More than once I've heard of agents telling lies that the applicant then becomes responsible for. Significant lies told on an application can lead to a ban on future applications - a 5 year ban I seem to remember.

And what's wrong with that? Immigration is only a problem if there are more immigrants than jobs, houses or the infrastructure needed to support them. Its not that long ago that Australia was actively running a programme seeking immigrants.

Really? I think you need to think about the clientele he'd be dealing with. In addition, I can't see a 16 year old making a good bar/restaurant owner anywhere - but in Pattaya? Definitely not. Such a person would be a rare beast indeed, most 16 year old's can't even speak these days - only text.

Successful people don't need to find a way to constantly slag others off - no matter what the subject. I tend to think that people who do that are really rather sad individuals.

Do you really need to ask that question?

Not necessarily. A suspended sentence is almost always conditional and the conditions usually order the offender to attend regular scheduled probation appointments. I note that his sentence also included community service - that is also likely to be a component of the suspended sentence. If it is considered that the offender is a 'flight risk', the suspended sentence may also prohibit them from leaving the UK without permission until the sentence is complete. Failure to comply with any of the conditions would almost certainly trigger the CPS to apply to the courts for an order to terminate the suspension and impose the original 2 year sentence. Courts almost always grant that application and it can be done in the offender's absence.

Speak to a lawyer. One foreign lawyer who runs a law firm in Thailand (using Thai lawyers) told me a long time ago that the law requiring you to state that the money belongs to your wife and you won't make any claim on it in future was deemed illegal long ago. I didn't ask for detail at the time but I'd take a guess that its because of clashes with the rules on marital assets (Sin Somros) and assets held before marriage (Sin Suan Tua). Not sure, could be some other reason but he said the rule was illegal although he was aware of some official departments still asking for such declarations.

So not only did she no know what was in her 46kg of luggage, she didn't either book any additional weight or pay for it at check in? Or is she claiming the additional bag (there must have been one because there is a 32kg per bag limit) was added after check in? If so her luggage receipt (sticker) will only show one bag and the bar code on it will correspond to the bag she checked in. If she can show that, she's home and dry but I suspect she can't and her story is pure BS.

I normally use Enterprise.

Hotels that rent cars? Not something I've heard of and if they do, I doubt they'll be competitive.

Very short on time and haven't read any of the posts that lead to this so I could be talking complete rubbish but I just want to point out that there is a difference between a UK Government Pension and a UK State Pension. I read an article some months back that stated that under the UK/Thai DTA a UK Government Pension (paid to ex government and public employees) would not be assessable for tax in Thailand whilst a State Pension is. Simply pointing out the difference between the two pensions which is often confused.

The rulings are contained within the bloody articles!!! Listen, it is common knowledge that Israel have broken/are breaking international laws - both criminal and humanitarian. There are arrest warrants out for both Netanyahu and the leaders of Hamas. The fact is that Israel has broken/is breaking International Humanitarian Law as applicable to an occupying force. It has also broken the law on rules of combat that state that a civillian population must not be targeted. I've debated with people like you before and I'm pretty sure that even if I delivered the actual rulings to your door, you would not back down and apologise. I am quite happy that I am correct in that Israel have/are breaking both International Humanitarian Law and the rules on combat. I am not in the habit of debating facts with someone who, even if the law was in front of them, would still argue with it. I have work to do, thanks.

Yes

So there is no USA and never was also?