Guemlum

And I'd argue that its not as exspensive as the plane. The price I gave you for 1st class was a trip that I took only 11 days ago. The downside is that it will take you about 12 hrs.

A flight at present with Air Asia or Nok Air which I also took on my return to Nongkhai will cost you about 1500 baht or about 2400 if you go Nok Plus, and about 2000 baht if you fly with Thai Airways. Advantage is that the flight to Udon Thani only takes 1hr. You then have to get a minivan to Nongkhai which is shared and now costs 150 baht pp and will take about 50 minutes, or you can take the local bus which is even cheaper and will take even longer.

I do this trip regularly so PM me if you need any more info.

Guemlum

I assume that if you are travelling from Bangkok to Vientiene, then you are aware that your last stop will be Nongkhai.

I recently travelled in the opposite direction with my GF but this time we decided to go 1st Class. We had travelled 2nd class many a time, but decided we wanted a bit more privacy this time. I would definately recommend it.

Firstly, you get your own cabin. The beds are alot bigger and alot more comfortable. You can turn the air-con on or off, its entirely up to you. And they also have power outlets in the room as well. Regarding wash facilities, you have your own sink in the room but no shower. The shower can be found at the end of the carriage in 1st class. Not sure whether they have in 2nd but from memory, they might have.

It cost us about 1200 baht each, but I was told by a frequent 1st class traveller that if you are travelling on your own you can secure the whole room for yourself by paying 1500 baht. That way you are guaranteed that no other single traveller is going to be occupying the bed above or below you.

Yes you can get beer on the train but it will cost you twice as much, so buy some from a shop before you go. And the food is overpriced, so again, bring your own if you want or settle for what they offer. The breakfast was 150 baht, and was xxxT.

Hope this helps.

Guemlum

Hi Drew, I know you've only been together a short time and if you tell her the moneys not needed in her account and she does a runner, then you'll know exactly where you stand and what she was in it for. But on the other hand, if she still wants a visistor visa and she's genuine about your relationship, then great, send her the link.

In theory, if she's granted a tourist visa, it should make things easier for future applications, but you may need to show that your relationship had progressed and developed in the meantime.

It helps IMO if you are there together when submit your application at the visa centre. Get all of your info together and then submit it. I believe you can submit this info 3 months prior to her wanting to come to the UK, and the visa will be granted 3 months from the time you submit your application, but the interviewer told my gf that if she needed a visa for further visits then leave it untill 3-4 weeks before she wants to come.

We only applied 3 months in advance incase any problems arose.

You may get a decision within 3-5 days after submitting your application or she may be asked to attend an interview at the embassy which could prolong things by a further 20 days, but by this time you will know if she has been sucessfull or not.

My gf was granted her visa yesterday and we aim to use this as a way of testing the water. If she likes things over here then we will progress to the next step. We've been together nearly 2 years now, so the next step would be marriage. Upon doing so, we would probably apply for a settlement visa, but who knows what the future will bring.

Good luck mate.

"hi well i just got fiancee visa for uk for my to be thai wife and i own my place mortgage free and have good job i also show saving of over £80,000 yes £80,000"

Blimey mickyboy, not many people in your situation right now. You want a boyfriend as well

Well done with the visa app and dont tell your fiance how much your worth

Guemlum

You'll get a lot of advice on this forum, both good and bad. Whatever the advice, make the decision yourself, because only you know your girlfriend and none of the members or guests on this site do.

Your gf does not need 100,000 baht in her bank account in order to show she has sufficiant funds. My gf was just granted a tourist visa and she only had 35k in the bank at the time. She was not asked any questions about her bank balance or where the money came from. And would you really just hand over nearly the equivelent of 1500 GBP to someone you had only been in a relationship with for just 3 months, whether they were falang or Thai? And from what I've heard, the embassy dont like you just giving large amounts of money to your partner in order to boost their bank balance for the purpose of a visa application.

If you are going to sponsor her then it is basically you that has to show sufficiant means in order to support her during her visit.

As markr mentioned, your biggest hurdle is going to be your gf giving reasons for returning to Thailand. Here are some of the reasons my gf gave...

1. A letter from her employer explaining that she had a job to return to. That letter also detailed the fact that they knew me and my parents, reinforcing our relationship history. The letter was also accompanied with information on the companys history (not really necessary).

2. Certificates showing land she owned as an individual and land that she owned with her family members.

3. A hand written letter from her son saying he was more than happy for his mother to visit the UK for a period of 4 weeks (as long as she bought him back some new trainers).

4. Amoungst the paperwork we had handed in, my parents had written a letter of guarantee in which they talked about them returning to Thailand late in 2007 to meet her family (thus showing my gf had to return to meet them).

5. Various other bits of paperwork detailing other personal info, which I cant talk about, otherwise I'll have to shoot you

But everbody's situation is different, and the above is just a guideline.

You must be able to show eveidence of a relationship. I did this by providing....

1. A covering letter detailing how and when we met.

2. A letter from my employer in Thailand at the time reinforcing the above info and dates.

3. 12 months of Orange phone bills showing calls and messages sent on a daily basis.

4. My international phone card (card number was displayed on orange bills)

5. Flight itinerarys and booking confirmations for all the flights I had taken to Thailand, and internally.

6. Bank Statements and credit card bills showing payments for these flights and showing payments to hotels in and around Thailand, thus backing up the fact I was where I was when I said I was.

7. Lots of photos showing us together all over Thailand and photos with me and her family. Also photos with her and my family.

8. Copies of all pages in my passport showing all my trips to Thailand which could then be linked to flight itinerarys, receipts, etc

9. My parents also provided copies of their passport showing the 2 trips they had made to Thailand to meet my gf and photos backing this up.

Again the above is just a guideline and the amount of info you give is dependent on how long you have been together. I'm sure the embassy will take this into account.

Other than that, just be honest in the information you give. If she has to attend an interview like alot of people do, tell her to be honest, stay calm, and be positive. Make sure she knows everything about you because she will be asked loads of questions about you, your family, maybe your job etc... Good luck mate and keep us all posted as to what happens.

Guemlum

Hi Drew, just out of curiousity, how long have you both been together?

Guemlum

Cheers Mark, and thanks for your recent words of encouragement. I noticed in one of your recent posts you were talking about tying the knot with your gf. Did you? and hows the visa process going? Which one did you decide on applying for?

Guemlum

Thanks GU22, yes she was asked about why her son would be travelling to England and replied that he wouldnt, and that it was only on the advice of the visa app centre that she wrote it down.

She did also say that the interviewer tried to trick her on numerous occasions, but she never stumbled as she had no reason to lie. She also said that the questions are basically thrown at you and change from one subject back to the other constantly. I suppose thats where the test of a true relationship comes into play.

In the meantime, we plan to get her over here in June, when hopefully we'll be having a nice summer. If its too cold for her then, she'll never survive here in our winter. Need to find somewhere local that makes Som Tam now.

Guemlum

Thanks guys....one person I forget to mention and thank, and he doesnt even know it, is Roblpl.

The templates that Roblpl has posted on this forum were a vital element in compiling the information put forward to the embassy. It was clear and simple and basic common sense really, but makes your application look organised and professional. We couldnt close the folder once we had compiled all of our info. I would recommend you use these templates for whatever visa you are applying for. And I bet the embassy are happy to receive a well organised presentation instead of a load of papers stuffed in an envelope.

Thanks again Roblpl.

Well I have just had a phonecall from my gf to tell me she has been succesful with her application for a tourist visa to visit the UK.

I cannot express how I feel right now other than the fact I am so so happy and relieved. The past few weeks have been very stressful and a huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders.

Thankyou firstly to the British Embassy for issuing my gf with the visa and also to the interviewer who definately got out off the right side of bed this morning.

Secondly, thanks to all of those that have given advice and support to us in our application through this site....markr, GU22, Scouser, topdjdel, discopants, and anyone else I have forgotten to mention.

To those of you out there who have yet to go through the process, dont give up. If you provide the neccesary information and it is clear and precise, then this will help you in going the full distance.

phewww, I'm so happy and I think a few beers are in order tonight.

Guemlum

Hi ash, first of all, you don't really need to take that many clothes with you as you can buy absolutely everything whilst you are out there. That said, you may find that XL in Thailand is not quite the same as XL in the UK or Europe.

Back home in blighty, I'm a medium, but on a recent trip to Thailand I ended up having to buy all of my polo and t-Shirts in XL. I've noticed that alot of the tourist resorts don't really cater for larger size farrang, and you would have thought by now that they would have learnt a thing or to.

I have a friend on the island of Koh Chang that runs his own clothes shop. I told him to consider buying alot more or the larger size in both clothing and footwear, and to my recent knowledge he's selling a hel_l off alot more than the other shops nearby.

Pricewise, you shouldnt really be paying more than 2-250 baht for a polo shirt and certainly no more than 150 baht for a t-shirt. It really depend of the grade of the copy...A,B,C etc.

If you want to buy from some of the department stores located in Bangkok, then you'll probably pay more and they will likely be able to cater for the larger guy.

Hope this helps

Yes, but even more alarming according to dario in the general topics forum is that 60-70% of America's bee population has vanished without any explanation .

How can you all be worrying about who's flying out of Don Muang when we have news like this

Here are a few pics from around Nongkhai and Phon Phisai where I used to live. Decided to post BW pics as they give a timeless quality.

I heard exactly the same yesterday from my GF who also lives in Nongkhai. 3 children were kidnapped from Nongkhai on Friday afternoon and the news was told to her buy her brother-in-law who happens to be a police officer. I posted a message to inform people in this area that it was happening in both Udon and in Nongkhai and the thread was closed.

Whats that all about!!

Came across this delboy...it might help. I'm gonna look into it myself.

New Biometric trials to make travel simpler and safer

06 December 2006

A new trial, called ‘miSense’, was launched at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 3 today. MiSense uses the latest biometric technologies to simplify a passenger’s journey through the airport while further strengthening levels of security.

The project was officially opened by the Minister for Immigration, Liam Byrne MP, and Heathrow CEO, Tony Douglas.

Having enrolled in miSense himself, Liam Byrne MP said: "Biometric ID systems are fundamental to securing our borders in a more mobile age. They are crucial to our plans for counting everyone in and out of the country. This proof of concept shows just how well the technology can work.”

The Trial, which will run until the end of January 2007, in conjunction with the airport authorities and immigration services of the U.K, Dubai and Hong Kong, the airlines Emirates and Cathay Pacific, and leading companies engaged in the Immigration and Border Security Industry.

Passengers travelling on selected Cathay Pacific and Emirates flights are being invited to participate in the first part of the miSense trial at check-in by scanning their passport and right index fingerprint into a specially designed miSense self-service kiosk. This information then becomes a passenger’s secure ‘virtual key’ which will allow them swift access to security control and aircraft boarding using their fingerprint.

The second part of the trial, miSenseplus, also uses biometric information, to trial an international registered traveller programme and fast path on departures and arrival immigration in the UK.

Anyone flying out of T3 can enrol in miSenseplus as long as they are a European Economic Area National, hold a passport valid for at least six months, be aged 18 or over and satisfy UK Government background checks. Passengers will have 13 biometrics captures (10 fingerprints, 2 irises and 1 facial image).

Participating in the trial is easy, free of charge and only takes a few minutes to enrol. Once enrolled, participants will receive a miSenseplus membership card which will allow them to enjoy fast track immigration clearance when arriving and departing.

The third part of the trial, miSenseallclear, involves the testing of interactive Advance Passenger Information (iAPI) for the UK authorities. iAPI is the capability of automatically providing border control agencies with intelligence prior to passengers boarding a plane. As each passenger checks-in, this system enables real-time interaction between airline and government systems. iAPI is already well established in countries such as Australia, Bahrain, Kuwait and New Zealand, where it is used to issue the “authority to carry” at the point of check-in. This trial will provide insight into how iAPI could be implemented in the UK.

miSense is part of IATA’s Simplifying Passenger Travel Programme, and involves a number of key airport, airline, government and technology partners, including Accenture, BAA, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, the Home Office, IER, Raytheon Systems Limited, Sagem Défense Sécurité and SITA.

Extensive research into passenger acceptability and technical performance will be conducted during the trial and used to inform the future design and operation of both airport and border control facilities and services.

For detailed information visit www.miSense.org

Good call Mark.

Firstly, alot of us are new to the visa application process and therefore rely upon the goodwilled persons on this site who have been there and got the t-shirt. I have had no end of support from like minded people so far.

Secondly, I'm sure that embassy staff do visit this website, but we are none the wiser as to who they are or even if they offer advice or not.

And thirdly, GU22 gave me some very simple advice for which I am greatful. It verified one simple query. To a newbie, he could very well be an employee and so could anyone else who gives very clear and "helpful" information.

I know we have a jokes forum, but we got to get a comedy forum on here....h90, classic one, the simple ones are always the best ones....pmsl

Well it always makes you wonder when someone so knowledgable posts very sepcific details on the subject. I'm very greatfull that GU22 has contributed and to you also Mark for the moral support you've given so far. Lets hope all go's well next week.

Ok, this might be old news but I still find it neccessary to inform all of you that live in this particular area.

My girlfriend has just called me from Nongkhai to inform me that the recent kidnappings of young children in the Roi-Et region are now occurring in the Udon Thani and Nongkhai region.

3 children yesterday between the ages of 9-11 yrs old were kidnapped from Nongkhai.

It is understood amoungst locals that they are being kidnapped for body organs....eyes, heart, and livers.

3 children were recently let go and returned to their familys in Udon minus their eyes.

The people doing this are reportedly using a minivan to kidnapp their victims.

To all of you that have young children, inform your children and educate them. Tell them to keep away form internet cafes where groups of kids gather. If a minivan pulls up along side them, tell them to run, and if not run, fly.

I hope these sick bastards are caught and served the appropriate punishment.

Thanks GU22, I'll make sure she points out the issue about her son not travelling with her despite being asked to add him to the form.

Do you work for the UK Embassy by any chance

Come to think of it Mark, and I've been over the downloaded application form one more time, but we were told by the woman at the desk when we handed over the info whether my gf had any children. She told us that we had to write this down in the section about adults accompanying children, but I explained to the woman that her son would not be visiting the UK, so therefore it was irrelevant. She told us we still had to write this down, but upon reading the question one more time, I dont see why we had to. The question only asked you to write down the names of any children travelling. Maybe Scouser has an answer or opinion on this one?

Congratulations Discopants. Glad to hear your application was accepted, and I'm sure she'll like Kent. I will find out myself next week if my long term gf has been successful or not in obtaining her tourist visa. She only wants to come over for 4 weeks holiday as well, so we've got our toes and fingers crossed right now. Well done again to both of you.

You should see my toenails Mark...like talons.

Thanks for the reply. She's got a copy of the form, or should I say a duplicate, as we made a spelling mistake on the original. I thought it best to print out 2 copies in the event of this happening. And we have no need to lie. We know each other inside out, so I cant think what else they will ask her other than the obvious "reasons for returning to Thailand" questions. Fingers crossed.

Hi guys, I was just wondering if any of you have any last minute advice for me so that I can pass on to my GF before she has her "tourist visa" application interview next week. I think we have most things covered, but its always nice to hear from the regulars or those that have been successful before. Thanks.