tahaan

They have set a minimum requirement for non eu/eea spouse to gain spouse visas to the UK. As its the maximum income that you can't claim benefits on.

That women is not representative and the article is not balanced. It's purpose is to inflame. There's always going to be some who abuse the system. It's a price we have to pay for living in a civilised society.

There are some who take advantage of immigration rules in Thailand.

I resent the assumption that a returning expat will be a burden on the taxpayer.

My services pension is not enough to satisfy the requirements for settlement but it was more than enough to exclude me from benefits while looking for work on my return to the UK a couple of years ago.

I'm now a higher rate tax payer. My wife works and contributes as do most of the Thai wives I've met here. The only benefit that I know of that is widely claimed by TWs is child allowance and I really don't think that getting pregnant is a deliberate ploy to rip off the taxpayer despite what some posters may think.

Here's a regular on UK tv

http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2008/06/05/alice_bhandhukravi_feature.shtml

Finally, those who think UK education and health care are so marvelous have obviously not been paying attention to the events of the last decade or so!

(Edited for typos)

I can only speak from experience. I had a couple of accidents in Thailand with injuries treated in both private and govt hospitals. I was also around and helped when my wife lost her parents and two brothers through terminal illnesses treated in local hospitals. I have also seen expats go through their last months in the Thai health system. When I compare this to the NHS care my wife has received for a couple of thankfully minor complaints, I can honestly say there's no comparison. Being away for a few years and then coming back to see what the average punter without pots of cash can expect from the system has made me proud.

As for education, I was led to believe the aim was to provide the tools to question. It was difficult to understand how the morning muster parades that I listened to every morning from the school a block or two away helped to achieve independent thought. And then there were the embarrasing introductions to ajarns unable to hold a conversation with a native speaker after years teaching English.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking Thailand. I had a great time but it's an itch that's been scratched. Needs change like Kate's have. How many many on this forum are planning retirement in Thailand with their thai wives? When you're there living the dream and the govt decides to double the minimum income requirement for visas as they did in 2003. Unless there's been some very careful planning and some luck, there'll be some very difficult decisions to make. Let's hope an accompanied return to the UK will be an option.

In what way is it hard to migrate to Thailand? It's laughably easy. There are no conditions similar to the UK.

You clearly misunderstand the word 'migrate'.

Not at all. To migrate - to move to a new area or country.

As a resident? Do you live in Thailand?

90 day reporting/visa's etc. How many Europeans have proper residency that can not be removed?

We are here on an ad hoc basis. There is no security, no rights and we can have our ability to reside in Thailand

cancelled in a moment leaving family,friends and property.

We have no right to own property or have a job to support our family.

We are mere visitors. However a farang wife married to a Thai has full status and can become a Thai citizen.

These are a few of the many reasons that I decided to relocate to the UK after 7 years of married life in Thailand. I was lucky that my wife applied for settlement before these unfair regulations became law. They would have meant a very difficult seperation for us. I certainly understand why Katie would rather raise a family in the UK than Thailand. I enjoyed my stay there but never really felt secure despite a comfortable life. It was knowing it could all end in a moment if you crossed the wrong person, had an accident or fell ill. The UK has many faults but I can now compare and contrast and see it for what it is, a fairer and more just society ans one that I can play a full part in.

Good luck Kate

Unfortunately Paddy was killed along with 20 others,when their Sea King crashed into the sea in a freak accident that is thought to have been a bird strike,as the remains of an Albatross were found floating on the surface next to the crash site.

I lost a good mate on that helicopter. Also named Paddy, he'd survived an earlier helicopter crash on South Georgia and made a name for his self during the attack on Pebble Island. Know him?

I bluffed it. I got.a car licence after showing my UK one and doing a couple of reaction and vision checks. I then went back and applied for a mc lic. Luckily, the girl behind the counter thought the moped entitlement was good enough and issued the licence.

The actual process of learning to ride 'big' bikes in Thailand took a lot longer and was quite painful - to both body and wallet.

I had a Thai bike licence before gaining one in the UK and i'd say there's no real comparison in the process. You have to do some training and you will be properly tested in the UK. That's not the case in Thailand.

It's easy to get a Thai licence but it doesn't necessarily mean you can ride a bike. You' ll need all the help you can get riding on Thai roads. If you can afford the time and money to take the UK test then do so. You will be better equipped to deal with riding in Thailand.

I found my Thai licence useful when I returned to England. You can use it for a year before needing to take the UK test.

If UKBA are satisfied that she's in a genuine relationship they may grant discretionary leave to remain. The HRA will make it difficult for them to make her leave.

I love my Thai wife and she is here on a settlement visa, 27 months, We are now getting ready to apply for indefinite leave to remain, the point is, I/We know nearly to the hour what date her Visa runs out, How did you get in this position in the first place, and why shout human rights. i think its about time The Human rights was abolished in the UK.its use to many times for wrong reasons. sorry but it had to be said.

Don't be too smug or quick to dismiss. You never know when you might need some legal support.

I sincerely hope your wife's application is successful. My wife and I thought we had a pretty straight forward application to make too. However, her application has failed and been returned because of circumstances beyond our control and intransigence on the part of the authority. Leave to remain has now expired leaving us in a very difficult position. We've been married and lived together in Thailand and UK for 9 years now. I'd like to think that our human rights to remain living together as man and wife are something worth protecting.

Well, I've been back in the UK for just over a year after six years in Thailand and both the wife and I think it's great. Lots of worries before the return but they quickly disappeared during the settling in process. About the only things I miss are the friends and family left behind, Songkran, kaow nieow metmuang and the occassional blast through Nam Nao national park on the motorbike.

We have a translated copy certified by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs (as per requirement 6. on the above site) but haven't had our actual certificate stamped, apart form the usual Amphur office stamp. Has anyone had experience of getting this done at the Thai Embassy in London and/or is it actually necessary to get the Schengen visa at the French embassy?

The translated copy certified by the Thai MFA + the British Embassy should be fine - it worked for my wife 3 times on visits to France.

It is necessary to get a Schengen Visa, you can't use the 'spouse of an EEA national' line if you are British and living in the UK; different if you were, say, Danish, and living in the UK. You don't have to get it from the French Embassy if you are visiting another Schengen state as well.

My wife also needs to apply for a Schengen visa soon. However, all we have in the UK is our original Thai marriage cert - no translations certified or not. Has anyone successfully applied from the UK for a visa for either France or Germany using original docs? Or failing that, how easy is it to get an authorised translation of a Thai marriage cert in London? I've had a quick look at the RT Embassy website which didn't offer much help.

Carlbkk, you obviously missed my point. Thailand has had governments that have held very different views to yours on the value of the Chinese in Thai society and some very important people that have tried to disguise their ancestry. If these views were to return would your "generalisations" hold?

It's simple. Thai Chinese have a reputation that differs from the indiginous. Some like them, some don't. Some find them attractive, some don't. Here are a few honest generalisations as to why they are perceived to be "better".

Fewer Thais make the assumption that a girl looking more Chinese/white is a bargirl or farang-hunter. There's a good reason for that.

Thai Chinese make an interesting and attractive physical mix to Thais.

Thai Chinese girls are less likely to make a play for men, especially foreigners, even if they like them. They are in demand already.

Thai Chinese are brought up with some of the stricter moral codes of their parents.

Thai Chinese are in the top jobs. They have more intelligence passed down in the genes and parents can often afford to give them better/further education.

Thai Chinese often live with their parents until marriage (referring to Bangkok), study in Bangkok and then work in Bangkok. They're on a tighter leash when it comes to nightlife and relationships.

Thai AND Thai Chinese men find Thai Chinese girls more attractive and more eligible as partners for the above reasons. Darker-skinned indiginous Thai girls know this. Draw your conclusion. Pure Chinese are generally not as appealing.

Thai Chinese girls are more difficult to attract.

A few foreigners think it's more worthwhile (especially after being here for a while) others prefer a possibly lower-maintenance option. Whatever social and communicative level you seek depends on who you end up with. Thais assume that foreigners will only be with the lower classes...who happen to mostly be dark/country/indiginous because that's what they always see, it's not the Thais' fault, but expect to be ridiculed for it. Thais are surprised when they see a foreigner with a girl whom they perceive as much more attractive, higher social grade and intelligent. A few foreigners are also surprised when they see this phenomenon!

What a complete crock. You may have to rethink a few of your "honest generalisations" if Thailand gets another regime like Phibun Songkram's.

You can ride on a valid Thai licence for up to a year from your arrival in UK. You don't need an international permit. I returned last year and bought and rode a bike on my Thai bike licence for a couple of months while I jumped through the hoops obtaining a UK bike licence, cbt, theory and parts 1 & 2. I did get a couple of odd glances when I arrived at the test centre on a 600cc machine and then stuck L plates on it for the test. Anyway, getting UK insurance on a foreign licence can be tricky but it's available and not too expensive if you shop around.

Many years ago I heard the phrase that you can never go back home. I paid no attention and didn't think about it when I went back home. I found out then that it was true. Everything was just different. My original home no longer existed, my home became Thailand warts and all. Thailand is now home.

I think that's true to an extent but you also change. I couldn't wait to leave England but after 6 years in Thailand I'm back and seeing the UK in a new light. I enjoyed my time there and will hopefully return many times but life is better for me and my family in an established western democracy with all its faults. My wife had more rights here on arrival than I would ever have in LoS.

I never thought I'd say it but It's great to be back at work. I have a sense of purpose and belonging. Weekends have meaning again and I relish the feeling of having a day off rather than wondering how I'm going to fill my day and fighting the temptation to open that first beer. Oh, ...and no 90 day reporting!

it represents excellent value for money for the football alone.

Wait for their coverage of the World Cup - remember 2006?

I agree with 7by7. Mine was simply, Dear Son of course you are welcome ....

I saw it in Udon a couple of months ago. I'm surprised it made it carrying all that weight.

To be honest, most of the foreign contingent I have met and/or seen in this country after living here over 4 years are people I wouldn't piss on if they were on fire (even if I had to piss at the time they were burning).

I can count on one had with fingers left over the number of genuine foreigners I have met here. The reverse is; I quickly ran out of fingers and toes counting the myriad of miscreants and ne'er-do-wells that populate this place. Some foreigners misguidedly think the fact that both of us being foreign here is in fact a mythical bond of some sort.

I am continually amazed at the audacity, cheek, and/or sheer stupidity of some foreigners and their endless line of questions upon just meeting them. I am routinely asked by people I don't know from Adam, where I come from and always reply; "America". The immediate follow up question is; "What state, city, etc." As I don't usually know the person asking I say, "I don't know you from a limbless street beggar, so it's really none of your business." It's the same when they proudly state to me they have a thai wife who is a "good girl". I always answer back, "You know when I was a boy I had a cocker spaniel."

As I don't portray the image of the most approachable or chatty person, most foreigners more than are reticent to talk to me, something I am always thankful for.

So if you see someone wearing a KISS t-shirt, walking with a cane, and I don't acknowledge you, or nod hello, don't take it personally. As you don't contribute to my happiness and/or wellbeing here one satang's worth, that makes you even less significant that the plethora of thais that seem to populate this small S/E Asian country.

You need to stay in more t-d, might make LOS a pleasanter place.

I agree. And who'd want to say hello to someone who's been wearing the same tee shirt for the last 4 years?

I think we need to rule out any personal matter first- I mean when I'm on the bus I'd rather a nutter not sit next to me. Perhaps rightly or wrongly these people sense the same thing. So what is it? dressed up as a clown, wearing a suit with bright orange trainers and a policeman's hat, no clothes at all, puke stained shirt front, or singing 'Tulips from Amsterdam' with a bottle of whisky in your hand. Pray tell.

Sandals and socks

They're apparently not foolproof. From Wikipedia - It is also worth mentioning that Standard & Poor's apparently failed to predict the bankruptcy of all largest Icelandic banks and a weaker position of Icelandic Government in 2008, a country that had a very high rating until its economy suddenly collapsed.

Link

Worse still I had taken my metformin tablets 3 hours before which give you uncontrollable skwits. Yep!

If there had been a khazi on board it would have been very difficult to reach it. The bus conductor had filled the aisle with a dozen extra punters sat on plastic stools. It was most disturbing for a lapsed member of the Institute of Safety and Health. I would've jumped ship at Khorat if only I could have got off!

I suffered 11 hours of misery last week on a second class bus from kk to Pattaya. I couldn't be bothered to wait 6 hours for the 20:00 VIP service but wish I had done. Cheap enough at 300 baht but definitely not recommended.