KamnanT

You don't need an appointment, but it's likely she'll have a much shorter wait if she does have one. A co-worker submitted an application last Friday - when she first arrived at VFS (20 minutes before her appointment time), the security guy just handed her a queue number and said the wait would be about 2 hours. She then pointed out that she had an appointment. After checking her name and passport number against his list, he ushered her inside and she was done in 20 minutes.

The UKBA publishes processing time statistics here (http://www.ukvisas.g...processingtimes) although they tend to be a month or two out of date. The July figures are up there now and for the standard 6 month social visit visa, they indicate that 70% of applications were dealt with in 3 workings days, 93% within 5 working days and 99% within 10 working days. These are processing times once the application is received by the Embassy, normally the working day after submission at VFS.

NO, no visa permit to you stay in Thailand 12 month whitout exit every 3 month, like the multiple visa, the EXTENSION is one year.

Sorry but in 15 years in Thailand married whit child i never listen visa like you said...if exist please can give the link of the law??

Some moderator can please clear this point?

Not true. A Non-Immigrant "O-A" (retirement) grants a 12 month permission to stay on each entry. Note that this is not the same as a Non-Immigrant "O" visa issued for other purposes (e.g. to those married to a Thai national or visiting friends in Thailand), for which the standard 90 day non-immigrant permission to stay period applies. A multi-entry Non-Immigrant "O-A" could therefore allow for a stay of almost two years (with a single exit and return just before the Valid Until date) before an extension of stay application was required.

Link to the Royal Thai Embassy London's page on Non-Immigrant "O-A" visas.

http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/newversion/visa/visa_retirement.html

I applied in December 2005 and was granted residency in July 2007. AFAIK, no subsequent applications (i.e. December 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009) have made it through the process. I have a couple of friends waiting - it's very frustrating, particularly for those who have now been waiting almost 4 years.

Residency still requires 90-day reporting. All the fuss and bother with no discernible benefit of note.

Discernable benefits of residency (depending on whether or not the individual considers these to be benefits):

- No 90 day reporting

- Report to your local police station once every five years to get your Alien Certificate stamped (a formality).

- No requirement to visit Immigration if you remain in Thailand. If you wish to leave Thailand and return, your Certificate of Residence needs contain a valid endorsement and your passport must contain a valid Non-Quota Immigrant Visa (not to be confused with a Non-Immigrant Visa). Both are valid for 12 months and obtaining them is a formality rather than a shifting set of goalposts interpreted at the whim of individual immigration staff.

- Criteria for a work permit are less onerous and as no extension of stay based on employment is required, employers do not need to demonstrate a 4-to-1 staff ratio or any minimum equity capital per work permit.

However, permanent residents are not Thai nationals and therefore the restriction on land ownership still applies. The only minor concession is that permanent residents may purchase condominium properties with local funds and do not need to demonstrate that funds were sourced from outside Thailand. Only a minor concession.

Up to the individual to conclude whether residency is worthwhile pursuing.

We should also set up special lanes at EEA immigration points just for our good friends from the US, where they can receive special treatment. At peak times, there will be 15 counters but only 3 should be manned. Each arriving passenger should take at least 20 minutes to process and the minimum waiting time should be one and a half hours. Every 4 hours the computer system should stop for 30 minutes. All immigration staff on duty should be surly with particular preference given to those who believe all Americans are desperate to come and live in the EU and must therefore be treated as potential illegal immigrants or worse. Any EEA minister who is unsure of how to implement this plan can take a fact-finding tour of LAX, ORD or JFK any day of the week.

As I understand it it asks for:

--the three pieces of passport book info listed above.

--copy of your TM6 departure card.

--your prior 90-day report receipt notice.

--the completed TM47 Re-Entry Permit application form.

--a self-addressed stamped envelope with a 10 baht stamp.

Just for clarity, a TM 47 is the "Form for Alien to Notify of Staying Longer Than 90 days", not a "Re-Entry Permit application form". That's a TM 8.

When you "say PR and 5 year Resident Return Visa" - does this efficetevly mean she had a 5 year visa with effectively the same conditions as our temporary visa but it last for 5 years rather than approximately 2 years? If so what do you do at the end of 5 years or are you expected to get citizenship? I was so focused on getting the spouse visa I haven't really done any research yet on what happens post PR.

Effectively, yes, her 2 year temporary residency visa gives your wife pretty well all the same practical benefits as PR, other than the fact that it's temporary. The advantage of PR status is that, as long as your wife resides in Australia, she is not required to apply for any extensions or otherwise undertake any action to maintain her permission to stay.

However, if a permanent resident wishes to leave Australia for any period of time and then return, he or she must first apply for a resident return visa (RRV). The normal duration of an RRV is 5 years. Australian embassies overseas can issue RRVs, however the clear intention is that permanent residents should reside in Australia if they wish to maintain their status. A year or two away isn't an issue, but if you have not spent at least 2 of the last 5 years in Australia, you may be denied an RRV, effectively terminating your PR. Alternatively, you may be granted a shorter duration RRV (six months), allowing you to return to Australia to resume residence.

There is no requirement for a permanent resident to take Australian citizenship although the Australian government does, of course, encourage long-term residents to apply. It is quite feasible to live in Australia for decades as a permanent resident without becoming an Australian citizen.

Still no news on my GF's visa . It's now been 9 days since we applied for it. Just wondering what other peoples' experiences have been with waiting times. I'm guessing it could be taking a little longer now due to people traveling during the October school holiday.

I want to book my tickets before they get too expensive!

Cheers.

Yours impatiently,

GUANO

The guide to approximate processing times can be found on the UK Border Agency website. Latest stats are for June and say that 98% of general visit visa applications were determined within 5 working days and 99% within 10. As you point out, though, times may have lengthened due to a higher workload for the school holidays.

Unless she is a rich Thai girl she doesn't have any chance for a visa B1 visa since they now have her on record as having a farang boyfriend.

A fiancee visa is category K-1, not F-1. I'm not aware of an F-1 visa, but there may be one.

While they will certainly keep records of her application, I think it's a bit pessimistic to say that she will never get a B1 simply because she is known to have an American boyfriend. Visitor visas are routinely issued for the purpose of visiting boyfriends in the US - the big hurdle to overcome is convincing the consular officer that the GF will return to Thailand after her visit. We don't have a lot of information from the OP to judge whether it is likely or not that the embassy can be convinced in this case:

1. Is the OP currently living in Thailand or the US? If Thailand, does he have job, appropriate visa and work permit?

2. How long have the OP and his GF known each other and more importantly, can they prove the nature and length of the relationship (photos, phone bills, e-mail, etc.)?

3. Does the OP's GF have a job? Is she studying?

4. Does she own property, run a business or have other significant assets in Thailand?

5. What family ties does she have to Thailand?

The consular officer assessing the application will start with the assumption that the applicant is intending to migrate to the US and the onus is on the applicant to prove to the officer's satisfaction that this is not the case. If the GF has no job, no business, is not studying and has minimal assets then the officer is most likely to conclude that she has little reason to return to Thailand and the application will be denied.

... Unless one of the parents is Thai, the children are not Thai and never will be...

A minor correction - if both parents have permanent residency, then their children born in Thailand are Thai citizens.

I was in a similar situation - Canadian (by birth), Australian (by naturalisation) and British (by descent) and in 1997 was moved from Australia to the UK by my employer. My Japanese wife had Australian PR and a 5 year Resident Return Visa. She applied to the British High Commission in Canberra for temporary leave to remain on the basis of being married to a British citizen. She was granted one year LTR, at the end of which we spent a horrible day at the UK immigration office in South Croyden and she was granted ILR. As it turns out, we only stayed in the UK until late 1998 when I was relocated again, first to Japan and then to Thailand.

My wife's Australian Resident Return visa was set to expire not long after we arrived in Thailand and we applied for another 5 year RRV at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok. Normally, an applicant would need to have spent 2 of the last 5 years physically present in Australia in order to qualify, however there is leeway for the Embassy to issue another RRV to an applicant who can (1) demonstrate ongoing ties to Australia and/or (2) give a compelling reason why they have been residing outside Australia. We stated that my wife was married to an Australian, had two Australian children and was residing outside Australia due to her husband's employment commitments and included supporting documentation (e.g. copies of all of my employment contracts). She was granted a 5 year RRV in 2004 and a further 5 year RRV in 2009. My impression is certainly that the Australian Embassy was giving broad and reasonable consideration to those who could demonstrate ongoing ties to Australia and an intention to return to reside there in the "not too distant" future.

An extension of stay based on retirement should be requested from the Immigration Bureau office covering the area in which you reside. Non-Immigrant "B" visas are issued by Thai embassies and consulates outside of Thailand. Are you intending to change your visa type from "O" to "B"?

Once again a contradictory report.

Did he wait a week before reporting the matter - or did he return to his hotel and call the bank.

Surely somebody should check what information goes out. makes the authorities and Thailand look so stupid!

Not a well-written story, but it's clear he "waited a week before reporting the theft to authorities" (i.e. the police). He reported it to his bank as soon as he returned to his hotel.

Clearly something to clarify with your employer in Thailand: on what basis is tax being withheld from your salary? I'm assuming you are not a tax resident of Thailand (not physically present in Thailand for 180 days or more during the calendar year)? As a non-resident, you would normally only be liable for Thai tax on "Thailand source" income, which includes salary or compensation for employment services provided in Thailand, but not in Canada.

In any case, if your employer is withholding Thai tax from your salary payments, they should provide you with a withholding tax certificate at the end of the year and you can claim the amount of Thai tax paid as a foreign tax credit against your Canadian income tax liability.

No, the credit check is only a local one. If this is your first application for credit in Thailand, they won't have any record of you at the local credit bureau and a new file will be created.

It will be interesting to see if Thai Airways takes any action against the sub-contractor, perhaps (can I dare suggest), considering alternative suppliers.

Also keep in mind that in addition to (and separate from) the visa issue is the income tax issue. If you are planning on living in Thailand for a year and deriving income from employment or providing consulting services here, you will almost certainly be liable for Thai income tax regardless of where you are actually paid. The rules for tax residency in any country tend to be complex, but in the case of Thailand the significant test is >=180 days in-country in a given tax year. If you are present in Thailand for 180 days or more, all Thai source income (and that includes salary/compensation from employment or consulting) is subject to Thai income tax.

To be compliant with tax, labour and immigration rules, you will need a Non-Immigrant visa (preferably "B" but "O" may be acceptable in some circumstances), a work permit and tax deducted at source from your salary.

Canadian Passport valid for 5 years CAD 100 (THB 3,100) for 24 pages, CAD 105 (THB 3,255) for 48 pages, which I think is pretty reasonable. I also have an Australian passport and never understood the 50% premium for the larger version...is the paper really that expensive?

thanks!

Turns out its now 1900 baht to extend a Visa.

An extension of stay application has been 1,900 baht for quite some time. Technically speaking, there is no such thing as extending a visa, only extending your current permission to stay.

fly out with her back to Thailand

got my divorce finalised

come back uk with my g/friend on a marriage visa

get married

sell my home

return Thailand for good

i need help

does this help ?

slow down and take a deep breath before ur head explodes

Of course, we all hope your relationship works out for the best, but jackdawson's summary is brilliant. You have already concluded that you will enjoy living long-term in Thailand, that your relationship will be exactly the same daily nirvana that it has been in the UK, that earning a living as a foreigner will not be a problem and even that Thailand will not be in the midst of a civil war when you arrive. I've lived in Thailand for almost a decade and have witnessed more than a few Thai+Farang romances, normally starting with a meeting during a short holiday, progressing to "ditch the life (and often the wife) back home and move to Thailand" and ending up, sadly, as "but it's just not the same as it was when we first met, it's impossible to make a decent living here and now my money's all gone and I have nothing to go back to."

By all means embark on your great adventure, but I would skip Step 5 above --- don't sell the house in the UK. Rent it out and use the income to tide you over the inevitable periods of un- or under-employment that you will face in Thailand. And perhaps more importantly, as long as the capital is locked up in a UK property, you and your new wife (and her family and her distant relatives) won't be tempted to spend it all here. And you'll have something to go back to if, Heaven forbid, the relationship doesn't last.

When you were at the airport (Bangkok) why didn't you just use a ATM from another Thai bank if you couldn't find a Bangkok Bank ATM? You can get cash from any ATM.

Because they would have charged him 30 baht using another bank. Being cheap isn't really helpful.

I use my Bangkok Bank "Be 1st" ATM card at other Thai bank ATMs all the time and am never charged a fee. Plain vanilla savings account.

Has his immigration office actually asked your friend for a copy of the tabien baan (house registration)? That would be unusual, as your friend won't be listed in the tabien baan and therefore it isn't proof of his address. Would a copy of the lease agreement be sufficient proof?

My understanding is that even under the "Family" category, they need to see proof of local employment income and (more importantly) income taxes paid for a period of three years. The independently wealthy need not apply, it would appear.

I assume that the consultant's fees were paid to you because you rendered some service to the company - that requires a work permit. Even uncompensated work requires a work permit (e.g. being a director of a company with bank signatory powers requires a work permit, even if no compensation is received).

Unfortunately, the answer is no. A minimum of 3 years of unbroken residence on a Non-Immigrant visa (e.g. initial visa plus extensions of stay totaling three years before the date of application) plus 3 years of tax returns is a principle requirement under the "Business/Employment" category.

Your lawyer was correct about the dividends - there is no requirement to have a work permit to receive dividends from a Thai company - but he was wrong about the consultant's fees. And dividends alone will not be sufficient to support an application for permanent residence.

One question: When I get the PR, then I Must have my name in a tabien baan. Good, that will be on my young daughers book. Now, can I be Chao Baan too????

This could be important actually because I don't expect the relationship with the mother to last forever and if I am Chao Baan, then I can legally kick the mother out of the house… Sounds horrible, I will of course try everything I can before doing that

As Dork said, we had one member who apparently reads Thai and was politely stubborn at the District Office and managed to become the jao baan despite their objections. But he was replying to another member who had been told this was impossible. I think it will depend on the people at the District Office you deal with. I'm doubtful they will let you be the jao baan of a house owned by someone else, but they might if it's a condominium in your own name.

I was granted PR in the last batch approved (December 2005 applications) and 6 months later bought a condominium. No objections at all at Vadhana District Office to my being the jao baan.