SimonD

2 hours ago, SGD said:

Over 50 - just put 800k (400k when married) in bank and get retirement visa ?

That's what I intend to do later but I gotta open the bank account to put it in first.

Never mind, I'm trying to hammer the 60 days + 60 days into neat end dates that fall on weekdays so that immigration is open and avoiding holiday closures. Like planning a military operation...

Simon

1 hour ago, steve187 said:

OP you seem to have good answers , but i am wondering where you say the visa is expensive, and then mention £900, the visa is £125

 

opening bank accounts can be somewhat trying.

Hi Steve,

Yes, the Embassy fee is £125 but the ancillary costs of the requirements add up to a bit more than that:

1. Police Certificate (criminal record check) - £45

2. Medical examination at private clinic as not available on NHS - £90

3. Blood tests for above (leprosy, TB etc..) - £470 (!)

4. All above needs to be notarised by solicitor at £5 + VAT per page Probably several pages, maybe £50 in total, maybe more.

That alone comes to £730 and then add London train/tube journeys back 'n' forth and postal and admin costs and it's not far short of £800 (OK, so I exaggerated a bit ).

And then there is every chance the Thai Embassy would reject the medical exam form because of the 'catch-all' line at the bottom where the doctor has to declare that I am in 'good physical and mental health and free from any defect'. With my pre-existing physical medical conditions no quack would sign me off as 'free of any defect' and that is where my medical exam might fail. I don't want to take the risk of such an expensive Visa application being rejected.

I've got a few more questions but I'm short of time right now. As usual, Ubonjoe has given invaluable advice and my thanks to you all for replying.

Simon

Hi,

I recently posted about the best visa for me to return to Thailand and I need a bit more help. The O-A Long Stay requirements from the London embassy is expensive and due to pre-existing medical conditions (not those listed by Thai Embassy) my medical exam may very well be pretty negative. That would be a waste of a £900 application. I'm looking for alternative options.

I'm a UK male, 55 years old, intending to get married shortly after I arrive in Thailand (appointment at British Embassy already booked for 1st Dec). Going to be renting a house in Prasat, Surin. No Thai bank account but I need one for my proposed return next year and conversion (of whatever visa) to an extension of stay based on marriage.

The bottom line, this time around, is I need a stay of up to 140 days from 29th November, 2016.

Planning now to come in on a SETV (60 days) and then extend by 30 days at Kap Choeng, Surin. That leaves 50 days to get...

Then a run to Savannakhet to get another visa to see out the rest of my stay. A visa which would enable me to open a bank account on the basis of marriage would be helpful or this could wait until my return in summer next year. I'm not entirely clear about the visas available at Savannakhet and their duration of stay entitlements.

One final thing, does a SETV negate having to have a return flight out already booked? I'd prefer to book the return flight from Thailand when ready.

Suggestions appreciated, thanks in advance.

Simon

I am still planning on coming back in late November to get married and have explained to my fiancée  the current confusion. I called and asked her, shortly after I read about the problem on here, to check with her local amphur (Phanom Dong Rak, Surin) to see whether they would accept my 'Affirmation of Freedom to Marry' (AoFtM) certificate from the British Embassy.

She tells me she went with her father (who is well known and respected in the area) to the district office and was told 'No problem'. I have no way of verifying her information until I get back as she tends to give bland assurances about things which she doesn't fully comprehend but she would never admit that. 

She is only concerned with the village wedding and huge party with lots of 'face' that will follow and wasn't even aware how significant the registry office process, and the scrap of paper which comes with it, is for my purposes (visa, funds etc...). Her head is full of the sound of 'wedding bells' that drown out everything else.

I have read reports (also just hearsay) that AoFtM certs are more likely to be accepted in the fiancées home amphur than elsewhere - especially Bangkok where the problem seems to be worst.

Best I can do for now. If I learn more I'll report back here.

Simon

PS: With the OP's permission, it might be helpful to browsers if the post title was altered to 'Affirmation Certificate from Embassies not accepted by some Registry Offices' or something similar.

On 9/30/2016 at 3:26 AM, brewsterbudgen said:

 

At 35?

 

Cashier?

This topic is of great interest to me as I plan on getting married in Thailand later this year.

This is the latest statement on UK Government website: Marriage Abroad - Thailand

Contact the Embassy of Thailand before making any plans to find out about local marriage laws, including what documents you’ll need.

You should get legal advice and check the travel advice for Thailand before making any plans.

Thank you both for your replies.

Simon

Good point, Crossy. I hadn't thought about that aspect...

As I'm planning to move my stuff over from UK in batches, maybe I'll just risk one less-valuable pan to start with.

And wrap it up in insulating foam and pack clothes around it to cushion any shocks.

So, if it survives the flight you don't see any particular problems with Thai customs?

Simon

Hi. Am I likely to have any problems bringing used but quality cookware through customs?

There may be up to seven items (or less depending on my weight allowance) and they are all Le Creuset cast iron pots and pans. Most of them are over 30 years old and have strong sentimental value.

Simon

Thank you all for your helpful replies - your help is much appreciated! 

@OJAS: My savings accounts require online transfer to the current account for access via ATM but as Ubonjoe informs me that they will be acceptable to the Embassy I won't have to worry about that now. It's good see that no-one has flagged any pitfalls I hadn't even thought of. That's a relief.

I dare say there will be a few more questions related to my long anticipated (nine years) return to LoS in the near future but I know I can count on friendly and sound advice in the appropriate places on this forum.

Thank you all once again.

Simon

Hi. following an earlier post I have decided to go for an O-A visa for my long-stay return to Thailand later this year and would like some advice on the requirements please.

I have the funds in my UK bank accounts to more than meet the 800,000 THB equivalent requirement. Most of the money is in easily-accessible savings accounts rather than my current account to gain the better interest rate. Is this acceptable or will the Embassy demand the money be ‘on-tap’ in the current account only? Would a combination of account statements suffice?

Is there any minimum period (seasoning) for the money to be in my UK bank accounts prior to applying for the visa as most of the money has only been there since late April this year?

Assuming I get the visa, how long is it valid for from issue? It may be two months or more before I actually get to Thailand and I don’t know if the clock starts ‘ticking’ on the one-year period immediately or only when I first gain entry?

I see that it claims to be multi-entry. As I will be returning briefly to UK at least twice during the first year do I not need any re-entry permits to keep the visa alive?

Sorry for so many questions but I really don’t want to make a mess of this application.

Simon

I'm planning on coming to Thailand in October or November this year - depends on resolving a few problems here in UK. I will be headed for Surin province by train or bus anyway and can easily stop over in Buriram on the way. I want to check out Paddy's Irish Bar in town anyway and this would be an opportunity (and valid excuse for a beer...) 

Tesco UK have a special offer on the stock cubes at the moment: 8 x 10g cubes for £1.20. How many boxes do you need? I could several packets as I don't imagine they'll take up much space or weigh much.

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=254881241

Simon

And this coming Tuesday is Asalha Bucha day...

Thank you ubonjoe.

I had no idea that I could use funds in a UK bank account for any visa purposes... I always thought that only funds in a Thai bank account qualified.

That's great news!

Cheers,

Simon

Hello,

The more I read about the new(ish) visa regulations the more baffled I get. Let me explain my background and requirements:

British citizen, male, 55 years old here in Thailand on a SETV, returning to the UK on 20th July for approximately 3-4 months to finalise plans to rent out my 2 bed flat in SW London, the income from which will fund my long stay beginning in Oct/Nov this year. The income from my flat will net a minimum of £1100/month (50,000 baht at current exchange rates). This is enough for a marriage extension but insufficient by itself for retirement.

I also have UK bank funds to meet the retirement extension criteria (800k) but cannot prove the monthly income as the flat is not rented yet. I can start with the money in bank method and then switch to income method although I would prefer to use income from the start to free up those funds.

I have a long-term TGF and she and I wish to get married in Prasat, Surin and initialy rent a house around here for about one or two years while we make plans for our future. We are hoping to do the official marriage bit at the amphur here in Prasat but I don't have the Freedom to Marry form from British Embassy yet and time is running out. Going to the district office tomorrow to ask questions.

I have not yet been able to open a bank account here in Prasat but I'll ask for help on that in the relevant forum but it is, of course, related to the visa question. I would prefer to open an account before I go back but only enough to keep it open while I wait for the FX rate to improve (?) before transferring the money from UK later this year. I wasn't anticipating the UK to vote to leave...

My question is: what it the most suitable visa for me to return to Thailand on later this year and how many hoops will I have to jump through?

Any advice would be appreciated and if more detail is needed just ask.

Simon

I've read reports on here over the years of people 'associated' with a Thai passport holder using the 'Thai only' line without problems.

Being with a Thai in other places opens doors, so why not immigration doors as well?

As Crossy suggests, try it anyway. What have you got to lose?

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend a bespoke shoemaker in Bangkok or elsewhere in Thailand for my poor, inadequate feet?

I have high arches which cause pressure on the plantar aspect and, along with reduced circulation due to CVD, it tends to cause ulceration.

As I'm planning to move to Thailand next year this is a problem I need to solve in advance.

Any help in finding a reputable shoe-smith or someone skilled at making bespoke insoles would be very much appreciated.

SD

<snip>

1. Eat more Potassium. I think this isn't very controversial.

<snip>

Anyone taking ACE inhibitors (probably a fair percentage of TV members) and certain other medications need to be aware that raised potassium levels can have a severe health impact and such dietary changes should be guided by qualified medical opinion, not quack remedies espoused on anonymous internet fora.

Google 'hyperkalemia' and note its significance for death row inmates.

Nothing to see here. Move along...

I'm worried about the elephant now.

I mean, who's going to feed it and take it for walks?

West and SW London is a tourist paradise. Hammersmith, Chiswick, Wimbledon, Putney, Kingston and Richmond are all safe(ish) places to stay and have good public transport links to central London, as well as great pubs and restaurants. Get yourself an Oystercard, pre-load it with money and use the buses, trains and tube to get around. Travelodge have hotels all over and their rooms start at about £21 (US$30).

You will be hard-pressed to see much in the few days you have allowed for each city. You could spend the whole two weeks in just one of them and barely scratch the surface. What are your interests in sightseeing? A 24 hour ticket for one of the London open top bus tours will set you back about £25 per person and the attractions along the way can be quite expensive (Tower of London, London Eye etc). There are some world class museums (Natural History, Science museum, Imperial war museum etc) and a remarkable collection of living fossils (House of Lords).

Not quite sure what you mean by 'avoid the bar scene' - London ain't Bangkok. The only 'street food' you will find will be overpriced and greasy hotdogs and burgers sold from vans or trailers and best avoided . For 'local food', try chicken tikka massala. It's as 'British' as fish and chips.As for scams, just be wary if someone tries to sell you Westminster Bridge. It was sold again last week to an American...

I was just going to see all the puppies and raise the stakes to kittens...... then I thought, let's go 'All In'

Kittens? Did somebody say kittens? That's the sort of fighting talk I want to hear!

You've got my vote, switching to Thaddeus .

Some of the estates in that area have a removable handle on the pipe leading to the meter. If the previous occupants left an unpaid bill (as happened to me when I moved in) the local water people send a guy to shut off the supply and take the handle away. That 500 baht amount on your bill might be the fine.

I got some Aberdeen Kippers tonight.

It isn't relevant, but I thought I would share..... the info, not the kippers.

Serve with poached eggs in the morning.....nothing like a dish served cold...etc.etc...

And horseradish.