7by7

What about McDonalds; they're all over the place! So, following your line of thought they should have a say in who forms the government in every country where they have a presence!

McDonalds owners will be able to do exactly that, as there are as nearly as many locally owned McDonalds franchisees in UK as there are nearly as many company owned units

whilst franchisees are not in as significant numbers in other countries, this is the same principal worldwide.

The owners of a McDonalds franchise, assuming they are citizens, will be able to vote and so have a say, but the company itself wont. Or are you saying that in order to get a McDonalds franchise you have to agree to vote the way McDonalds wants you to? Does that apply to employees as well?

wasn't Brown elected as PM by no-one but himself anyway....?

No, he was elected (unopposed, if I recall correctly) as leader of the Labour party by the party on Blair's retirement. As leader of the party commanding the majority in the House of Commons he became prime minister.

It's how the parliamentary system works.

When a parliament is dissolved, the standard practice is for the sitting government, and prime minister, to carry on until a new parliament is elected.

The UK parliament will be dissolved later this year when Gordon Brown calls the election; yet Brown will remain as Prime Minister until after the election.

So, using your logic that means Brown will become a 'caretaker' prime minister, (s)elected by no-one but himself!

So people/countries with businesses here dont have a right to voice their opinion about who they would prefer to run the country?

Anyone has the right to express their opinion.

What foreigners, rightly, don't have is the right to vote. Are you saying that, for example, the owners of Nissan should have a say in who forms the next British government because they have factories in the UK?

What about McDonalds; they're all over the place! So, following your line of thought they should have a say in who forms the government in every country where they have a presence!

Indeed.

In another thread some people have wondered about how the rest of the world views these protests. Well, here in the UK they have received very little coverage, but in that which there has been the reds are portrayed as peaceful and pro democracy, although anti the current government.

Imagine how the rest of the world would view water cannons and tear gas being turned on 'peaceful pro democracy' demonstrators!

BTW, what law are the demonstrators (as a whole, not some individuals) breaking? Are political demonstrations illegal in Thailand?

Note to Mods - i was suspended for calling an American stupid before, Is it ok For Americans to call me stupid without a warning?

Ignorant i meant

From the Oxford English Dictionary:-

Ignorant

adjective, 1) lacking knowledge or awareness in general. 2) (often ignorant of) uninformed about or unaware of a specific subject or fact.

Posted as a member, not a Mod; I'll let others decide what action, if any, needs to be taken.

As TVE says, the financial side should be simple; just get up to date evidence and submit that with the appeal.

I don't quite understand "and staying with my parents until we get settled then moving back into my own house that i rent out when we are ready doesn't qualify for somewhere to live."

Staying with friends or family is perfectly acceptable under the rules; provided there is sufficient room. What, exactly, does the refusal notice say about this? What evidence of the available accommodation did you provide?

Why?

I assure that I would not use my position to alter or delete any posts with which I disagreed (if I did, there's be fewer posts in this topic than there are, and I wouldn't be a Mod for much longer!)

Don't be so naive. But I guess that is redundant when talking to a foreigner who makes excuses for the violent red shirts.

Why?

I assure that I would not use my position to alter or delete any posts with which I disagreed (if I did, there's be fewer posts in this topic than there are, and I wouldn't be a Mod for much longer!)

It's not my posts I'm worried about, it's my membership status. This conversation is already borderline on a forum rule so excuse me if I don't reply again.

Believe what you will, Gentlemen.

Indeed, another classic.

Why?

I assure that I would not use my position to alter or delete any posts with which I disagreed (if I did, there's be fewer posts in this topic than there are, and I wouldn't be a Mod for much longer!)

Insight, being a Mod does not stop me from holding, and expressing, an opinion.

Whistleblower, you have obviously never seen a protest in London by the cyclists. No coordination with the police; just thousands of cyclists riding in large groups and blocking the roads.

Maybe you should remember that Thaksin was democratically elected and then removed by a military coup. You will now doubt say that he and his party were guilty of bribing voters etc.; to which my reply is that if you believe no other party in Thailand did the same then you are very naive!

Remember that democracy not only means you can express your opinion, but those with whom you disagree can as well!

Moved

One of the democratic freedoms we in the west enjoy is the right to demonstrate, even though others may be inconvenienced by that demonstration. Parts of central London, for example, are often closed to traffic for just such a reason.

Why do you want to deny that right to the Thais?

You may not agree with the demonstrator's cause or methods, but calling them 'morons' says more about you than them!

The affirmation of freedom to marry is just a bit of local paperwork for the Thai authorities.

As far as I can see it's only purpose is to create a tax on foreigners marrying Thais.

NO information on the affirmation is ever checked by anyone, you can write whatever you like in any of the lines.

The only important information is your name, birthdate, parents names and passport number.

The translation service will use this form to give you your official Thai name (so make sure they know what spelling you want in Thai script)

This document has no value in law, so don't worry too much about it.

Only the Thais will ever see it.

I know nothing about Thai law, but is there not a risk that making a false statement on one's AFM would, if discovered, invalidate the marriage?

Better to be sure and do it by the book, IMHO.

Obtaining a copy of one's decree absolute isn't difficult; see here.

Quote from GRO website

'You can create a record of your overseas marriage or civil partnership at any time after the ceremony. You need to get the original documents, or certified copies, issued by the foreign authority – this is not an automatic process.'

It's the DirctGov website, actually, linked to from the GRO; Registering an overseas marriage or civil partnership.

Read further down the page and you will find that if you use this service

Overseas marriages and civil partnerships are noted in the public indexes.

It goes on to say

Once recorded, you can request certified copies of the documents, which saves you having to contact an overseas authority. These are black and white photocopies of the material GRO holds and are not presented in the form of a British-style certificate.

It is up to individuals to decide if the (admittedly small; £36) cost and effort is worth it. Personally, I don't and in over 9 years of living in the UK with my wife have never had a problem with using our original Thai certificate and certified translation of same when we have needed to prove our marriage to the UKBA, DWP, HMRC, NHS, DVLA, our local authority or anyone else.

On a tangent, registering a birth at the embassy is worth it, as an official entry will be made in the registry of births and the child will receive a British birth certificate. However, it is not compulsory and not doing so does not mean the child isn't British.

ah but what about the German sense of humour?

Do they have one?

The German sense of humour is no laughing matter!

If she just wants to visit then she should apply for a family visit visa using Form VAF1B.

This will allow her to stay in the UK for a maximum of 6 months at a time and visitors are usually only allowed a maximum of 6 months in the UK out of any 12.

She will need to show that there are sufficient finances for the visit and adequate accommodation for her. She will also need to show that she will return to Thailand, or at least leave the UK, at the end of her stay. If you are living in the UK and she in Thailand then I would recommend that you explain in your covering letter why she only wants to visit and does not want to live in the UK with you.

See Visitors: Visiting family; friends; as a tourist.

For where and how to apply, fees etc. see UK visa application website.

This is supposed to be a topic about Singapore immigration. As it has wandered into other areas; closed.

The EEA rules state that Schengen visas must be free to family members of EEA nationals.

However, I believe there is a loophole which does allow embassies to insist applicant's use a premium rate phone number for their application and also, if applying via a consulate and not directly to the embassy, for the consulate to charge a processing/forwarding fee.

I don't understand why any member would wish to pillory him for it!

I wasn't, and by quoting my post it would infer that you thought I was, I would appreciate less of the misrepresentation, thanks

After quoting your post, I agreed with you; that's why I quoted it!

I then went on to make some other comments, not related to the quote; which I thought was obvious. I'm sorry if you felt that meant I was misrepresenting you, but maybe you're being a trifle oversensitive?

But you can lodge/register the certified translation with the GRO which may be a good idea??....... as there is now a thread running where the Amphur is not exactly being too helpful regarding a marriage certificate.......in fact claiming they do not appear to have a copy or any inclination to provide one!! currently advising divorce/remarry!! If there is any doubt, ever, when you need to appease the UK authorites, they can easily verify the marriage because you appear on the GRO register.

edit: clarity

Yes, as said, you can lodge a copy of your Thai certificate with the GRO; but that's it. You do not, and cannot, register your marriage with them. Your marriage will not appear on any form of register in the UK. If you later ask them for a copy of your marriage certificate what you will get is a copy of the Thai certificate, you will not get a British style certificate.

If people feel this is worth it; that's their choice.

Flame post removed.

Other posts responding to the flame have been edited to remove the response.

one of my all time favourites, the Goon Show (but that was radio).

Yes, the goons were radio, but what about The Telegoons!?

If you call us Septics, we call you Shittish. It's American humor. Not funny? Neither is Septic.

Septic is not meant to be funny, nor offensive. It's just slang.

Other rhyming slang for American includes: Sherman (tank), petrol (tank), wooden (plank), Barclay's (bank).

Incidentally, someone expressing anti American opinions could be called 'Dettol.' Dettol being a popular brand of antiseptic in the UK.

No offense intended.

Actually, Shittish is quite funny!

the legality is important and should also be registered with the relevant UK authorities.

If the marriage is legal in Thailand then it is also legal in the UK (Foreign marriages Act 1892). One cannot register it again in the UK.

From Guidance for British nationals wishing to marry in Thailand

Consular Section can arrange for your marriage certificate to be deposited with the General Register Office (GRO) in the United Kingdom. This not a legal obligation and has no bearing on the validity or otherwise of the marriage. It simply means that you are able to obtain a certified copy of your marriage certificate directly from the GRO should you need to do so in the future.

If you do have a need to provide a marriage certificate in the UK for any legal purpose then the original Thai one accompanied by a certified translation is sufficient. Usually certification by the translation bureau is enough, but for added peace of mind you can have the translation certified by the Thai MFA.