theoldgit

I have never had the honour of meeting you Frank, maybe one day, but have always enjoyed you sensible and informative posts.

It's good to see you have so many people rooting for you, hope you have a speedy and full full recovery.

The immigration lines were never bad (nearly non-existent) and because I had an extension of stay, I went straight to Thai passport.

Huh? Is that the proper procedure: if one has an extension of stay, they should go to the Thai Passport lines?

No, it's not.

Immigration Officers will sometimes allow you to enter via the Thai passport lines if you are with a Thai partner, and ask politely, but they can, and sometimes do refuse. I suppose that you could try and enter via the Thai lines if you have an extention of stay, either by asking politely or by fronting it out, but if you are not a Thai passport holder you are not supposed to use the Thai lines.

Yes, a Thai person needs to apply in Bangkok, read this http://www.vfs-uk-th.com/ and then look at the section of the forum for visas to other countries and ask there if you have any specific questions.

Sorry my reply was for for a holiday to the UK, where does the Thai person want to go?

Thanks for all the info. Although, unless we win the lottery, this is still approx 10 years away.

However, doesn't detract from my point; which is that the procedure to enable a Thai to live in the UK with their Brit partner is simpler than the other way round.

Maybe the Euro Lottery on Friday

But you have hit on another point there, you mentioned extension of stay based on retirement whereas you can also get an extension of stay based on marriage, this has a smaller financial requirement but, I understand, it's far more complicated.

But yes you are right, once you have jumped through all the hoops, it's far easier for a Thai partner living in the UK and she/he will be accepted as a person with the right to be there, will be able to own property, benefit from the NHS, etc etc, unlike you or I who are a farang with no rights and always be pretty low down the pecking order.

I am pretty much off topic now, I'm sorry.

So, I get a retirement visa, which I have to renew every year and on top of that I have to report to the MFA every 90 days, is that correct?

Almost, you obtain a visa, normally an O Visa from The Thai Embassy or Consulate, Hull is the easiest and can be done by post, then basically at some stage you extend your permission to remain based on your retirement, you don't actually renew your visa. It's quite an easy process which you can study in length nearer the time, don't forget to then obtain a re-entry permit if you ever leave the country otherwise you have to start all over again on your return.

Then every 90 days you have to report to your local Immigration Office, or if you leave and return to Thailand the clock starts again for the 90 day reporting, a pretty easy process which can even be done by post.

I see that UKBA has announced that a level of English proficiency will now be required for those wishing to enter the UK on a Student Visa, now that I do agree with.

When we eventually retire to Thailand I will have to renew my retirement visa every 90 days!

Sorry to correct you on a small point 7by7, must be a first, when you retire to Thailand you will enter on a visa and then extend permission to remain in The Kingdom based on your retirement, and you will need to extend this every year. The 90 days is a reporting requirement.

I don't go to the Swedish embassy a lot, maybe once or twice a year, but every time I go I see droves of girls looking to apply for visa to Sweden. A lot of these are clearly bar girls (yes, it's that easy to spot one) so I'm sure there are quite a lot of BG's applying to the UK/US etc (definitely a lot more than a couple a week).

Never judge a book by its cover

He clearly doesn't know what he is talking about, he talks about people apply for visas for their partners, when indeed you don't apply for a visa for your partner, they apply for a visa themselves to fit the needs of the visit.

i [not so] humbly beg to differ. as far as my home country Germany is concerned it is the german partner who has to take the first half a dozen steps (which are applications!). the application of the foreign partner at a german embassy or consulate abroad is only the final step.

Yes but it's the Thai person that is actually applying for Entry Clearance, not you as a German Citizen or me as a Brit. For sure I do most, if not all, of the donkey work, which is the preparation, as I presume you have done, but I do not apply for a visa and, with respect, I doubt if you do.

My partner has applied for a Schengen Visa and again I collated all the information and prepared the application, for her to present it.

I have calmed down a bit since I first read the original post yesterday, but to suggest that before you can go to the UK for a holiday from any country in the world, you must take an English test is, in my opinion, utterly ridiculous, people from all around the world visit the UK which is a major global tourist destination, and many get by without speaking English, or at least only a little.

I may have played down the number of Brits that visit their favourite bar in Pattaya and want to take number 23 back to the UK the very next day, but I really don't think it's as many as people suggest, well not the next day anyway, I think people would normally have seen sense during the application process. There are a number of former Immigration Officer who are members of this forum, and I note that at least one has been reading this thread, I would be interested to read their views.

It's not exactly a Visa on Arrival, an Australian passport holder can enter Hong Kong visa free for 90 days, whilst a Thai passport holder can enter for 30 days.

Whilst there have been isolated reports of some Thai travellers having problems, we have travelled there a few times, and whilst my partner always goes to the desk on her own I am next in line and sometimes she has pointed to me, I think on the first time I was actually called forward.

http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm

When i checked for flights on wednesday night www.kayak.co.uk they had direct flights with EVA air from LHR to BKK and rtn,mid may ,ticket valid for one month for £447,but they wanted £390 for my 4.5month old baby,so phoned dial a flight and ended up booking with thai air for £490 direct and for the baby they charged £90 which i thought was ok,but not a great lover of thai air,that old banger they have running out of LHR should be scrapped .

A one month from Bkk to Lhr returnEVA AIR in May is 28500 a special deal WHY do we pay more

Have I missunderstood you 'binnsy' 28500 Baht is aout £540 at current rates.

^^

I know there are plenty of guys who want to take their new girlfriends home with undue haste, but I am not sure that there would be many who want to take them home "on the first available flight" which is the point I am trying to make.

For the guy who said only 1 or 2 find bar girls every year to take home. This coment really does show just how far from reailty some farangs live in thailand. They get in a little world and covince them selfs there gf/wife has never done anything bad, and most thai farang / relelationships are not based on wealth and money..... so people like this need to wake up

Not what I said, I said there are probably one or two people that want to take their bar girl home on the next available flight, not just take back to the UK, a subtle difference.

So you have your own business and can afford to live here, where is here? and what on earth has that got to do with those who can only visit a couple of times a year?

I presume that as you have your own business you employ somebody to help you with your letters?

Well I can now answer my own question, I followed the advice on the website and sent three emails asking for a refund, all ignored.

I then followed the advice of "Meone" and spoke to a lady on the desk at Suvarnabhumi, she laughed and told me it's a waste of time emailing them, she took the details and said I would have the money credited back to my credit card within 30 days, it was credited yesterday, nine days later.

Good to see nobody's taking the bait

Sorry, I just did.

This is the most arrogant and idiotic first post I have ever read, no it's the most arrogant and idiotic post I have ever read, I am assuming the poster must be a troll or simply an idiot.

He clearly doesn't know what he is talking about, he talks about people apply for visas for their partners, when indeed you don't apply for a visa for your partner, they apply for a visa themselves to fit the needs of the visit.

Yes there are probably one ore two people a year who fall for a bar girl and want to take them on the first available flight home, they are few and far between and are pretty soon weeded out by the authorities. There are people who are in genuine relationships for a number of years but who are only able to visit their loved one a couple of times a year, that's because they probably work for a living - how much leave do you get?

The suggestion that tourists from Thailand, who are not all girls, should take an English test before they are allowed to visit the UK is absolutly ridiculous, I suppose that if your scheme was introduced worldwide, I would have had to learn Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malaysian and French last year alone.

I can only assume that you are a troll or a racist who would be better staying in "Mud Island" ** and writing nonsensical letters to The Daily Mail who's readers might have some sympathy with you ridiculous views.

Well that's off my chest now.

** My reference to "Mud Island" a few years ago I was dealing with ex-pats who might be leaving an African country because they were being driven out by the mad leader, we all expected them to want to return to the UK, but most of them relocated to neighourbouring African countries, asking why would we want to go to "Mud Island"?

There are notices in the consular section and outside the embassy saying you will be able to hand in your application for processing either in Bangkok or send it directly to Hong Kong when the changes come into force.

That's interesting, the Passport Agency have already told me that your cannot send your passport out of your country of residence.

Left hand, right hand springs to mind.

I asked the lady when I was handing mine in, and she said You can still give the paperwork to the embassy in Bangkok, and they will send it to Hong Kong for you, but YOU have to pay for the courier.

Thanks for the update, no doubt they will bundle all the applications together and split the courier cost between all the applicants - yeh right, and of course you will have to pay for the return delivery.

I for one find it pretty disgusting, but of course there is FA anybody can do about.

By the way "samran" now I am whinging.

do you remember a couple of years ago a BA flight that encountered a problem shortly after taking off from an American airport was criticised for continuing to London.

This is the incident I was referring to, and whilst this article indicates the view the decision was made to limit compensation claims I seem to recall reading the maintenance of the engine played a part in the decision.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article518637.ece

It was also a little unsettling because it makes you think that there may have have been no way to make it another 40 minutes to Chang Mai.

I think you will find that it was an operational decision to return to Bangkok as, I believe, that's where Thai service their aircraft.

Pretty sure it could have made it safely to Chiang Mai though, I don't envy you your experience.

Pretty sure the standard procedure in case of an incident is to land at your nearest possible airport that can handle you.

I agree that would be the responsible thing to do, but do you remember a couple of years ago a BA flight that encountered a problem shortly after taking off from an American airport was criticised for continuing to London because that's where

maintenance is based, though I am sure they wouldn't have done so it if it wasn't safe to do so.

Parvis

Whilst I take your point, I was not talking about retirees in general I was talking about me and I know my limits, and whilst I certainly wouldn't say I was thick, I am not as quick as I used to be and neither to I retain things as much as I used to. Whilst I appreciate your offer to direct me to scientific research, it would probably not help as I already know my limits.

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Thanks for that review tod-daniels, very informative and helpful.

As a retiree to Thailand, who doesn't need need an Ed Visa, I have been trawling through this forum to try and find a school or tutor who would assist me in my quest to speak and understand Thai, and hopefully even read it. As a retiree I am probably not as quick a learner as some of the young people that I see outside these schools on their smoke breaks. I suspect some people need to learn Thai just for the visa.

I had been leaning towards Walen but I had been put off a bit by the spats between the owner, who is obviously protecting his school and some of his clients who feel let down.

Guess I will keep looking.

It was also a little unsettling because it makes you think that there may have have been no way to make it another 40 minutes to Chang Mai.

I think you will find that it was an operational decision to return to Bangkok as, I believe, that's where Thai service their aircraft.

Pretty sure it could have made it safely to Chiang Mai though, I don't envy you your experience.

Would you happen to know who sets the rate? Is it done locally at the embassy or on instructions from someone in London; UKBA, treasury, etc.?

It's set locally, but I suspect they have to justify it to FCO in London, whilst it might go towards the profit that the Thailand post makes I don't suppose for one minute they intend to rip people off. The rate is, of course, used for all Consular Services as well as Visa Apps.

Yes, but however you change your money or do the conversion you still lose out with the Embassy's conversion rate.

I accept that the Embassy cannot be expected to change the rates hourly, but their conversion rate has not been changed for almost three months. When they set the current rate of 58 Baht to the GBP in November the telex rate was 55.6 to 1 GBP, still erring on their side, the telex rate is now 52.27, which as has been pointed out means applicants are paying significantly over the odds.