theoldgit

Buy the paint and do it yourself is the best bet, it doesn't take long.

Totally agree, this will ensure that you have proper preparation and ultimately a better, and probably cheaper, result.

I didn't think BA had a lounge at Suvarnabhumi, I thought they used the Qantas lounge, is this new?

So much nonsense here, HMRC says that UK purchases are non-vatable to non-residents, forget the BS about the need for return tickets, extra payments et al. If in doubt, email HMRC.

So I can pitch up to a High Street store and tell them I am a non-EU resident, please sell me that laptop tax free?

Or do I pay the VAT and claim it back at the airport, like I have done in Singapore and Hong Kong?

^^^^

I really don't know, all I did was cut and paste their reply to me.

I presume this is to claim your refund at the airport, the other company I contacted didn't say you had to have a ticket but did say you must have the goods examined by HMRC before checking in, which infers that you are leaving The EU.

I wanted to know this answer for certain so I emailed one of the refund companies in the UK, it can be done and this was their response:

"I confirm that you can claim VAT on purchases during your visit to the UK if you can provide the following at the point of Departures

1 - Proof that you are resident in Thailand, and will be remaining out of the UK for 12 months

2 - Obtain the VAT form at the point of sale from the retailer as you can not claim with till receipt only

3 - Present the goods and valid return ticket on the day of departures."

Good news, finally!

Well not for me it's not, the cost of my VOA for a forthcoming mini break has just gone up by 150%.

Visa, Never have we had to show or prove we had a visa for the flight before booking.

You can book as many flights without holding a visa, but airlines will not board you without one, assuming you are a visa national.

If a visa national makes it to a UK border without a visa the carrier is liable for a fine of £2000 per person, the cost of repatriation and any detention costs, so you will understand why check-in staff are thorough.

oh shit, sorry, my sincere apologys.

Think we will leave it there, cannot compete with a nutter.

Shady old boy, don't worry about all the negative views, follow your heart.

You do need the wedding certificate from the Amphur, but it is pretty easy to obtain. You have to get a letter from the UK Embassy affirming you are free to marry, details here http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for...ister-marriage/

You have to get the affirmation in person, but I used an agent local to the embassy to translate and, to save the bother of a couple of trips to the MFA, got them to do the paperwork, cannot remember the cost but it wasn't very much.

Once you have all the paperwork from the MFA it's a case of pitching up at the Amphur completing a couple of forms and you are married. The wedding ceremony is nice, but you don't need to do it, you can come back anytime and do it.

Quote - 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.

I don't gink so, one or two a year? No way, more like hundreds and many get refused. One or two a year, hahaha - made me laugh that one, thanks for cheering me up!

So you gink that there are hundreds that want to their new bar girl home on the next available flight?

If you have a Certificate of Permanent Residence (PR) you use the Thai Passport lines regardless of your nationality. It's great, just one of the benefits of having a PR watching all you short timers and tourists queueing up at the Foreign Passport lines.

Stick us down for one of them.

Clearly you haven't read the thread bjoe97, the OP is visiting a museum.

When I read your thread I initially though you might be someone with some compassion, but it seems you only want to help some people and have excluded the people who could really do with some help, as unpleasant as that may be, double standards I think.

Thanks very much.

It's coming up to that time of year when I have to extend my stay based on retirement again, I had hoped to also get a new re-entry permit and do my 90 day report at the same time. Is it doable, are the various departments fairly close together, and clearly marked?

I plan to drive from my home in Thonglor, again is it a pretty straightforward drive?

Thanks in advance.

On that subject haven't from JFC in a while, presume he is researching his book.

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