I have heard and read about all the difficulties associated with farangs who apply for a tourist visa to the Uk for their Thai partners but I reckon that with sensible paperwork and and a little writing skill it should be fairly straightforward. What I am more interested in perhaps is to understand the extent to which these stories about failed applications are merely gossip, rumor and hearsay! I know that the visa sections have been privatized and that working in the visa review section must be a nightmare, but, I still have confidence in the system.

So let's see what you think will happen, will they approve the application or not - what would you do if in their position. Here's some key points:

A British male age 57 in Chiang Mai for four years on a retirement visa, previously in China and Hong Kong for many years. "enough" money in the bank and single.

A Thai female age 26, never married and no kids, lived with the above for three years, non-bar girl and a cook at an upmarket American restaurant.

Questions or votes please.

Guess it will be approved if the guidelines and requirements are met. If I were cynical I would also anticipate that with the latest increases in visa fees, ILR's etc, being yet another of Gordon's stealth taxes, we shall see an increase in said approvals.

Despite your long post there is little detail there. She needs to satisfy reason to return (or at least leave the UK) at the end of the stated trip. The fact that she works is good, but more than just that fact is required. Avoid using words like "straightforward" and concentrate instead on getting your documentation right and put in a good covering letter. As you are familiar with the site you will know by now the criteria . If you think you satisfy that criteria most likely you have a very good chance , but don't be complacent. The stories you read about are not fiction and certainly not gossip either. A lot of people in your position get approved, equally some get refusued. Make sure you are in the first group.!!

I know that the visa sections have been privatized

To be a pedant, the visa sections have not been privatised, only the initial handling of applications.

As Atlas says, far too little information to offer an opinion. The only answer I can give is:-

If the application meets the relevant requirements of the Immigration Rules it will succeed, if it doesn't then it wont.

Of course, meeting the requirements is not enough, the applicant must show that it does.

Visa approved, no interviews, no phone calls just a six month stamp. But the VFS folks who handle the front end documentation process are not the friendliest nor the swiftest in the world. Oh well.

Hello, I think visa could be approved if the guidelines and requirements are met and the thai girlfriend satisfy's the reason to return to thailand

p&s

You got it then!

Well done

Mark

can only tell you how it went for me i had to prove we had lived together for 2 years here in Thailand, show i had funds to keep her when in the UK and that she would return. of course there is no real way to prove return but i had rental agreement showing i had kept house on here. it was that easy but heard of others not getting it. wether she come from a bar or not does not come into, we were asked 2 questions did we intend to get married in UK answer No for what. question 2 do you intend to settle in Uk my answer would you, followed obviously by no way!.

good luck based on what you say you should have no problem i have got through to the ILR visa now, if you do it right you should have no problems with this one