If a Thai citizen gets married to a UK citizen for a few years

[hydraides]

What benefits are available for the Thai citizen? 

 

I am guessing they get a UK passport which allowed them to more countries visa free? but what else?

[anchadian]

Indefinite leave to remain in the UK and eventually getting a UK passport.

We remained in the UK for many years with my wife working during those years.

 

My wife now receives a UK pension here in Thailand

[lopburi3]

Do not believe marriage has much effect unless they leave Thailand and become a citizen of UK.  Children from marriage would be able to obtain UK passports however I believe.  

[Polar Bear]

It wouldn't even automatically guarantee them a UK visa, let alone citizenship and a passport. But once you get the visa, and you live in the UK for at least 3 years, pass the tests and so on, then they can apply for citizenship. 

Any kids born here would usually (but not always) be entitled to British citizenship, but they wouldn't be able to pass that on to their own kids unless they had them in the UK.

[jimn]

10 hours ago, hydraides said:

 

I am guessing they get a UK passport which allowed them to more countries visa free? but

You guess wrong. I have been legally married to a Thai citizen for 9 years and my wife gets no preferential treatment at all. If she applied for a settlement visa and starts the 5 year process, eventually if she lives in the UK predominently she would get settled status and a UK passport, but its not automatic just because you are married.

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, hydraides said:

What benefits are available for the Thai citizen? 

 

I am guessing they get a UK passport which allowed them to more countries visa free? but what else?

Not automatically.

She will have to apply for an entry visa to UK departing from Thailand

After a period of time she will gain residency permission in UK attached to her Thai passport.

After that she can go through the procedures to gain UK citizenship.

Then she can see what is available to her.  ie UK Passport.

[scubascuba3]

10 hours ago, anchadian said:

 

My wife now receives a UK pension here in Thailand

Presumably a UK pension based on years working? so not a full pension

[jrward42]

My wife is Thai and went through the 5 year process to get a UK passport. You can only get citizenship if you live there. Having said which, she loved living in London and even got another Master's degree while there. We might even move back one day or live 6 months in each country. It gives you a lot of flexibility.

 

The main advantage is if you travel a reasonable amount. We often visit Europe, for example, and it was a pain before. 

[theoldgit]

17 hours ago, Polar Bear said:

It wouldn't even automatically guarantee them a UK visa, let alone citizenship and a passport. But once you get the visa, and you live in the UK for at least 3 years, pass the tests and so on, then they can apply for citizenship. 

After five years, not three, Indefinite Leave to Remain can be applied for, after which the Citizenship process can start.

[Polar Bear]

10 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

After five years, not three, Indefinite Leave to Remain can be applied for, after which the Citizenship process can start.

I was including that in the visa hoops that have to be jumped through. But technically, the residency requirement for naturalisation is 3 years for a spouse (https://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-spouse), but they still have to be considered settled first. 

UK immigration laws seem to be designed to make it as difficult, complicated and expensive as possible for Brits to return home with a foreign spouse.

[Goat]

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Not automatically.

She will have to apply for an entry visa to UK departing from Thailand

After a period of time she will gain residency permission in UK attached to her Thai passport.

Sounds like a bit of a nightmare, and a lot worse if you dont want to marry a Brit.

 

Reminds me how easy they make it for us farangs to move here permanately with so many options.

Just buy a plane ticket, no visa required initially, then apply for one of the many options. 

 

ED, Marriage, Retirement, Elite etc etc.

Just fill out a few simple forms, deposit some cash to ensure you can afford to stay, take a couple of photos of yourself, a couple of passport copies and pop into your local immigration office once a year, (of which there is at least one in every province) and you are all good to go.

 

Or even just border runs up to a point.

Too easy.

 

Very kind and easy going people the thais.

 

i am never going back.

 

[anchadian]

13 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Presumably a UK pension based on years working? so not a full pension

Correct.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 6/26/2023 at 7:29 PM, hydraides said:

What benefits are available for the Thai citizen? 

Where?  UK or Thailand?  We were married and lived in Thailand and my now ex-wife had no entitlement to any UK benefits as a result of just being married to a Briton.