Sp

[Militza]

I’m emigrating from the UK to Thailand in the very near future. My boyfriend has a job and a visa and I WILL NOT be working. Trying to find what I have to do on the visa front is a little confusing and I’m not to shore where to start looking. Can anyone help??

Thank you

Miliza

[Maestro]

From the visa point of view you are in the same boat as any other tourist without boyfriend employed in Thailand. Try an honorary Thai consulate, eg in Hull, Birmingham, Liverpool, Cardiff, Glasgow, for a multiple-entry non-immigrant visa category O for the purpose of visiting friends. With this visa, you make an unlimited number of entries into Thailand and on each entry will receive permission to stay for 90 days. This means that you will have to make a border run at least every 90 days. This can be a departure from and return to Thailand on the same day.

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Maestro

[Militza]

So i wonn't be able to stay full term??

I really dont have a clue about the hole thing so i'm going to ask a really dum question!

In the Uk you can 'sponcered'. My other half will be earning enough for me not to work and i would not be 'taking' out of the Thai pot as it were. is there a similor thing out the there? i tried the Thai embercy site but i couldn't click on anything that i wanted to know??!!

[Maestro]

So i wonn't be able to stay full term??

…

In the Uk you can 'sponcered'.

In Thailand, a husband can “sponsor” a wife, a wife a husband, a parent a child, a child a parent for an annual extension of stay, but a boyfriend cannot sponsor his girlfriend.

A Thai needs a UK sponsor to apply for a tourist visa (visitor’s visa) for the UK; don’t know how long the Thai tourist can stay in the UK with that visa. You don’t need a sponsor to apply for a visa for Thailand. Anyway, forget about what can be done in the UK. One of the first things you will notice as you venture outside the UK is that immigration rules -- and a myriad other things -- are different from what you know at home.

When you say “full term”, how long do you mean?

Now, if you wanted to study, for example Thai language, while in Thailand, you could get an annual extension of stay for the reason of study. Minimum requirement is 4 hours of study per week (200 hours per year), attendance record minimum 60%, I believe. I guess the study of English or any other language or subject would also qualify you for an extension stay.

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Maestro

[Jersey_UK]

I guess the study of English............... would also qualify you for an extension stay.

[Militza]

He will marry me - HA!!!

3 - 5 years, my other half is in the oil world.

i was going to learn before i went out but if it help my visa i'll learn out there.

My other half has gone straight there with a visa - he's been giben a 60 day one. His work should be sorting out his Work permit. If they dont and he keeps doing the leaving after what days thing, will that affect me??

P.S. sorry about the spelling i'm dyslexic.

[Maestro]

His work should be sorting out his Work permit. If they dont and he keeps doing the leaving after what days thing, will that affect me??

It won’t. You will be treated completely independently from your boyfriend’s visa and permission-to-stay situation...

...unless, talking about work permits, you can get a work permit, too, as his employee, eg “cook”. I have read about expatriates in Thailand getting a work permit for a foreign nanny for their children, so why not also for a domestic cook? Perhaps something worth looking into, after he gets his own work permit and extension of stay. On the other hand, you will probably get a bit restless after some time being cooped up at home and won’t mind an excursion to a neighbouring country every three months or so.

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Maestro

[Militza]

Very true and the idea of me as his cook - he'd never let me live it down!!!!

Look like marrage is the only option! Is fiancé treeted any different?

[Maestro]

I’m afraid there’s no special treatment for fiancées, either. It’s a shame that one should be rushed into marriage because of this.

Very true and the idea of me as his cook - he'd never let me live it down!!!!

We’ll have to dream up a more grandiose job title for you then. Now, where’s my thinking cap when I need it?

No, wouldn’t work. For any job other than domestic help you would need to be employed by a company and the requirements would me much more stringent.

So, it’s some kind of study (fancy Thai culture? I believe there is one ThaiVisa member studying that at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, accompanied by field trips), quarterly trips abroad, or the wedding certificate. Unless, as Thailand wakes up in the morning, other members have some bright ideas.

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Maestro

[Militza]

5 years isn't a rush!

I would be more than happy to study - i'll be board as hel_l if i'm not carefull and the size of a small village too!

i used to laught at my would be sister-in-law, she's veitnaese and used to have one hel_l of a time with visa's following her now hubby around the world. and used to think that being UK cisterzon got me in anywhere! God do i know feel foolish!

With the new govenment and soem of the other treads i've reas - are they likly to stop the trust entry visa thing? would it be easier for them to acespt that i wouldn't be working and let him sponcer me?? Sorry, shouldn't try doing politics, can hardly spell it let along get to grips wit it!

[Maestro]

There is no sponsorship of a visa in Thailand per se, but there are various ways in which an extension of stay can be obtained depending on the situation of another person. These are outlined in Thai National Police Order 606/2549, an English translation of which is here.

Based on your situation, the only way I see that your boyfriend’s situation could influence your qualification for an annual extension of stay would be marriage, followed by an extension of stay under paragraph 7.17(6)

So, if the two of you are ready to make that last step, go for it. Best wishes!

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Maestro

[Militza]

I've beem ready for years hes just a little slower!!!!

Thank you for all your help - it mena a lot that theres help if and when i neeed it from someone who actually knows what there talking about.

[Maestro]

Militza, I see I have been remiss by not formally embracing you into the fold of ThaiVisa. Here goes:

Good to hear that you will go and live in Thailand. I have a feeling you will love it. Booked your flight yet?

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Maestro

[Militza]

Thank you.

I haven't even quite my job here yet!

My friend woh's traveling round Oz has bookeds her flight thought which is very very scary!

I wont go out there untill my other half has somewhere other than a hotel for me to go live, i want to try and do this as properly as i can hence the Visa questions.

I know i'll love it out there - spent time in Maylasya and Camboida and loved there - wanted him to get a job in KL or Siem Reap but could find oil in latter!

[CWMcMurray]

I say go ahead and go for the education visa, it will allow you to stay for as long as you are enrolled and is very easy to extend every year. I have been studying at a Thai University for 3 years. You can go for Bachelors or Masters or just for language classes; it will also give you a chance to make friends, which can be difficult when moving to a new place. It will also give you something to do while he is at work, which will keep you from going crazy. If you want some info about going to school here let me know.

[astral]

Militza, what is your nationality?

[Militza]

Hi,

Info would be great - i should be based in Pattaya but hoping to be a bit further south (less toursity). Would only really wanna do languages and maybe cooking??!!! I'm dyslixic and not shore how i'd handle it. one step at at time!

[CWMcMurray]

I am based out of Bangkok and there are obviously many more schools and classes in the city than you will be able to find in Pattaya and I will admit that I don't know a whole lot about the area. I did a web search and was able to find a few different websites that you may find interesting.

Here are some things to check out in the Pattaya area:

http://www.asianust.ac.th/special/gapyear.htm This is at a University just outside of Pattaya, the ed visa shouldn't be any issue for this one and it looks like a lot of fun.

http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/pattaya_ad/bec/bec.html This is a school that offers alot of the tpe of classes that you are interested in, I would contact them to find out if they will write you a letter for a student visa

http://www.learn-in-asia.com/ I don't know if you are interested in Scuba diving or not but I have heard of people getting education visas for studying suba diving.

There may be many other schools in the area but these were all that i could find online. If there is anyone based out of Pattaya maybe they can help you find some more.

Or if you decide to come to Bangkok or Chiang Mai then I know of some other Universities that you might want to check out. Altholugh I realize that would depend on where your boyfriend will be working more so than any sort of personal preferance.

I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions.

Edited August 31, 2007 by CWMcMurray

[CWMcMurray]

One more thing about the student visa, you will need a letter from the school addressed to the embassy or consulate you will be applying to. When will you be coming to Thailand? If you have enough time you can get all of this set up and get your student visa before you get here.

If not then you may have to leave the country to get your student visa after you get here.

[CWMcMurray]

also if your boyfriend will be spending a few years here you may want to do all of these. When you need to extend your visa just get a letter from your new school.

[Militza]

Ya some info would be great.

I should be based in Pattaya but maybe Sattahip - haven't got the place yet hence me still being here.

Do they have problems with english speaking sudents? i dont speak a word of Thai. Is Englaish really a second language or is that my other half trying to be nice to me??!!

[Militza]

you lot are so helpfull and nice - thank you.

I'm Brisitish through and through! Militza is my Middle name - a through back to my mothers hippy days!

I will look into thouse web sites. All this is really really helpful.

I wont be going to Thailand for at least 4 months maybe 6.

Which is really hard for me but hay it's gonna be so much better out there than here! I hope??!!!

[CWMcMurray]

Ya some info would be great.

I should be based in Pattaya but maybe Sattahip - haven't got the place yet hence me still being here.

Do they have problems with english speaking sudents? i dont speak a word of Thai. Is Englaish really a second language or is that my other half trying to be nice to me??!!

No problem with English speaking students at the University I gave you the link for. Not all Universities offer english language programs but there are many who do.

As far as the english language goes, I wouldn't quite say that they have reached the level of it being a second language country wide, but in the tourist areas it pretty much is. The further from the tourist areas you go the less english is spoken and in many areas none is spoken at all. You should be fine, many people have lived here for decades and have servived without out knowing much Thai, if any

That being said, the more Thai you know the more enjoyable your experience will be, the more friends you will make, and the less different or strange things will seem. It looks like you are planning to study Thai, so good for you. Don't let anyone tell you it is too difficult, it can be intimidating at first but you will be surprised at how fast you can learn as long as you practice using it everytime you leave the house.

[Militza]

Thank you for the encouragement.

I pick up spoeken launage very quickly, always have. But my reading and writing always trails behind. But thats not so much of a problem. I'll be happy to ask for my grousorys and understand the resonce!

I didn't reolise that the thing had gone on to a second page so hence asking the same question twice, sorry.