Here's the deal. I normally live here in Thailand but need to visit my parents a bit more than I do. The problem is my work jetting all over the world at short notice. What I would like to do is come home and grab the Mrs and fly to UK for a few weeks, the only problem is all the bullshit about getting a visa, I just don't have the time to get my latest 6 months paperwork sent from the UK to start the procedure before I have to go back to work again. We have visited once but had a lot of time to plan. We really don't want to live in UK so I guess ILR and all that jazz is out of the question, it's a real pain in the hole. Has anyone got experience of the longer term visas or the success rate in applying for them, i.e. 5 or 10 years? Any help gratefully appreciated, my Mum is going to disown me soon.

The procedure is relatively straightforward, you just need to get yor paperwork sorted. Once you have done that then your wife can make the application, she has to anyway.

If you are legally resident in Thailand with her then she obviously has a valid reason for frequent visits to the UK, so a 2, 5 or even 10 year visa may be possible. However, if she has not built up a history of regular travel to the UK then it is unlikely this time round.

See Spouse/Partner of British Citizen (Based in Thailand) going to the UK for a visit (family visit) – Check List