My wife has previously had a UK visitors visa and 2 consecutive settlement visas when we lived in the UK together for 3 years

We now live in Thailand and want to visit the UK for a holiday

I intended to apply for a visitirs visa valid for 6 months but see it is possible to get a visa for maybe 5 years

We hope to visit the UK most years for a short holiday

Anybody any experience of getting a Long Term visa

Cheers

A long term visit visa is certainly possible, but remember hat she will still be limited to a maximum of 6 months on any one visit and a maximum of 6 months out of any 12 in the UK.

Whether your wife qualifies, I cannot say. They normally look for solid base in the applicant's home country, a history of frequent(ish) and regular(ish) travel abroad and a reason for needing/wanting to visit the UK regularly.

At the end of the day the only way to find out is to apply.

Being refused a long term visit visa wont be any bar to her subsequently applying for and receiving the standard 6 month one, but you will lose the fee. Up to you if you want to take the chance or have 2 or 3 standard visas first.

It's worth a try! Saves on the hassle of her having to apply for a visitors visa again next year or the year after.

From personal experience with my mother-in-law. If you apply for 10 years, you get 2. Must admit have never asked for 5 years (as 2, 5 and 10 cost the same amount). For her, 2 years is a rip-off typical of the UK as she only goes every other year...

Must admit have never asked for 5 years (as 2, 5 and 10 cost the same amount). For her, 2 years is a rip-off typical of the UK as she only goes every other year...

Not quite correct, the current application fee for a 1 or 2 year visa costs 12,470 Baht, whilst the application fee for a 5 or 10 year visa costs 23,200 and 29,000 Baht respectively, not an insignificant amount.

As a single one, good for the maximum 6 months in one year, is "only" Bt3886, then the only real beneficiaries over time would be people who came to the UK a number of times each year, over the whole 12 months, but you stayed less than 6 months in total. Even coming once a year would not really be worth risking the Bt29,000 for a potential saving of Bt9,860 over 10 years or Bt986 per year.

^ but remember how much the application fees have increased over the past few years - surely a pattern likely to continue given the financial mess the UK government is in

Well,our experience today may be useful.My then girlfriend(now wife) was given a standard 6 month family visit visa last April,having been refused on two previous occasions.Last week we applied for a 2 year visa,and got the result back today (only 7 working days)They granted another 6 month visa,but refused the 2 year one,on the grounds that she had only travelled to the UK once before.The annoying thing is(as 7by7 pointed out) is that they don't refund any of the fee,so it cost 12470B!! But at least we got a visa.I think next time I shall only apply for the standard visa again,as I don't anticipate any problems getting a third one,and then the next time maybe ask them in advance if a long term one is likely to be granted.I can't actually find out anything in writing anywhere about guidelines for the granting of these long term visas,maybe someone can indicate where these are.

Unfortunately, all the entry clearance guidance says is

VAT1.4 Visa validity - What period for a multiple entry visit visa?

Policy under review