Englishman Wanting To Take Thai Wife And Kids To Spain To Live!

[Nikkisixx]

Hi,

After a few years of running around after visa changes, work permits, problems with the locals etc.. I have finally decided to throw in the towel and head back to Europe...but not the UK...Never!

My folks have been living in Spain for about 7 or eight years now and I've convinced the wife that it would be in everyones best interests if we relocated there, despite the 20% unemployment rate.

Now, having read a few related posts on this fine forum, I believe that it should be relatively straight forward regarding passports and visas. My wife and I are legally married in Thailand but would I need this ratified by th British Embassy or translated by a government approved office? Also, she has one son of 11 years old who's father passed away some years ago (we have his death certificate) and we have a son together of 1 year and 3 months. Would they require separate passports or would they be included in my wife's? What would be the cost? Where would I obtain the passport exactly? I work in Saraburi but will be going back home to my house in Nongbualamphu for Songkran, so BKK and Udon are options.

Now, regarding visas, do I need to apply in advance in LOS, if so where and which kind of visa specifically? I have been told that they (due to my wifes marriage to an EU citizen) would automatically be granted an 90 day visa on arrival, followed by an application for a 5 year Spanish ID card and after 5 years a possibility of a residencia?

Does any body have any experience of a similar situation or know what I should do, what documents would be required etc..

I would be very grateful for any help rendered,

Dan

[Nikkisixx]

Oh yes, and would I need to provide health insurance and return flights or singles?

Thanks

[aussiebebe]

Best of luck with your plans, it sounds really exciting. Your family in Spain would be best placed to help you with the Spanish immigration system but I could advise you about some of your questions relating to Thailand. Both your sons require their own individual Thai passports and cannot be included on your wife's Thai passport. As all three of them are Thai, they will be registered in a particular house book (blue) and you must make the application at the district passport office in the same area as that house, your wife will know. Just go with all their birth certificates, house book and your wife's ID card, the Thai passports will be issued with only a nominal fee of 1000baht, a process which may taken little over 30 minutes. Your son can hold British citizenship (by birth) which entitles him to a birth certificate and passport, you don't mention whether he has this already.

[Nikkisixx]

Hi, thanks for your help! When you say district passport office, do you mean our local Amphur? And how would I go about obtaining a UK passport and birth certificate..the UK embassy in BKK? I wasn't planning on a trip back to England...but if needs be...

Thanks again!

[a99az]

Hi have sent you a personal message.

I did this with my wife and children one was born in Spain and we even have a Spanish family book there. It's easy cost nothing no test's no bull shit at all. In fact any one who has had there wife, and I emphasize here WIFE refused entry to there home (EU)country can move to another EU country with ease.

[Somtamnication]

I envy you guys. Wish I could afford to move out of Thailand. After 11 years, I am really really tired of the place. I speak fluent Spanish, but no fluent money. lol

[David Barker]

I envy you guys. Wish I could afford to move out of Thailand. After 11 years, I am really really tired of the place. I speak fluent Spanish, but no fluent money. lol

You certainly need plenty of that here when we moved to Barcelona area 15yrs ago everything was very cheap compared to the UK now its the other way round and getting worse. I personally are looking forward to moving to our house in Hua Hin permanently.

[Gypsyjoe]

Hello Dan,

I did this just 2 years ago and strait forward it worked for us.

First I had to become a resident (I'm Swiss) and provide the spanish embassy in BKK with a permanent address here in spain.

second I needed a NIE number also provided to the embassy

Further:Bank account, proof of a steady income etc.

For my wife:

Tabien ban, marriage certification, police record, travel insurance and a return flight.

She got a 3 month tourist visa and once in spain we applied for a "residencia" valid 5 years.

Dan I wish you good luck and hope it works out for you as I'm also tired of this constant embassy B..s... wasting our time and money

Joe

[Changoverandout]

I wish to do the same unfortunately my wife has thalassemia and needs monthly litre transfusions. 

Any idea if this would be possible in Spain?

[jak2002003]

Moving to Spain or France was my long term plan. We have been living in Thailand for 15 years and planned to retire in Europe close to our families. 

 

However, no idea how easy it will be now as UK comes out of Europe. Before could just move there and buy a home. Have to wait and see what happens about visas, working, buying properties etc after the split from Europe. 

 

No way I would fit back into the culture and weather back in the UK..so feel a bit stranded here in Thailand at the moment... especially with all the travel restrictions and difficulty selling our properties here. 

 

 

 

 

[GinBoy2]

This is just an idle musing. 

 

Has you wife ever travelled outside of Thailand before?

 

Thats where things can go a bit wrong.

 

I was in the very fortunate position that my wife had grown up in her teenage years and gone to college in the US, before moving to Singapore, and subsequently back to Thailand with me.

 

So culture shock wasn't an issue, she spoke English and she could work when we moved back to the US.

 

Now I doubt your wife speaks Spanish, although from my limited knowledge of the Spanish costa's, a good deal of English is spoken. But will she be able to work and get out of the house, and worst of all will she be able to access Thai food? I seem to recall from my couple of trips to southern Spain, it was all British food, and it was anything you wanted so long as it came with 'chips' 

 

When travel opens up, at least go for an extended vacation to 'prime the pump' so to speak.

 

For @jak2002003  property can be a boat anchor in Thailand. We had a few rental condo's in central Suk which we sold, fairly easily but that was a couple of years ago. But I had no illusions that I could sell our house in KKC, which we just keep as a vacation home

 

Edited August 25, 2020 by GinBoy2

[torturedsole]

3 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

We have been living in Thailand for 15 years and planned to retire in Europe close to our families.

Does your wife have dual-nationality?  

[jak2002003]

6 hours ago, torturedsole said:

Does your wife have dual-nationality?  

We are a farang couple....both from UK. 

 

We have rental condos in Phuket and house in CM. At the moment, due to the virus, I guess things are not selling, especially in Phuket.  What looked like good investment a few years ago has been ruined by what is going on in the world now...which I  could never have foreseen.

 

 

[Orton Rd]

Went to Spain for the first time last year, quite impressed especially the prices, wine could be had for about 35 baht!

[Keyser Soze666]

11 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

This is just an idle musing. 

 

 

 

Yep, he just sounds like another dreamer. Would be shocked if this dream ever comes to fruition. He didn't even know he had to get his son a British PP. lol.

 

I love Spain, and could always see myself living there one day, but I won't be taking a Thai family over there even if I had the means to, which I really don't right now.

[GinBoy2]

45 minutes ago, Keyser Soze666 said:

Yep, he just sounds like another dreamer. Would be shocked if this dream ever comes to fruition. He didn't even know he had to get his son a British PP. lol.

 

I love Spain, and could always see myself living there one day, but I won't be taking a Thai family over there even if I had the means to, which I really don't right now.

The OP has a decent plan, but it's fraught with pitfalls if he hasn't thought through the details.

 

It's not like thousands of Thai spouses don't move to their husbands home country every year. But throw in the variable of a third country, and wow I'd be worried.

 

I would suspect from what the OP said is that they would probably exist within a British enclave ecosystem. But that is very limiting, especially for a Thai, who may or may not speak good English, and probably limits the ability to get out of the house to work.

 

A few years back we went on a traveling vacation through Spain, with my two US daughters and my Thai son, all adults.

 

I'm Hispanic American, so me and my daughters all speak Spanish, without the lisp of course! But for my wife and son without language it was a vacation, but not a chance in Hell they could live there successfully.

Edited August 26, 2020 by GinBoy2

[Keyser Soze666]

28 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

 

 

I'm Hispanic American, so me and my daughters all speak Spanish, without the lisp of course! But for my wife and son without language it was a vacation, but not a chance in Hell they could live there successfully.

Goes without saying. Spanish people don't speak English. So living in a neutral country with limited English spoken. Not gonna happen.

[Eff1n2ret]

On 3/23/2011 at 12:54 PM, Nikkisixx said:

I have been told that they (due to my wifes marriage to an EU citizen) would automatically be granted an 90 day visa on arrival, followed by an application for a 5 year Spanish ID card and after 5 years a possibility of a residencia?

OP, that has been the case under EU law, but the UK is no longer a member of the EU, and after the end of this year, when the transitional arrangements lapse, only those who had already established residence under the EEA Regulations will be able to stay there the same way. So if you're going to do it, get a move on. After 31st December you would be applying under the Spanish Immigration Rules, whatever they are, probably nothing like as easy as before.

[theoldgit]

Maybe I should point out that the OP was made more than nine years ago, I often wonder if he achieved his goal?

[GinBoy2]

5 hours ago, theoldgit said:

Maybe I should point out that the OP was made more than nine years ago, I often wonder if he achieved his goal?

Oops, didn't even notice the date of the original post

[torturedsole]

17 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

We are a farang couple....both from UK.

That you both have British passports is a good start.  I don't envisage too many issues, other than what already presents, moving to France or Spain post-Brexit.  Time will tell, obviously.

 

17 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

We have rental condos in Phuket and house in CM. At the moment, due to the virus, I guess things are not selling, especially in Phuket.  What looked like good investment a few years ago has been ruined by what is going on in the world now...which I  could never have foreseen.

Unforeseen blitzkrieg, unfortunately.  

[Pravda]

16 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Went to Spain for the first time last year, quite impressed especially the prices, wine could be had for about 35 baht!

And the bottle of Chang is 20