Skelton man left devastated after his wife told to return to Thailand

Nick Pelling and Somboon Phungamdao

Nick Pelling and wife Somboon Phungamdao, known as Toy, either face being forced to live apart or him having to leave his life in Skelton behind.

A heartbroken husband says his mum potentially faces the loss of another child after he was told his wife was being deported back to Thailand. Nick Pelling and his wife Somboon Phungamdao, known as Toy, either face being forced to live thousands of miles apart or him having to leave his life in Skelton behind. It is the latest blow to the Pelling family, who just two months ago had to deal with the tragic loss of Nick’s brother Mark. The 53-year-old died in Thailand in May in a motorbike accident.

“My mum has lost her son in Thailand in May and now she is worried about losing another,” said Nick, 49. Toy is being deported by the Home Office after her six-month visitor visa ran out and was refused permission to remain in the UK. “I feel like we are being bullied,” said Nick, an oil rig worker who had previously emigrated to New Zealand. “We have been told this decision is final – we are not allowed to appeal.” Nick met Toy, 50, while visiting his brother in February 2012. “We got on like a house on fire,” he said.

The pair would then communicate over the internet or on the phone in between visits. She was then granted a visa to live with Nick in New Zealand. But after four-and-a-half years in the country, Nick decided he wanted to return home to Teesside. Toy was then granted a six-month visitor visa with Nick, who got a job and bought a home and car. The pair then married in February this year.

But they say a mistake by their immigration advisor meant an application for her to stay on was cancelled. A second application was then submitted. However, the couple were told the devastating news yesterday that Toy is not allowed to stay. “They said Toy can’t speak English well enough and that I don’t earn enough money – both of which are not true. “Toy goes to English classes once a week in Redcar and I have a good job on the rigs. “We now have up to July 28 to tell then of the flight details for Toy to go back where she has nowhere to live.”

“I have family, a job, a house, a car and a dog here but they don’t seem to care about that,” added Nick, who says his mum Anne is heartbroken at the prospect. “In the decision notice it states there is no reason why I cannot go to live in Thailand. “That is not where I want to be. This is my home. I am a British Citizen. “But Toy is my wife. I will stand by her through thick and thin. We want to be together.

“I just want to live as man and wife in our house as couples do. We don’t want anything special. “I just can’t understand it. Why are they making our lives a misery?” A Home Office spokesperson said: “Ms Phungamdao entered the UK on a six month visitor visa which expired in March this year. “It is not possible for a visitor to switch to a spousal visa, but it remains open to Ms Phungamdao to submit a fresh application as a spouse after leaving the UK.”

--Samui Times 2014-07-19

All those who winge about Thai immigration laws should read this and hang their heads in shame.

Abuse of the visa system goes both ways. I'm fed up of just how easy it is for someone to stay in the UK once they have arrived. That said the UK immigration are incompetent idiots, I'm sure this lady would be able to avoid deportation if she decided to do that.

All those who winge about Thai immigration laws should read this and hang their heads in shame.

What the hell are you on about?

Her tourist visa expired in March and she is still there.

They tried to change her visa to a spousal visa from the UK.... You can't do that. Has to be done from outside same as Thai regulations.

Thailand is on the verge of doing this to potentially thousands of farang. Will they hang THEIR heads in shame when men are torn from their children and girlfriends???

Why do you think these people should get special treatment because some guy died in a motorcycle accident???????

She clearly has not gone through procedures, and that is why she is having to leave.

I hope they don't issue her visa. She seems to have overstayed.

I am here because I did the right things to qualify for my visa..... I expect no special treatment like this couple seem to.

Go home and do things properly.

Something doesn't add up.

She was living 4½ years in NZ and still can not speak English well enough to pass the UK immigration test?

He has a "good" job in Oil industry but not enough salary to satisfy the requirements?

They used an "immigration advisor" who made a catastrophic mistake?

I am very sorry for their predicament, but I can't help wondering how it arose.

oh yes all the TV experts on here again - full of heart arnt ye.

Well I for one feel very sorry for them and its wrong.

Families should be together - end off.

oh yes all the TV experts on here again - full of heart arnt ye.

Well I for one feel very sorry for them and its wrong.

Families should be together - end off.

Rubbish.

So you saying all global immigration rules ought to be lifted in the case of someone being married to a citizen of a country?

Get real.

It is tight for a reason in the UK.

It has a generous benefits system.

It has free healthcare.

It has free education of a good standard.

It has a housing system that gets people housed and they will pay your rent if out of work.

It has many things that get totally abused by people who just go there to take advantage of the system. Even with tight immigration rules millions are there skimming the system to their advantage.

You get none of that in Thailand and have an equally tight and unsympathetic immigration system.

You don't need to be a TVF expert to have an opinion and some experience of immigration rules and why they are there.

Swiss Cheese has less holes then in this story ...

"Nick met Toy, 50, while visiting his brother in February 2012"

Then ...

"She was then granted a visa to live with Nick in New Zealand. But after four-and-a-half years in the country"

That makes it August 2016 ...

Then ...

"Toy was then granted a six-month visitor visa with Nick"

That makes it February 2017 ...

Can I have some of the Lotto numbers please ...

That's assuming that all those application and Visas were contiguous ... which I doubt.

Interesting ...

.

oh yes all the TV experts on here again - full of heart arnt ye.

Well I for one feel very sorry for them and its wrong.

Families should be together - end off.

What part of visitor visa do you not understand?

She will have to return to Thailand and go through the normal procedure and pass the English test.

End of story.

All those who winge about Thai immigration laws should read this and hang their heads in shame.

What the hell are you on about?

Her tourist visa expired in March and she is still there.

They tried to change her visa to a spousal visa from the UK.... You can't do that. Has to be done from outside same as Thai regulations.

Thailand is on the verge of doing this to potentially thousands of farang. Will they hang THEIR heads in shame when men are torn from their children and girlfriends???

Why do you think these people should get special treatment because some guy died in a motorcycle accident???????

She clearly has not gone through procedures, and that is why she is having to leave.

I hope they don't issue her visa. She seems to have overstayed.

I am here because I did the right things to qualify for my visa..... I expect no special treatment like this couple seem to.

Go home and do things properly.

I have to agree with you, she overstayed, broke the law and is now getting deported.However she can apply when in Thailand,maybe a few weeks holiday and back to uk to continue their lives together.

Looks to me like a complete fiction

If it is not....clear way forward is leave and make a proper application!

It is a bit like the endless visa threads!

It is NOT difficult to get the paperwork right

Who in their right minds leaves it until the last 3 or 4 months to get a new Passport?

I thought she had to leave because he was so skinny .

Overstay in Thailand is far more serious now,they should say, thank you uk for looking after me,when i decided to overstay

Swiss Cheese has less holes then in this story ...

"Nick met Toy, 50, while visiting his brother in February 2012"

Then ...

"She was then granted a visa to live with Nick in New Zealand. But after four-and-a-half years in the country"

That makes it August 2016 ...

Then ...

"Toy was then granted a six-month visitor visa with Nick"

That makes it February 2017 ...

Can I have some of the Lotto numbers please ...

That's assuming that all those application and Visas were contiguous ... which I doubt.

Interesting ...

.

I think it was Nick that had been there 4.5 years. Met Toy in Thailand when visiting his brother on vacation, got her a visa and took her back with him (or she followed later, who knows).

Nevertheless, they managed to make a cock-up of her application to remain in the UK and she's gotta go, perfectly reasonable.

I thought she had to leave because he was so skinny .

Luke ... this place is better because of your presence.

Non-story..... he is just trying to get some bleeding heart liberals to bend the law for him. Why on earth did the dog they own make it into the picture?, perhaps Mum in a wheelchair? or attached to a life saving device would have gotten more press? Get in line, everyone has a story to tell with their visa. Doesn't give him the right to cue jump or preferential treatment.

Oz

I thought she had to leave because he was so skinny .

Luke ... this place is better because of your presence.

I'm just cheezy

I don't think she wants to stay. He's wearing an England T Shirt

If this is "devastating", I'd hate to see what the adjective would be if something really bad happened. Sounds to me like the guy screwed up and now feels the need to blame everyone but himself. And why did this story make it into a newspaper?

Swiss Cheese has less holes then in this story ...

Indeed.

They say her initial application to stay in the UK was cancelled due to a mistake by their advisor.

Well the mistake was in advising her to apply!

UK visit visas cannot be converted to settlement within the UK. Any such application is going to be refused; which the second one was.

The solution to their problem is simple.

All she has to do is return to Thailand and submit a settlement application.

If she can meet the very basic English requirement, which if she can talk to her husband in English she can, and if he meets the financial requirement, which he says he does, then, from what they say, I can see no reason why that application would be refused.

It seems to me that this couple tried to by pass the settlement rules and are now seeking sympathy because they couldn't.

If they wanted to live together in the UK, why did she only apply for a visit visa in the first place? Could it be because it's cheaper than a settlement one?

We constantly read about guys on here who go through all the stress of doing it the proper way, if this guy and his wife would have been allowed to remain together in the UK, then what kind of picture does it give those currently applying. There would be an influx of tourists coming and getting married and wanting to stay.

Before we get the usual comments, I am British live in Germany with my Thai wife who has permission to stay here, and we will use this if we need to go to the UK to live.

She was on a 6 month tourist visa, she has obviously overstayed. Why do people think the law doesn't or shouldn't apply to them?

She should have gone back, and the applied in Thailand for the appropriate Fiancé visa. There is a proper process.

No sympathy.

Non-story..... he is just trying to get some bleeding heart liberals to bend the law for him. Why on earth did the dog they own make it into the picture?, perhaps Mum in a wheelchair? or attached to a life saving device would have gotten more press? Get in line, everyone has a story to tell with their visa. Doesn't give him the right to cue jump or preferential treatment.

Oz

The dog is more attractive?

Non-story..... he is just trying to get some bleeding heart liberals to bend the law for him. Why on earth did the dog they own make it into the picture?, perhaps Mum in a wheelchair? or attached to a life saving device would have gotten more press? Get in line, everyone has a story to tell with their visa. Doesn't give him the right to cue jump or preferential treatment.

Oz

The dog is more attractive?

Naughty, but i would stay with the dog too

Very naughty. Well, at least one of the mutts can stay and keep him company.

Swiss Cheese has less holes then in this story ...

"Nick met Toy, 50, while visiting his brother in February 2012"

Then ...

"She was then granted a visa to live with Nick in New Zealand. But after four-and-a-half years in the country"

That makes it August 2016 ...

Then ...

"Toy was then granted a six-month visitor visa with Nick"

That makes it February 2017 ...

Can I have some of the Lotto numbers please ...

That's assuming that all those application and Visas were contiguous ... which I doubt.

Interesting ...

.

Thats what I thought when I first read it, but if you read it again it says Nick wanted to return home after 4.5 years not they, the article is badly written.

Badly written or not; it is obvious that they tried to do what is legally impossible; convert a visit visa to settlement within the UK.

Their 'advisor' should have told them this in the first place!

Rather than overstay and then try to by pass the rules, they should have done what many couples in their situation do; obey the rules and the foreign spouse return home to apply for settlement there.

the longer she stays the greater the risks involved in not getting the required Visa.

Swiss Cheese has less holes then in this story ...

Indeed.

They say her initial application to stay in the UK was cancelled due to a mistake by their advisor.

Well the mistake was in advising her to apply!

UK visit visas cannot be converted to settlement within the UK. Any such application is going to be refused; which the second one was.

The solution to their problem is simple.

All she has to do is return to Thailand and submit a settlement application.

If she can meet the very basic English requirement, which if she can talk to her husband in English she can, and if he meets the financial requirement, which he says he does, then, from what they say, I can see no reason why that application would be refused.

It seems to me that this couple tried to by pass the settlement rules and are now seeking sympathy because they couldn't.

If they wanted to live together in the UK, why did she only apply for a visit visa in the first place? Could it be because it's cheaper than a settlement one?

Could not agree more

Act in haste, regret at leisure.

Again, why make this story in an "online newspaper"? TVF needs to raise the bar a bit.

But it is amusing, cudos to the Samui Times for that.

Nick is just another random dumbass.

Badly written or not; it is obvious that they tried to do what is legally impossible; convert a visit visa to settlement within the UK.

Their 'advisor' should have told them this in the first place!

Rather than overstay and then try to by pass the rules, they should have done what many couples in their situation do; obey the rules and the foreign spouse return home to apply for settlement there.

With respect I made no comment on the rights or wrong of the case, just pointed out an obvious mis comception some posters were having.

But for the record having had to jumped through the hopes like most people here I would not dis agree with your assessment of the situation.