I'm currently living in Bangkok with my Thai wife,Have been married for just over a year,thinking of going to England for a two week stay sometime over the summer.

She currently works in a Language school,she has about one million baht in her banks,and owns two plots of land and no children and has never been to England before.

I work part time in various language school's (not legit I'm afraid)

so a few questions if anyone can help??

How easy or difficult is the process?

How much is it?

How long does it take?

And what do we need to start the process?

Anything else please add....and thanks for the help everyone

First step, have a read of UK visit visa basics and Family Visitor visa, where most of your questions will be answered.

The current fee for a standard 6 month visit visa is 129USD (Don't ask!) but increases are due in April.

Processing time depends mainly on demand. At present they seem to be processing non settlement visas in around 5 working days; but this will change if they get busier.

Basically the procedure is:-

• Complete and submit online form, pay fee online, make appointment with VFS to submit signed hard copy of form, supporting documents and have biometrics taken.
• Attend above appointment with above documents.
• VFS forward everything to British embassy where ECOs employed by UKVI are based.
• ECO makes decision, passport etc. returned to VFS for collection by or forwarding to applicant.
• VFS notify applicant of receipt of passport etc.; applicant collects passport or awaits delivery, depending on the option chosen by them. Note that, for data protection and privacy reasons, passports are returned to VFS in sealed packets and no one outside the Entry Clearance section at the embassy will know the decision until the applicant, or their appointed representative, receives and opens that packet.

When ready to apply, start here.

Yes follow 7by7's advice and you will not go wrong. The 2 main reasons for an application to fail are lack of evidence that someone has the means to cover the costs of the trip and doubts that the applicant will leave the UK at the end of the trip. Your wife's money and land seems like good evidence that she will return and copies of all of that should be submitted but also evidence that you are settled in Thailand as well and evidence that you live together. Someone has to show that they will pay for the trip and sponsor the applicant and there has to be evidence of somewhere suitable to stay. So you will need to think about how the trip will be funded. By your wife? By you? If you, can you show income or assets in the UK to fund the trip? Someone else? They must supply the same evidence. You will also need a letter from whoever you are staying with inviting you to stay and disclosing the accommodation they have and proof they live there (a utility bill is enough). There is a lot of work to do but if you can satisfy these points hen the visa should be granted.

My wife is about to apply for a UK visa. Does anyone know if a photocopy of a letter from her employer would be acceptable? She use the original one getting a Schengen visa. Or would she have to get another original copy? She could do that but it would be a pain.

Bring a photocopy to both for UK and Schengen application, show the original and explain that you need the original to show to the other embassy. That's what I would do. I don't know the UKs policy but for a Schengen you should be fine just showing the original at the counter, but this depend on the embassy in question! An other reason why I would make a direct appointment when dealing with a Schengen application rather then the optionsl service provider (VFS or TLS), a well trained counterclerk at the embassy should be able to help you better (read: see if you can get your original back).

Bring a photocopy to both for UK and Schengen application, show the original and explain that you need the original to show to the other embassy. That's what I would do. I don't know the UKs policy but for a Schengen you should be fine just showing the original at the counter, but this depend on the embassy in question! An other reason why I would make a direct appointment when dealing with a Schengen application rather then the optionsl service provider (VFS or TLS), a well trained counterclerk at the embassy should be able to help you better (read: see if you can get your original back).

THank you!