Required documents and translation visitor visa Thai wife UK

[jimbob333]

As in a previous post my wife has an appointment for a visa at trendy Building on the 8th of Feb,people keep telling me she should take as much as she can as evidence,so on our last count she has 15 pages of documents to translate,

These include land documents,car ownership,home ownership etc,is all that really necessary?so for 15 pages we are looking at 3000 baht upwards in translation fees,that sounds like way too much documentation,the links on UKGov website as to what is required is very vague.

[theoldgit]

The suggested list of documents is fairly specific, is the documents I've attached the same one you're looking at?

You will note that details of car ownership are on list of documents you shouldn't supply, so I wouldn't be going to the expense of translating those.

Your wife has to satisfy the decision maker that her visit is genuine, affordable and that on the balance of probabilities she will return home to Thailand.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that ECO are fairly relaxed about the translated documents, but it is a requirement so you are taking a chance if you don't include them.

I personally would include details of your home as that's a good reason to return, whether you get them translated or not is really up to you.

The ECO doesn't want to be bogged down with unnecessary evidence, just include sufficicient evidence to satisfy them that the application is genuine.

What other evidence did your wife intend submitting?

Visitor Supporting Documents Guide.pdf

[jimbob333]

Land documents (she has 3 plots)

Tabian baan for house she owns

Rental agreement for condo

Bank statements dating going back 6 months

Letter from employers granting her time off

Letter from my sister saying we can stay with her free of charge

Letter saying why she will return and the importance of it

[theoldgit]

Assuming you live in the condo, I would certainly include that, and translate in necessary.

Land documents and house she owns, then probably, is the house rented out, if so provide details.

Bank statements, my experience has been that banks can provide in English, add copies if you want the originals returned.

Will her employers provide a letter in English, if they do and the ECO decides to call and confirm, then they will expect the author to speak English.

Will your wife's covering letter be in English, when my other half has applied I've always written her covering letter adding a line along the lines of "it's her application and whilst her spoken English is good her written English isn't so good, so I've drafted the letter after her dictation".

I assume the letter offering accommodation would be in English, could the sister in laws partner draft it if her written English isn't up to scratch.

[Tony M]

One problem is that, if your application is a 50/50 decision ( and I'm not suggesting that it is), then you are making it very easy for the ECO to refuse it. If you supply a Thai bank book, for instance, and the name of the account holder is in Thai, then the ECO can say ( and has done on many occasions) that he doesn't know whose bank book it is, and cannot take the claimed savings into account. Easy refusal.

It has to be your decision. But I wouldn't risk getting the application refused for the sake of 3,000 THB in translation fees, especially if you can use the documents again in future applications, perhaps ?

[jimbob333]

Yeah she has bank statements and letters from her bank they are all in English,one even says they believe she is capable of financing her trip alone, it was mainly the land documents,popped into trendy building earlier, for her land documents they want 1000baht a side, and there is 6 sides, now that to me smells like a scam.

[theoldgit]

I'm not sure that their pricing structure is a scam, but it does seem on the high side. The translating company would probably argue that because they're in Trendy their rents are high and they need to recover their costs, though I'm sure that the fact they have a captive market is factored into their pricing structure.

The bottom line is does your wife need these documents to satisfy the ECO that she has sufficient reason to return. You have indicated that she employed and has evidence to prove this, I gather that you also rent a condo and again have evidence, you're married and will supply evidence to prove this, and presumably your own ties to Thailand.

So do you have enough evidence without these documents, probably yes, but it has to be your call. As Tony M says, and he's got more up to date experience than anyone else on this forum, it would be a shame if the application was refused on the back of failing to provide these documents.

[jimbob333]

Yeah I know to be safe I have to bite the bullet and have all the evidence as needed,just seems the cost is high but mai pen rai as know it needs paying

My own ties to Thailand are not so strong as I am looking to start my own business in Bangkok once we return from holiday,Other people have suggested with the evidence of above and her savings and land she should be okay without me sponsoring her.

I am hoping that my sisters offer of free accommodation is okay as well in form of email,she has photos attached of her and wife together at our wedding.

One of my worries is my extension to stay expires 5 days after we get back (non immigrant o married to Thai wife),so worried the ECO will look at this as suspicious,I have multiple entry on my passport so have all the right doc's just in my head thinking they gonna pull her as it runs out 5 days after we get back.

[theoldgit]

My own ties to Thailand are not so strong as I am looking to start my own business in Bangkok once we return from holiday,Other people have suggested with the evidence of above and her savings and land she should be okay without me sponsoring her.

I am hoping that my sisters offer of free accommodation is okay as well in form of email,she has photos attached of her and wife together at our wedding.

One of my worries is my extension to stay expires 5 days after we get back (non immigrant o married to Thai wife),so worried the ECO will look at this as suspicious,I have multiple entry on my passport so have all the right doc's just in my head thinking they gonna pull her as it runs out 5 days after we get back.

If your wife has sufficient ties to Thailand and funds for the trip then you don't need to sponsor her, many Thai people visit the UK without financial support.

When my partner and I have visited the UK we have often stayed with friends and/or family at some stage during our trips, she has only ever supplied short letters on invitation, either emails or emailed attachments, she never sent photos of our friends of family.

Regarding you stay in Thailand, I wouldn't be too concerned, but I would point it out in your covering letter rather than have the ECO stumbling across it, I would add that you plan to renew at the appropriate time.

Last year my partner, we're not married, successfully applied for a longer term visit visa, my extension was also about to expire, and it wasn't an issue. I did in fact renew my stay early, after her visa was issued but before my extension expired.

[jimbob333]

Follow on question,wife had everything translated all good.

But picked her bank statments from Bangkok bank(who had offered them in English)to be told the covering letter is in English but the 6 months worth of statments are in Thai,it does show the word salary in English going in every month,does each Bangk statment need translating or is the cover letter going to be okay?.

[Bantex]

Yeah she has bank statements and letters from her bank they are all in English,one even says they believe she is capable of financing her trip alone, it was mainly the land documents,popped into trendy building earlier, for her land documents they want 1000baht a side, and there is 6 sides, now that to me smells like a scam.

The three translator premises on the ground floor of Trendy building charge high prices as they think they have captive customers who want the documents translated quickly and conveniently.

There are other translation places that are a lot cheaper. The last translation I had done was in December and cost 400 baht per full A4 sheet,