Thai Girlfriend To Uk

[twix38]

Hello,

I am English national 40yo, employed and have Thai girlfriend for last 18 months. We have emails dating back for this period. I see her for about 3 weeks each 4 or 5 months.

We are planning to marry and we want to be able to spend more continuous time together before we marry, so either I quit my job (not a massive problem, but not ideal) and I stay in Thailand on a multiple entry tourist visa or my Thai girlfriend visits the UK on a tourist visa or visits UK on a Fiancee visa. Both would need to allow 2 months minimum or longer. She would have to quit her job.

I do not know what is the best option or what rules would apply? How best to go about it? Any and all ideas on the various choices and best solution. We both work (She in Business centre of Hotel in Bangkok) and we are both prepared to quit to stay in each others Country and be together, but until we can spend some reasonable time together we are not willing to marry. The quitting of our jobs is not the issue as I have savings to see me through if I quit or/and to support her.

Really, the question is, what do people do who feel they need to be together longer than work holidays allow, to get to know each other better before marriage. What are the options and best choices to make, and rules etc that apply?

I have a slight preference to quit and come to Thailand, but my girlfriend is not keen on me quitting for our future together.

Any tips/info would be appreciated.

Many thanks in advance

[MartinB]

I was in a similar situation. Sounds like you have only been physically together for about 9 weeks or so, which is not a long time. If money is no object then I think you need to get yourself over to Thailand. Suggest you contact the Thai Consulate in Hull and obtain a one year multi o visa for one year (90 quid). I have known my girlfriend for 3 years and been here almost a year and she’s been to the UK to check out the food and weather etc and we still haven’t decided on what route to take re marriage….these things take time.

Cheers and good luck

[twix38]

That would appear to be the best option.

However, if anyone can advise about how I would go about getting a Fiancee visa(what I need) and what it means in terms of binding commitment and any rules and the application process that would be most helpfull.

Thanks

[Mon]

Hi twix

I am in a very similar position as you are. I will tell you what I have found out.

I have known my Fiancee for 2.5 years and have visited Thailand twice in that time to see her, recently in March this year where we were Engaged . We have kept in contact on the telephone frequently and have a few letters.

Anyway, I have spoken to a couple of lawyers and to the UK Visa department in London. I asked them what was the best Visa option for my Fiancee to come to the UK, toying between the visitor or settlement Visa. I wanted her to come to the UK for 6 months so that we can spend some together, to see if she feels happy to live in our wonderful country, or opt straight for the settlement Visa. The advice that I was given was to apply for the settlement Visa and not the Visitor Visa. They said this is because if she applies for the visitors Visa she would most likely be refused by the British Embassy because we are engaged and they might think we were trying to " get around the system ".( the settlement Visa is much more expensive). It never crossed my mind but they are the experts.

We thought it would be better to have the visitors Visa as it would show the Embassy that we wanted to live together initially for 6 months in the UK , my Fiancee would then return to Thailand and we would then apply for the settlement Visa. At this point we would have those 6 months were we have lived together in the UK and that she and I are happy together here and want to live happily ever after, as they say. We feel that we haven't " lived together " long enough to be successful with the settlement Visa.

The advisers that I spoke to said that we would have a very good chance of a successful settlement Visa because we met 2.5 years ago in Bangkok, have kept in regular contact, we became engaged recently and my financial position is good.

For you to go to Thailand for a few months is an OK idea as you can live together and have some quality time.

There are a couple of websites you can visit, ukvisas.gov.uk and britishemb.or.th.

I have to leave work now, there is more that I can say about this topic, I can give more info if you require it. Good luck.

Regards

Mon.

[MartinB]

I agree with the web sites that mon has highlighted - take your time and read all the info. Also take a look at www.thailand-uk.com this site is run by guys that have married a Thai. Like Mon said "that she and I are happy together here and want to live happily ever after, as they say" this is the important part! Thai's are have a lot of different views on life and you need to spend a lot of time to get to know each other before you tie the final knot!

all the best

[twix38]

Thanks to both you guys for the advice.

I will certainly look at the websites you mention later as I am in a rush to get to Bangkok now.

I understand the Visitor visa to be the same as a tourist visa but is the settlement visa you refer to just another name for the Fiancee visa or is it a different visa altogether? Please excuse my ignorance.

Mon, my Thai girlfriend and I are not yet engaged. To get the settlement/Fiancee visa am I right to assume that we must already be engaged and is proof obtainable and required by the British Embassy to issue a Fiancee visa?

You say you "have not lived together long enough to be successful with the settlement visa". Is this meant in a personal sense, i.e. meaning it may not work out in the end or is this in a visa sense, meaning there are visa rule problems later if it does not all work out?

You mention there is more that you can say. If you have the time I would welcome any information and advice.

Are you in England now? I am on holiday in Thailand and will return to Essex in mid May.

As I will be in BKK tomorrow, maybe a visit to the British Embassy would be a good idea, but I will look at your website addresses first.

I am just starting to get my head around the complexities. Once I have ALL the options and understand the rules that apply I can then make an informed judgement for my circumstances. It is quiete a crucial decision for us both.

THANKS GUYS

[Richard W]

You say you "have not lived together long enough to be successful with the settlement visa". Is this meant in a personal sense, i.e. meaning it may not work out in the end or is this in a visa sense, meaning there are visa rule problems later if it does not all work out?

My wife and I had been together in about nine weeks by the time she got her settlement visa to come to England, but our relationship had been in place for over 12 months, and we had letters to back that up. (I think letters are much better for sleeping with than print-offs of e-mails!) I think it's duration of relationship rather than time together that counts.

A fiancée visa is a sort of settlement visa, I suppose for a provisonal and right-limited visa. I think the application form is the same as for a spouse's settlement.

The amount of commitment required for a fiancée visa is a good question. I don;t know the answer. It ought to cover the case where a visitor's visa is not appropriate because you might marry one another, but there are gaps. For example, a guy going through a divorce can't use either to bring his girlfriend over - summarised from ECO Jonathan Bamber. I recall the requirement is 'intend to marry'. Well, you do, don't you? The problem is that you worry that things won't work out, and you're trying to precipitate the crisis now rather than divorce later. (I'd recommend Winter for the visit - that's when the climate is most likely to undermine the relationship.)