Thread: Applying for a Spouse Visa

1 person on this thread has said it's a good idea, many more have said otherwise.

Anyway, up to you obvs.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by Wasp

And people have said it can be a hassle and that its worth ( in their opinion ) handing the stuff over to an agent and avoiding such hassle .
I listened to these people - because they've gone through the process . Others say their experience is that you don't need an agent at all .

Obviously the IO, and their demands are the factor for this.

IO: Everything's in order. Stamp stamp. Good.
IO: No, no, no you need to get this from here on this date, photos there, updated certs from here on this date only, etc etc. A pita.


Hence go to the local IO and see what they want and need. If easy, do it yourself, if not, pay some lackey to do all the running and smooth things over with cold hard cash, unless you're a tightwad

Originally Posted by Norton

the following basic requirements

Of which some IOs may actually follow.

I did my extension earlier this year and was politely asked for my parents' surnames including mother's maiden name to be written down on a blank piece of paper. I just smiled, said sure, wrote them down and passed the paper back politely.

^^ x2 for all documents in CM.

All signed two thirds of the way down the page.

Not at the bottom of the page.

Also the application form needs two recent photos and your mobile no.

You have to draw both maps- copies not accepted.

Originally Posted by Edmond

Of which some IOs may actually follow..

Give it up, Mao.

No finder's fee for you.

It was worth a try.

Originally Posted by cyrille

All signed two thirds of the way down the page.

Not at the bottom of the page.

What a bunch of wonkers, eh.

I'm only just now reading through all these Comments . Thank you for this one oots . There has been advice on here that I should grow some balls and get into it myself ..... but I hesitate over and over . Even moving there means giving a lot of leverage to my Thai partner and it means selling up my home . I trust her completely -- but I've read a few times how its the people you trust that can hurt you . Not the ones you don't trust . This is not down to having no balls . It's down to reading of other people being destroyed by people they trusted . I spoke with you once oots about my ex-boss who warned me and warned me about treading warily and then HE got absolutely wiped out by his Thai partner . I've gone off the subject though . I read about agents 'parking' money into my account overnight and it's surely not legal ? And I never want to set myself up doing illegal stuff . Certainly not in Thailand . Anyway -- thanks for offering to help . W.

I'm not rereading the thread.

Originally Posted by Wasp

Even moving there means giving a lot of leverage to my Thai partner and it means selling up my home

But stop right there.


Stop.

Right.

There.

Originally Posted by ootai

Its not often that I completely agree with Mr Stumpy but his posts 8,19,23'25'and 27 are in my opinion probably the best advice he has given on here.
However I think he has failed to understand the common man's concerns and fears. I think Wasp is probably a little reticent about throwing himself off the cliff into the unknown that is moving to Thailand.
If you have the full support of your wife and have full confidence in her ability and willingness to help you, which may require standing up to the authority of the Immigration Officer/s, then it may be not so daunting, you're a lucky man in this regard Stumpy.

I have made many mistakes with Visa over the past 24 years both in Thailand (for me) and in Australia (for my wife) but was able to work through it all and come out the other end alive, maybe a little scarred but I survived.

I just recently did my annual extension and needed it to be expedited as I wanted to return to Australia. I asked the guy at the Buriram Office if he could make it happen more quickly and his reply was that he didn't have the "power". My wife called the big off ice Khon Kaen and it happened plus it didn't require any exchange of cash.
So if wasp was living in Buriram and i was back there I would willing help him out.

I'm only just now reading through all these Comments . Thank you for this one oots . There has been advice on here that I should grow some balls and get into it myself ..... but I hesitate over and over . Even moving there means giving a lot of leverage to my Thai partner and it means selling up my home . I trust her completely -- but I've read a few times how its the people you trust that can hurt you . Not the ones you don't trust . This is not down to having no balls . It's down to reading of other people being destroyed by people they trusted . I spoke with you once oots about my ex-boss who warned me and warned me about treading warily and then HE got absolutely wiped out by his Thai partner . I've gone off the subject though . I read about agents 'parking' money into my account overnight and it's surely not legal ? And I never want to set myself up doing illegal stuff . Certainly not in Thailand . Anyway -- thanks for offering to help . W.

Hello Edmond . I don't know why you want me to ' stop right there ' . ( I will say I've found your Comments particularly good ) . But giving leverage to my Thai wife DOES worry me . You've read many times about fallangs getting wiped out in Thailand . We've all read those stories . And I personally have seen a friend wiped out . Totally . He ended up getting an emergency ( low ) Australian Pension to bail him out . If I do the wrong thing and end up getting damaged then people will be very swift to ask " Did you never do any searching for the pitfalls which are not at all rare ? " . So I worry . So I'm maybe a wuss . But I do have concerns . That's all.

Never sell up a Western home to live in Thailand. And if you do, sell and then buy condos that you own. The bird's opinion on what you do with your property and money matters not a jot, a single whinge and you tell her to fok off. :-)

Originally Posted by Edmond

Never sell up a Western home to live in Thailand. And if you do, sell and then buy condos that you own. The bird's opinion on what you do with your property and money matters not a jot, a single whinge and you tell her to fok off. :-)

Well ..... there ARE plenty of fallangs who are perfectly happy with their partners . I'm just looking on the bleak side . Someone asked me once " Do you honestly think that of all the women in Thailand YOU have got one of the rare honest ones ? " Well actually I do believe in her . But if I turn out to be wrong it would be cataclysmic for me . No property back in England --- no wish to return anyway --- and plenty of people lining up to tell me I've been an idiot . I just need someone to sound off to and you are my choice , Edmond . ( Besides - I could live at a pretty good standard out there . ) { The idea of buying a condo would give me a safety net though . Hmmmm } Thank U.

Rent your property out in the UK and provide an income.

There's no need to go all in.

Originally Posted by Joe 90

Rent your property out in the UK and provide an income. There's no need to go all in.

You're right Joe . But I'm 75 now . I really would like to cut all ties at this Stage . Renting does not always go well and I'm not inclined to be travelling to UK again if I can avoid it .

W.

You are a fucking idiot. Sorry for being blunt. You have a wife You do not trust 1,000 percent. You are struggling to find the 400k, and personally I would think you need 3 to 4 times that in another account. You have not even looked at health insurance. At 75 I would bet money that you have 2 or three pre existing conditions that will make coverage difficult if not impossible.


living in in thaiand can be tough. And you strike me as a good candidate to be the guest star on a bonfire in nakon bumfuck.

Niddy keeping it real!

Selling up a home in the West to move to Thailand doesn’t sound unreasonable if the funds from the sale are kept there and brought over as needed.

Buying a house here if one is elderly with no young family doesn’t make much sense to me, especially if that house is out in the sticks somewhere. Better a condominium near civilization.

Us old geezers need to be where we can have friends and order a pizza delivered.

^Different strokes for different folks.

^ True that. But I’ve seen even an older Thai friend regret he live in the boonies. Though he loves his remote retreat, he lost his caregiver/driver unexpectedly and is now fucked. Not sure how his situation will resolve as he cannot sell up and leave.

Originally Posted by misskit

Selling up a home in the West to move to Thailand doesn’t sound unreasonable if the funds from the sale are kept there and brought over as needed.

Buying a house here if one is elderly with no young family doesn’t make much sense to me, especially if that house is out in the sticks somewhere. Better a condominium near civilization.

Us old geezers need to be where we can have friends and order a pizza delivered.

Sound advice. I am comfortable with my decisions so far, if I were older and starting from scratch I'd do things differently.

Money: I keep what little I have offshore.
Costs: No council tax, low utility costs. I reckon I save GBP4K per year compared to England. A small flat in Essex would be over GBP12K per year. There is more than Baht 50K per month in saved cash flow.
House: I built a very small house and have a usus fructus on the chanote title. Will it keep me safe? Not sure. The garden is becoming more of a challenge than a pleasure. A rented condo looks increasingly like the way to go.
Location: This is her home village, she's comfortable here. It is rural, people farm rice. There is fook all to do here. I look at it from the other side, if I were in London with all its entertainment options, I couldn't afford a ticket to the opera or restaurant lunches every day. At least here I am not freezing my bollox off while looking at all the things I couldn't afford to do. I have no underlying medical conditions, so far. When I did have one problem I realized that the hospital is over an hour away. I suppose in a crisis I could hit the government hospital locally. Either way, I don't have to spend 24 hours on a stretcher in a corridor before I see a doctor. Swings and roundabouts.
Visa: I am not married and don't plan to be unless local laws change. Even if I were married, I wouldn't consider a marriage visa. My annual renewal is this week. My local office has always been straightforward, rules are followed, they are friendly, never try to make life difficult and if I see them out in the evening I'll buy some beers. Luck of the draw.
Bottom line: I was divorced in UK after about 40 years, I'll never put total faith in any partner again. Here, she needs me, I need her, it is a balanced relationship. I am heavily invested, it would hurt to walk away. If I end up limping off the battlefield then so be it. Until that time, I'll keep on keeping on. I could get trampled by a buffalo tomorrow, who knows what the future will bring?

Originally Posted by Shutree

have a usus fructus on the chanote title.

Good. A usufruct is all but essential if buying property that isn't a condo.

Usually less than 100 baht at the land office, different offices vary in their rules. Full legal right to be the land master until passing, regardless of ownership, stamped on the chanote. Like going for retirement extension rather than spouse, should one outlive their SO, there are less to zero issues that one neither wants nor needs injected into their life when elderly.