steady

Hello everyone,

I have been looking through the UKBA website to see if their rules insist that every document is presented in English, but can't find an answer. I have marriage certificate etc all translated into English but I might have to provide things like a chanut (title deeds) or tabian baan (house book) to prove statements I am making on the covering letter about finances and where we have lived, or even the addresses on a Thai driving license as a way of proving our address and that we do live there.

So the question is, "Do all documents submitted to the embassy via VFS have to have certified english translations?".

I'm sure that some of the worthies who are regulars on this forum will know the answer.

Many thanks in advance.

Steady

I'm hoping someone with more experience and wisdom can help me. My family - wife, 2 children (UK citizens) and my niece are relocating back to the UK. Both my wife and niece are Thai and have had visitors visas to the UK previously without any problems and I don't foresee any problems getting my wife a settlement visa now. However when I read the UK rules on bringing children as part of the family I feel that my neice doesn't fit in any of their 'boxes'.

My neice lives with us as part of our family and has done so for a few years now, she is fully supported by us and is really just considered as a big sister to our 2 children. Her mother has signed the paper giving me and my wife sole responsibility for my niece at the local amphur office. But appartantly the UK wants only legally adopted children if they are not family but only appears to count family as children not neices. Every other condition relating to our situation can easily be satisfied. It appears that legally adopting can take years so that's not really an option - but if anyone knows different let me know. In Thailand the signed paper from the amphur office appears to be considered as all that's needed for our niece to be considerd as part of our family.

Has anyone been through this situation before? Any useful advice will be graciously received. Thanks.

Steady

Hello,

I've got a friend who has just sold his house which he has owned for 10 years. However he now realises that he cannot find the TorTor3 form. That's the one that proves he brought the money into Thailand. We've already approached his bank who say that they don't keep any copies - it's up to the customer.

So down to the nitty gritty is there any way to take his money out of Thailand legally without stashing it in a suitcase. He has all the paperwork relating to the recent sale.

Over to the informed and imaginative Thaivisa members to help dig my friend out of the hole he is in.

Thanks in advance.

I am looking to buy a 9.6 BTU air con unit. When talking to shop assistants or searching on the internet it is not clear to me what the power consumption will be. I have read as little as 1.1 kW but have also been told up to 2.9 kW.

As I do not have any space for a new circuit from the consumer unit I might be left with the only option being to take a spur of my ring main (32 A mcb and 2.5mm cabling, only serving 3 bedrooms, presently only used for fans). I'm not too concerned at 1.1kW but a higher value especially if unknown isn't the way forward.

Any ideas or suggestions would be great.

Thanks.

Last week I had the misfortune for my two children to fall ill at the same time. So we went to our local hospital, Bangkok Pattaya and had reasonable treatment but the doctor then advised that we admit both children for a day or two.

Then came the issue, both children are under four years old so we asked for one room, no problem said the admissions clerk but I have to charge you for two rooms as there are two patients. I responded by saying a small increase in price to cover an additional mattress would be reasonable but not double the price. We argued for a while and could not come to an agreement so I said ok, two rooms, please make sure that they are next to each other. She said no, they would only give us one room as the children were so small. One of those Thailand moments!

After a time of arguing and her phoning her boss we decided to leave and go to another hospital. When I asked for my bill no one would provide it, everyone stopped helping us. However the nurses did continue to keep an eye on children, but no administrative staff would do anything for us. We left without paying and as we were getting to the door one of the staff ran up to us with a piece of paper in her hand saying to pay the bill. I told her to send it to me. It has yet to arrive at our home.

We were in the next hospital when the phone rang, first of all it was the admissions clerk asking “How much you give me for room mister?”. I wasn’t sure if I was at a Thai market or Pattaya beach road. It wasn’t what I expected from a so called professional hospital. Five minutes later I got another call from someone saying no problem room ready. The person did not introduce themselves and when I asked who they were they said they were in charge of admissions at BPH. It was as if they get a commission on whatever money they can charge for the room. I’m not an anti BPH person and there are some doctors there that I would recommend. However the administrative side is much less switched on. Why they don’t have a standard price list which doesn’t change with the weather I don’t know. I always assumed that if an organisation had quality accreditation then prices should be clear, and (hopefully) have a value for money aspect! As a BUPA member I wonder why BUPA allows this hospital to change prices for the same thing depending on the patient's ability to pay.

As an aside we stayed in the other hospital for two hours and the doctor sent the children home after treatment.