Up until May 2010, we always advised to arrange for a UK tourist visa for your thai girlfriend first. Then after she has spent time with you in the UK, on returning to Thailand apply for a UK Fiance visa.

The UK government have made changes to the amount people entering the UK. This makes it all the more difficult to obtain a UK tourist visa. Thai citizens in new relationships with British men will be affected by the recent changes.

As of May 2010 your Thai girlfriend should apply for a UK Fiancee visa instead of a UK tourist visa.

As of May 2010 your Thai girlfriend should apply for a UK Fiancee visa. The benefits of applying for a UK finacee visa

• You do not have to prove your Thai girlfriend will return to Thailand at the end of the trip
• You can get married while in the UK
• The visa will allow your Thai girlfriend to stay in the UK for six months, though if you get married, your Thai wife will be able to stay in the UK for another 2 years and 3 months, within that time your Thai wife will be able to work.

A tourist visa is still an option and will be able to advise you on which visa is best suited for your relationship

UK Tourist visa before a UK Marriage Visa

The advice on many occasions sadly falls upon deaf ears and the results are extreme disappointment and then the inevitable five steps of acceptance of being separated from their Thai partner.

But why should your Thai girlfriend apply for a UK Tourist visa.

Most relationships between a Thai girlfriend and UK boyfriend happen as a result of a holiday romance. The British man finds a Thai companion while on a two week holiday in Thailand.

After he has had three two week holidays in Thailand and within that time visited the Thai village, Thai family and Thai grandparent the British boyfriend feels he is ready to move forward and get married to his Thai girlfriend.

The British embassy looks at this situation very differently. From an outsider looking in what they can see is, the couple has known each other in person for less than six weeks in real terms, and the rest of the relationship was a series of long distance telephone calls.

The embassy will have no doubt that the Thai girlfriend (wife) has great intention of going to the UK. But is it for love or financial reasons. After all, how can the Thai girlfriend be certain after 6 weeks that she really intends to spend the rest of her life with a man she hardly knows? Even what she does know about him is slightly tangled truth. A man on holiday is a different animal to a man that has to get up for work 5 days a week in grey old blighty.

Get your Thai girlfriend a UK tourist visa first and when you are finally ready to apply for a UK Fiancee visa or UK marriage visa the message to the UK border clearing officer will be

“I met my thai girlfriend many months ago, in that time I visited Thailand and got to know her and her family. We fell in love and my girlfriend decided she wanted to visit me in the UK. While she was in the UK our relationship grew, my Thai girlfriend got to meet my friends and family. She enjoyed her time in England and loved the culture. When she returned to Thailand I realized that I couldn’t live without her so we have decided to get married and she would like to live with me in the UK”

Obviously the above is a very quick description of what the embassy would be reading, but I am sure you understand the point that I am making, now lets give another message to the embassy, this time we are applying for a marriage visa first

“I met my thai girlfriend many months ago, in that time I visited Thailand and got to know her and her family. We fell in love and my girlfriend decided she wants to live with me in the UK. Really we don’t know each other that well and she has no knowledge about life in the UK.”

UK Tourist visa before a UK Marriage Visa

Getting your Thai girlfriend a UK visa is not about putting pen to an application form, but about good preparation and understanding what the embassy are happy granting.