My wife's tourist visa - update

So Monday I wrote to the Croydon complaints department of UK Immigration and they would have received it yesterday.  I specified my objections to the refusal and actually decided to include some outcomes with the idea that they can compensate me for wasting my time and money.

Here's my outcome requirements that I included with my complaint:

1)  A 6-month tourist VISA without having to submit another application to Bangkok or pay any more money
2) A  free upgrade to the visa from 6 Months (our application) to 2-Years (the next one up) as compensation for the inconvenience.
3) A refund of my fee (£91) for the inconvenience.
4) A payment of 5,000 baht (£100) by way of compensation, to cover the money I spent on bus ticket, hotel, taxi and food for my wife to go to Bangkok to deliver the pointless application.

Obviously, 1 and 2 are the bare minimum and 3 and 4 are possibly chancing my arm!   But, as the TV advert goes (Vodafone) "you get nothing unless you ask".

I am now awaiting the response, which may be a few weeks.  The good news and why I decided to go this route is entirely due to our UK friends and their wives.  One couple had their 6 month tourist visa refused and it went to court, which is free.  The guy attended at the time specified and he and the Judge were the only ones in the courtroom.  UK Immigration just sent a note giving the reasons and did not even bother to attend.  The Judge listened carefully to the guy's real explanations and then awarded the visa.  The Immigration department then have 28 days to appeal, which they didn't but it still took them a long time to issue the visa.

All in all 4-6 months.  I'm not really bothered how long, it is the principle that we're fighting - corruption and deception and politics, all things you would not expect of the UK system, but nevertheless true.   At least in foreign countries you would expect it, and could sort it with a wedge of cash.

I was told to let it go, it is the system and you have to work within the system. But the system is broke, unjust and corrupt.  The government get two lots of cash for all the ones who are refused and then decide to reapply - when conveniently the application is approved.  I have come across this sort of thing before and it does not scare me, it just makes me very angry and more determined.  It is not the faceless bureaucrats who have to live with the decision, it is real people with real lives.

Please show your support by liking and sharing the video and posts.  And wish us luck.

Andy and Tad - a love story with a sad outcome

Professional Collaboration with similar businesses?

In Facebook you're given targeted adverts at the side.  One was "Accessible Thailand" so I clicked through to investigate.

I decided to contact them with a view of collaborating on articles and information and I was pleasantly surprised by the positive response.  I have therefore put the link to their site, where they offer package deals to Thailand, on my website and here - Accessible Thailand

For the most Thailand, like any non-EU country, the situation for disabled awareness is not always the best.  This has begun to change and improve for the better, driven in part by Westernisation and tourism.

Disabled people are there but not always seen or if they are they are forced to beg on the streets.  Not just in Thailand but for example Moscow.  Often I saw people, generally amputees, on the metro collecting cash from passengers.   I saw a few disabled people out and about but to be fair, the plethora of steps would be the nemesis of wheelchair users (just as the Daleks couldn't traverse them until quite recently) who would face a mobility nightmare in Moscow.

While in Moscow I did meet one lady, a powered wheelchair user, with a respectable well paid job. She, like myself, was looking for a dating partner however at the end of our meeting she told me she would be holding out for the tall, dark rich American so a relationship wasn't on the cards.  However, in conversations I gained an insight into travel for disabled people in Russia, especially those in wheelchairs.  They can access "dial a ride" that is an accessible taxi, unfortunately one  of very few and in high demand - plus not reliable on the time keeping front.

Thailand, the country where family is important.  People are taken care of in the family, not farmed off to care homes or "living independently" in "adapted" accommodation.  Just as with any family member, the citizens live at home and are looked after by family members.

One time I was at a restaurant with the wife and niece, we heard screaming and splashing of water from behind the partition. No one took any notice, not even the customers.  Later a woman, possibly 20-30 years old appeared from behind the partition, dripping wet.  I determined she had CP (having it myself) from the appearance plus additional needs.  A lady came over and shuffled her back behind the partition and encouraged the water play, watching for while.  Whenever the woman started becoming loud, the other lady "shhh"ed her, but eventually departed for other duties.

Another time I visited a water park and swimming pool.  Obvious by the appearance, a family gathered near one of the shallow pools with a young girl in a wheel chair.  All family members assisted the girl into the water and helped her swim a little.   No one took any notice, well no one except me.

At another restaurant, (we did a lot of eating), a car pulled up and a man retrieved a "walker" from the boot for his disabled wife, who I could see clearly was suffering from the aftermath of stroke.  

Health Care is a paid for service in Thailand, no free NHS. All those belittlers of the NHS need to go abroad and access healthcare for a while, they would soon stop moaning.

The pavements are terrible and you'll be better in the road.  I found obstacles in the middle of the pavement, gaping holes and slabs out of line, so pretty much dangerous for me.  They do make an effort with curb side ramps, but they are usually steep.

As in my hotel, a recent build, the front has steps up.  Whoever designed the hotel obviously had no idea regarding disabled visitors and there are no Laws governing accessibility.  At this hotel, there is a "ramp", but it is best used for a "slide", it is very very steep.  The same goes for Moscow.

So, I think the point is, if you're a website of similar aims then I am looking for you to reciprocate the links and to work together for the common good.  Contact me via the website contacts page.

In the meantime give the Accessible Thailand site a whirl, maybe you'll be jetting to The Land of Smiles very soon.

Was this the seedier side of life?

Songkran is in full swing.  It is Thailand's new year over 3 days, where the norm is to soak everyone with water. hoses, buckets, guns!

Its a fun family atmosphere and last night, as we negotiated the streets of Khon Kaen there was  a party atmosphere. Our friends and myself and Tad went to the Tiki Tiki bar, which was also frequented by "farang" foreign men.  Most of them fell into the "old and overweight" category, all of them looking for that good time Thai girl.

One particular English chap took my focus as he chatted with my friend and I (or mostly my friend whom he met the day before).  He was with a stunningly beautiful Thai lady, although not stood close together it was obvious. He was short, bald but average sized, and in my opinion would have the right appeal to attract the ladies.

I notice things and one thing i saw was the absence of rings.  During the chat we talked about relationships and how it was with dating.  It came out these people had been together for 5 years and he comes to Thailand 4-5 times a year, which is more than myself - I cant spare the time or afford it.

During conversations about visas and stuff, we talked about how difficult it is to get one. I asked him had he taken his girlfriend to England, and he said no.  The bombshell reason for not doing so and game changer for me with this chap, was when he confidently announced he was married.

Maybe I am small minded, a prude or something else, and of course there could be other factors such as they could be separated or whatever, but I just stopped liking him.  I know when I was going through divorce, I could not envisage being "separated" for longer than necessary.  It just struck me, maybe he was in the seedier side of life which I don't want to see, or perhaps a normal chap experiencing a good time.

People do go to places for "sex" and this is a place where it could happen.  I just hope he has found a lady who doesn't share similar ideas about relationships, because it is a possibility that I foresee could happen where he is not the only farang on her contact list.

Update: we met up next day while meeting Mike and Mam, at the Kosa restaurant. During overheard conversations it became obvious to me the Thai lady was unaware of his inappropriate activities and though none of my business I had an overwhelming urge to tell her to beware,  because I had some nice conversation with her and detected the blissful naivety of her situation to which  she was an unwilling participant.  I knew the signs of two timing, having been in circumstances where I led a double life of marital deception, and saw this man's actions were the same.