How many UK tourist visas can my Thai girlfriend have is a very common question asked by our clients on a daily basis especially the clients who like to spend time in Thailand and the UK on a rotational basis and do not require their Thai girlfriend to live and settle in the UK.
Most UK sponsors also do not want to be forced in to marriage with their Thai girlfriend just for the sake of getting a visa as this is not the correct way to go and is unethical so what is the law? there isn’t one but there is a unwritten law which is kept as a secret by the visa clearing officers at the British Embassy Bangkok.
The attitude of the clearing officers in Bangkok is that UK Tourist visas are exactly what they say they are they are in place so your Thai girlfriend can visit the UK meet your family and friends and do some sight seeing and then return back to Thailand, what they are not designed for is living in the UK with you as the UK boyfriend/ sponsor which in a way is sensible when you think 6 months is a long time to spend on holiday in the UK when you take into consideration many Countries including Australia will normally only offer a 3 month tourist visa.
So the realistic way to treat a UK tourist visa is always wait 6 months from the day your Thai girlfriend returns to Thailand before applying for another visa or face a rejection. Many expats living in Thailand with their Thai girlfriend will spend 6 months in the UK and 6 months back in Thailand so only applying for one visa per year, 6 months in and 6 months out and if you get a pattern forming the British Embassy visa officers will allow this to continue for many years but never buck the system and try to apply to early. Get some good Immigration history in your Thai girlfriends passport and in should flow very easy in the future.
So remember the unwritten rule 6 months in and 6 months out.
