3 Important Issues to Consider in Applying For a UK Spouse Visa in Thailand

Thai Spouses of UK citizens who wish to join their partner and settle in the UK are qualified to apply for a UK Spouse Visa in Thailand. The UK Spouse visa will allow the holder to live and work in the UK for two years. Near the expiration of the allowed time to stay, if the couple is still married and living together, the Thai spouse may then apply for a permanent residency in the UK. There are three significant issues to consider before filing an application for a UK Spouse Visa in Thailand. These are as follows:

1. The Legal Marriage and genuine ongoing relationship.

This can be supported by submitting the original copy of the Marriage Certificate along with other documents. Another way of proving the marital relationship is by showing pictures or recorded videos taken during the wedding ceremony or the actual Marriage Registration. You must be able to show exchange of correspondence such us letters, postcards, chats, emails, telephone bills, photos together and even receipts of money transfers. Plane tickets, boarding passes and hotel bookings can also be used as proof to show that you have done things and traveled together. Both the applicant and sponsor should also write a letter about their relationship stating how and when the first meeting took place, how the relationship developed and express each eagerness and desire to be with each other to spend life together as family.

2. The Sponsor's current Financial Position and Accommodation in the UK.

The UK Embassy in Bangkok and its commercial organization partner, VFS, will check if the sponsor has the capability to support the future spouse's stay in the UK without asking help from the public funds. To affirm and establish this requirement, the sponsor must provide his/her latest six months bank statements, employment certificate, at least 3 months recent pay slips, house title deed, mortgage or contract with the landlord. To strengthen this requirement, a photo of the sponsor's house in the UK (including every room) is a must.

3. Age requirement is at least 21 years old.

This is very simple. If the applicant is below 21 years of age, the sponsor must wait until the applicant is 21 before applying for a spouse visa. This rule applies the same way to the sponsor. Thus, none of the couples must be under 21 during the application. Both of them must be of legal age for the Thai spouse to be issued a UK Spouse Visa in Thailand.

Jose Darrel Bella works as a Consultant for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Manila, London, Los Angeles, Phuket, Samui, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin. Contact Siam Legal at +66 (0) 253 8100 or info@siam-legal.com to learn more about UK Spouse Visa Thailand or UK Visa Thailand in general.

Water Sports Holidays In Thailand

You get treasures of ethnic, scenic, gastronomic, and oceanic pleasures in Siam. Thailand certainly is the fascinating and exotic land of lovely people known for their fantastic culture, cuisine, and overall lifestyle. The land, of course, is well known for its beautiful beaches and pelagic pleasures. It is a wonderful destination for water sports in Southeast Asia.

Thailand definitely is the best pick, if you are looking to have fun & adventure packed water sports holidays. You can really have great holiday, beaching, playing beach volleyball & other beach sports, and enjoying numerous water sports activities, such as swimming, rafting, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, and scuba diving in Thailand. Some famous destinations for water sports destinations in Thailand are - Mae Hong Son, Hua Hin, Phuket, Chumpon, Ko Chang, and Koh Tao.

Mae Hong Son, located near the border of Myanmar along the banks of the river Pai, is a wonderful town in the North West Thailand. The town offers you a nice opportunity to enjoy rafting the Pai River. You can join one of the rafting expeditions that are commonly organized in the heart of Mae Hong Son. Mae Hong Son can be accessed by car or bus from Chiang Mai via the Mae Hong Son loop. The town is also served by the Mae Hong Son Airport.

Hua Hin, in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some 200 km south of Bangkok, is a celebrated beach resort town in Thailand. It is best known for kitesurfing. You can hire your kitesurfing equipment, have kitesurfing instructions from experts, and enjoy kitesurfing. You can also joint kitesurfing lessons & courses for beginners. You can also enjoy numerous other beach and water sport on the beach resort, with an area around 86.36 km². You can also enjoy swimming, windsurfing, wave surfing, and rowing.

Phuket, the largest island and the southern province of Thailand, is best known for its beaches. It is popular destinations for beach & water sports. You can enjoy numerous beach & water sports activities, such as swimming, kitesurfing, yachting, windsurfing, wave surfing, rowing, snorkeling, diving, scuba diving, etc. in Phuket. Famous Phuket beaches include Bang Tao, Surin Beach, Laem Singh Beach, Kamala Beach, Patong Beach, Karon Beach, Kata Yai Beach, Kata Noi Beach, Ao Chalong, and Rawai Beach.

Chumphon or Chumpon, the capital of the Chumphon Province at the shore of the Gulf of Thailand, is a fantastic town in southern Thailand. Located about 463 kilometers away from Bangkok, Chumpon is famous for kitesurfing or kiteboarding, and other water sports activities. You can enjoy numerous beach & water sports activities, such as swimming, windsurfing, wave surfing, snorkeling, diving, fishing, and rowing. The town can be accessed by bus or by ferries.

Ko Chang, located on the Thai east coast 310 km away from Bangkok near the border to Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand, is the second largest island of Thailand. It is famous for sailing and scuba diving. However, you can also enjoy several other beach & water sports activities, such as swimming, windsurfing, wave surfing, snorkeling, diving, and rowing in Ko Chang. The island can be accessed by ferries operating from Laem Ngop.

Ko Tao, an island located near the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand, is widely famous for scuba diving. Diving in Ko Tao is easy and full of fun. Often, you have encounters with turtles, stingrays, barracudas, lots of small fish, and reef sharks. The island is a great place for divers. It is a great place to learn diving, as there are hardly any currents. You can also enjoy several other water related activities, such as wake boarding, water skiing, sumo tube, wind surfing, and sailing. Ko Tao can be accessed catching ferries from Surat Thani, or Ko Samui, or Ko Pha Ngan.

Author writes for Holiday Velvet, a website providing listings for Hotels, Villas, Holiday apartments in Phuket, and Thailand holiday villas.

The Theater of Epidaurus

If you are in love with the theater, then you might want to visit the ancient Epidaurus Theater. It is the best preserved Greek theater. It is located around 60km south of the Greek city of Corinth in the small village of Epidaurus. This village was an important commercial and religious centre about 25 centuries ago.

The theatre was discovered in 1881 by Panadis Kavadias, a prominent Greek archaeologist of the 19th century out of curiosity. It took him six years of hardwork to excavate an almost intact theater. Archaeological facts suggest that the theater could have been constructed around 330BC by Polyclitus the Younger, an excellent sculptor an architect from Argos, a nearby city.

For a visitor, it is easy to identify the basic parts of the theater. The orchestra, a flat circular area used for dancing and chorus, is encircled by a narrow strip of marble. Its floor is of compacted earth, and it has an altar in the middle. Behind the orchestra is the scene building, of which only the foundations remain.

The Epidaurus theatre had a total seating capacity of more than 13,000. The seats in the front row are exclusively reserved for dignitaries. These seats are built of a reddish stone and have support for the back and differ from others.

Many tourists enjoy standing in the middle of the orchestra and reciting poems, sing, or even whisper to the friends sitting far up in the topmost rows. The sound waves are hardly diminished when they reach upper rows.

Also sound reflection as it strikes the hard, compact surface of the orchestra and the tiers of seats help to ensure good sound production.

Annually, a drama festival is hosted at the theater. Every summer, many Greek and foreign theatrical companies, gather at the theater to present performances of ancient dramas. Thousands of tourists and theater lovers visit this site to attend modern performances of plays written some 2,500 year ago in this ancient theater.

When next you think of spending a summer holiday, consider a visit to the Epidaurus of Greece.

Fortune Ihunweze who is the author of this article is a professional Environmental Resources Manager. He is very vast in environmental management issues and has written many articles on the environment. His website which covers just about everything you would need to know about the environment is located at: http://www.environmenthighlight.com

Safest Airlines in the World

Many air travelers wonder what exactly are the safest airlines to use when they travel. Here are the winners according to several criteria:

Safest Airlines

Likely the most important criteria for a safe airline is the amount of fatalities the airline has over a period of recent years. This may be the best way to judge the record of maintenance but also of personnel, including pilots and engineers.

Qantas is a name well known to those interested in airline safety. Based out of Sydney, Australia, Qantas safety rating has plummeted as of late, but still ranks fairly high among other airlines of the world in terms of overall safety.

Other airlines considered to be most safe in terms of least passenger fatalities include America West, EasyJet, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, North American Airlines, Southwest and Virgin Atlantic. In addition, many smaller, regional carriers are among the safest airlines including Ireland's national carrier, Aer Lingus, Air Europe, Air Jamaica, Austria Airlines, BahamasAir, Canadian North, Corsair, Estonian Air, Eurowings, EVA Air, Finnair, Frontier Airlines, Fujian Airlines, Icelandair, Midway Airlines, National Jet Italia, Novair, Ozark Airlines, Portugalia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Oman Air, Sahara Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Spanair, Syrian Air, Sun Country Airlines, TransAsia Airways, Tunisair, Ukraine International, Uzbekistan Airways and WestJet Airlines.

It's interesting to note that many smaller carriers may have a safer reputation than larger carriers simply because of the vastly larger amount of flights that larger carriers have each day. Quite simply, the more flights, the more chance that something will go wrong.

Most Secure Airline

El Al airlines, Israel's national airlines, is considered to be the world's most secure airline company. This is due to their tight security measures and protocols used to prevent terrorism and hijackings on their planes. Founded in 1948, El Al airlines has a fleet of over 30 planes. El Al has prevented and stopped numerous attacks on their airlines from terrorists and has also managed to stop hijackers. El Al scrutinizes and interviews every passenger prior to boarding. Also, plain clothes security officers as well as uniformed officers patrol the areas where passengers gather to board.

Worst Airlines

In addition to safe airlines, there are also known bad airlines. These include Indonesia Airlines, Ukraine's Volare Air, Phuket Airlines from Thailand and North Korea's Air Kyo. The criteria used for worst airlines is the number of aircraft lost, so it's a good idea to stay away from these airlines.

Trans-Supply is your source for airport supplies, transportation supplies, rail and railroad, traffic safety supply and construction supplies. Visit us at: http://www.trans-supply.com/

Attractions In Phuket Thailand

Phuket Thailand has many attractions one can discover either on day trips or longer. The Beaches are by far the biggest attraction to Phuket because it has many beaches for one to explore. You can keep yourself busy all year round with the many attractions in Phuket other than just the beaches however.

Taking day trips can be a lot of fun. I have rented long tail boat and gone to the many different islands that are about thirty minute boat rides from the many different piers on island. It's not hard to find a long tail boat as even many of the beaches have them lined up just off shore. A day trip is very inexpensive and will remind you of a time when life was simple and uncomplicated.

Rubber tree plantations are plentiful on the island and watching and learning how locals make latex from the rubber trees is educational as well as interesting. This age old tradition can also be viewed at night where the Thais find it cooler to work at night or work it as a secondary or night job to supplement their income.

Taking a sea canoe off the eastern part of Phukets calm waters to go cave exploring can be a fun way to get a little extra sun as well as a good workout. There are many little islands, coves and caves to explore with a canoe off Phuket's east coast and water is tranquil and turquoise blue.

The island offers many shows also like monkey shows and snake shows. Many bus tours will take you to the caves in Phang Ngn bay and to visit James Bond Island. Another famous day trip is a boat ride out to Phi Phi Island for the day. I find this boat ride rather boring but I have made the trip many times so now I am partial.

If you enjoy Thai boxing, there are several places you can go and watch Thai boxing and even train with the young men. I personally enjoy watching a fight every now and again. The action is real, not staged and the hype is almost as good as wrestling on TV. There is Thai boxing in almost every small town in Phuket.

For those who enjoy the nightlife in Phuket there is none better then that found in Patong Beach. The town has many discos and a nightlife like no place else in the world. Patong has been voted the number one nightlife spot my several men's magazines. The many beer bars and night spots can be fun to explore is a relaxed and laid back attitude one would expect to find in the islands of the Andaman Sea.

If you find you want to get away from the average tourist hangouts, Phuket town can offer some interesting shows and live entertainment. It even has some great festivals like vegetarian festival and Chinese New Year's.

I have now lived on the island for several years and grown to call Phuket Home. The island is more than just a great tourist destination; it's a great place to live.

Scott Riefler is an expert in dealing with Phuket Real Estate and finance related matters. He has written several informative articles on topics like mortgage, home refinancing, real estate loans and real estate insurance. He regularly contributes articles to web guides on real estate and home refinancing. Sign up for our free informative newsletter at: Phuket Apartments Newsletter

Holidays in Thailand Reviewed From Phuket to Bankok

Holidays in Thailand are holidays about golden Buddhist temples, a bloody history and a frenetic marketplace culture. Holidays in Thailand can also be about luxury resorts or sailing round the islands or discovering the culture, but they are always about friendly smiles and idyllic white beaches whether you go to Phuket or Bangkok.

Most holidays in Thailand begin in Bangkok, both a climate controlled consumer mecca and a hot, humid and colourful market place. No holidays in Thailand should be without an attempt at bargaining, of visits to some of the ancient, golden roofed temples that poke out above the newer buildings, Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Traimit and the Grand Palace come highly recommended. No holidays to Thailand should be without a few meals from street vendors, some cheap pampering and seeing some graceful local dancing. And if you're not a shopper or a dancer, maybe consider ducking off to see some Muay Thai boxing before the end of your holiday in Thailand.

Thailand has hundreds of islands, but the two most popular for island holidays in Thailand are Ko Samui and co. in the Gulf of Thailand near the Ang Thong Marine Park and Ko Phi Phi and co. in the Andaman Sea near Phuket..

For island holidays in Thailand about relaxation, luxury, walking along footprint-less sand and warm waters, Ko Samui and Ko Tao are the best choice. Ko Tao is also a good choice for low budget holidays in Thailand and people who like diving and snorkelling.

On the other side of Thailand, the Andaman Sea Islands are the ones that look like giant limestone daggers with a sprinkling of bright green alfalfa jungle on top, plunging deep into sandy turquoise seas, and these provide the best backdrops for sailing or island hopping holidays in Thailand.

Phuket is another popular destination to add to itineraries of holidays in Thailand. It's the coast's busiest hub, so has some of the heartiest nightlife as well as some spectacular beaches: Katanoi, Surin, and Patong are recommended by World Reviewers. The Ko Phi Phi islands, used as a location for 'The Beach', are some of the best known and still most beautiful and an old favourite for holidays in Thailand. You can only stay on Ko Phi Phi Don, the larger island; Maya Bay, where 'The Beach' was filmed is on smaller Ko Phi Phi Lee. Ko Lon, Ko Lipe, Ko Lanta and rocky Krabi are quieter islands to base your Andaman island break on, all offering a mix of local hospitality, tropical beach vistas and watersports, and there's the choice to stay on one or hop between depending on time restraints. Wherever you choose to stay it's worth factoring in a day trip into your holidays in Thailand, to Phang Nga Bay, and see James Bond island and Koh Pannyi island, which still has its traditional stilt fishing villages built over the water.

The best time for holidays in Thailand is between December and February but as far as the weather goes, Thailand is pretty blessed all year round.

WorldReviewer.com is a travel website; If you are looking for holidays in Thailand from Phuket to Bangkok have a look at independent reviews written by independent travel experts.

Contributions of the Jews to Toledo City in Spain

We must now pass over the influence the Jews exerted on Toledo in different spheres of industry and commerce, as well as culturally, spiritually and socially, and on the appearance of the city. Both they and the Saracens contributed greatly to progress in all fields of public activity.

From Cordova, fleeing from the upheavals and struggles of Arabic Spain, they brought the famous School of Translators, a brilliant centre of encyclopaedic culture which radiated its light, not only upon Toledo, but to the whole of the country.

In the square called the Plaza de la Judería they had one of their celebrated alcanas, a busy market which sold Persian carpets, silks from Damascus, Indian pearls, Arabian perfumes, cloths from Kashmir and spices from Ceylon. if we shut our eyes to the humdrum realities of the present day, we can perhaps visualize this market, near Santa Maria la Blanca and extending into the alleys round about, a clamour of voices of buyers and sellers, haggling over every kind of surprising merchandise; awning covered stalls beneath the mediaeval sun, canvas fluttering in breezes from the Sahara like sails of ships upon the Mare Nostrum... And men with pointed beards, greedy eyes, and skins still tanned by the suns of biblical lands. And women with faces the shape of a hazel-nut, with dead-white skin and deep bright eyes and mysterious gaze, with rhythmical walk and willowy waist, women of whom we seem to have a faithful copy in Dominico Theotocopuli's «Lady in Ermine». She was probably Jerónima de las Cuevas, the Cretan painter's only love, amid the arduous hours of his glorious work. Such types, both male and female, we can still encounter if we walk about the Judería a little and keep our eyes open as we peer into the pretty patios of its narrow alleys, where the Hebrew women, beneath the cool shade of awnings, used to weave linen with their white hands.

When the Jews were finally expelled from Spain by the Catholic Sovereigns, they carried with them to countries in the south-east of Europe (where the sweet Old Castilian speech can still be heard) the keys of their houses as a token of the ownership which their descendants have for centuries dreamed of recovering some future day.

The Toledo Jews, in various ages, experienced periods of privilege and of persecution. If they obtained advantages in the reigns of some sovereigns -such as Alfonso the Seventh, the Eighth and the Tenth-, they also felt the weight of implacable persecutions, especially at the hands of the common people, who always regarded them with aversion and handed down fearful legends in which the Jew was the cruel protagonist.

More information: http://www.toledo-travelguide.com

Luis Arenas

http://www.toledo-travelguide.com