A UK visa refusal has put a British baby’s planned Christmas trip from Koh Tao in doubt after officials rejected his Myanmar-born mother’s application, preventing the family from travelling together to meet the child’s seriously ill great-grandfather in Lancashire.
The refusal has left the Thailand-based family preparing a second visa application, despite already spending hundreds of pounds on the process and facing total costs of up to £3,000.
According to The Guardian, British national 31 year old Matthew Cross lives on Koh Tao in Surat Thani with his fiancée, 31 year old Khin Thant Zin, known as Jue Jue, who fled persecution in Myanmar.
Their son, William, was born in Thailand on April 30 and holds British citizenship. Matthew’s parents have already travelled to Koh Tao to meet their grandson, but the baby’s 74 year old great-grandfather, George Kerr, is unable to make the journey due to health problems.
The family had hoped to travel to Burnley for a Christmas gathering, giving Kerr the opportunity to meet his great-grandson for the first time.
Matthew, a mechanical engineer originally from Burnley, opened a steakhouse on Koh Tao around 15 months ago. He met Jue Jue on the island, where she now helps manage the restaurant’s social media and human resources.
The couple recently signed a lease on a new home and purchased land for future development, which they believe demonstrates their intention to remain in Thailand.
However, the UK Home Office rejected Jue Jue’s visitor visa application, saying officials were not satisfied that she was a genuine visitor who would return to Thailand after the trip.
The refusal cited insufficient evidence of her income and significant family ties in Thailand. Matthew explained that his fiancée has never had a bank account, although her brother and sister live on Koh Tao and her mother also plans to relocate there.
The family had submitted financial sponsorship documents, invitation letters and identification details from relatives in Britain.
They also travelled from Koh Tao to Phuket for the required biometric appointment, a journey involving ferries and buses that took two nights and three days and cost approximately £400.
Matthew said the family must now repeat the application process, with total expenses potentially reaching £3,000 and no guarantee of approval.
The couple have no ordinary right of appeal against the refusal and are preparing a new application, even though the Home Office warned that another refusal was likely unless their circumstances changed.
Under UK visitor immigration rules, applicants must demonstrate that they intend to leave Britain after their visit and can cover their expenses. Financial support from relatives or other third parties is permitted when the relevant requirements are met.
The Home Office declined to discuss the individual case, saying applications are assessed according to immigration rules and the evidence submitted.
For now, the family remain on Koh Tao, hoping to secure permission for Jue Jue to travel before Christmas so William can meet his great-grandfather while he is still well enough to enjoy the visit.
In related news:
- UK mum’s Thailand trip ruined over son’s passport sticker mark
- Bank of Scotland brands Thai wife ‘criminal’
- Mother accuses immigration of separating her from her children
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