The Cost
of Proving
a Family

This is the eleventh post in our ‘Diary of an estranged Briton’, detailing the journey taken by our Vice Chair, Lloyd Hobbard-Mitchell, his wife, Susi and their son, Sebastian.

For something so mundane, why is everything so expensive?

Considering that I am a British national, with a wife who is a mother of a British national under the age of 18, why does the process for getting the permission to reunite as a family have to cost so much?

There is a phrase often used in discussions about immigration — meeting the requirements.

It sounds simple. Administrative. Neutral.

But what is rarely spoken about in any real detail is the cost of meeting those requirements — not just emotionally, but financially. The quiet accumulation of payments, travel, documentation and decisions that, taken together, begin to tell their own story.

This is part of that story, which I like to call “The Price of Paperwork”.

Criminal Record Bureau Check

(See: https://pcscenter.sbpolice.go.th/)

One of the first requirements was Susi’s criminal record check. I suppose this check makes sense; if someone is a threat to national security in their place of origin, the decision to refuse becomes an easy one.

In theory, getting this this is straightforward. In practice, it meant dealing with distance, time and logistics. Travelling to Bangkok — from where she was living — would have required multiple journeys and significant disruption. So, as is quite common in Thailand, we used an agent to manage the process.

The total cost came to 5,000 THB (£115).

Ordinarily, the document itself would cost only a few hundred baht, with a similar amount for photographs. But convenience, distance, and time all carry their own price.

Proving Language

(See: (https://www.britishcouncil.or.th/en/exam/ielts/dates-fees-locations)

In November 2025, Susi attended the British Council to sit her A1 English test.

This is not simply an academic exercise. It is a requirement — a gateway — something that must be passed in order to move forward.

The test itself cost 6,970 THB (£160).

To attend, Susi and Sebastian travelled to Bangkok and stayed for two nights, adding approximately 4,000 THB (£92) in accommodation costs.

Together, that part of the journey came to 10,970 THB (£252).

TB Test

(See: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-test-for-a-uk-visa-clinics-in-thailand/tuberculosis-testing-in-thailand)

Then came the TB test — something we had not initially anticipated.

The test itself cost 3,800 THB (£87).

Once again, travel and accommodation were required. Another trip to Bangkok. Another two nights in a hotel. Another 4,000 THB (£92).

Total cost for this stage: 7,800 THB (£179).

It is often these unexpected requirements that shift the emotional balance of the process. Not because they are unreasonable in themselves, but because they arrive without warning, adding both cost and pressure.

The IHS – Accessing the NHS

(See: https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/how-much-pay)

The Immigration Health Surcharge — the IHS — is one of the largest single payments in the process.

Susi’s payment was 135,171.41 THB (£3,110).

It is, in effect, a pre-payment for access to healthcare. Necessary, non-negotiable, and significant.

The Application Itself

(See: https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa)

The visa application fee — the formal request to enter the UK as a partner — came to 84,753 THB (£1,950).

At this point, the process shifts from preparation to submission. From gathering evidence to formally asking the question.

Submitting the Evidence

(See: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/tha/en/gbr/premium-services)

When it came time to upload and submit documents through VFS Global, we made a deliberate choice to purchase additional services.

Not because they were essential — but because mistakes in this process can be costly.

The document checking service, ensuring both quantity and quality, cost 1,035 THB (£24).

The scanning and submission service — ensuring documents met the required standards and were transmitted correctly — cost 1,150 THB (£26).

Together: 2,185 THB (£50).

Sometimes, paying a little more is about reducing risk. About knowing that everything has been done properly.

Paying for Time

(See: https://www.gov.uk/faster-decision-visa-settlement)

Finally, there was the priority service.

In theory, this offers a quicker decision — on the .gov website, its says: Using the priority service usually takes up to 30 working days for Family visa applications from outside the UK if you’re applying as a partner or spouse. The time starts from either the day of your appointment, if you prove your identity in person

We paid £500 (21,750 THB) for this.

It is a strange thing — paying not for certainty, but for the possibility of less waiting.

The Total Cost

When you bring all of this together, the figures become clearer.

Criminal record check: 5,000 THB (£115)
English test + travel: 10,970 THB (£252)
TB test + travel: 7,800 THB (£179)
Immigration Health Surcharge: 135,171.41 THB (£3,110)
Visa application fee: 84,753 THB (£1,950)
VFS services: 2,185 THB (£50)
Priority service: 21,750 THB (£500)

Total: 267,629.41 THB (£6,156)

It is easy to read those numbers as just that — numbers.

But behind each one sits a decision. A journey. A compromise. A moment where something else had to be set aside in order to move this process forward. And beyond the money, there is something else.

While I was rebuilding income in the UK, Susi and Sebastian were navigating all of this from Thailand. Travelling when required. Adjusting their lives. Managing illness, school, and daily routines — often without support beyond what I could offer from a distance.

The system measures finances with precision. It is less able to measure what those finances represent.

What is the cost — in practical terms — to prove that we are a family entitled to live together? I can tell you. I have never worked harder. For the last, nearly two years, I have worked at every opportunity.

And even then, the final decision still rests elsewhere.

Lloyd Hobbard-Mitchell

The Rest of the Diary of an Estranged Briton: