dishrace

Been living in Thailand for over 5 years getting annual renewals of my retirement visa without any problems...had to recently leave the country due to illness and returned to USA. my annual renewal for the Thai visa comes up in June and i will not likely be able to retun until later in the year. i would like to not miss getting the continuious renewals....is it or would it be possible to that renewal at the Thai Embassy in Washington DC. always have met all the requirements and still maintain a residence there and all proper accounts...anyone know if i can and the pitfalls of losing the continuous renewals...thanks

Agree with previous posters. DO NOT LIE! A reentry permit is required for any stay out of the U.S. for more than 365 days and up to 2 years. Suggest you visit the USCIS website to confirm.

Rules state if you are going to be out of the USA and are hold a Green Card with a Legal Perminant Resident status you should submit an I-131 form to the USCIS 60 days before departing and they will give yo a permit to re-enter allowing you to keep the green card and LPR visa status...or so they say

TTM, age plays a huge part in speed of fluency. I believe your daughter is what 4 or so? The OP is talking about a 10 year old. Big difference

TH

Near 5 years.

Would that not mean the school for a 10 years old would have to be even more, not less, English oriented?

I believe the same school has appropriate methods for different age of students.

my stepdaughter will be 10 in june and is now in 4th grade...very smart and in a private school for last four years with more than average Thai schooling in English...she is the 1 or 2 student in testing and competition of her grade...very smart...out of 40 students or so...so with the move for the final year...just wanting to make sure she gets most English in a new (PATTAYA) environment the last year in Thailand for the foreseeable future before entering USA in 2010...money not an issue (to a point)...but schooling with primary teaching with more than 1/2 in English with tutoring 3-6 hours per week on the side is sounding like the best plan from what you guys are advising...just need to find the right school that will accept her as is for the year and tutor investment there on the side in addition to normal school week is sound like the right combination...

I only said BEST was the best of the rest- but they are all disapppointing in Pattaya-

hence the recommendation to put up with the travelling (45m each way) and head out to REPS

of the international schools - you're right Pattaya Parent -- the students will naturally try to use Thai to talk with their friends-- it's unavoidable--

the school can do its best to encourage english being used and the students can be sat with non thai speakers to help this situation but regardless you'll always find this is an issue

as always it's up to the student to make the effort-

you know that saying- you can take a horse to water...

anyway, you won't get a perfect situation whilst the child is living here in thailand

they have to be fully immersed in the english language to really pick it up fast-

that will happen in america in 2010

the OP is looking for an option to fill the gap now until then so the recommendation holds

thanks to all for the opinions and advice...this feeback is very useful for me in making a decision...thanks again

It might be a little bit difficult to enroll the international school if her English background is limited. I don't know how well of her background. There are few in'l school here, Regents school, I.S.E school lacates in Burapha golfcourse, another one that might be better for her is Wootichot (not sure for the spelling) this is Bilingual school on Sukhumvit, most students are Thais ... this might be an option for her. She can enroll with Thai school system semester period. Regent is British ... I.S.E is American ... these two are different from Thai school for the semester timeline. I have been teaching Regent and I.S.E students at their houses in the area. There are quite numbers of Japanese students in I.S.E and Regents because their parents are working around Sriracha, and Eastern Seaboard. These students have their tutors come to thier home for teaching them homework, some struggle with ESL .. but they stay more than one year here. Only one year in school might be too much for her to focus on both ESL and other subjects. I recommend you try to get her into the Thai bilingual one because it might be easier for her with school system and friends. * I am Thai myself, been studied both in Thailand and overseas, I would think bilingual school is also an option for her.

thank you very much...do you know anything about the Sathip school mentioned by another responder...would you please try and get the spelling and address or TN for the school you mentioned...

Would agree that if you cannot afford one of the major international schools, like Regents, etc. then Sathit might be a good place. Lot's of mixed Tha/farang and step kids of farangs there. Can't say she will learn that much English as all the kids just talk Thai to each other and as well as most teachers are Thai.

The trick with kids that age, which is a little old to pick it up quickly, is to have them in an environment that requires English all the time. St. Johns in Bangkok has a demerit system for not using English that seems to work pretty well. But since you are not here, she probably only gets Thai at home.

You will have to face the fact she will not be fluent in English within a year in her current environment. That may not be so bad, most public schools in the US will make arrangements for her to have get up to speed.

TH

thanks...

Sathit?

Montessori?

Private tutor?

not really sure...would you please add some insight...thanks for the questions...as any solution would be possible...within budget reason of course.

Sathit is a Thai school which claims to have more English language tuition than any of the others so she should fit in there and maybe with private tuition make a go of the English ability.

Montessori is primarily English speaking teachers with Thai assistants so probably wouldn't be suitable in the circumstances you describe.

some good input one and all...thanks to all for the responses so far...

Stepfather to Thai child 10 yo....mother has full custody...we both just recently moved to usa...child remains in pattaya are with grandmother...to be following after the end of next school year in april 2010...looking for best intl or other school or tutor arrangment to teach her as much english before moving her to usa in mid 2010...she has been exposed to only limited english and has been living in NE Thailand until now. looking for crash course with heavy imphasis before her coming to usa

Do you think "best international school" will just accept a child from the wild dumped on them?

10 years old would have to be reasonably educated already to mix in the class of children who may have been attending it since age of 4-5 while she was somewhere in Isaan.

i understand what you are saying from the perspective of the other children and that possible point of view from the school's administration....just looking for possibilities and the forums input, ideas, opinions and recommendations given the situation we are in and trying to do anything possible there to help her...it will take us the next year to work out visas and the situation on this end here out of the country and didn't wan tthe time there to be wasted for her...to reduce future challenges for her that will be on her and us in any case next year. thanks for the comment.

'A child from the wild'? Did you mean 'A wild child' or 'A child from the wilderness'?

Anyway - Your post is shit. Who are you to judge this girl's future. The OP is trying to do a decent thing.

Get a brain before you Think (the Too Much part must be a mistake).

My dear poverty packer (known from other threads when it comes to paying for school), that is how schools work. You would have no idea that both parents and the child must attend an interview with the head master, picturs of whole family living in the same house...

And what else than hating me you can say? Even the OP understood what I meant.

hey thanks for the back up and support...i expected all sides and points of view...the girl has been going to a private school in khon kein area for last 5 years and has consistantly ranked 1 or 2 for each of her grades representing the school in testing and other competitions with thai schools in other towns and cities...now i know that is not at all necessarily equal to other education facilities in pattaya and bangkok...but she is no dummy and i am only trying to help find the best possible solution that will help her abroad her last year in thailand and her only year in pattaya...additional comments are appreciated

Stepfather to Thai child 10 yo....mother has full custody...we both just recently moved to usa...child remains in pattaya are with grandmother...to be following after the end of next school year in april 2010...looking for best intl or other school or tutor arrangment to teach her as much english before moving her to usa in mid 2010...she has been exposed to only limited english and has been living in NE Thailand until now. looking for crash course with heavy imphasis before her coming to usa

Do you think "best international school" will just accept a child from the wild dumped on them?

10 years old would have to be reasonably educated already to mix in the class of children who may have been attending it since age of 4-5 while she was somewhere in Isaan.

i understand what you are saying from the perspective of the other children and that possible point of view from the school's administration....just looking for possibilities and the forums input, ideas, opinions and recommendations given the situation we are in and trying to do anything possible there to help her...it will take us the next year to work out visas and the situation on this end here out of the country and didn't wan tthe time there to be wasted for her...to reduce future challenges for her that will be on her and us in any case next year. thanks for the comment.

I would think intensive private tutoring would be more beneficial if only 2 months to get up to speed.

she would have the next 12 months there not just 2...but tutoring is something we agree might be an option...thank you for the comment

Sathit?

Montessori?

Private tutor?

not really sure...would you please add some insight...thanks for the questions...as any solution would be possible...within budget reason of course.

Stepfather to Thai child 10 yo....mother has full custody...we both just recently moved to usa...child remains in pattaya are with grandmother...to be following after the end of next school year in april 2010...looking for best intl or other school or tutor arrangment to teach her as much english before moving her to usa in mid 2010...she has been exposed to only limited english and has been living in NE Thailand until now. looking for crash course with heavy imphasis before her coming to usa...any recommendations appreciated...thanks!

I second Samran reply. And in fact, what a coincidence I am reading this topic just the night before our move back to the west, 80% of the reason being our 3 kids future (4, 2, and newborn). Yes, our move may even be too early, but there are other reasons as well that made the decision become real now as opposed to in 2-3 years, when it would have made more sense.

matcube.

Stepfather to Thai child 10 yo....i have already moved back west with thai wife and am looking for best intl school or tutor arrangment to teach as much english to teach her child before moving her to usa with us in mid 2010...she has been exposed to english but has been living in NE Thailand until now. any ideas for school in pattaya area for child for next year? Thanks.

Stepfather to Thai child 10 yo....looking for best intl school or tutor arrangment to teach as much english to child before moving her to usa in mid 2010...she has been exposed to english but has been living in NE Thailand until now. Thanks.

Need to find a dealer or Honda parts shop in Pattaya area to get prices and delivery for Honda Jazz rear brake kit - spindles, hubs, hydraulic (brake) liness, and emergency brake cables. Have a friend who wants to purchase a lot of 10 units and other stock parts if can get the right prices

please sign me up with 1 quest...thanks!

My wife and I have seriously considered moving from the Untied States to Thailand to retire and spend the nestegg that we have saved over the years in the land of smiles. We even bought a nice piece of property there last year.

Lately We've been having second thoughts due to the appreciation of the baht, the terrorists unrest, and the new laws that seem to have an unfriendly "anti foreigner" tilt.

This new internet tax of 940 baht for Thais and 1490 baht for foreigners is another bad sign that the welcome mat for foreigners is being withdrawn. It's bad enough that the government is charging almost as much in tax as it is for the service but to charge foreigners more than Thais because, according to Sombat Merou-Ruang, director of the Alien Internet Control Division at CAT headquarters in Bangkok,

"foreigners that do not have work in Thailand only hang out on internet forums, visit pornographic sites and other website lamock, different from Thai citizens who mostly use the internet for banking, ecommerce, and furthering their education" creates an unfair two tiered system based on cultural stereotyping.

I hope this is just another rumor and not really going to happen.

If Thailand really wants foreigners to retire in Thailand and spend their foreign exchange it's going to have to provide more than a tax to lure them

If , on the other hand, Thailand is fed up with foreigners, retirees, tourists and businessmen, it's applying the right measures to scare them away

This whole country has gotten to be a big JOKE. And to even consider “a luxury tax” on a service so inferior to almost every other Asian and western country shows that the Thais have lost their minds. Once upon a time, when I moved here 5 years ago, it was quite nice for a third world country…but it is over subscribed now due to greed and incompetence by all parties and has it has now unfortunately been relegated to fourth world if that’s possible.

Traffic now is worse than most western cities, compound by too many vehicles, no roads or access roads to anywhere any longer and that is made worse by the fact that the few decent roads are now ripped up for sewer work or water or placing electricity underground or beautification (I assume the recently surfacing mounds of dirt that are appearing in the middle of Sukhumvit are for anything but providing safe cross over points for those stuck on the east side of Pattaya – all of those with signals have been done away with as well) or on and on. It takes over an hour just to go to a decent restaurant if you can find one. And the driving, underscored by the lack of courtesy and law enforcement well that’s just another joke on the civilized. India was worse but now Pattaya is the same same!!!

Basic infrastructure, water, electricity, land line phone/internet service is disrupted daily and now they want to tax internet even more…it would be a luxury to even have decent internet access and a cost that is already twice or triple what is paid in the western world…but you can’t get it here.

Yes to all those who say…love it or leave it…I am leaving for good in mid April. Once upon a time life was good here…but now it is lost to too many in search of the same thing and a government and unfortunately, its people, who have turn against the invading foreigner and decided to swindle, mike, cheat and rob him blind until he gains his senses and leaves while he can! Oh yea the Thai baht and economy are so strong now…good for them…it has gotten too expensive for me now too!!!

Good riddance LOnoS!!!!! Sorry for the ranting…it has been building up for a while as I have made my decision to finally leave for good…had to let it out for peace of mind before I left!!!!!

BREAKING NEWS:

At least 28 passengers killed when a coach was caught on fire

NAKHORN RATCHASIMA: -- A packed Bangkok-bound coach was caught on fire on Tuesday in Nakhon Ratchasima province, burning to death at least 28 passengers.

The 40-seat bus left Yasothon at about 5am and its break system broke down as it approached Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district.

When the problem was fixed, it continued its ride. However the engine was caught on fire, when it went downhill.

The fire raged to passengers' compartment and burnt to death 28 passengers.

-- The Nation 2007-03-20

This is very sad news indeed. A tragedy and a horrible way to die

My Thai wife is from there...she has been on that bus...and says it is a "piece of shit" even by Thai standards on that leg of the "journey"...they have to transfer "up" to a more adequate "piece of shit" bus for the final leg into BKK as the authorities there wouldn't allow the first bus even in BKK...any idea how bad the bus was??

yea the Thai government really protects their people here...down south and all about...oh yea...helmets everyone...or you are sure to be stopped and fined daily...don't worry about athe driving...that doesn't matter!!

i leave soon after 5 years here...in teh beginning it was great and now...well

St Patrick's Day OFFICIAL TV Pissup

All TV members are cordially invited to attend the festivities. Free mesquite smoked BBQ Ribs, corn, jacketed potatoes etc. will be provided. And as this is an "Officially Sponsored" party, free beer will also be provided to Thai Visa members.

Where: Tropical Bert's

When: SAT 17 March 2007, 1900 to ????????

The attendance list so far.....

Britmaverick

Ungabunga+1

Buckwheat

Buriramboy

Rdrokit+1

Raro+1

Bazmlb

Glenbat

MonPengCarabao

Monty

Lovely Cutie

bob4U

Soundman

mamanoodle(?)

Hope to see you all there.....if you can make it, please post so in this thread in order to give Bert a rough idea of how many people to expect for food purposes.

never been before...sounds like a good time...will try and make it

Why would more people come to Pattaya just because the airport is 30 minutes closer??? do they look at the travel brochure and say" ooh! look, lets go to Pattaya instead of .......... it's only 1hour 30 mins to the beach instead of 2 hours ummmm??

I think exactly the same.

Wishfull thinkings have made prices rocketing.Everybody wants a piece of the expected "families-retired-wealthy cake"

But to attract these people the city has not only advantages

Polluted beach and sea;crime rate;crazy traffic ;no pedestrian facilities;water shortages;etc etc etc

I fear there will be a lot of desillusion in the coming years in the area

As the driver said teenagers. It is funny that certain people always think about Muslims when something like this happens. The Muslims are the replacemnet of the Soviet Union. If there is something wrong or israel or the US need a pretext to commit war crimes, blame it on the Muslims like before on the soviet union.

Has it started...???

Could be difficult times ahead. Hopefully it's just kids messing about!

you are right...with all the violence in the world and agression...who in their right mind would ever come to the first thought that it might be islamic or terrorists generated...only someone in there right mind without their head stuck in the sand!!!!!!!!!!! Good news and bad news...the liberals and media of the world will be the first to go when the islamofacious win...bad news is that they will have already won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would like to get estimates and breakdown of the number of expats living in the major cities specificallt Pattaya, Bangkok and overall figure for Thailand. Also number of falangs visiting as tourists each year. Any idea where I can get the information??? Thanks!!

yea i remember the days of 42-43 baht and us feb was only payibg 2.5%...guess it is time to takemy usd somewhere else...dollars into this economy and inflated cost is a no win...maybe when dollars stop flowing in they may begin to want them and the us farang again...up to them...no more to come over here...

and with the current inflation within thailand and the uncertainty surrounding the state of the govt (taskin and all), there is absolutely no foundiation for it...exchange rates are "smoke and mirrors"