Gumballl

Just to add my $0.02 worth of opinion, some Thais that I have met are not aware of their geopolitical situation, whether current or historical. This is not to imply that they are "dumb", but merely that they are (or were) not taught this in their schools, or that perhaps it reflects that they dropped out of school early (to work and support their family).

As for US "kids" not knowing the history of WWII, that truely implies that they are indeed stupid or that answering questions on a "test" is not their game (hence they answer incorrectly). WWI and WWII are taught in schools in the US... who were the bad guys and who were the good, and obviously who won the wars, including the Vietnam conflict. Of course, what is taught is the perspective of the writers of history, not of what actually took place.

Anyhow, I think that people generally commit to memory and learn what is important to their lives, and disregard what is not. I would imagine that most TV-ers do not know advanced Calculus or Astrophysics. Does that make them "stupid"?... nope, not at all. I'm sure everyone has at least one skill that helps them exceed in life.

I have always been taught that it is important to know history so as not to repeat the "mistakes" that have occurred in the past. Explain how any of this matters to a farmer in the middle of Thailand, that has to scrape by each day with little money in hand? Why would they care about WWII? How does this event affect them? Does the fact that the "good side" won make it easier for them to earn money at the end of the day? Does it fill their stomachs with food? I won't answer these questions, because I think that everyone already knows the answers.

P.S. Any kid in the US today that has a PlayStation or Xbox knows about WWII. There are loads of games on the subject. Oh yeah, and there are also history books in school. Can they read?... that is another topic to debate.

P.S.S. Chippie - I read your original post... I applaud you for choosing your words carefully, when asking if your girlfriend was the most uneducated girl in Thailand. Other TV posters poorly took your words out of context to insinuate that you were speaking of all thais... this is wrong of them to do that... and in the future I hope that they will learn to read more carefully.

Have you considered using a plastic tube to siphon water from one source into the other?

Try cayenne pepper... no joke! Sprinkle it around the mound where these ants live.

Here are some more "safe" options: http://www.thefrugallife.com/ants.html

Even if you could buy Pepper Spray/Mace in BKK, are you sure you sure you can take it with you on a flight to Manila?

You should be innovative... instead of Pepper Spray/Mace, just get a can of any aerosol spray and a cigarette lighter, and then you can singe the crappola out of any assailant.

If this doesn't work for you, then carry a machete. I'm sure these are available at any hardware store in Manila.

taxexile - how do you expect me to read your informative posts if you are going to distract me with that avatar? Sometimes I wish I were a anime myself!

Anyhow, Thailand the next Detroit?... I hope not... 25% unemployment, high rates of crime, and zero innovation.

It would be nice if the Thai gov't would just teach their drivers how to drive, and enforce the driving laws equitably. Then worry about vehicles later.

Probably the easiest package to open is that of a cond*m.

1. no, there is not a special visa for software weenies (engineers or IT specialists).

2. no, you cannot apply for yourself (you need a sponsor).

3. yes, you can come to thailand without a job... come as a tourist. look for work, and once you have a job offer, get offer letter on company letterhead, leave the country, apply for work visa, and re-enter with a different type of visa and work permit. The company of course, will have to do some "work" on its own to ensure that you have all of your ducks in a row to get the work permit.

If #3 sounds easy, it's not. Best of luck.

P.S. I am not an authority on this subject. If you would like more details, google the TV site, or browse the website of your nearest Thai Embassy or Consulate for details on obtaining a work permit/visa.

P.S.S. You probably will have better luck starting your own business.

I've never had a tuk tuk driver refuse to take me someplace... taxi drivers on the other hand...

Tuk tuks are convenient if you are shopping and have a lot of things to carry back home. I just wish that the tuk tuks would have a higher roof, so that I can see where I am going. Normally I have to scrunch down and bend my head to the side to look straight out.

P.S. Worst place for a tuk tuk-like vehicle... Vientienne... they are slow, and the drivers charge a fortune to tourists.

The last bottle of Chang beer (when you do not have a bottle opener). I always use an unopened bottle to open the one I want to drink. When I am down to the last bottle... I go looking for a Thai local. I have seen them rip the cap of the bottle with their teeth!

Trazom (David) -

I really think you ought reconsider your plans to come to Thailand, and perhaps consider going back to your home country to seek employment there. Your odds are much better. You can always visit Thailand on holidays with your wife.

As for your question.... "I'll be screwed if I don't have money. Am I right?"... I can tell you that this is correct no matter where you live.

To be blunt, I think that the immigrations regulations in Thailand are not in your favor, being that you are young (less than 50 years old), and that you do not seem to have sufficient funds to live there.

Visa runs, whether monthly or every quarter (3 months) costs money for both the visa renewal and the expenditures to get to the border or overseas consulate.

I currently live in the US, and I also have thoughts of coming to Thailand to settle with my Thai wife. And I consider myself to be in a better financial situation than you describe yourself. Yet, I restrain myself from making the leap, because I know that it will be a challenge to find suitable employment in Thailand, to pay for a home, trips to renew visas, etc.

So in conclusion, think things over carefully. No matter how good your intentions are to settle with your wife (and family) in Thailand, the Thai Immigration won't give a hoot if you do not have the necessary means to provide financial support. From what I have read in many TV posts is that Thai Immigration officials stick to the law, and won't make exceptions because you feel that you can live on less than 400,000 baht a year (less than US$10,000).

Good luck with whatever you decide.

My suggestion... don't give cash... donate clothing, food, etc.

I wonder if the PayPal problems described thus far in this thread have something to do with legalities of transferring large sums of money overseas without due notification to the US gov't.

If I am not mistaken, the US gov't requires that a person and/or the banking institution make a declaration when transferring more than $10,000 overseas. Banks normally know how to handle this reporting, but PayPal? Maybe PayPal doesn't want to perform this service.

Anyhow, just a wild theory. The US gov't is so paranoid these days of monies being sent overseas to fund less-than-desirable characters.

I second Britmaveric's advice. This is exactly what I do for my wife. Bear in mind that there are banking fees associated with each withdrawal from an ATM overseas, so check out what these will cost you before you make a final decision.

Also, if available, consider using Western Union or a Thai bank in the UK. My ex-wife, who is also Thai, used to remit money to her family via the Bank of Thailand (???) that had a branch office in Los Angeles, USA.

I have recent experience using a Bank of America ATM card in Thailand... the fees for withdrawing 20K Baht (about $485) was $5 and an additional 1% fee for the FTF (foreign transaction fee). This essentially amounts to a 2.03% fee for the entire transaction.

This seems better than travellers checks (which I believe the fee is at 3%) and the exchange rate is not as good. Nevertheless, it is probably a good idea to carry about $500 in travellers checks for that unexpected emergency. If you do not use them on your trip, you can always use them back in your own country. (Beware that cashing travellers checks in Thailand require a passport, unlike in the US where no ID is required!).

By the way, when I was visiting Korat, it was hard to find an ATM that would dish out more than 10K baht. Therefore, the fee percentage for this "small" transaction would be 3.05%.

One thing that does blow with BofA, is that the $5 fee is charged regardless of the type of transaction (even if peforming a balance check). If the transaction fails, say when trying to withdraw more dosh than the ATM supports (or that is in your account), you are still charged this fee! What a ripoff.

ive been in thailand sometime and hear many differant tales of how you can get longer stay visa,i dont have thai wife but have hered about going to penang,im in chiangmai how is the best way to go there thanks

Since you are in CM, I would think that the best way to get to Penang would be to travel on foot.

... or you can try taking an airline flight.

The figure is an income of bt40,000 per month

Totster, thank you for the correction.

You do not need the 40k/400k for the visa so you will be able to visit your wife for up to 90 days at a time. The multi entry non immigrant O visa is the preferred method but it is often not available outside of your home country or Penang in Malaysia. It normally only requires proof of your marriage and perhaps a copy of the spouse ID card to indicate you are still a couple. With 90 day visa runs that can cover up to almost 15 months.

Lopburi, I have asked my wife not to change her name on the ID card. I think that it is best that she preserves her Thai surname on her card (and passport). Do you advise against this? As I hinted in my OP, I am applying for a visa for my wife to come to the US. I have applied using her maiden name. If the visa is ultimately granted, it would be associated with her first name/maiden name... not my surname. In the future, perhaps we can change her surname to mine, if/when I "retire" in LOS.

As for background, I do have a university degree... a bachelor of engineering in computer science. Not quite a specialization in teaching, but still something that I can apply to teaching in Thailand in case the need arises.

Right now, I wish I could find a good paying job (in the US). The bad news currently weighing on me is that my house is costing me approximately US$4000 monthly (about 160K baht). Without an income, you can imagine my anxiety. I want to sell my house, but the Winter period is notoriously the worst time to sell, and I worry that I will lose money (and not have a place to live). I do have savings to cover my "gluteus maximus" for about 6 months, but I really do not want to use this to pay more towards the house. After all, most of the monthly payments go toward interest, and not principal balance on my mortgage.

My ultimate wish would be to buy a house in LOS (paying cash), and then obtain a job (teaching if I must) to pay for food, utilities, etc.

Anyhow, I am rambling on... it is time for me to go to bed, and hope that tomorrow brings me a wee bit of good fortune.

Thanks JRinger... I found his (excaliber's) advert within TV.

I've been reading past postings here on TV about Non-Imm "O" visa, that one can obtain if married to a Thai woman. From what I have understood, there are minimum financial obligations that the farang man must maintain: either earn B40,000 per year OR have a minimum of B400,000 in the bank at the end of the year.

(Please correct me if these figures are wrong.)

Should the Thai gov't should ever decide to increase these minimum limits, as they have done in the past ("to attract quality farangs"), how would this affect those of you already in possession of a Non-Imm "O" visa? Could you afford an increase?

If you had to leave Thailand, what would you do??? Going back to live in your country would probably cost more than staying in Thailand. Nevertheless, some of you undoubtably only have a fixed amount of money saved (such as myself).

I really would like to move to the LOS to be with my wife and daughter, and I know that is what she would like too. But I cannot shake this worrisome feeling from my head that some how I will end up as a pauper before I reach my golden years.

Once I reach the golden years (60+ years old), I will have sufficient monies available to me, but till then, I will have to work... and I'm not confident I can earn B40,000 in Thailand. I'm an old-school software engineer that has spent his career supporting US gov't contracts... and there is no demand for someone with this background in LOS.

Anyhow, any advice would be helpful on the subject of the Non-Imm visa. Any advice to calm my fears.

Thank you in advance.

P.S. BTW, for those who might wonder, I am currently 38 years old, and from the US.

P.S.S. It is my intent to bring my wife and daughter to the US, but as of recently, I was made redundant at work. I'm looking for work, but things are looking bleak. And every day I stay in the US costs a fortune!

I'm playing with the idea of building a house in Korat, namely in the Chalerm Prakert (sp?) area.

Can anyone help me with information concerning developers in the local area? Websites or other contact info is what I desire.

As for Chalerm Prakert, this area is about 20km from "The Mall", which to me is the "center" of town.

Personally, I am not interested in the two story "box" houses that are common in Thailand today. I am more interested in a single story house, of approximately 130 sq. meters (3 bedrooms with built-in closets, 2 bathrooms, western kitchen, living room, and storage areas).

How much land (how many rai?) would such a property require, if additional space is allotted for a car port for 2 cars and a small yard (30 sq meters)?

P.S. I have googled TV for information, and have only found pics of houses that some TV members have posted, but not much detail as to who built the house, cost, etc.

Thanks for your replies everyone. Seems like there is no way around the tax issue. Oh well, I was just looking at an angle to better my financial situation.

Who was it that said that "in life two things are certain... death and taxes"?

Hi,

Does anybody know what are the tax consequences for withdrawing 401-K retirement money while living in Thailand? Is the full amount of the money withdrawn taxed like it would be in the US, or is the first $80K exempt?

I have heard that if a US citizen works overseas, that the first $80,000 (perhaps more?) of their income is exempt from US taxes. Technically, monies reserved in 401-K account is "income" that is yet to be taxed... thus perhaps it may qualify for this exemption upon withdrawal if done overseas.

If you have any experience with this, any information you may have would be appreciated. Also please let me know if any of my data or assumptions are incorrect.

Thanks in advance.

thanks for the edit george.... thanks for the reminder to mind my language.

<snip>

The running Thais are now primed for the Olympics.

Yeah, right.... this guy is a sore loser.

I went thru this recently. If your child is born in Thailand (which from what you wrote, seems like it will be so), register your child's birth at the American Citizen Services (ACS) at the Consular Section of the US Embassy in BKK.

You will be required to set up an appointment to do this... you cannot just show up. The ACS will send you a packet of information and forms that need to be filled out prior to your appointment.

You will also be able to apply for a US Passport for your child.

I think the total cost for the Report of Birth Abroad of US Citizen certificate and US Passport runs about $125 (can't recall... it could be more).

It takes the ACS 2-weeks (after they have approved your application) for the certificate and passport to be ready. You can only pick these up at the ACS (they will not be mailed to you).

Good luck, and most importantly, congratulations!

Let me know if you have further questions.