sezzo

Before I brought the thai family to Australia 5 years ago I was living in Thailand on a Non-Imm O visa with the yearly 12 month extensions. I had the correct paperwork then for the granting of an extensions. We are moving back to Thailand later this year and I am plannning on applying for a single entry Non-Imm O visa at the emabassy here in Canberra and then apply for the 12 month extension at our local immigration office. Has there been any changes in requirements for qualifiying documentation required for this extension. I notice that the amount required per month or in a thai bank account has not changed but Im hearing from friends there might be a change as to proof of income letter. Is this correct. I also intend to apply for the yellow tabien book at our local amphur. Will this be of some benefit for my extension application.

Thanks for any assistance

You can get the VIP bus to Ubon but then you have to take the local red rattler to Khemarat with a change of buses at Trakan Phuetphon. Ive done the red rattler a couple of times and definately not recommend it. Last time I was in Khemarat for holidays I did a few trips to BKK for medical appts and did the trip on the No 1 Blue bus to and from Mochit. Costs about 600 baht each way. Not up to the same class as VIP but better than most of the cheaper buses. Stops at most larger towns/cities on the way as opposed to being flagged down on the road. Recliner seats, a snack and bottled water provided and unfortunately the rediculous thai tv shows on the tv in the bus. The bus starts the trip from Khemarat in the main street opposite the honda dealer. Its not a bad trip but flying is still preferable.

Now if you are going to go the VIP route to Ubon there is no alternative to getting from Ubon to Khemarat apart from the red rattler or organising family to pick you up.

Hope this has helped

Carl

Yes, my GF confirmed that there is a #1 bus with air that goes to Khemarat; she has taken it before. I don't know why she didn't get this one for her mama. "I never ask" . She's the one that can speak thai, not me. Up to her.

Is there a name/number for that company offering the No 1 bus from Bkk to Khemarat? Or at least the bus terminal booth #. What times does this bus leave?

I think the number might be 738 but dont quote me on that. When we did the trips we bought return tickets from the office in Khemarat. In the Mochit terminal your girlfriend can just wander along the counter until she finds the one to Khemarat. Wifey did point it out to me but I cant remember which one it is now. The bus we took left 7.30 pm (approx) and got into Khemarat about 6 am. Make sure you have your passport as you will get checked quite a few times by police looking for lao people.

Nakonchai Air provide the best and safest service to Ubon, their buses run to and from the Morchit bus terminal in Bkk.

Average travel time is 8 hours, gold class is 552 baht and first class is 736 baht per person.

Nackorchai Air now have their own bus terminal just down the road from Morchit. This makes the service even better as you don't have to put up with the hustle bustle of Morchit.

Nackornchai Air terminal is clean, quiet and has an air con depature lounge. There are always good, clean taxis waiting out side too. No touts. Just get in the taxi tell him where you want to go. He will switch on the meter and away you go.

You can get the VIP bus to Ubon but then you have to take the local red rattler to Khemarat with a change of buses at Trakan Phuetphon. Ive done the red rattler a couple of times and definately not recommend it. Last time I was in Khemarat for holidays I did a few trips to BKK for medical appts and did the trip on the No 1 Blue bus to and from Mochit. Costs about 600 baht each way. Not up to the same class as VIP but better than most of the cheaper buses. Stops at most larger towns/cities on the way as opposed to being flagged down on the road. Recliner seats, a snack and bottled water provided and unfortunately the rediculous thai tv shows on the tv in the bus. The bus starts the trip from Khemarat in the main street opposite the honda dealer. Its not a bad trip but flying is still preferable.

Now if you are going to go the VIP route to Ubon there is no alternative to getting from Ubon to Khemarat apart from the red rattler or organising family to pick you up.

Hope this has helped

Carl

Hello KDC1899

Just following this thread as I will be enrolling my 10 yr old thai stepson (aussie educated) into an Ubon school next year. Whereabouts is the Huay Chiaw II school. We are looking at enrolling him in the Youth Exchange School on the ring road near the Khemarat road. Obviously we are still considering other options but would like to be in the northern parts of Ubon due to commuting back to Khemarat on weekends. Where can I find more information about this school.

Thanks in advance,

Sezzo

Memock,

If you go downhill from Wrongway and at the corner turn left. Go along this road for a couple of kms and on the left hand side is a garden centre. A friend bought some there a couple of years ago. I was at the garden centre last year when back there on holidays and they still had turf there.

Hope this helps

I had the pleasure of enjoying a wonderful afternoon at Don and Daengs restaurant last sunday. Location, outlook, food, service was excellant. My two friends and I had a very enjoyable time there and will be back there in the next couple of weeks with the wives. All the previous posts with pictures included really do describe this restaurant and B & B perfectly.

Thanks Don and Daeng from Carl, Peter and Dick

Nignoy,

Will there be some sort of reunion for you old sappers. If so when will it be. The family and I will be back in Khemarat in early dec for 5 weeks for holidays. We are friends of Bill and Pow and will probably drive the hour or so up to Leong Nok Tha and visit. Would love to catch up for a yarn after exchanging digs over the past few years.

Carl

My thai wife and I are currently living and working in Australia. We plan on retiring back to Ubon Ratchathani in about 15 months and would like to buy a house in Ubon city. We already have a house and farm about 100 kms from Ubon but would like to live in Ubon city for the sons schooling, etc.

While we are still working I would like to possibly borrow the money for the house and pay it off monthly until we move back to Thailand permanently and then pay off the balance from our own super fund. I have done a bit of looking around with the banks and came across the Government Housing Bank. On their website they have a scheme for thais who are living abroad and working to borrow 85% of the money for a house.

We enquired about this scheme and received an email from Sun Assets who appear to be managing this scheme for the GHB. They sent us the application forms via email to fill out and asked us to also include bank statement, pay slips, tax assessments etc. and send them back to them for consideration. I am a bit suspicious of sending my bank details via email due to the possibility of some sort of fradulent activity occuring.

Now my question is does anybody have any experience with this bank and this scheme? Are the normal banks (we both have accounts with Bangkok bank) in Thailand open to lending money for home loans to people in our circumstance. I would prefer to do all the applications etc face to face in Thailand if possible. We will be back in Thailand for a holiday in Dec 10 and Jan 11 so will bring all the necessary paperwork to be presented for a loan application. During this period we would like to start the ball rolling and look for a house to buy.

Is there anything else that I need to look into in relation to borrowing money for a home loan in Thailand.

Many thanks

Will stop in Friday on the way down

from Mukdahan to Ubon for b/fast.

On my map I see a 'Loeng Nok Tha' which

is about 50 km's south of Mukdahan, are

we talking the same place here?

(Can't see a 'Rung Luk Tar' )

Thats the place. Been there a couple of times when a friend from Oz and wife lived there.

I got my german shepherd pup in Ubon about 4 years ago. In the collection of pet shops next to the Big C building they had people selling pups there in the large open roofed area. Just ask one of the people in the pet shops alongside Big C. I had my doubts whether it was a real shepherd but he turned out brilliantly. He cost us 2500 baht. Great guard dog with excellant personality and good nature.

You said your kid is 4 years old and can't read or write Thai....

There aren't many Thai kids that can at that age either, So wouldn't worry too much ..

Well actually the boy will be 10 years old by the time we get back to Ubon. At that point he would have been in Australian primary school for four years. He did attend "kindergarten" in rural Ubon prior to him moving to Aus and should have started primary school just as we left Thailand. He actually did know the thai alphabet when he left but has now lost that and is like any other Aus primary school student.

Im hoping for him to go to a private school so he can learn the thai script as well as maintaining his english skills. Make for a better possibility for a better future when he gets older. Going by what I have seen so far posted we may have to look closer at Assumption.

Thanks again for input. It has been appreciated.

Do you mean the YES school?

After posting the topic I googled around a bit and found it is the YES school. Any comments on this school.

The family and I will be moving back to Ubon in about 18 months after 4 years in Australia. The youngest step child has been going to an australian school for 4 years and although he can still speak thai, cant read or write in thai. Rather than put him into the local government school in Khemarat we would like to put him into a private school in Ubon to get his thai back on track.

I know of the 2 catholic school, Ave Maria and Assumption College but I would prefer him not to be subjected to religious studies. I have been told there is a new international school on or near the ring road in Ubon. Does anyone have any knowledge or experience of this school. If there are other good private school in Ubon that someone can reccomend I would also be interested in hearing from them as well.

Thanks in advance,

Carl

My wife and I are planning for our return to Ubon and will probably move to Ubon for kids education requirements. We firstly looked at renting in Ubon but are now considering buying a house there. On our many trips from Khemarat to Ubon we have noticed a lot of new housing developments on or near the ring road near the Trakhan or Amnat roads. I have visited a house in one of these developments years ago and was impressed by them.

I am after some more information on these or any newer developments in Ubon in particular some websites that I may visit that show the houses there etc. I have tried to google for some info but get very little information. Im sure I have seen a web address on some of the advertising signs that are near these developments.

Thanks in advance for any info passed on.

My congratulations go out to Richard and Ting for 4 years of supplying a good venue in Ubon for having a good feed, good beer and always a good yarn. Wish I could be there but Im stuck here in Oz for the time being.

All the best,

Carl

Good day,

Can anyone recommend an english speaking lawyer in Ubon city.

Thank you

About 18 months ago I asked the same question in preparation for the paperwork for my wifes visa application. I got some quite good information but cant remember any details. The only thing I remember is that there was a lawyer in the area around Wrong Way Cafe and the Saphasit Hospital. If you do a search for some of my posts on this forum you might find it. Also I got in contact with Issan Lawyers from Korat and was told that they do periodic trips to Ubon. Try them.

Good luck

Go over to the Wrongway cafe for a few beers. Richard and the guys will point you in the right direction.

From previous experience they only really go by the postcode and then the number of the address ie. 50 Moo 18. I have had many letters sent and received in english using the english address only. As long as they see the 2 sets of numbers the letter will get through.

PS. From personal experience dont send money in it as it will go missing.

I see nothing has changed at Mukdahan then. 3 years ago I got treated like sh_t by them while trying to do my 90 day reporting. I heard later that the staff had a massive changeover but I have read over the past year or so that the treatment is still the same. A german from our area has to pay a couple of thousand baht each time he goes there for "tea money" just to get treated fairly.

Steer clear of them is my advice.

There are a few farang living in the area. If you do a search of this forum for Amnat Charoen (correct spelling as quoted by the english language signs in Amnat) they should give you the names of the thaivisa members from there. I have a house about 65 kms from Amnat at Khemarat but am presently living in Oz. There are quite a few farang in Khemarat and most are always up for a beer or 12.

Keep hunting you will find a few floating around or maybe head up to Mukdahan as there are quite a few up that way as well.

Good luck

My wifes family always go to this private clinic/hospital in Yasathon which is about 1 1/2 hours drive from Khemarat so should be about the same from Mukdahan. I have been there a couple of times and all I can describe the directions is that its in the main road on the left hand side as you come from Amnat.

Sorry thats all I can tell you about the directions. Another alternative is the international hospital in Mukdahan which I have been to myself a couple of years ago. Its on the river side of the road as you are travelling to Khemarat. Another couple of my friends from Khemarat go there quite often. Private hospital so expect to pay more than the government places but worth the extra amount.

Hope this helps.

Congrats mate, its worth all the effort once they are with you back here in Oz.

When we were preparing the applicaiton for my wifes spouse visa I made a phone call to the embassy from Australia to find out the requirement for her kids. Going on this advice when I was over in Thailand to submit the application we tracked down the ex and told him what the plans were. He was happy for us to bring the kids to Oz and therefore accompanied us to the VFS and in front of the staff there signed the necessary form to allow the kids to be taken out of the country. I admit that apart from a days driving around the countryside searching for him and his family, we were pretty lucky in getting him to cooperate. I have been told that the court process could take a long time to finalise.

Good luck.

I stand corrected. It was less than 12 months ago when I applied for my wifes visa so obviously things have changed. I checked the embassy website and it just says that application MAY be lodged at the VFS. No indication that I could see that you could lodge at the embassy itself.

Good to know

All visa applications need to be submitted at the VFS. They are the interface between the visa applicants and the embassy The only time you will be in contact with the embassy is either when they inform your wife/GF of her appointment for the interview or they will inform that the application has been approved. When I was preparing the application for my wife I phoned the embassy a couple of times from Oz and spoke to on of the thai staff there. The advice I received from them was very informative.

Good luck

i was under the impression you can use either ????????????? The embassy you need an appointment or you wont get in, VFS is just walk in and lodge.

About 3 or so years ago the VFS was opened to alleviate the amount of people going into the embassy just for applications of visa. I have never heard of anyone lately applying for a visa without it being lodged at the VFS. The consular section at the embassy is used for passport stuff etc. Going by the amount of people lodging applications at the VFS I can see why the embassy wouldnt want the hassle of so many people going through security to lodge at the embassy.

If in doubt check on the embassy website. They should have the procedures detailed there.