dave111223

Thailand is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

No moral fiber or integrity.

Who wants them?

Oh, come on, that is really rude. Thailand does have a lot of corruption but it is really unfair to paint all Thai people this way. Alot of us on this board have alot of affection for alot of Thai people.

Thailand is only about half way down on the corruption scale:

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781359.html

I cant believe i had to watch the news throughout the first 20minutes, including the only goal.

Easily the most boring game for a very long time. Needed Paraguay to score an own-gioal for England to win . . .

The free kick would have been in anyways, if anything the defender gave the keeper more of a chance to stop it.

Fuss? What fuss? Who said anything about a fuss?

So some get a stamp telling them to come back in 45 days, some in 40 days, some in 30 days. Where’s the fuss? Everybody just do as the stamp says, and there’s no problem! No fuss at all!

Fuss, my foot!

*If there wasnt any fuss before there is now *

By fuss i just mean that in everything i ever do Thailand related i'm constantly shocked by how much easier it is than i expected.

Because i read about how to do stuff on this message board and people make things seem more difficult/ more expensive/ more time consuming than they really are?

I'm not sure if it is just their experience was this way, or if its a "keep as many foreigners out as possible" mentality?

Final Post:

Went down to immigration today (bangkok) with the paperwork for the 1 year visa.

- Bank stuff

- Wife stuff

- My stuff etc...

They interviewed me and my wife and said come back in 30 days to pick up your 1 year visa. My wife asked if i would get the visa. And the woman said "Yes 100%".

So i dont know what all the fuss is about on these message boards, the interview was a breeze and only 30 days? (Not 40 or 45).

And even though my current 3 month visa doesnt expire until August 21 they said i can pick up the 1 year visa on July 7.

So I guess i'm all set for this year

I went down to immigration today to apply. I didnt have the paper from the bank showing the wire transfer was from a foreign country, so couldnt actually turn in the paperwork.

But they told me that i could apply right away (even though i have over 2 months left on my current visa), and they said that the visa takes less than 30 days?

if you have been here 75 days then you can apply for the extension and once grated buy the condo.

I said i have 75 days left, i've only been here 15 days. I have a 3 month single entry type O visa.

So my problem is that i dont want to wait 4 months before buying the condo, as i already have 1 that i want to buy.

So what happens when my visa expires if i'm married to Thai but do not have 400,000? What are the options? I do have income from overseas, but do not have a workpermit.

i was told come back 2 weeks before your 90 days runs out and they will do the extension, thats less than 14 days( 10 business days)

Really? I have like 75 days left on my type O visa, so this means i cant even go and apply for another 60 days? And then 40 days after that i get the visa?

... thats 100 days of all my money sitting in the bank?

I was going to buy a condo like this month

I heard somewhere on the forums thats theres also a 3 month marriage visa? Is this true? If so is there any kind of requirements to just going and getting a 3 month extension each time?

Bummer, i thought it would only be a couple of weeks

And i need to leave the money in the bank for the entire 40 days?

So more than 45 days until i get the actual 1 year visa?

How long should i expect the application process to take for a 1 year marriage visa, from the time that i turn in the paperwork until getting the visa (applying in Bangkok)?

Before the embassy provides you with the paper stating that you are free to marry , you also need to get a certificate of 'no criminal record' from your country.

I remember there are other requirements like 'salary slip, proof of employment' , 'income tax papers stating that you pay tax in your country' , 'certificate of no crimial record' , 'divorce papers if any' and 'certificate that certifies that your girlfriend has not worked in your country before .'

None of the above was required.

Getting the translation/legalization was actually really easy.

After stepping out of the US embassy welding the stamped paperwork i was immediately surrounding by a swarm of translation office workers, so i just kind of went with the flow and paid 300 baht for the translation and 1000 baht to get them to take it for legalization (could have paid 500 but i wanted next day instead of 3 day).

Just to follow up:

I went to TMB and to my surprise my account was still open even though its had 0 baht in it for the last 2 years.

So i wired my money to TMB and everything seems all set (wire actually was faster than when i wired money to my g/fs SCB account last month).

In order to get married its my understand that i have to go to the embassy and get a document saying that i am not currently married.

Then i have to take the form to a translation shop and get it rewritten in Thai.

Then i have to go and get the translation authenticated? To check it is accurate? But where do i go to get this done? Back to the embassy?

You are trying to open a Savings account and not a checking account? The latter will probably require a work permit but the former does not. As lop said try another branch.

I went to 3 SCBs and 2 BBK banks, but all of them said the same thing.

I didnt get ask for checking or savings, as they said "Work Permit" before i had even sat down to start the paper work.

I think i will just stick with the TMB account that i have, as no one seems to have anythign bad to say about them?

I'm here in Thailand on a Type-O visa (3 months). I'm going to get married, and i'm trying to set up a bank account so that i can deposit the 400,000 baht to get the 1 year extension.

But no banks will allow me to setup a bank account (been to Bangkok bank and SCB), both said that i require a work permit in order to setup an account.

I do have a Thai military bank account (which i open 2 years ago when i was here on a student visa). But TMB seems kinda of ....shady? Is wiring 600,000+ to TMB a good idea?

I didn't realize it would be so difficult to open an account here.

I guess sometimes you gotta fight fire with fire.

I got scared and decided to transfer half my US $$ to thailand right as the THB hit 37.6

It if goes back up to 40 i'm gonna cry :'(

the team practices in a freezer container to get used to cold weather.

What is this Cool Runnings all over again...

Hmm....i would buy a pair if they weren't charging $250 USD!

I thought you could extend the 30 day visa that you get when you arrive for 10 days if you go to the immigration center?

Split the suitcases/boxes 5 each. Then wait for a large family of kids to walk by, let your wife follow them closely.

5 minutes later you do the same

Cuz 5 suitcases for a big family is not out of the question....

Personally I have never understood why monks are given seats.

I never understood this either. It always blows my mind when i'm on a packed bus and some 25 year old monk gets on, and a 60 year old woman has to get up and stand just because she cant even sit next to him.

(Nothing to do with the elevators i know)

Man this sux, right before i move out there, and this has to happen.

What are the predictions will it go back up to 40 or will the baht continue to strengthen?

(Should i wait to transfer my US dollars? )

###### according to this: http://www.ratesfx.com/predictions/pred-thb.html the 3 month hi-low prediction is between 33 - 36

So it would be ok to go on a tourist visa, then get married and upgrade to a 3 month type O, then upgrade again to the 1 year extension?

I'm about to send in the application for a type-O visa so that i can come to thailand and get married (with thai citizen) and then apply for 1 year extension.

Is it ok to put this as the "Purpose of Visit" on the application?

Also it says:

"Non-immigrant visa applicant must submit an invitation letter/proofs from persons/institutions concerned stating the purpose of visit and the length of stay."

So i should have my fiance write a letter saying that i am coming to get married and stay indefinately?