Brucenkhamen

A few things spring to mind reading this thread.

What is your reason for choosing Thailand as the place to ordain?

Have you spent time in monasteries or intensive retreats before?

If the answer to the second question is no then I'd recommend that you go to England first (or alternatively Switzerland or Italy) and spend some time in a monastery. It will be much cheaper than going to Thailand, you'll gain some experience, make some contacts, get some good advice, and prepare yourself. Amaravati is probably the most accessable monastery.

Unless you are looking for a bit of spiritual adventure, which doesn't appear to be the case, I think it's important to get a good grounding before you go to Thailand.

The other thing to consider is that as you are 18 you won't be able to ordain as a monk, you'll have to ordain as a novice (th. samanairn) until you are 20. This may affect your visa status, I'm not sure, and affect how seriously Thais take you. Being Thailand you'll be able to find somewhere that bends those rules but they are probably not good places for you to be anyway.

How log do you expect to remain a monk? This may affect your options on where to ordain.

When I ordained 3 years ago I did so on a non-immigrant O visa, I got that based on my intention to ordain with a supporting letter from a monastery. I didn't have to ordain in the monastery that originally supported me if I didn't like it there when I arrived. A monk visa is 1 year renewal of that visa, I hadn't heard of getting a monk visa beforehand, but things might have changed since then.

The monastery should arrange for a lay supporter to pay your ordination costs, if they expect you to pay it could be they doubt your sincerity or it could be it's not the place for you.

I take it you recommend Mr Muthu?

Got a multi emntry, which was why it was 500 ringgit?

My sitauation is I have plans while I'm in Penang, so having somebody to pick up and drop off my passport and application would be much easir and save me having to stay in Penang longer.

Did he seem honest? I just worry about someone running off with my passport and money?

My home line is TOT, so In theory I should be able to use 1222 or similar to dial up my ISP, and as I'm not in BKK many ISP's don't have local numbers so I'd like to use it.

Since I've been here about 90% of the time I get engaged or no dialtone on 1222, however a while ago I did a fresh reinstall of Windows XP Professional and for a few weeks 90% of the time I could get a connection on that number.

I'm wondering if there is a setting in windows that I may have changed that caused this behaviour? not knowing how the 1222 system works and all. Any ideas?

I've visited Penang twice, and each time on the first day I had vomiting and diahrrea, this after several months of no health problems in Thailand.

I'm about to make my third trip and would like to avoid whatever it is that's causing it, any ideas what it could be?

My theory is the water is supposed to be safe so they make ice out of tapwater there, so I guess i'll have to avoid ice, please don't tell me I can't have Roti Chanai!

I need to renew my Visa around Songkran time and am thinking of taking advantage of Air Asia's low fares.

Firstly are Thai Enmbassies/Consulates closed over Sonkran? If so what dates?

Bearing in mind I only need a single entry Non immigrant O based on marriage, which city or consulate would be the better to visit and why? Penang, Kl, or Johor Bahru then cross the border to Singapore. I plan to make a bit of a holiday of it and take the wife and mother in law.

Thanks.

I'm not sure if it has been reported yet on this forum but the Thai Consulate in Vientiane has moved. It's now not far from the Thai Embassy on That Luang Road down from the Malaysian embassy, look for a big Hyundai sign.

I'm off the Vientiene to get a 90 day non immigrant O visa and I just want to check I've got everything I need (most info on the site seems more for those working or wanting a one year extension), I figure I need:

Passport

Photocopies of passport, front and visa page

Laos Visa

Marriage certificate and photocopy

Copy of wifes id card or letter from wife (she will come with me)

Lots of passport photos

Anything else?

Do i need bank statements? If so I only have one 6 months old or can print one off the internet, which are they more likely to go for?

Thanks.

We went to the local immigration office today to clarify and it looks like I have to go to Laos, mai pen rai.

However what they said about the 12 month extension isn't consistant with what I thought was the case so I hope someone can clarify it for me.

They said that I can apply for the 12 month extension of a Non immigrant O if I have 200,000 baht in the bank AND am earning 20,000 baht from within Thailand, ie I'm working.

I always thought that an Non Immigrant O was for people who aren't working and those who are working needed a non immigrant B, is this not the case? Also according to the pamphlet they gave us last time I need to have 200,000 baht in the bank OR am earning 20,000 baht, no indication that this must be from within Thailand, have the rules changed recently?

The rationale that was given is that if I'm not working in Thailand then there is no reason for me to stay a long time, even though i'm married to a thai so they can only give a 3 month visa plus a 2 month extension, .

If this is correct it also begs the question once the rules chance to 400,000 plus 40,000 earnings within Thailand, how many farang can earn 40,000 baht from within Thailand? Doesn't make sense to me.

Oh, and apparently the reporting within 24 hours of returning from Laos is to advise them that my wife has married a foriegner so they can note it on her land registry.

Thanks.

I live in Udon and I'm a New Zealander.

My Gf has already been to to immigration but she is not sure she understood them as they were very busy at the time, a second visit is probably in order. My visa extension contains the words "must leave the kingdom" whereas all previos ones say something like "expires on:" which would tend to support the theory that i must get a new visa.

Thanks.

A few questions I hope somebody can help me with:

1. I entered Thailand on a Non-immigrant O Visa and after 3 months was able to get a further 3 months extension due to my being a monk at the time. My fiancee is not certain but the impression she got from immigration service is that because I've had 1 extension already I'm not eligable to apply for the 12 month extension once i'm married so must get a new Non immigrant O visa first. Does this sound correct?

2. She also got the impression that after crossing the bridge from Laos with the new non-immigrant O i must report to the immigration office in nongkhai within 24 hours. I can't think of why that is, unless they are expecting me to apply for the 12 month extension then and there. Does this sound correct?

3. My international drivers licence is valid for 12 months buton the inside cover it lists the countries it's valid in and next to Thailand it says (3 months), so I assume I can no longer drive legally in thailand. Is this correct?

Thanks for your help.

####, she has a good job so we can't get away with me supporting her, but she can't put together 200k savings.  I can easily put 200k into a thai acct and am earning more than her from my investments but at least we can hide that i guess and say she is supporting me as i'm not officially working.

Is there any other way to extend it in thailand or am i stuck with a trip to penang or vientiene?

I have a single entry non-immigrant O visa, once i'm married i will be wanting to extend it within thailand, preferably for a year.

I've reviewed the "Documents to submit for visa based on marriage to a Thai national" and "One Year Visa Extension" on ThaiVisa and I'm not sure whether either apply to my situation.

Both talk about work permit etc which I will not have, is there a page that contains details of what papers are needed to apply for a non-immigrant O visa on the basis of marriage to a thai?

Could you point me to it as I can't find it.

Thanks.

A multi O will give me how long? Any reporting or renewing required?

No I'm not aware of the monetary requirements, does that mean I need money in a thai bank account? or is overseas ok? if so how much?

Thanks for your help.

I plan to be in Thailand for a year.  I will be getting married after 6 months but the local farangland embassy would not give me a non-immigrant visa on the basis of that.

However I will ordain as a monk for 3 months before getting married and they have offered to give me a non immigrant visa on that basis.  Note:  I'm doing this because meditation is a strong interest of mine, so not recommended for everybody ;-)

I just want to clarify a couple of things if I can.  I'm expecting to get a non-immigrant (O) visa so I can continue to use it after i leave the Wat and get married, but I'm worried my girlfriend might have her wires crossed and i will end up with a missionary or education one instead and have to get another afterwards, what's the likelihood?

If I understand correctly I will get 90 days initially then will need to go to immigration to get it extended for a year before that expires.  I'll have ordained a week or two before expiry so I guess getting an extension will be no problem at that time, once they see my attire.  Is that correct?

Thanks.

I guess this means my girlfriends friends are correct, once my girlfriend has New Zealand Citizenship she will lose her Thai citizenship if the Thai government finds out.  I thought it was an urban myth.

Is this correct?  

If so I guess the plan is to always use her thai passport in thailand and never tell the Thai government that she has dual citizenship.

I've read a few posts that suggest that it's easy to get a non-immigrant Visa in Brisbane, what isn't clear to me is whether it's easy to get if you don't normally qualify.

I'm not married to a thai, just engaged and will be getting married during the year I will be there.  I'd like to get a Visa that means I don't have to make Visa runs before the wedding.  So I don't need multi entry as I prefer not to exit, though the option the re-enter once would be good.

I have the opportunity to stopover in Brisbane on the way to Thai and will do so if i can get a Non Imm O there rather than a tourist visa i can get anywhere, but if I arrive there and find i need a marriage certificate I'm screwed.

Can anyone tell me if this is possible in which case what paperwork i should take.

Thanks.