giruz

I had a chat with Giruz on Skype today, and only now did he have the courage to tell me he's an AC Milan supporter . Had I known this before, I would, of course, have charged double.

Scouse.

Send in a late invoice pronto

Oh by the way, well done Giruz

Moss

Thanks..but remember that scouse did an outstanding job with our application! :-)

Now we are applying for a Schengen/Italian Visa,

This is a list with few important things we came across so far:

1- She must pay 60EUR because Italy doesn't have defacto/inlaw legislation (The Pope is ruling our country!)

2- Someone at the embassy answered the phone and we didn't had to pay $2.60/min to speak to an operator (WOW! That really surprised me)

3- We need bookings (we booked a flight Bkk-Rome-Milan with China Air and Mil-Lon with Easyjet) (done)

4- She needs an health insurance cover for at least EUR30.000 (in process)

5- We have to fill all the relevant papers (almost done)

6- They need a 'certified' invitation (i.e. a letter from my dad with a EUR15 tax on it) (done)

7- They need some bank statements with heaps of money (Q: How much do you need? A: The more the better!) (err...done)

Then, the process might take up to 2 weeks. We are asking for 1-year visa (90days max stay on a 180days period). This because I don't want to pay another 60EUR to go in Italy for xmas... I'll keep you informed.

g.

Bob, you will be lucky to get away with the dollar amount,current charge is 1200 baht tourist and 1500 bt business, which is a heap more than 20 &25$ us.

I saw two individuals in the last two months try sticking to their digs on the $ fees and they were told to go away if they didnt want to pay Baht.

I guess this is happening only if you cross the border by land...what happens if you land in phon phen?

g.

Hi, has anyone had to jump through the Australian Defacto Immigration Visa hoops? My Thai partner and I have a telephone interview next week, (in Australia), has anyone had one? Any sneaky questions we should know about.??

General questions as usual

• where did you met?
  
• What have you in common?
  
• what your partner like?
  
• what's your plan for the future?
  

We received our passports back today.

Visa guaranteed!

Number of entries: Multi

Type: Visa EEA FP: FAMILY MEMBER G. GIRUZZ

VALID FROM: 01/09/07

VALID UNTIL: 01/03/08

Anything else I can add?

I'm so HAPPYYY!!!! :-) and...I can't party..I gotta study for my exams :-|

g.

My wife is going to apply for an EEA Family Permit for the UK (I am German). I wonder if we need the help of an agency and if so which ones would you recommend and which agencies should we avoid?

Thanks

Hi,

I guess at the end it all depends on what you is your situation (married? in-law?) and what are your skills with legal-English :-)

I did my application for my de-facto permit in Australia (I'm Italian and my gf is Thai) because it was straight forward (and we were both here with a job, accommodation and plenty of evidences we were de-facto).

For my gf's family permit in the UK we hired scouse. It did cost a bit..but you know....I'm Italian, she is 'only' my gf and more important I don't have a job or neither an accommodation in the UK. He did a great job putting together all the information we had...

My advice is to skip all the doggy agencies in bkk and find someone that is OISC certified...try to email scouse..He might be able to help you...

(Ok...I get my 20% commission from scouse for each new client I refer)

g.

The only fake Canons I've seen were being sold on Ebay from Florida.

This is because you haven't been to Naples - Italy ;-)

Anyway,

When I checked the best prices where in Pantip, forget the airport. Also, consider these factors:

1- Generally speaking no warranty outside Thailand (or maybe SEA if you are lucky!)

2- If you are coming from US...buy there.

3- Not every shop will give you the VAT refund slip. I don't know why..but sometime it happens to be cheaper in that way...the shopkeeper will discount you the VAT and that all (they did for my gf motorola V3)

g.

Keep us posted as to the outcome giruz. Its a topic that I asked a question on a while back and am considering this visa at a later date should the gf's little holiday over here go according to plan, so I'd be interested as to the outcome and any advice or tips you can give on the process.

Alternatively, I could hire the services of the "scouse" as I heard he accepts payment in beer

Guemlum

Today my gf received a call from the embassy.

The lady on the phone asked for a module with credit card details because as it is stated on the British High Commission website 'incomplete application will be returned and a $15 will be charged'.

Now..I just want to say thanks god my gf answered..otherwise I wouldn't be polite as she is..because there is no mention anywhere on the website on how to submit that module, how the module looks like or any other information.

At the end, we will have to fax the credit card numbers on a blank page. Then the lady asked why in our 'presentation letter' we said (well..scouse said) that we plan to travel starting the 1st of September...she asked if we were sure not to travel before..and she asked again....and..end of the call.

So, we started to prepare a letter with those details..

after 2 minutes she got another call, again the same lady asking for two more letters stating that we intend to travel into the UK together. Again we have to send a fax.

At this point my gf asked for the lady contact number or email and she said that she can't provide those for 'privacy reasons'. If we want to call the embassy we should use a $2.6/pm phone number (where a completely useless guy answered last time...).

anyway,

We will fax everything tomorrow (I hope)

g.

Ops...the topic it was supposed to be 'Unmarried Partner Visa - Application Lodged'

do I have any way to change it?

g.

.

Ok guys,

I finally got all the docs (thanks Italian posts) and today I lodged my application for a UK- Unmarried partner visa.

Hope to have good news soon...

(The application was prepared by The scouser...so it should be ok )

g.

It will make little to no difference to people's holiday decisions - if they're planning a 2 week package holiday, they just post their passport off along with a cheque some time in the many months before they leave, and it comes back in the mail a few days later with a visa in it. If they're backpacking around the region, they just hand their passport in at their hotel in whichever neighbouring country they're in and it is given back to them a few days later with a visa in it.

Many backpackers use Thailand as base for regional exploration. The introdution of visa requirements for all people coming to Thailand will have two effects (IMO):

1- A massive amount of work for thai embassies around the world if not VOA

2- Reduction of visitors esp. backpakers

Incidentally, Vietnam has one of the most booming tourist industries in Asia, yet requires a visa to enter.

VN might start now..but it is starting with backpackers and 'adventurous' tourists. Thailand is a destination for families... two markets that are very very different.

Tell me how many countries that rely on tourism as source of income require visas? Egypt, Russia, Cambodia, Cuba, China and all those countries wants tourist and ask for visas only because they need foreign money in hard currencies. The story of terrorism it is just bullshits. They want money and are countries run by non democratic government.

The plain easy answer is jut money & un-democratic rules.

Western countries do require visas to stop (or at least limit) the influx of illegal immigrants entering a country on tourist visas.

All of this may be moot anyway if the "rumour" is just the result of Chinese whispers as Maestro suggested.

I hope so...(for Thailand)

g.

DPM raids Pantip Plaza and seizes 1 pornographic VCD

The Deputy Prime Minister led a raid on Pantip Plaza to suppress vice and intellectual property crimes.

1 pornographic VCD

That's hard! Last time I was in Pantip I couldn't find a single pornographic VCD. Those cds usually come in bundles of 5 or 10...

g.

Not quite. If the EU father goes to work/live in any of these countries can his Thai partner and their child come and live with him?

I think most of the countries allows that but you should include singapore in your list....... SIngapore loves expat from EU.

Singapore loves expats from EU. The problem is that Singapore doesn't love defacto partners and wives (As I know it is really hard for a western-girl to find a job over there).

I've noticed that one of the available visa's incorporating the same entitlements as a settlement visa is that of an "unmarried partner visa".

Has anyone ever applied for one of these and been sucessfull, or know of the acceptance rate for this kind of visa over that of the settlement visa.

Guemlum

I'm ready to apply. I'm an Italian national living in AU with my Thay GF. The scouser helped us to prepare all the docs and so far we are only waiting for a couple of things coming from Italy and Thailand.

My gf will apply to the British High Commission in Canberra, it should be done by the next week.

I'll keep you posted

g.

Isnt that always the way ?? When boarding aircraft I often get asked for a proof of ticket in the old days when I was on visa free arrival.. I dont get asked if I have a non O..

So they enforce it at land borders also now ?? Is that the point ??

Just tell them you have an e-ticket on a ticketless airline.. That'll flommox em !!

With respect to e-tickets, at the Thai Embassy in Manila I have been required to show a letter on the letter head of the airline confirming that I had an e-ticket. This letter was required to be dated within 30 days of my showing it and the letter had to state that I had a confirmed seat on a plane out of Thailand within the next 30 days.

So...just to clarify:

1) I will land in BKK with a OW ticket from Singapore

2) I have 3 bookings in/out thailand: BKK-CAMBODIA (and back), then BKK-MACAU, then BKK-HK

All my tickets are E-tickets (Airasia and Tiger Airways).

I do have a Eu passport

I do plan to leave Thailand (to go back in EU), but I plan to buy a ticket in BKK because it is cheaper that from where I'm now (Sydney).

Do I have to worry?

Or can I do something like:

land and show my first ticket (to Phon Phen and return), then go to a travel agent and buy it..then...forget about anything else...

do you think will work?

g.

Cheapest would tend to be Kuwait or Biman Bangladesh. If you must choose, take Kuwait.

KN Travel on the South Pattaya Road, close to Walking Street is one of the best.

KW is about 16000 ow

Bangladesh is 15000 ow

Egypt Air 17000 ow

and

China Air (FCO-ROME) is 19500 ow

Hope it helps

g.

I stopped there twice..and all I can say is NEVER Again.

I remember:

1) The bugs I found in my hamburger (I'm not jocking..I found walking bugs in it)

2) The people sleeping on the floor

3) The fact that you can't go even near to the toilets (unless is night). I was thinking about a shower (after a 14h flight) but I gave up. Too dirty! (really really dirty!)

4) It is so overcrowded that you can barely find a place to stay

5) The smell..really bad smell

6) The useless staff

7) It is dirty (did I mentioned it before?)

Try to avoid...(IMO)

g.

Migrants must speak English well: govt

The reforms to Australia's General Skilled Migration (GSM) program will come into force from September this year, increasing the English language threshold requirement for all visas.

Migrants with professional, technical or managerial skills will be required to achieve a score of six or competent English on the International English Testing System (IELTS).

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=68624

Oh..Finally...I've been waiting for this for ages (btw, I'm not Aussie)

g.

One more quick question. I live in the East of England, and on the website it says to go to the itailian embassy in Bedford; but it's far more convienient for me to go to the one in London as I have to go there anyway. Will it cause a problem if I go to the one in London? Will they be okay with it or will they tell me I've gone to the wrong place?

Hi,

I emailed them (the embassy) few days ago and I got an answer in 2 working days (UNBELIEVABLE!), they even reply with useful information...so I would ask them what to do.

Btw, as The Scouse said the visa is free of charge if you are traveling with your wife, otherwise she has to pay 60EUR.

g.

I'm doing the same with my mum, daddy and gf.

We are flying to Phon Phen, hiring a driver (about $50USD) to go to Angkor Wat (about 4/5hrs)

The good point of doing that is that we see two cities and I paid about 35USD each for the return tickets.:-)

Cheers

g.

I would also like to thank The Scouser and his company Davies Khan who has given invaluable help and advice. He really is a top bloke.

I guess that now...I don't have any more reasons to hold my payment to Davies Khan.

g.

8 of 10 Thais I know here in Sydney are working in Restaurants (cash in hand).

The remaining two thais are working in other Thai companies or in Coles or Wollworths.

I'm sure that this is not the regular situation but all the Thais I know are student (Uni student).

There are really few (very few) exceptions..but maybe is just me that I know mainly Thai student (I'm a student as well).

I don't know why but majority of Thai I know prefer to speak Thai all the time so maybe after 3 years in Sydney they still can't understand an Australian when is speaking...so they can't work anywhere else then in a restaurant where they are screwed (Usually a restaurant pays 10p/h cash in hand).

(Not that for a Chinese national is much different, I know ppl that is paid $5/6 p/hour)

Cheers

g.

I'm so happy!!!

Today she got her Kiwi Visitor's visa.

We went to the Kiwi consulate in Sydney and we she got her visa in less than 1h.

We had a brief interview and the officer said 'now I'm going away one sec to take your visa'...I was wordless and then...she said...'have you got what I said?'....i said something like...'yaha..I'm just shocked...we got the visa'

so...next feb we are going to visit New Zealand...so cool! :-)

We asked for a visa starting the 10th till the 23rd of Feb. We got a visa starting today (16th of Jan) till the 28th of February.

Thanks Roblpl for your precious model...we are applying also for an Australian student/dependent visa...hopefully we should get it soon...thanks again :-)

g.

Emh..

just wondering...can I book using a 'fake' passport number?

I'm ready to book a flight for my mum but she doesn't have a valid passport yet...

bye

g.

I think you can phone them, alternatively try one of the booking counters, I know that there is one at Tesco On Nut.

Hi, I rang the Thai number first and then I tried the Malaysian one. After I waited for 18min each time (Thai, Thai, Malaysian) after the 18th minute I just hanged up.

I can't go to one of their offices because I'm in Sydney right now :-)

Btw..and yes. Those free flights do not include taxes and surcharges, anyway. Still a cheap flight BKK-Phon Phen for 8800 bath :-)

Cheers

g.

Yes, the AirAsia website does seem to be having problems at the moment. I'm guessing that it is overloaded due to their latest fare promotion. I've been trying to book some flights to no avail.

I'm trying to book flights for a family reunion..and I can't

######!

g.