jing jing

Looks delicious... no wonder them Ozzies tend to have a bit of a poong yai.

I love these "predictions" from money manager types... as if anyone could actually predict currency fluctuations... and as if, if they actually had the correct information, they would disseminate it to the public free of charge.

It's just as likely that they are disseminating false information, so that they can capitalize on the tendency of the masses to believe what they hear, and thereby make a killing by betting things will go in the opposite direction. Shades of "Trading Places" and the falsified crop report for orange juice futures...

Sure am glad I realize that when it is summer in Thailand it is Summer in BKK and upcountry!

You see, the byline was Bangkok, and the Bangkok governor was warning people in Bangkok, and... ahhhh sheeite if you've gotta explain the joke it probably wasn't that funny in the first place...

This topic is definitely one that brings out strong feelings, usually negative, about the American immigration system and the rights of we U.S. citizens to bring our significant others back home for a visit.

A couple of years ago, before I ever attempted to get a tourist visa for my then-girlfriend, on the advice of a friend I consulted with an attorney who specializes in U.S. visa and immigration issues. He told me point blank that unless my girlfriend owned property in Bangkok, had a university education, AND (not OR) had a good job (i.e. management level) that she'd held for several years, the chances that she'd be granted a tourist visa were slim and none. Of course at that time I hadn't yet moved to Thailand myself but, truth be known, that is not a deciding factor one way or the other. He told me that every now and then "lightning might strike," so if I could afford the $100 application fee it could be worth taking a flyer and hoping to be that 1 in 1000, or whatever the number may be, and basically expect the worst. Sure enough, we were refused that first time around despite my GF's uni education, a prior trip to the UK, and her conservative light skinned non-tattooed appearance. Bottom line was, she didn't own property in Bangkok or have a high net worth, and she didn't have a "corporate" job waiting for her to return to.

The good news is, if you are really serious about bringing your GF or wife back to the States for whatever reason, you can do it -- with an immigrant visa. I heard horror stories about the couples who waited a year or more to get their visas, and maybe we were just lucky, but as I said in my previous post she got her K-1 in less than 4 months from the date of application.

Once you've got the K-1 or K-3, the anecdotal evidence tends to suggest that even if you don't choose to remain in the U.S., your Thai lady's chance of getting a tourist visa will be much better in the future. Maybe it's not fair that we have to go through such chicanery for a brief visit with friends and relatives, but unfortunately that's the system as it exists today and there's really not much choice but to work with it, or end up working yourself into a homicidal rage .

Wow. Sounds serious... glad I live upcountry and not in Bangkok anymore.

I don't think he was thinking about Loei when he posted that

Reading some of Monochasers previous posts , I don't think he thinks before he posts at anytime.

Savage, I think you are gonna get some stick from the Surin boys, lol. Then again, you knew that!

I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers my friend, my point is only my opinion after all! But if you bear in mind the topic starting question "best place to live in Thailand?" If people are absolutely honest with themselves and not just showing a slightly biased view based on where their partners happened to grow up, i'm sure they would agree that somewhere like Chantaburi, Trat, Ranong, Rayong or Loei etc would be slightly more idyllic. The reason I say this is because in my humble opinion these places have everything on offer in a place like Surin or Buriram plus a whole lot more. And i'm sure you'll agree that they are the "real Thailand". For the people in Surin, I hope I haven't upset anyone and hope you can see the reasons behind what I say.

Sav

Yes it's true, if I could choose anywhere in Thailand to live it probably wouldn't be Surin, but as it happens the wife has land there and lots of family members around, so I guess I'll be building a little house on the prairie. Out here it's kind of like the rural Midwest in the USA, which I don't much care for either.

I plan to keep the costs very low on the build, and then buy something in Jomtien or BKK for recreational purposes.

It would be nice if the family owned something in a more picturesque part of the country, but I figure once the house is built to my specs, my home is my castle, humble though it may be.

Very interesting. My wife (we're not legally married, i.e. not registered) just got a tourist visa a couple of months ago with a very cursory interview. I was present at the interview and gave some documentation of my financial status, but not nearly the amount of supporting evidence of "intent to return to Thailand" that you provided. Our circumstances are much different than yours so I'm not sure it's fair to compare situations.

Our history, for what it's worth, is this: at the end of 2004 we applied for a tourist visa and were refused, as expected. I hadn't yet moved to Thailand as a primary place of residence, we weren't married, and we had no kids at that time. The consular officer said there was no evidence that she didn't intend to immigrate and suggested we apply for a fiancee visa, which we did, in January of 2005. In February we found out that she was pregnant. In less than 4 months she got the fiancee visa, in April I went back to Thailand to get married in her village, then we travelled together to the US and stayed for 90 days but didn't get married there. She returned to Thailand in August (7 months pregnant by then) while I stayed behind to wrap up the sale of my house. In September of 2005 I moved to Thailand and in October our son was born. In January of 2006 we applied for another tourist visa so that she and the baby could come visit my family in the States, and as I mentioned above, the visa was granted.

I did write a two page cover letter outlining our history, and concluded it with a somewhat emotional plea to allow her and our baby boy to travel with me to visit my old and not-so-healthy father before it was too late. Maybe the fact that she had already been in the USA with a fiancee visa and we had opted not to stay there even though we had a perfectly legal opportunity to do so made the consular officer tend to believe that we didn't plan to stay there this time either, especially since I had already sold my house.

Who knows what goes through their minds, and since it's impossible to prove a negative (i. e. that your wife DOESN'T plan to immigrate) anyway, the only thing you can do is present the most convincing evidence you have to that effect. From the information you shared here, frankly I'm shocked that she didn't get the visa.

Can this be, or am I misinterpreting things -- on the Thai immigration (police) website it has a section called "apply for non-immigration visa," along with some procedural information -- does anyone know if this means it is possible to get a non-immigrant visa without having to visit a Thai embassy in another country, and if not, what does it mean?

(LINK: http://www.imm.police.go.th/nov2004/en/bas...page=procedure)

I'd say go home for a few years. Try to save cash for a return trip someday. Think positive. You are young and the world is yours. Look to the future as you have one.

Feeling good now? Have a beer before you feel depressed again.

Getting laid probably wouldn't hurt either, unless failure to perform is an issue, in which case deeper depression may ensue.

I'd recommend a nice massage and a high colonic. I've never actually tried a colonic but it just seems appropriate in this case.

...Schumacher's father ran (owned?) a go-kart track when Michael was 4 or 5 years old, giving him a bit of a leg up on the competition...

... And he has won his first races on worn- out tires...

Really? That's new information to me... but now I wonder, were they worn-out at the beginning or just at the end of those races? And who's to say they were worn-out and not just "scrubbed-in?"

In any case I'm sure that if the hot set-up was new tires, he'd have had new tires... in a sprint kart race sometimes scrubs are better, depending on the compound, because tires may last longer after being put through one heat cycle.

Okay... that's all the free setup tips I'm giving on this forum.

How come we don't have any Thai drivers?

There are Thai youngsters coming up through the Go Kart racing scene!!

Sponsorship. In the most money oriented sport of all it counts the most.

So you want assert Michael Schumacher and the others aren't all talented drivers and the Formula1 circus give his XX million$ cars to everybody with some money in the pockets??

As a matter of fact most of the drivers ending up in F1 are from wealthy families. I don't think you'll find that our new WDC, young Mr. Alonso, for example, hails from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak.

Schumacher's father ran (owned?) a go-kart track when Michael was 4 or 5 years old, giving him a bit of a leg up on the competition.

At the upper levels almost all the drivers are super talented -- everything else being equal, the super talented driver who can bring some sponsorship (from daddy or wherever) to the team will get preference over the super talented driver who brings diddly squat.

Incidentally, my racing idol - the late, great Ayrton Senna - was from an extremely wealthy family in Brazil. Did having all that money behind him help Senna to climb the ladder? It sure didn't hurt his chances any...

As a regular reader of ThaiVisa, I thought I was prepared to get my next visa easily sorted with no problems on my recent trip back to the States. Well, Murphy's Law reared its ugly head and due to some unforeseen issues I am back in Thailand with no visa, only a 30 day stamp from immigration at Don Muang.

The unforeseen issue - just to save some other poor soul the trouble - was that when I went to the Thai embassy in Los Angeles to get my non-immigrant "O" for support of a Thai child - about a week before to returning to Thailand (plenty of time, I thought, since turnaround is only one day) - they noticed that my passport didn't have an empty page for a visa. This meant I needed a new passport, or a few pages added to my old one, but that would require more than a week's processing time by the ever-efficient US Department of Homeland Insecurity. Therefore, I didn't have enough time left to get both my passport and visa done in the States, so I figured oh well, I'll just get a new passport at the US embassy in BKK (maybe faster than getting it in the States?), then make a trip to Penang or KL, and be done with it.

I was prepared at the Thai embassy in L.A. with my son's Thai birth cert - the baby and his mom were with me as well - and that's about all they wanted in order to grant a non-immigrant "O" for support of a Thai citizen. If only I'd had an empty page in my passport it would have been no problem.

My question for the experts is, does anyone know if the requirements at the Thai embassies in Malaysia are any different than in Los Angeles for the non-imm. "O" visa for support of a Thai citizen; i.e., is there any other documentation besides my son's birth certificate required? If possible I'd like to make sure I don't step on my Johnson this time around. Also, is Malaysia really the most convenient and sure-fire option for this type of visa (I live in BKK)?

Thanks, folks

Kudos to young Grunwell for carrying the Thai flag, although with his background one wonders why he'd be classified as a Brit anyway... could just as easily be Dutch.

Beginning at age 30, I raced karts for a number of years in California and saw more than a few of my fellow racers move up to the professional ranks. One young Californian who I never raced against, as he was in the junior classes while I was running gearbox karts, is Scott Speed, who is now a rookie in F1 thanks to Red Bull's American Driver Search.

My son, who is 5 months old now and half Thai, will have the opportunity to race at the earliest age possible. I don't want to force him into anything of course, but am aware that the younger one begins to pursue an athletic skill, the greater chance of developing a world class talent. Money is always an issue in racing so my time will be split between tutoring my boy in driving and setup techniques and banging on potential sponsors' doors for a "handout." It's quite a shame, really, that pure talent doesn't always get rewarded in racing as much as financial backing does.

Considering that his primary sponsor in Formula BMW is "The Pizza Company," I reckon young Grunwell's family has some fairly deep pockets to plumb... well, more power to him I say.

Kaisaigai: "I expect an average return of around 7,5% per year and after inflation (2,5%) en taxes this will result in an real annual yield of circa 4%. My tolerance for risk is pretty low, although I know - being only 32 - I should probably invest more than 60% in stocks. "

Kaisaigai; to go back to your original question I think that is a resonable expectation for the return from a low cost, well diversified (both asset class and country/currency wise) portfolio 60/40% equity/fixed income.

That is very similar to my current portfolio split - but I have added commodities, metals and reits for more diversification. Cheers!

I thought the OP was interested in "living off" his investments. If so, then an asset allocation of 60/40 equity/fixed income would require quite a large principal amount to generate a viable income in Bangkok or any of the resort areas.

I know, it's possible to live off 25K in the boonies if your house and car are paid for, and it's possible to rent a condo for 7000 baht in Bangkok, but...

Has the OP seen what a 7000 baht condo in Bangkok looks like?

Has the OP experienced the "rural" Thai lifestyle, i.e. spent time in a village in Issan?

I am with the folks who say that to live in Thailand with any degree of comfort (subjective, I know, but at some point we need to agree that having running water, a toilet, and A/C when the temperature is 100 degrees with 95 percent humidity are among the basic requirements to be"comfortable") you will need somewhere between 50K and 100K per month before paying your rent, depending on where in the country you live and what lifestyle you choose. 200K/month would be nice in Bangkok if you wanted to live semi-hiso.

Consider that in New York, L.A., London, Tokyo, or even Hong Kong you would probably need 3 or 4 times that much to live an equivalent (semi-hiso) lifestyle.

Let's consider 50K baht per month - a little more than a decent English teacher's salary - as a baseline amount: that's 600K per year, or about $15KUS, which is most certainly borderline poverty level in most parts of the USA.

To generate $15K you would need $300K invested at a 5% after-tax yield (which is a bit more than what you would get today in a safe fixed-income investment). So, if your income producing assets are only 40% of your portfolio, that means you need a total principal amount of $750K to produce that 50K baht per month income in Thailand.

Remember that money invested in stocks (unless they have a dividend), REITs, commodities, currencies, and the like not only do not produce any current income, but may actually incur loss of principal over any given period of time.

Enough rambling for now.

I've just gone thru the process of getting a US passport for my son. My opinion is that it will be extremely difficult - practically impossible - for the child's Thai mother to get US citizenship for the baby without the cooperation of the US citizen father. The reason is that the US citizen (in this case the father) is the key person in the process -- he needs to produce evidence of citizenship and of having resided in the USA for a certain period of time (which I don't recall exactly). Then, in the absence of a legal (registered) marriage, there needs to be evidence establishing the relationship between mother and father which would persuade the consular officer that the US citizen is indeed the father. If the evidence isn't sufficiently persuasive they may order a DNA test.

Part of the paperwork required to obtain US citizenship for the child if the mother and father aren't legally married is for the US citizen father to sign an affidavit promising to support the child until the age of 18... this could well be the sticking point for the father in the situation you described. If the couple is not legally married then he is not required, either in Thailand or in the USA, to provide child support.

Bottom line is that without the US citizen dad's willingness to cooperate and provide all the required documentation, I believe there is no chance that the embassy will grant US citizenship to the child.

Interesting topic. I woke up this morning planning a trip to Immigration because I've got a trip to the States scheduled for the 14th but my visa expires on the 11th. That would have meant a 600 baht fine for a 3 day overstay but I didn't want to take any chances - to me the extra 1300 baht is cheap insurance and I want my record absolutely spotless - no overstays, ever.

So after I woke up, logged on and read this topic, needless to say I jumped in the truck and headed straight to Immigration and took care of business as planned.

Overstaying is for those folks who aren't quite on top of their situation, which on that particular bus was about 35% of the farangs on board.

That is a really rotten deal there. IIRC your original post a while back stated that some outfit was offering a package for a tourist visa and round trip ticket to New York for $1600, or something like that, and there was a general skepticism amongst the brothers here, with us fearing it would all come to grief in the end. At the very least it was an expensive proposition, considering that a round trip ticket to NY runs about $700-800, and the paperwork required for a tourist visa is quite simple and straightforward -- there are only two one-page forms.

What I find especially troubling is that you say a visa was issued and placed in your GF's passport only to be cancelled two weeks later, for a reason that should have been addressed before any visa was granted. I mean, of all the documentation that can be requested and evaluated by the embassy, the absolute most basic and easily quantified data is her bank account balance. How they could have missed that the first time around and then somehow mysteriously discovered it two weeks hence strikes me as bizarre, to put it mildly.

It sounds as though, like you said, the visa was declined more because of the company you did business with than for any other reason. Sorry the tourist thing didn't work out for you but as the brothers here suggested previously, it was definitely a long shot from the beginning (even though the crooked visa outfit may have told you differently).

I can certainly empathize with your situation, my GF having been first refused a tourist visa, then granted a fiancee visa, and now - after visiting the USA for 90 days last year but not getting married there - she was just granted a 10-year tourist visa (we live in Thailand and have a baby now).

I've been up and down that road, in and out of the American embassy, many more times than I care to remember... my son even has a US passport. If you need any advice on how to handle your K1 or K3 application, PM me and I'd be happy to oblige.

We have tiles on our bottom floor. They look like marble and just as hard and very nice looking. They are cool to the feet in the hot/humid climate and very easy to clean. Only problem is have to be very careful if there is a wet spot or may end up on your butt.

That brings up an excellent point... I've done a bit of building and remodeling during my real estate investment career, and I do love working with tile... it's attractive, durable, and generally very cost efficient. I see a lot of tile installations here in Thailand and for the most part the workmanship is very good. One thing I've noticed, however, is there tends to be a lack of matching of tile to application; i.e. lots of very slippery, glossy tiles used on floors, especially in kitchens and bathrooms, wide grout joints used on countertops... things like that.

My suggestion is that if you want to tile your floors, you should look for some proper floor tile -- if it's a glazed tile then at least it should have a rougher surface than a wall tile. Depending on the rest of your decor, a nice choice could be a terra cotta-type tile, which usually comes in a very warm, neutral tone. It isn't used too often here but I think it complements most other colors and textures very well. I also like "tumbled" marble tile on floors -- it's marble with the gloss knocked off.

I'm in the SangSom/soda camp, but if it's got to be beer, then it's beer Chang. I find that a nice bowl of guaytiaow sen lek muu before heading home usually quells any potential hangover.

... The key to development is the middle road. The concepts of face and greng jai are both good. To do away with them completely would indeed provide massive freedom to do anything, but it would also IMHO result in a loss of respect for others, and a loss of respect in important institutions.

With going too far to not respecting anything, then we end up with graffitti, urban hooligans, chav culture and so on. We also have no guarantees that the politicians will look after us any better than they do now. Finally, I think the concept of respecting others and giving people face, and behaving in a way that earns us face through our actions (and not through our new Vigos :-) is vital in a country where everyone is packed together.

To paraphrase another member's tagline -- I can dig what you're saying with a chrome plated shovel, dude.

I haven't been here that long but it seems to me that as long as you understand the rules of the game (which are far more subtle and nuanced than in relatively "young" Western cultures like the USA), there are more potential benefits to having the notions of face, num jai, and greng jai than there are detriments. They make life more civil and enjoyable for all, if properly exercised.

The USA and Europe may have higher per capita incomes than does less-developed Thailand but I doubt they have higher "happiness quotients" (for lack of a better term), and isn't it the pursuit of happiness - not wealth - that merits a mention in none other than the American Declaration of Independence?

Having spent most of my life in the U.S. I decided to move to Thailand not out of a dissatisfaction of where I was at but because the ambience of Thailand seemed to agree more with the essence of who I am. In that sense, and due to the vast difference between east and west, Thailand seemed to offer the closest thing to dying and being reborn again. Not that I felt a need to shed a past life; just that a new and fresh life seemed to blossom for me here. I felt like a kid all over again, where the entire world was once more so much eye candy with endless avenues at exploring new and amazing things. That, I believe, will last me the rest of my life.

I must admit that the U.S., while I will always remain fond of it, no longer holds my interest. Sort of like leaving the place where you were reared upon reaching adulthood. It's nostalgic to a degree when you go back but you wouldn't want to return permanently.

Great post by Tippaporn (as usual)... eloquent and succint... reflects my feelings exactly.

My Thai GF just got hers -- good for 10 years.

Just became a dad for the first time 3 months ago... I'm still a newbie... it's the best feeling in the world, but let me tell you, you need to get ready for some major sleep deprivation. Treasure every full night's sleep you get for the next 9 months because it's gonna be awhile before you get another one.

Another life-altering experience: be in the delivery room for the birth of your child.

Thought of any names yet?

You can find a nice early-to-mid 90's 3-series BMW over here at a reasonable price - less than 500K baht I reckon - and the cost of labor to have it serviced is much lower than in the States.

Besides, you wouldn't want a left hand drive car over here anyways.

The funny? thing is that according to swedish newspapers the guy was on his way to LOS to get married.

I suppose that explains the drunken part... now tell us why was the reindeer jockey half-naked?