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alykev8892
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Posts posted by alykev8892
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"Only 1 item each of electronics" ????????
So even if I do follow through and ship my things and bargain upwards of 50,000 baht for clearance, I still have problems with the "1 item each of electronics."
I have 3 sub-woofers, 2 audio receivers, 3 tape decks, 3 CD players, 10 pairs of speakers, 4 computers .... alot of things in duplicate, triplicate, and then some. Seems less than hopeful which is why I made another post regarding the Philippines and am considering it.
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Try this website, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs at www.dfa.gov.ph.
You might also try www.itravelphilippines.com
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Manila is crowded, polluted, traffic jams, (like Los Angeles?)and my X's aunts complained about it every time they came back from a trip. Maybe try Cebu which is smaller than Manila, or Dumaguete, or Davao. Mindanao in general is supposed to be a no-no because of militants but even the Manila area has such things at times. Regarding Davao, it is cheaper than Cebu or Manila as I understand and it was voted the best city of something or other once upon a time ....... maybe find a Davao City website? About expenses, it seems to me from what I have learned is that the Phil is similar to here and perhaps less in some respects. If a room rents for 4000 baht here and 4000 pesoes there, it is actually less in US dollars there .... 41 baht to $1 compared to 54? pesoes to $1.
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I have been very concerned about visa fee and related increases coming up. I can understand an increase from 500 to 1000 baht for the normal tourist visa though it is a big increase at one time. But what about the visa extension from 500 to 1,900 baht ........... I cannot comprehend that at all and to me it is a message from the Thai government saying they do not want me here. Why not just slap me in the face instead ....
I have been in Thailand for over 2 years now and have fully supported a Thai national and at times her mother also. I have spent an average of 50,000 baht per month, every single month for 2 years straight. Not exactly a huge figure but it has helped many small mom and pop shops at times when I go shopping. I am sure there are many other foreigners here who also support Thai girl friends as I do but who do not qualify for retirement visas for one reason or another. With the retirement visa income requirement going from 800,000 to 1,500,000 I will have no recourse but to marry my Thai girl friend but I am hesitant to take such a course of action with the changes going on regarding immigration. Do the government officials not realize what we provide in terms of financial input into the local communities or do they simply not care ...
What is an alternative ......... personally I am looking into the Philippines. I was there in 1985 for 6 weeks but it has changed since, perhaps for worse, I do not know. But I can say that visa expenses are less there than here. I was married before to a Filipina lady and my impression is that expats are more welcome in the Philippines than here in Thailand. The ladies will certainly speak more English because English and Tagalog are the 2 official languages. And from the input I have received from expats there, it seems the cost of living is less than here. While the baht is down to 41.18 (my last ATM withdraw), the peso over 54 now so the USD may go further there. You can check out an expat forum at www.livinginthephilippines.com and there are tons of Filipina girls at www.blossoms.com.
I hope this may help someone here. If someone else has another alternative destination, I would surely love to hear about it and perhaps some other expats here as well. In my case, the one who would hurt the most if I move to a more friendly country is the very Thai lady I have supported all these months. But it is very hard to remain here where I feel unwelcomed now. Such is life ..................
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Hello again .... I sincerely hope Dr. Pat Pong is correct because it makes no sense at all to me that we should have to find a job in order to ship household belongings .... especially when we draw a monthly pension and do not need to work. But as I look at that list posted at this site, it appears all the listed documents are required.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
Passport (original)
Non-immigrant visa or resident visa valid for one year
Work Permit (original) or copy of B.O.I. Letter (to Customs) valid for one year
If the work permit were needed then I have to start considering the Philippines or elsewhere for retirement, especially in light of this upcoming increase from 800,000 to 1,500,000 baht for the "retirement" visa. I have way too many high tax things ... stereo and computer to be hit with customs duty here.
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Sorry to be persistant but I really need some advise here. I posted an similar message earlier but with no responses. The problem pertains to shipping my household goods from California and what I need for duty-free shipment. This site mentions a work permit for duty-free shipment but I would surely think that if I had a non-immigrant visa to support a Thai wife and/or child I can ship these things without having to get a work permit. Anyone at all here been in this situation?
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Bus from Udon to Nong Khai? I took the fan bus for 21 baht each, 42 baht with gf. The station is on the road going north out of Udon to Nong Khai and is on the left side going north and just inside the "ring" road. If you know Tesco in Udon, Tesco is just down the road from that station. It really doesd not look like a station at all .... just a market where buses pull in.
About the 2000 fee mentioned before to process Laos visa, I am sure that would also include the actual cost of the visa. So by doing the Laos visa yourself you will still save 500 baht (2000 fee for service - 1500 Laos visa). Think I may try Manila this time for my visa run.
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I think I should add my two cents' worth of advice since I have done 5 consecutive visa runs to Vientiane since Dec 2001. I always went with my Thai girl friend by bus to Nong Khai arriving around 7 am or so and we took a tuk tuk (50 baht) to a travel agency near the immigration checkpoint. She has always paid 100 baht for a border pass at the agency so if the one gentleman paid 300 baht for the same thing, I suggest you shop around. And paying 2000 baht to the travel agency to process a Laos visa for yourself is completely unnecessary unless you want to throw your money away. Just wait for your Thai companion to get her border pass and you both go to the immigration checkpoint, clear Thai immigration, cross the river, and then at the Laos checkpoint, get an application form at the designated window and fill it out for the Laos visa yourself. You save the 2000 baht the travel agency will charge for this and the form is very similar to the Thai visa application you fill out at the Thai consulate. I would not be surprised if tuk tuk drivers get kick-backs every time they take an unsuspecting farang to a travel agency to cough up 2000 baht for a Laos visa service. If you pay in baht at the Laos checkpoint for the Laos visa, the cost is 1,500 baht .... better deal if you have US dollars but I haven't seen a "greenback" in a long time. Taxi to Vientiane? Bargain for 200 baht ... no more. I have always paid 200 baht for a taxi, perhaps ready to fall apart but with aircon, to the Thai consulate in Vientiane. If you can get to the consulate before 10 am perhaps, you can get your application turned in before the doors close at 12 noon. I was turned back only 1 time and had to apply the next morning, thereby staying 2 nights. Guest house? I have stayed at the Saylom Guest House for about 300 baht per night with aircon and hot water, clean but no TV in room, and there is a decent place to eat next door and it is within walking distance from the Thai consulate. I think using the people outside the consulate to process your visa application is causing some heartburn for some foreigners who stand in line by themselves for long hours only to see these "agents" buck the lines. My girl friend and I take turns in line because my back can get sore after awhile. The next day, I check out of the guest house before 12 noon, eat, hit the internet cafe, and return about 1:30 pm to get my visa. On my last two trips to Vientiane, one particular driver has gotten my receipt from me and picked up my visa for me. I did a good turn for him one time and he remembered. His tuk tuk broke down half way back to the bridge and we had to change to another tuk tuk and pay again but I insisted on paying him also because he still had his expenses. By the way, pay 200 baht for a taxi or 100 baht for a tuk tuk which is slower. For any Americans, the US Embassy is also in walking distance should you need more pages added to your passport. "Happy trails" to you!
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The article at ThaiVisa.com regarding "shipping of personal effects to Thailand" says a valid work permit is required to ship personal belongings to Thailand. But what if I have no plans to work since I have a pension to live on? If I were able to acquire a Type "O" "retirement" visa or the "Thai wife/child support" visa, which would be best to use regarding shipment of household goods? From reading that article it seems the bottom line is getting the work permit but it does not make sense having to work in order to ship household goods as long as I have the income to live on.
Another question that probably belongs elsewhere ..... is it correct that if I did qualify for "duty-free" shipment, that some things such as stereo equipment or computers are subject to high duties? I would assume that duty-free shipment should mean just that .... everything in my container duty-free. I need help here because I have a large collection of stereo equipment and 4 computers (retired programmer + PC nerd?).
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The 400,000 is annual income or a combination of annual income plus any bank savings ... same as with the 800,000 currently for retirement, correct?
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So you are saying there is the same requirement of 800,000 baht .... may as well just do the retirement thing then. Will just have to avoid buying movies and music CDs for 7 months or so to build up my savings since my pension is slghtly less than 65,000. No I did not talk to immigration here. I am hessitant to ask them because my first impression is they would be unsympathetic. Thanks for the reply.
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Does anyone have experience in getting a non-immigrant visa for health/medical reasons? I know forms are required from qualified doctors/hospitals but what type of medical condition would qualify? I am retired, age 53, with a monthly pension, and have been staying here for 2 years using tourist visas. I have diabetes type 2 and the cost of my medicine and medical supplies is MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE in Thailand than it is in the US without using health insurance. If I returned to the US, I would really have problems because I could not even afford these things unless I found a job with the right health benefits. So in a sense my health and well-being are relying on the good grace of these kind Thai reps at the Vientiane Consulate every 90 days who give me a new tourist visa. My pension falls a little short of the 800,000 yearly requirement and I could try and save the difference if I can stay away from the CD Warehouse. I thought that using the medical option might be the way to go if diabetes is a qualifing health consideration. Advise from anyone please?
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When I went on a visa run to Vientiane, Laos, I had pages added to my passport at the US Embassy and it took maybe 45 minutes. The embassy is in walking distance from the Thai Consulate ... very convenient.
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When I make a Vientiane visa run with my Thai girl friend, we take a tuk tuk from the bus station to a travel agency near the immigration checkpoint where she gets her border pass using her ID card. I get my Laos visa on arrival at Laos immigration on the other side of the river. Very easy and no problems.
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I have been going to Vientiane, Laos, every 90 or 105 days for tourist visa runs since Dec. 2001 and never had a problem except for the long waiting lines.
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I will try to get an answer from a Thai Consulate, but in the meantime does anyone know what a legal alien is? In other words, if I am here on a valid tourist visa, am I still an illegal alien? What if I had a non-immigrant visa .... still illegal alien? Or maybe an illegal alien is simply someone who is illegally in the country with no valid visa at all?
Visa fee increases and an alternative .....
in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
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