howard ashoul

I'm always confused who should I "wai"?

Like should I wait my doctor? My landlord? Lady behind counter at Amphur? Generally people working in goverment? If I come to a random store and owner of business is present? Parents on every occassion? Teachers of my children?

You might think, that I'm overthinking this. And I should just "feel it". But I saw so many farangs wai to motorbiketaxi, bargirls, and even to beggars. I don't wanna join their club.

I applied 3 times for METV.  I got them everytime. Everytime they required hotel reservation. But point is, that you don't have to show reservations for a whole 6 months. So everytime (3 times) I just booked hotel in Bangkok for 2 - 3 days, where I will be staying after arriving to Thailand. And it was enough for them! Book cheap hotel for 3 days (~1500 baht) and no more hasstle. Easiest solution.

TIP:: Everytime I applied for a visa I also wrote them a letter. And submited it with all the paper work. Letter explaining why I'm going to Thailand. What are my plans. My itinerary etc. (This letter is not required). And they totally loved it (atleast Thai embassy in my country). Thanks to this letter I got away with things you wouldn't believe. For example for METV ticket out of country is required (which is basically the law). I explained, that I'm meeting friends in Thailand. And only after that we will chosse day and flight out of the country. Based on that I got METV without ticket out of a country. Letter will help more than anything else.

Write them letter, explain situation in details, explain your plans. Show them booking of hotel for 3 days and in letter explain, that after that you are staying with family. They will be happy, that you have some hotel reservation. So their backs are covered. And they will also understand what's going on.

You can enter and leave at the same hour.

1 hour ago, JohnJay said:

Is their age something about respect? Thais have to respect elder men or something?

Will criminal really care and will be showing respect to a guy, who can barely stand up from chair without dislocating his hip?

20 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Not sure that is correct for Savannakhet. I don't think they use the same number for pickup like Vientiane does.

Oh yeah, thats right. For pick up passport you just wait in line. Just remmebered about Laos people skipping the line there.

Imposible combination.

You will arrive at the embassy late = you will get high number = you will be given passport back next day as one of the last persons. No time to catch 4pm.

You would have to be at embassy as one of the firsts. Which means around 7:15 - 7:30.

But you can't complain, that there isn't enough security guards in this country. Every car park, every everything has a guy in uniform (usuallly over 60 years old) whos's in charge. Never saw so many security guys in any other country.

In our village we have ATM which is guarded 24/7 by a guy in a uniform! Sitting there day/night guarding ATM.... . 

3 hours ago, SiamBeast said:

From my experience:

 

Bangkok Bank: Easy to open, hard to get a credit card, good product overall, no problem wiring funds overseas IF funds come from abroad.

 

SCB: Hard to open, easy to get a credit card, excellent product, no problem at all wiring funds overseas.

 

Krungsri: Easy to open, easy to get a credit card, BAD product:

1) For every incoming international transfer, someone has to call you and ask you questions.

2) International transfers over USD 2,000 are not permitted at all.

I ended up closing my account after they refused to process a transfer.

 

Kasikorn: Easy to open, easy to get a credit card, HORRIBLE product:

1) They called me twice in a month to ask questions about my spending habits

2) International transfers are not permitted at all.

3) Buggy system with service often not available

4) Credit card won't work in casinos abroad

They refused to close my account because I had insurance with them - had to get the lawyer involved to get my money back and pull my stuff out of this nightmare.

 

Krungthai: Never been a customer, but I go on a regular basis to pay my speeding fines and the service seems good.

 

If you have a tourist visa, forget about getting an account, unless you're ready to spend a week branch hopping in hope for someone to accept you after breaking their balls. If you have a non-O visa, you might want to go for BKK or SCB.

What do you mean? Sending money from Kasikorn abroad? Never tried it.

But no problem with sending mone from abroad to Kasikorn.

You can go to Laos, get Laos visa on arrival, turn back, immediatelly go back to Thailand.

Basically anywhere. Nong Khai, Mukdahan... . Any border cross, that offers Laos visa on arrival.

I did it once in my life. And it was a little bit close though. Problem is, that Laos aplication form requires hotel adress, where you will be staying. And Laos officer insisted, that I fill it in. Otherwise no visa. I didn't think of that beforhand! Desperate times, desperate measures. So I had to come up with some hotel name. I wrote down something like "Bunglunxalay" (to me it sounds like Laos name for a hotel). But it immediatelly catched attention of officer! Because he never heard of such a hotel before. I had to swear to him, that it's real hotel. When I was 5 minutes later waiting for the bus back to Thailand I was literally praying, for that officer not come out of his both, and not see me waiting there. BTW Bus is crossing bridge every 30 minutes. I had no idea why, but at that time I had to wait 1 and half hour for that bus. 

I wrote on my aplication form Village 123/4, Moo 5, City. And I got visa today without any problem.

Today I applied for non-o marriage visa in Vientanie. No proof of finance required.

E

Vientanie embassy, June 2017.

Required documents:

- filled form

- copy of passport (photo page, Laos visa, last Thai visa), every page must be signed by you

- copy of marriage certificate

- two coppiest of Kor Ror 2, from Amphur where you got married

- copy of wifes ID (both sides), signed by wife

- copies of wifes tabian baan (page with adress, page with her name), signed by wife

- no financial proof (some people were lately mentioning, that it's required)

Also no matter what kind of visa, your Thai adress.

7 minutes ago, jeab1980 said:

Cant remember him saying the in laws were there 24/7or in fact there was a problem with the in laws save a grumpy brother who he doesnt see. What he said was he wants to be able to swim in the sea.

 

Title is clearly stating "moving away from her thai family". All comments are mentioning how she will be sad about not being with her family. So I offered half way solution.

17 minutes ago, Mover1 said:

I've just got a Thai bike license this month, it wasn't as straightforward as others have mentioned! Haha. When i applied i was given a ticket to come back TWO months later and do what i thought was the rest. Turns out that was to be tested on whether you can tell green/red/amber lights apart, then sit through 4 hours of mind numbingly boring (and a bit strange) videos about road safety, then do a multiple choice theory test afterwards - which i failed. I got 43 out of 50 right, the pass is 45 out of 50. Two weeks later i went back and took the test again, and failed again (42), but was told to take it again straight after, then passed it :) Then onto the practical test on the little training course. The examiner walks everyone round and tells you what they want you to do, its not difficult. Consists of three tasks - go / stop at lights - go along a raised 2ft wide, 20 ft long platform for no shorter than 10 seconds to test your balance - then go round a roundabout. It's hard to fail that to be honest, and then that qualifies you to drive any size bike you like! No wonder the roads are dangerous lol. Total outlay around 800baht for application and docs, plus petrol, and about 8-9 hours of time spent  i'd guess. Bit of ball ache but what isn't eh? It was pretty frustrating at times because you're sort of left in the lurch after each thing, i'm sure it could've been done in much less time.

 

Anyway, having a Thai bike license is great. Today me and a mate got stopped at a police check and the copper was well happy that i'd made the effort to get a Thai license, my mate on the other hand was fined 500 baht for not having any license on him. Well worth the time and effort IMO.

If you had letter from from your embassy (translated to thai, legalized at Thai Ministry of foreign affairs) stating, that you are holder of driving licence in your country, you would skip 4 hour class/50 question test/pratical test.

You would show letter from embassy, do green/yellow/red test and was given driving ID. 

Do it half way. Move like 50/100 Km.

- It's far enough for her family not to be intervening into your family life. And not be 24/7 at your house.

- But it's also close enough to do 1 day visit to them (morning there, evening back).

Problem solved.

17 hours ago, wildwildbill said:

Yeh got a IDP from the Post Office last year when I came on holiday last year. I will try and apply for a cheeky bike and car licence too. TBH my licence has pics of bikes on the back and various codes, so I doubt a Thai official is going to look too closely into whether I am licenced in the UK or not! What is the cost for a two year licence? 

Car licence and motocycle licence are two separate ID. Not one as in UK.

To get car licence, you have to have UK car licence. To get motocycle licence, you have to have UK motocycle licence.

Although I assume in UK car and motocycle are on one card, there are 2 cards. Two times more paperwork.

Similar question.

I got temporary thai driving licence based on fact, that I have European driving licence.

 But my European driving licence is going to expire. When reneving my thai driving licence will I need again my european driving licence (which will be at that point expired). Or will I be given new licence based on my temporary thai licence?

I'm really starting getting tired of this. One day/one thread, which always completely changes my plans. And I have last 3 days of my visa left.

I will go on motocycle to Nong Khai/Vientiane border cross. There I will need:

• green motocycle book
• translation of motocycle registration from local office
• all paperwork and Laos insurance can be dealt with there 

Then I will go to an embassy for single entry Non-o visa based on marriage. There I will need:

• marriage certificate
• wifes ID and wifes tabian baan

Does Vientiane require something more? Is there any catch in my plan?

7 hours ago, tonray said:

Invest it and after tax generate about 16K baht per month (assume a 4.25% return and 10% tax rate). Add that to your wife's 20K per month and you are good for eternity out in the sticks.

Can you eloborate how you invest money with a guarantee return of 4.25%? 

20 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

For the non-o visa you will need your marriage certificate plus a copy, signed copies of your wife's house book registry and ID card.

Here is my general list of requirements for the extension. Marriage Extension Requirements.pdf

"Proof of residence if not living where your wife's house book is for."

Is that a certificate of residence? But that doesn't make a sense. Since this certificate is issued by immigration. They would be issuing certificate for themselfs.

Oh, thanks for links.

So in both places I need my wifes ID and tabian baan. And extension requires our photos. That's all? Couldn't find anything more... .

I just want to be sure, that I'm right.

I will go to Savanakhet. Aplly for 3 months non-o visa. I need marriage certificate + 1 photograph. Nothing more.

After 2 months (1 month before their expire) I will go to local thai immigration to apply for a 1 year extension. I need marriage certificate + bank statement. Nothing more.

Is it right?

Yeah, worms and other insect in the thai home's sucks (getting bitten by small spiders most). And especially butterflies, because they are eating my lemon tree on the balcony.  

But geckos are cool. Don't hate them.  I learned their call. No matter which room I am, if i call them, I will always get at least 3 replies. Never alone.

It was really easy to open bank account 1 or 2 years ago. At that time I opened bank account on tourist visa without any problems too.

But situation and rules changed. So people who opened account 1 or 2 years ago, and now are comenting here, how easy it is, are providing old info.

Every Amphur has its own rules. And even every officer has its own rules here. No matter if you're getting driving licence, getting married or trying to get some document from them. Try to give them call first. They told you, that only Amphur in her mother's district can give it. You can drive there 700 Km. And there you can found out, that only Amphur where is tabian baan registered can give it.