rank stranger

Hello all,

I just filed an I-130 petition for my wife at the CIS office in Bangkok and was told that it would take 4-6 weeks to process it. In the mean time I'd like to get a head start on the paperwork for the visa. My wife called the police in Bangkok and asked what was required for the police clearance certificate. They indicated that among other things, they would need a letter from the embassy (United States in my case).

The Bangkok police clearance service center website also indicates a letter is required. The website states that a "Requesting letter from the embassy of the country that the applicant plans to travel if available)" is required. The use of the phrase "if available" sounds like this may be a discretionary requirement. So, I'm curious if anyone out there has obtained a police clearance certificate without the embassy letter, and if so, what they had to do.

Thanks for your responses.

RS

Hello,

I just returned from the Hua Hin immigration office. They rejected my application for a 1-year extension of my retirement visa because my income letter from the US embassy was too old (Dec., 2006). The lady said the embassy letter needed to be from 2008. She also offered to take care of everything for me for an extra 5000 baht (I declined).

So, I'm heading for Bangkok tomorrow. But, before I go to the US embassy, I was curious about people's recent experiences. Does the Bangkok immigration office require you to get a new income verification letter every year? Also, will I need to bring a copy of my house rental agreement?

RS

Just showing that the average American has to pay US$ 1,30 NOWADAYS versus US$ 1,00 for the same product 10 years ago, that's all.

That's 30% inflation in 10 years.

And that's bad for people with a low income and people below the poverty line, in the US.

30% inflation over 10 years works out to an annual inflation rate of approximately 2.66%. That ain't bad and is only slightly higher than the Federal Reserve's goal of 2.0%.

Thanks for the tip and the reference. I'll check her out.

Hello folks,

I'm considering moving to Hua Hin in the near future, and would like to rent a car for a few months. I've done on-line searches and found huahincarrent.com or huahincarrental.com. Their prices are a little bit high for long-term rentals compared to what I've seen in Phuket or Bangkok. Anyway, does anyone have any positive experiences with long-term car rentals in Hua Hin? Any hints on where I should look?

Also, I may end up trying to buy a used car. I haven't seen many advertised on the internet. Any suggestions on where to look? Is there much selling from local farangs?

Thanks for your input.

RS

I've been trying to call a friend in Thailand who has a mobile phone and AIS sim card. Today, when I dialed the number, I got the following message: "Sorry, there is no acknowledgment from your requested number." This was preceded by a message in Thai (which I don't understand).

Does this mean that the mobile phone is turned off? Or does it possibly mean that the sim card has expired?

Thanks for your responses.

I bought a Nokia 6151 phone last year and used it to connect to the internet by DTAC. I got pretty good Edge service in Bangkok, but out in the country I was only to access the internet by GPRS. Very slowwww.

I'm in the US now but will return to Thailand in July. I plan on living in Hua Hin. If I end up in an area without ADSL, it would be nice to connect with my mobile at a reasonable speed. My phone has 3G broadband network coverage (WCDMA 2100). So, I am wondering if I can connect to either CAT's or Hutch's CDMA network with my mobile. If not, does anyone know if either AIS or DTAC are providing Edge service in Hua Hin?

The PP Villa or Puangpen Villa was fully booked through February when I called them a couple of days ago. Its a nice hotel but very popular this time of year. If anyone has any suggestions on a nice alternative in the same price range, around B 1200, I'd appreciate the tip.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a relatively low-cost mobile phone that I can buy in Thailand for connecting my laptop to the internet? I know there are a couple of ways to connect the computer, either by bluetooth or by a usb cable. Either one will work for me. The local phone shops are all keen to sell me a phone for 12,000 baht or higher, but I don't need all of the bells and whistles. If anyone has any experience with a cheaper phone that works, I'd appreciate a tip.

I'm staying in a serviced apartment in Bangkok and can't get DSL. The apartment has wireless LAN which basically sucks. Most of the time I can't access any sites outside of Thailand due to the slow speed.

I understand that I should get a class 10 receiver. But I think that's fairly standard with new phones with GPRS capability.

Thanks for your help.

I managed to get a new savings account in Bangkok yesterday. What a trip! After being informed by several different banks around the Mall in Thonburi that I needed a work permit (I have a tourist visa) I went down to the main office of Bangkok Bank. They said that I needed a 90-day visa and a letter from the US embassy. So I went to the embassy, paid the $1200 baht notary fee for a statement that I think affirmed who I was, and went back to the bank. No problem, I now have a savings account and an atm card. I'm not certain I have the right visa, but I do have the savings account

Thanks for your responses. I think I'm expected to cook the steak the day I arrive, so I won't be able to freeze it beforehand. It appears that it will have to be well done which means tough as shoe leather, so I'll need to marinate it. Any suggestions on a Thai marinade or how to assemble a marinade using local ingredients? I'll have access to the Big C in Ratchaburi so I'm hoping that some fairly decent beef will be available.

Hello Xpert cooks,

I’m going to “meet the family” in a couple of weeks in Ratchaburi. My Thai girlfriend wants me to cook steak for her family, including her 80 year old mother. I’ve told her about the type of food I cook in the US, and she seems quite taken with the idea of my typical American bachelor cooking. Why on earth, I don’t know, but it probably has something to do with the novelty of it.

Anyway, she wants me to cook steak for her family. I’m a little bit leery of this because I suspect the typical American steak dinner isn’t going to be well received. So, I have a few questions for those familiar with Thai cooking.

What spices should I use? I usually just rub my steak with a little salt and pepper or maybe some garlic powder. This is probably a little bland for Thai tastes.

I don’t think I’m going to find a Weber charcoal grill at her mother’s house. My guess is that they’ll have some sort of small brazier for cooking over a wood fire, or maybe propane. If so, should I cut the steaks into small pieces? Do they use shish kebab sticks?

I like my steak medium rare. Will I need to cook the steak all the way through for her family. Will a little bit of red in the middle turn them off?

My girlfriend says we can buy steak at the Big C in Ratchaburi. Any ideas on what cuts they will have? Any suggestions?

Your help with making my first foray into cooking for a Thai family is most appreciated.

RS

In my shallow experience, the best way to get to know some real Thai people is to date one. I've had some incredible experiences visiting Thai villages in the northeast and even in Laos with my girlfriends (two actually). Of course, the girlfriend thing is a real mine field. But, should you meet someone special, you will be treated very well when you visit her home.

I'm 51, and I retire in 2 days. I start my retirement in Thailand on Nov. 22. It's going to be an adventure, and I plan on enjoying it to the max. Good luck with your travels.

RS

Howdy,

I play mandolin and guitar and sing a little bit and would enjoy getting together with some pickers. Any bluegrass musicians in the Bangkok area?

RS

Thanks youngkiwi. I'll give the internet cafe a shot. I'm going to buy a mobile phone after I arrive, and I'll try to get one that is GPRS capable. Any insights on security if I use my own computer at an internet cafe?

Hi all,

I'm moving to Bangkok at the end of November, and I'm looking at the various options for a secure connection to the internet. I'll be staying at a serviced apartment that claims to have wifi, but I don't think I'll be able to get a dsl line there since they charge for the telephone per call, pretty much like a hotel. Wifi is fine for recreational browsing, but I will occasionally need to do some on-line banking so a secure connection is essential.

It looks like GPSR might be the best option, but I wonder if I could just walk into an internet cafe with my laptop and plug it in for a fee. My computer is a new Toshiba with Windows XP, so I'm wondering if it will be able to automatically connect once the wire is inserted?

Any insights are appreciated.

RS

Hello all,

The moving of the goalposts regarding proof of the monthly pension has me a little concerned. I'm coming to Thailand next month armed with a tourist visa. (I retire Oct. 31, yippee!) My plan has been to convert this to a retirement visa a few weeks after I arrive. My pension is more than B65,000, so up to now I figgered this was not going to be a problem, just go to the US embassy, have them certify my income, and then off to immigration.

I'm in the process of having the paperwork set up to wire money from my US bank to Thailand. Of course, I have to get a Thai bank savings account after I arrive, but that doesn't appear to be a problem. My concern is that I will show up at immigration in December with maybe only one wire transfer showing up in my account book.

So, maybe I'm missing something, but I think it's going to be a little tricky for me to verify my pension based on wire transfers. A year from now that shouldn't be a problem. Anyone have any insight?

Thanks for your responses.

Here's a few from a birthday party in Patong a couple of years ago.

Hello all,

I arrive in Bangkok at the end of November and plan on staying for 4 months. Up until a couple of days ago, I had planned on getting a tourist visa here in the states and then converting it to a retirement visa a few weeks after I arrived. I am airline ticketed to leave Thailand on March 20, 2007.

My question is, will the fact my airline ticket is for approximately 4 months after I enter send off alarm bells with the immigration folks given that I only have a 60-day tourist visa?

One possible way to avoid any difficulties would be to purchase a cheap one-way ticket on Air Asia to Kuala Lumpur or some other nearby country. If there were questions, I could show my e-ticket receipt thereby demonstrating that I was going to leave the country prior to the expiration of the tourist visa.

Of course, I could just bite the bullet and apply for the retirement visa before I leave the US.

Any advice will be appreciated.

RS

Hello all,

From what I can determine, it appears that it is possible to file the I-130 petition at the USCIS office at the US Bangkok embassy. Does anyone have any experience with that?

I'm looking at the various options on getting my girlfriend into the US. I plan to arrive in Thailand in late November with a 60-day tourist visa. After I arrive, I plan on getting married (gulp), converting the tourist visa to a retirement visa, and starting the visa application process. It's important that we get married because I want to get her covered by my health insurance ASAP.

It looks like direct consular filing might shave some time off filing the I-130 at the Nebraska service center. Does anyone know whether the embassy's residency requirements are for the US citizen/petitioner? Is it possible with a tourist visa, or are they going to require that I have the retirement visa? Any requirements on the length of stay in Thailand?

I'm not trying to circumvent anything, I just need to get my girl back to the States with me by April 2007.

Thanks for your help and comments.

RS

ErnieK

I'm curious as to what you put down on the visa application for the reason for your visit. Other than retirement, it appears that you have to provide a letter in order to document the reason for your stay. Thanks.

Good Heart,

Here's the STR link that gives ticket availability.

http://www.railway.co.th/seatcheck2/mainseat_E2.html

It works for me in Internet Explorer but not in Firefox.

I checked for the next few days, and it shows that seats are available on the northeast line. I'm assuming that will still be true in July. I'm coming in to Bangkok on the night of July 2 and would prefer to buy a ticket after I arrive rather than trying to buy one from the states. I plan on staying on Sukhumvit and using the subway to get to the main train station. I'll be packing light, so hopefully I can negotiate the subway while carrying a little luggage. Thanks for the tip on the travel agent. I may e-mail her to see if she can get me a ticket before I arrive.

I'm considering taking a train to Khon Kaen in July. I'd like to travel during the day, and according to the SRT's timetable, I have two choices, #137 which leaves at 5:50 am (ugh) and #75 which leaves at 8:20 am (much more reasonable). #137 is described as a rapid train and #75 is an express train, diesel rail car. Both have 2nd class and 3rd class seats. I would like to go by 2nd class in an air-conditioned car, but I understand that some trains have 2nd class seats without a.c. I don't think I would do well on that long of a ride without the a.c., hence my concern.

SRT's web site has a handy page that allows you to see how many seats are available on a train. It looks like there wouldn't be any problem buying a ticket a day in advance which is what I plan on doing. I'll be traveling on July 4th.

So, my questions are does anyone know if the 2nd class cars are air conditioned? And, does anyone have any experiences on these trains that they would like to share ?

Thanks Pianoman. I've got a Martin D-35 & a Flatiron F-5 (mandolin). I'm looking forward to hooking up with some pickers once I get situated, probably in Hua Hin.