Schooner

My understanding of the requirement was that you have to have the reciept with you the day of the interview. The packet also said it could only be paied at post offices in BKK so we went up for the day a week before. Given the potential problems if she is denied at the interview I decided it was important to to give them the dedail they apprently seek.

Also don't assume you are finished with it when you get the visa. They will interrigate her at the US Customs entry point and then you have to go through the perminant residence application process which IMO is more of a pain than the visa was.

Good Luck.

One important point that didn't get mentioned is that I consider myself a guest in Thailand. I didn't grow up here and even though I am married to a Thai and "own" a home here I still consider myself a guest. As such I will respect there laws and customs and most of all there right to run there own country. If it becomes too uncomfortable for me I will go home.

I have issues with people who come from somewhere else and then try to tell the locals how to live. I already have all the power that I need and that is to stay or to go.

I went to Pattaya a year ago because I was bored doing what I was doing in the states. I had a blast. I had fun, fell in love a couple of times, spent way too much money, bought a beautiful home and most significantly married a Thai girl who I enjoy waking up to every day. (well, almost every day)

For the first 3 or 4 months in Pattaya I enjoyed the excitement (the girls)of the city. I made several new friends who I enjoyed hanging out with. In March last year I met and fell in love with my wife. The way that I enjoyed the city has changed but it is still a interesting place. I pretty much stopped going to the clubs over time. My favorite thing to do is sit a Starbucks and just watch it all go by.

I will never get tired of looking at beautiful Thai girls.

Yes it is a crazy mixed up place but it has something for everyone and it can be experenced at any level.

I enjoy going to my wifes village and like the people there but I would get bored living there all the time.

I've spent many winters in Florida and the beaches are no better than Pattaya to me because I don't go in the water.

We are currently back in the states in Florida and I have to say it is boring compaired to Pattaya. We have our house rented out for a fair return.

We are going to tour the states in our motorhme, my wife will get her green card and we will come back in Nov.

Everyplace is a compromise (as everyother aspect of life) Everywhere I look here there are fat people.

If I had to choose one place to live it would be Thailand. When we return we will check out Chang mai looking for the western amenities and more moderate tempetures.

There is a name for people who complain about their situation rather than change it. Booring

Thanks everyone. I think we'll wait untill we get the reciept and decide then. We're hoping to go back to Thailand in November so it's probably not a good idea to ask for too much before then.

I remember reading, but cannot find the correction for turning off the bug that MS places on unlicenced copites of XP. My TW's computer may have a unlicenced copy and her auto update was turned on for a time so I don't know if this will be a problem in the future. I tried searchng for the corrective action and cannot find it.

Can some one give me the thread. Thanks

My Thai wife came to the US on a K-1 Visa in Dec 06. We plan to do some traveling this summer and are considering Canada. We have applied for perminant residence but it looks like that process takes about 6 months anyone have any experence with this.

I want to mail a MP3 player ($100.00) and a CD player (Walkman $50.00) to my wifes relitives in Thailand from the US and am having trouble figuring out if they are subject to duty and if so how much? Any one have experence with this?

anyone have experence with obtaining a Thai international drivers license for my girlfriend so she can drive in the US? It looks like obtaining a license for her in the states takes months to obtain. We were told by one motor vehicle office that she has to have her license for one year before she can get an international license.

We're going on the 11th from Pattaya.

hi bill,

I don't know about the 8:30 appointments. My guess is that if she showed up at 7:00 she would be put in line. It appears to be first come first serve. Don't forget to file the DS-156 online so she will have the barcode. That seems to be the most challanging part of the process.

I wanted to book the airline one week after but now I'm glad she talked me into the 11th. to give us more time to tie up loose ends. I booked with Thai air for the 11th because they don't charge to change the date and you can never be 100% sure you'll get it.

good luck,

bill

I raised two. boy and girl. I made a choice to never hit them before they were born. My father was a violent man and I was resolved to never do or allow anyone else to do it to them. I had to tell my wife once to never hit them. When you hit a child you humileate them and teach them to use force to solve problems.

Of all the things that I've accomplished in my life I am most proud of keeping that commitment. My kids drove me nuts at times, but that is what you sign up for when you have them. If you commit to never hit than you are forced to find alternitives. What worked for me was time out. we had a kitchen timer with a bell and they had to sit in a chair until the bell went off. You must always be consistant and there has to be consequences for bad behavior, but all that can be managed.

They tell me now that they respect the fact that I never hit them and they are happy well adjusted young people who manage there lives well. I am glad I don't have to live with the guilt of repaeting my fathers mistakes (at least that one)

2005 Honda Wave motorbike 125S, red and black, like new condition. 2000 km, two new helmets with face shields. balance of 4 months insurance. Asking 30,000 baht call Bill 0852840153 or PM

2005 Honda Jazz 17,000km, Cool model, Silver color, airbags, tinted windows, loaded.

phone - 0852840153 well maintained by Honda. Have book and white tag, farang owned

We got it!!

Got up a 3am to drive to BKK, got lost and sitting in traffic about a mile from the embassy at 6:45 she jumps out and catches a motorbike taxi. (Idrive around for another 2 hours trying to figure out how to get there (one ways)

They made her get a bar code that goes on the DS-156 at the embassy computer. everyone freaked out a little at this. There is a new requirement effective Nov 1, 2006

Here's the letter they gave us:

New nonimmigrant K visa requirements

Effective Nov 1, 2006 all nonimmigrant K visa applications are required to submit the electronic visa application form (EVAF) version of the DS-156.

Please enter your data directly in the DS-156 electronic form found online at http://evisaforms.state.gov and print it out when all the blocks are filled out. The completed printed form will include a unique barcode.

Pleas submit the barcoded DS-156 form with your other documents on your interview date.

The interviewer we got seemed like a nice guy but there was one there that seemed pretty short tempered. They asked her when I came to Thailand, What was the date we met, What I did for work, (I'm retired) when did I first come to Thailand. That was it and he gave us the visa. had to come back the following day (today) and pick up the visa (apparently everyone does now.)

They gave her a packet of papers for the immigration people when we land in the states and told us not to open it. He also told me that they will pull her out of the line to the secondary inspection when we arrive to check those documents.

That was it. Everyone seemed to have a 7am interview time but it took time for everyone to check in so I was overly worried about being there exactly at 7. We were out at noon. The return today for the visa took about an hour. Pretty smooth sailing actually. We stayed overnight in BKK last night to avoid another navigational headache.

Hope this helps you guys and good luck.

Tomorrows the day. Got to get up at 3:30 to be sure to get to BKK at 7:00 wish us luck.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Artisan I remember reading your story some time ago and thinking this is a guy who through his persistance may have saved his wifes life and certainly made it better. I am also very happy it had a good out come and please accept my apology for the "have a pair" comment. You obviously do and I complement you. I am very happy that your wife is doing well now

Actually the have a pair comment was not directed to you. I ment it for all the winers out there who refuse to take personal responsability for management of their lives (you know who you are) I beat myself up frequently for not saying no when I ment no and Thailand is a place where if you can't say no you get taken advantage of. You didn't take no for an answer and you produced a good result.

Your wife did have a complicated condition and I wonder if the average American hospital would have figured it out any better. I can tell you about 20 similar stories that have happend to me or my family and friends of poor diagnosis and treatment and huge cost that btw was not refunded or adjusted. The point is that medicine is not an exact science and the body is a complex thing. In every case I know of in the states the people who got a good out come were persistant just like you were. I have a friend that was completly disfigured by the Mayo clinic because a doctor made a mistake and he hates the Mayo, but the MAyo is a great institution. If you look, as I have at the mistakes in the states they are worse than here. Six years ago the CDC started a program to reduce the worst mistakes which are "wrong site surgeries"(thats where you go in for a mole removal and they cut off your leg) in six years it has actually stayed the same and it represents hundreds of victims.

I could go on. I guess the question is BPH good because it ultimatly fixed your wife with your help or is it still a bad hospital. Would any other hospital have had the same issues? How did the cost compare to what other hospitals around the world charge?

I have a friend who went to a top medical school. The first day the doctor told the class "50 percent of what you will learn here will be wrong and we can't tell you which 50 percent it is" Medicine is not a exact science. To be honest I don't think doctors are all that great. The only point I'm making is that the ones at BPH are as good as they are anywhere and maybe a little better because the hospital is not managed by bean counters.

good post Tammi. I agree that BPH hands out too much medicine. Actually it's a problem they are aware of and trying to get a handle on. You took the appropriate action by challanging them and while they are wofully inadiquite at dealing with westerners challanges we need to do it to teach them that it is a normal process of business. When I challanged my bill I got the blank stare from three different departments. It's like they just shut down at any confrontation even when it is calm and polite.

The hospital knows that is a problem and are working on it.

Thai's never complain about the care they get or the pills they recieve. My TGF is college educated and couldn't understand why I looked up every pill they gave her to learn what it was and why she should take it. It was a sacrilege to disobey the doctors instructions.

Most people don't know that BPH has a brit MD on staff who's sole job is to examine these things and resolve problems. I talked with him this week and he is constantly training the doctors at BPH to be sensitive to western senseabilities. Off hand I wouldn't be surprised if Bumragrad is way ahead of BPH in this regard. They are the Thai standard IMO and they have had a lot more time to perfect it. They are also more expensive

IMO the medical care at BPH is as good as anywhere in the world. All of the problems I see are related to cultural issues and misunderstandings.

I have a confession to make. Maybe it's important to tell where I'm comming from. About a year ago I was treated at Pattaya Memorial and stayed a night. I was impressed with the differences between the care they provided and what I was accoustomed to in the states. I thought there must be something wrong with this system it seemed to me to be too good to be true.

So for the past 6 months I have been researching the care at hospitals here and particularly BPH because I will be returning to the states soon to start a company to convince Americans to come here for treatment.

In the process of my research I have used the BPH myself to have every treatment that I could think I needed. I've used most of the departments in the Hospital as has my TGF. The care has been excellent for me. I agree that they will recomend things be done that have questionable medical significance, but it is no different than anything else in Thailand or the states for that matter. There is an ongoing debate in the states about the administration of treatments which were not necessary. The big one that comes to mind is pacemaker implants and bypass. The CDC estimates that over 50% are not medacally necessary. Thai's copy what works elsewhere and there very good at it. Anyone who has spent any time here knows that somebody is ALWAYS trying to sell you something. You also know that it up to you to say no.

I have been checking this thread to see what peoples experences have been with BPH so I can insure that my future clients expectations are met. Unfortunatly what I read is a bunch of stuff form the usual "everything in Thailand is bad" croud.

Some of the comments here are not objective. So how about some objective information instead of rants.

The notion that a hospital should not be able to make a profit is beyond me. Everyone who is here to get medical treatment must have worked and must have made a profit. So why is that a bad thing. Personally I could care less about hospitals that look like 5 star hotels, but apparently thats what it takes to ATTRACT westerners. BPH has a entire staff to deal with the unique complaining nature of westerners. If you have a complaint of feel that you were overcharged than why don't you tell them. As far as I can tell they are dedicated to meeting westerners expectations.

One more example of my own experence. After my hernia operation they placed a "high tech" 3M bandage on the incision and told me I could take showers. The second day the thing leaked and when I went back to the hospital the next day they checked it and there was some small infection (more pills). I asked for a conventional bandage. They gave me a bill of 650 baht for the vist and I challanged it. The bill was withdrawn and I went back every day for a week to have it changed and checked by the surgen at NO CHARGE. The entire thing cost me $1923.00 the average cost in the states for the same operation is $14,000 and who is overcharging? My brother also has a hernia but won't get it fixed because the deductable on his excellent medical insurance is $4,000 for the operation. Also he is afraid because a friend of his last year had the operation and after 2 months of agony they discovered that a sponge was left in the wound. The guy had to have another operation to remove it and then got some exotic infection that required him to be hooked up to a antibiotic IV for two weeks.

Here's some advice the next time you get 12,000 in meds. (this process assumes you have a pair)

1. Ask "what is this and why should I take it?

Every time I get my grab bag I get online and check what everything is and what it is for. With the exception of the largest package, which is Tylonol (13 cents) most seems appropriate. The bottom line is if you feel you've been given something you don't think you need just question it. I would be the first to agree that they give you too many pills but nobody is holding a gun to your head.

As for them hugely overcharging, this would certainly explain why hundreds of thousands of people are coming from western countries for medical treatment here. Ironically most from GB where you have "national healthcare"

I agree that there is no relationship between BPH and bumrumgrad. As for your other statements they do not hold up to the truth. Anyone can compare prices for services and doctor qualifications online. You must be a very special person for doctors to confide in you the shortcommings of doctors at BPH. I personally know many doctors and have never heard a doctor critise another doctor because they all know that they all make mistakes.

Bumrumgrad has recieved some bad press lately for allegedly adminerstering a lethal dose of medicine to a young guy. His parents have gone so far as to start a website to hammer Bumrumgrad.

The point is none of these places are perfect. Look at the numbers from the Mayo clinic and you will find someone who has special insight and thinks they are all bad.

So you've been here 13 years and you know everything about medical treatment, you must be a a very gifted individual to have such insight which is contrary to all reality. The facts say otherwise. The numbers for both Bumrumgrad and BPH hospitals are similar. Anyone can get a price quote for any proceedure and check the credentials of doctors online. Both hospitals are experencing similar growth and the numbers for mistakes are also similar. Now compare the numbers for these hospitals with American hospitals which most people think are pretty good. Good Thai hospitals a reasonable person would conclude from OBJECTIVE data are far better than most American hospitals. Ironicly most of the western patients to both come from countries with national healthcare systems.

Your asertion that people are mistreated and sent away to die to beat the numbers is redicules because Thailand does not record any such numbers. Perhaps you would like to share your special knowledge of the numbers and where they come from.

If you have been living in Thailand for 13 years than you may have noticed that EVERYONE is trying to seperate you from your money. If you intend to be a patient here you need to practice due diligence. Ask questions, compare costs, credentials, etc. Unless you are a lamb you have the last say about what gets done and how.

I just had a hernia repair at BPH. I was told what it would cost up front and discussed with the doctor how it would be done. I stayed one night. My doctor thought I should have my heart checked because he noticed something amiss. I agreed even though I didn't think it necessary. So I did the full blown stress and ultrasound for a couple of hundred bucks and it picked up a small problem that had been detected 15 years befor in the states, but I had forgotten about. My point is that the suggestion to do this extra proceedure can be argued both ways and that is the ongoing debate in the medical field of what is necessary. Ultimately it was my choice.

I had an interesting conversation with my doctor about the cute little bag of medicine that BPH gives everyone when they leave and he told me that it is a Thai culture thing. Thais don't feel that they have recieved their monies worth until they get the cute bag full of pills.

I have lived in Pattaya for just over a year. I agree that always and never statements are a little strong and actually I've never had a problem with this myself, but of all the things I worry about it is right up there. If I have an accident with a Thai I do believe that it will be my fault regardless because I am the farang. There are hundreds of stories to support this idea.

Every Thai I know including my TGF have the attitude that it will always be the farangs fault because we are considered the ones who can afford to pay. Just my observation. I would reccomend that anyone who drives here have insurance with at least 2 million baht bond coverage it is your get out of jail card. We also have the huge disadvantage that if we are involved in an accident the police will take your passport and it could get complicated.

Almost forgot mazo. The first rule of living in Thailand is that in a conflict/accident involving a thai and farang it is NEVER the thai's falt and it is ALWAYS the farangs fault. Don't forget that if you were not here than the accident would have never happened. Thus you have to prepair yourself.

Too bad about your friend, but anyone who's ever had a tooth pulled knows that it takes a lot of force to get the thing out. If his jaw was broken in the process he would not have had to wait for days to know that. It raises the question of the quality of his bone structure because there would likely been some unusual weakness.

As for davethailand's friend the guy had some pretty serious problems but the operative word is that he was discharged (I'm assuming alive) so what is your point? Most people would gladly pay 600K for life and did you say that they corrected something that was screwed up by another doctor 20 years eariler. (a western doc?) 2 weeks in ICU? give me a break.

Let me see if I understand this. Your friend is in the ER in pain and waiting for a squabble over whose at fault it is to be resolved? with a compound fracture? So why dosen't he just say "fix the dam thing and we'll fight about it later. The hospital dosen't care who pays just as long as sombody does. Everyone knows that unlike the states where hospitals have to treat anyone, Thailand requires proof that you can pay upfront. As blackjack pointed out expat insurance is available and you get a card that gets you treatment. I have a visa gold card and can pay myself. That is one of the reasons that thai healthcare is cheaper they don't have to treat anyone who cannot pay.

I have had all of my teeth fixed including cleening (by an on staff dentist)repair including a cap, laser whitning (not worth the money) I had a hernia repaired and was very satisfied with all my treatments. I did get sold a heart stress test that I probably didn't need, but hel_l I never had one before so no big deal. My TGF has had 2 wisdom teeth pulled and cavities fixed and recieved excellent care also

Prior to each treatment the doctor explained what should be done and why. I asked questions and satisfied myself that it was necessary and I understood what was happening. BPH has a new 64 slice CT scan that can produce a 3D color photo of any part of the body. If someone wanted me to have a bypass I would want to know why and show me where the problem is and explain to me how it is different from normal and on and on. There is no excuse for not taking personal responsability for your healthcare we are well beyond the days when doctors were considered gods. They are accustomed to explaining to patients what is wrong and what they want to do to fix it.

BPH treats hundreds of people everyday and clearly they must be doing something right. Yes they are more expensive than some other thai hospitals that do not treat a lot of westerners. The reason is they have the best facilities, the best doctors, the best technology and best staff.

That may explain why over 300,000 people came from somewhere else for treatment at BPH. They are months away from international accredation. They also are experenceing a 30% growth rate. mistakes and reinfections are less than 25% of US rates.

BPH is not perfect but I think there excellent healthcare providers and would not hesitate to recomend my friends and family use them.

I also agree that there are good smaller hospitals around. I've used Pattaya Memorial and they are very good, but they send anything complicated to BPH.

Pattaya is a great place to visit or to live. When I came here I was single and had a ball hanging out with the girls and enjoying the fantastic night life. Now I have a girlfriend and don't do the bars but there is so much else to do.

I think that the choices are better than many other resort places in the states I lived in South Beach Maimi and you wouldn't want to swim there ether, but lots to do and very expensive.

One of my daily routines is to hang out at Starbucks and people watch.

I think it's pretty cool to live in a place where people having fun is a common thing. Yea it's weird sometimes but never boring.

Beautiful, Pattaya home for rent. Located east Joemtien just 1 km east of Sukumvit. Narvana pool villa 1 . Tastefully furnished home has private pool, privacy, 24/7 security in quiet farang neighborhood. Ten minutes from Lotus twenty from downtown.

Home has everything needed for comfortable living including: widescreen tv, sony surround sound, 3 ac units, ceiling fans, western kitchen, high speed internet (wireless) washing machine.

6 month minimum 30,000 baht/mo call 0852840153 or pm for photos and more information.

hello gogreen,

I think my experence is similat to bill's.

The notice we recieved from National Visa center was dated Sept 3, it was sent in the mail and we recieved it on Sep 13 so 10 days. We did get nitification that it had been approved on there web site.

The packet 3 letter came on Sep18 and was dated Sept 15 from BKK Embassy. We mailed out our packet 3 stuff about 2 weeks later because I was in the states for a couple of weeks.

Our interview date came up on the Embassy website about a week after we sent in our stuff (packet 3)and then we got the interview letter with the final instructions on Oct 23.

We never got a call from the Embassy just saw the interview date online and then the letter on Oct 23.

I don't see a problem with sending in the packet 3 stuff and then doing the police and medical and I have seen somwhere that if you pay extra you can get it that day but I don't know how that works.

We were concerned that the interview might come up before we got all the stuff done so we waited longer than we had to. The interview seems to be schedule 5-6 weeks from the time they get the packet 3 so you should have plenty of time to do everything before the interview. So the answer is yes, complete the forms and have your photos ready. make sure they are 50mmx50mm with white background, get 4 because you need to send in two with packet 3 and save two more for the interview. you'll need a copy of the photo page of the thai passport. completed signed form 230-I, 2 copies of completed UNSIGNED form OF-156 and a completed form OF156K (we were unclear about the 156K so we sent it and have another copy for the interview. Sign the certification of preperation and request for interview and send it in. Like I said you should have plenty of time to go do the other things before your interview date.

As always read carefully and reread everything and pay attention to detail. The last packet (4) seems to have some ambiguities and so when in doubt we gave them more than they asked for. We emailed them to ask for a earilier interview but no-way, we also asked if we could bring her computer laptop to show photos documenting our relationship and the answer was no computers allow in the building. They did tell me not to worry about signing the I-134 in front of a notary. just sign it they said and I have a copy of the email. I think I will get it notarised anyway just to be sure.

good luck

bill