hansnl

I would like to know if it is possible to change my visa based on marriage to a retirement one. I have been living here on the former for 4 years, it next needs renewing in December. I am over 50 and have had over 800,000 in a Thai Bank account all this year. I top up this money from an overseas account but do not have a pension as yet. If anyone can advise I would appreciate it.

Question, why change?

Anyway, take care, the validity of your current extension need to be at least 21 days!

This being the period needed for the Immigration to consider your application.

If you change from marriage to retirement, expect some questions about the why.

That said, it seems the work for a retirement extension seems to be considerably less for the immigration officers, so who knows?

University students joining political turmoils... not a great idea.

Students and politics, they belong together.

And why not?

Fact is that students the world over, have been and will always be, politically active.

You might say this is a part of their education.

University students joining political turmoils... not a great idea.

Really?

Why not?

Students, the world over, have been and will always be a political active group.

Hi,

I need to ship some personal stuff to Thailand as I will be moving there.

Anyone know of a cost effective way or recommend any companies that may help?

Thanks.

G

Maybe a silly question, but from where to Thailand?

No.

Sorry Lopburi, the answer is: Yes!

Any Thai can petition His Majesty

Or the Prime Minister, any Minister, any Governor, and so on.

hi,

just wondering what sort of vaccinations do you recommend when visiting thailand?thanks.

Visit you local health centre and update the vaccinations needed for wherever you plan to go

Btw - there are no vaccines for malaria, dengue, and aids - etc.

but you still need to protect yourself (local mosquito repellent/condoms)

Depending on your age the Dutch Health service recommends the following:

- Hepatitis B

- Hepatitis A

- DTP

- Typhoid fever

and if you go to Malaria country, ask for advice!

Hopefully its just a rumour - Thailand doesn't need Samak, but it needs the govt to stand up and squash the PAD for this political blackmail. If he resigns this definitely isn't good for Thailand and then we will repeat the same rubbish again and again.

Britmaverick, I am afraid your iron Lady had to much influence on your thoughts and verbal diarrhoe.

In a normal democracy the government of the day does not squash things.

The government of the day listens to the minority.

The government of the day makes compromises.

The government of the day should be there for all the people, not only the majority.

The government of the day should not condone, organise or instignate violence to its opponents (Udon Thani, Krung Thep).

However, you are aware of the fact that the number of votes for the PAD was higher, albeit slightly, as the number of votes for the PPP?

So maybe, oh maybe, the PPP had to be squashed, seeing that they had less votes?

Whatever one can say, I think Mr Samak was and probably is rather restrained in his way of handling the situation, bar the few violent explosions of his proponents. and I must honour him for that.

Of course the whole situation is bad for Thailand, of course it will be very difficult going.

But, I guess, and hope, that eventually the people of Thailand will have a working democracy.

With honest politicians!

JOKE!

I just told the wife about this "news", and she asks why it is not being reported on TV? Then I log on to here and see it is merely a rumor. Passing on rumors this way is not very helpful, in my estimation, anyone can dream up stuff like that. Let's see what happens tomorrow, huh?

If it is true?

Why not reported on Thai TV?

Is that a serious question?

Really serious things are normally NOT reported on Thai TV, and then only if it is impossible to withold.

Or maybe the spin doctors were not finished, yet?

That is a good news.

Why do people assume that all gov are bad?

This gov is from the majority votes and the protestors are back supported by the opponants.

Wake up!!!!

I just woke up!

Thank you for the wake up call.

All governments are bad.

For the entire population (most of the time), for the majority of the people (most of the time), for the minority of the people (nearly always), or for a small part of the population (always).

The Government of the day, from whichever part of the population, is always bad news for the other part of the population.

However, if the Government of the day organises, condones, or instignates violence to it's opponents by it's proponents or it's institutions (whichever), then the Government of the day is a very bad Government.

In a real democracy, the Government of the day is there for all people, not only for a part of the people.

It should listen to it's opponents, not only to it's proponents, and should try to negotiate, make compromises, so that all or most of the population can live in peace.

Having the voting majority does not mean that a government can only govern for it's voters.

It must, yes MUST, also govern for the voting minority.

And take in account that opponents can become proponents, but proponents can also become opponents.

1. You want a one year extension of stay from Immigration. You are not interested in an OA visa as that is issued by a Thai Consulate in your home country.

2. You can apply for extension of stay during the last 30 days of any non immigrant visa entry. You need to meet the 65k Embassy letter of income/pension or the 800k bank deposit w/letter held 3 months or a combination of 65k and bank account to meet 800k yearly requirement.

3. You can use your current entry or make another before the 27th of November and extend at the end of that period. It is your permitted to stay that is extended so no need for an active visa.

Moderator

I was assured by N.K. Imm that the visa or 30-day stamp must still be valid for at least 21 days for being able to apply for an extension of stay.

Is this typical N.K. or general?

Hansnl

long live Thailand's mob rule. and if PAD's wish will come true, thailand will soon be the Democratic People's Republic of Thailand.

When do people understand that these people are Chinese. They have overstayed their welcome and should go back to China where they have all the rights to demonstrate and storm TV stations.

Thaksin, Samak and consorts are, most of them anyway, also from Chinese descent!

I would like to convert my tourist visa to a non-immigrant O. I will get married in Bangkok (US citizen). My fiancee is a Thai citizen. I read the US Embassy and Thai immigration website information and wanted to clarify a few things.

Step 1. It seems that I need to go to the US Embassy and fill in an ‘affidavit’ that states that I am currently single. This is notarized at the Embassy. The affidavit has to be translated into Thai. I take the documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) who authorizes the papers (2 days).

Step 2. These documents (and several other documents) are then taken to the local Thai Amphur (Civil Registry Office). The Kor Ror 2 and Kor Ror 3 are issued and the marriage becomes legal.

Step 3. I take these documents (and several other documents) to immigration and can change my tourist visa to a non-O (90 days). I can than apply for an extension for 1 year prior to the 90 day non-O visa expiring.

The questions I have include:

1) For step 1, I don’t think I need my fiancée with me. Can I do this several months before the visit to the Amphur?

2) For step 2, I need my fiancée with me. Is this done in the Amphur where her property is…or where we will live (a different city)? Is the KR2 and KR3 issued that day?

3) For step 3, does this need to be done in Bangkok, or can I do it in Pattaya where we will live?

4) For step 3, is it possible to get a 1 year non-O rather than starting with a 90 day non-O?

Thanks for your help.

Relating to question no 4, if you play it right, depending on which office, it is sometimes possible to get the 90 days and the 365 days in one go, resulting in 15 months.

I got that in Nong Khai.

Nong Khai?

Yes, Nong Khai!

Really?

Yes, really!

I have a 12 months multiple entry type o visa which i got from Hull in England before i camer here. It got wet whilst i was in Cambodia - luckily they stamped it for another 90 days and let me back into Thailand with it.

I am worried that next time i have to leave they won't allow me to use it coming back in and i'll have to get a 30 day tourist visa.

Is there any way i can get it re-stamped??

I presume asking your local friendly immigration officer will do no harm?

Explain what happened.

But take care that you still have at least 21 days left before you have to cross the border again.

Maybe not needed, but one never knows!

These people are a pain in the arse. Protests never solve anything.

Actually, sir, democracy is an uncomfortable feeling in the nether regions.

For which side, well, that is the question.

For the protesting side, I have a feeling they feel pain nor discomfort.

For the protested side, guess they don't like it, but that is the general idea behind the protest.

It is called, democracy.

Freedom of expression, freedom of gathering, freedom of protest.

Of course protests like this disrupt something, whatever.

Irritating for you, maybe, but I gather you are from elsewhere.

So, you have no alternative but to look and wonder at democracy at work.

So sorry.

How sad, never mind.

Hello all!

I try to find out if so-called motor scooters are available in Thailand.

With motor scooters I mean scooters with 200 up to 700 cc engines, like Yamaha X1, Suzuki Burgman, and so on.

I live in Khon Kaen, and I have seen one of those pass me, but I have now visited about 25 motor bike shops, so sorry, no results.

Anybody able to give me some information?

Thanks a lot

You will find some Dealers in Bangkok and Pattaya. Servicing and spare parts may be a little problem later on upcountry.

Interesting.

But now the most important question for me: name me some dealers in Pattaya preferably.

I have some friends living over there, and they could have a look.

Thanks

Hi,

hopefully someone can shed some light on this for me. I will be buying a house with my new wife shortly, 50% Mortgage through SCB, the other 50% paid by me and I will be guarantor on her mortgage application and will be making the repayments. I'm aware I will have to waive my rights to the land ownership but is there somewhere that will confirm that I am the owner of the house?

Thanks in advance

Stuart

Possible!

You own the house, the woman owns the land.

Called Usefruct.

Pay groundrent to the woman.

Duration example 30 years, land 300,000 baht, groundrent 10,000 baht per year.

Next step:

Make a will/testament in which the house stays with you and the land goes to someone else, if she dies first, of course with the groundrent fixed for the duration of the agreement.

If you die first, oh well, up to you!

Mortgage:

The mortgage will be in two names anyway, so two mortgages for land and house will make things ok again.

Find yourself a good lawyer who knows about these things.

I have all paperwork in Thai and English.

The price of the legal work was 72,000 baht.

The price of the house was 1,8 M

Did it again with the former house of my wife.

Same same as above.

Price of the house 1,0 M

Land was valued at 280,000 B

Two mortgages, one for the ground, one for the house.

Both in our names.

Intrest on both loans, 4,75%, because of security of 2 houses, and the famous 800,000 baht in the bank for the visa circus.

Ground in her name

House in my name

I pay into her own account 1000 baht a month for the land rent.

Yes, I know, it is too much.

Legal work, total 30,000 baht, cheaper because only some things needed to be changed in the paperwork.

Try it out, it must be possible

But wouldn't wages be much higher in Singapore? The low cost (and probably quality) of hiring in Thailand seems like a reason to stay.

Ah, here we go!

It is not only a question of lower wages, but also a question of productivity!

There is this story of Philips moving factories from Holland to the Balkan for wages reasons.

New factories built, and closed within 3 years, because then they found that the productivity in the Balkan was 20/25 % lower.

And no way the productivity could be raised, whatever was tried!

Now about Thailand.

Productivity?

Wages?

Then about Singapore/China/Vietnam etc

Productivity?

Wages?

Right!

That is why so many factories are closing in Thailand and opening in Vietnam/China/Singapore.

Thailand chose to back Japan rather than Farangs in WW2 and Farangs are still less welcome than the Japanese in LOS today............, Not Thai ? = Goodbye! is the way it is, get used to it.

My impression is also that Japanese are more welcome here than farangs, but Japan did invade and occupy Thailand in WW2 with almost no resistance, so saying they chose the Axis over the Allies isn't exactly true, more like they had no choice.

Oh really?

The government of the day was talking nice weather to the Farangs, and secretly making a pact with the Japs.

Try to guess the reason.

It has something to do with colonialism.

Fact is, that at the end the Thai police was fighting with the Japs against the Allies.

Since when does buying a condo automatically give you citizenship anyway? I have property in the UK, therefore so does my wife, is she granted British citizenship? Of course not. I do beleive though that if the UK made a clause so that all asylum seekers and immigrant benefit seekers had to pick up a weapon and do military service in trashcanistan or iraq the numbers would reduce dramatically. If you become a citizen of a country and the flare goes up I suppose it is only right that you stand to defend it if it is required in the law. A decision you make if you sign.

In the time there still was national service in the Netherlands, before the forces became "professional" a lot of Moroccan and Turkish youths applied for the Dutch Nationality.

Most were frightened off, when they heard military service was part of becoming Dutch.

Nice way?

Alas, now all the immigrants can do the act, and basically stay whatever they were before picking up the Dutch passport.

I understand why people say they aren't willing to die for their country. But our countries gave many of us alot of what we were to become. People aren't independent units. Families aren't either. There is a bigger picture. To me, it seems very ungrateful to be unwilling to fight for your country if they are directly invaded by a hostile power. That is the condition I feel. Its academic for me though, too old, and too gay!

You are right about the bigger picture, but only, and then only if my, or in this case your country is attacked, literally.

About the academic part:

Too old?

The devil is old!

Too gay?

If you can fight in this academic war of yours, in whatever capacity, I personally don't give a d*mn if you are gay, or not!

First, we can forget Big C. It only sells Thai-style foodstuffs...

What else would they sell in THAILAND...a country that if full of THAI people if you haven't noticed already ...who actually like to eat THAI food!

Humm...someone moves to Thailand...and then moves out into the "sticks" in Thailand...and then complains there isn't a branch of Sainsbury down the road!

Get a f*ckin grip dude. The lack of "our" food is a major reason very few foreigners chose to live in Issan if they can help it.

Yes, I agree with the first parts of your comment.

The part about getting a grip, and the reason very few foreigners choose to live outside the Isan.

Whatever the reason, oh yes, don't come to Isan, I like being with Thai people, I like Thai food.

And if you can help it, please stay away from Isan.

Indeed, the shops are getting low on Farang food.

Why?

Because shops tend to cater for MOST people, and they prefer the part of that people that make the articles in the shop sell very fast.

About Tops, there is still one in Khon Kaen.

I really could not find very much farang food in there.

If I really want some European food to eat, I prepare it myself, including unsweetened bread.

Good thing, being able to cook yourself.

Besides that, for most European food, the basic ingredients can be found in Tesco, Big C.

Try it out for yourself.

It can be fun

A very good piece, period.

Once in a situation like yours, hearing the stupid remarks about men living in Thailand, my wife decided to interfere.

And when she start interfering, better beware!

She told the "shits" (her words) what she thought about people who presume that Thailand is a undeveloped country.

Then she asked them what good they ever did to the people of Thailand.

And asked them, you really think you are wanted in this country?

You really think the Thai people are not laughing about you when you are out of sight?

You really think you do better as my husband who really helps poor people when and where he can in various ways?

Without being so obvious about it?

Don't you realise that most Farang men take care, directly or indirectly, of a lot of family and others.

And that not all farang men are the same, like not all Thai women are the same.

(with the implied meaning that not all farang men want very young girls and not all Thai women are bad)

And then she concluded, please go away, away from this country, where you do more wrong than good.

Or try to learn not to comment on people in public in a loud voice.

Because you, also being farang, loose huge face!

The thing is, someone else translated her words in Thai/Isan.

When my wife was finished, they applauded, and made wai's to her.

When the translation reached me eventually, I told my wife that indeed, a lot of those people tried to do some good, and yes, indeed, a lot of those people are in it for the kick they get out of it.

I have got married with my thai spouse in Europe and I have already translated the certificated in Thai in the embassy and brought the documents here for registering the wedding in Thailand.

I have been told I have to go to the Minster of Foreign Affairs to put a stamp first.

I cannot locate this place...anyone can confirm I have to go there, what I have to do, the address and the word in Thai for the taxi , thanks !!

If you are married in Europe, the papers should have been legalised in Europe!

You have to get the translation before you go any further.

With the translation and copy plus the original of your home country and copy the route is:

First step: Your own ministry of foreign affairs

Second step: The consular affairs of the Thailand Embassy in your own country.

The MFA in Bangkok "does not know" the signatures of the foreign authorities, while the Thai Embassy does!

If you have Thai papers to go to your own country, the route is MFA first and own Embassy second.

Because the MFA "knows"the signatures on the Thai form, and the Embassy knows the MFA signatures.

Isn't a lot of the slowness caused by waiting for other trains to pass, due to a lot of the rail network being single-track? Making everything double would already gain a lot of speed.

But basically I think rail travel in Thailand is dead; all the investment has already been in the road network, meaning that buses will always be faster for the foreseeable future.

Possibly they could keep some rail lines for higher-end boutique tourism purposes, like the Eastern & Oriental 5 star line.

Poppycock, as they say.

Rail travel could be the only hope for a lot of countries.

Buses will always be faster, yes maybe, however, the price of diesel and the wages for drivers will go up.

One train with 10/15 carriages needs one driver, one relief driver, and some serving/security staff.

And do not forget one carriage can transport more people in one go as one bus.

One diesel locomotive uses considerable less diesel as 10/15 buses.

If any government is able to invest some, well maybe a lot of money into the rail network, and really wants to do something about congestion on the roads, then rail travel is not dead.

However, it will die very soon if the privatisation madness gets on its way.

The fastest trains in the world with the best results are all run by state-owned railways.

Forget privatisation for mass transport, it does not work, even a state run company can make a profit.

The SRT will always be hindered by 100 cm and single track.

Together they bring down the median speed to 80 km/h max, depending on the lenght of the blocks.

If double track is made on the main lines, the median speed might go up to 100 km/h max.

If, and only if, any government will be serious about congestion, oil, mass transport, then there will be a well run railway company.

As long as it is not run by private companies, that is.

Does she need to show a statement of the pension being transferred to Thailand from her home country?

No.

Or is the embassy letter confirming the pension usually enough?

Yes.

However, I have heard Nong Khai office requires actually seeing the money transferred in. I don't know if that is still the case, but assuming you are not in NK.

NK has a strange thing, they can ask whatever they want.

And sometimes they do!

However, if the money is in the account for at least 3 months, and you did not earn it in Thailand, kindly tell hem/her that the amount is enough and the time it was in the account was enough.

And as you keep yourself to the NO WORKING clause of your permission to stay, how on earth could you earn that amount in Thailand?

Hmmmmmmmm????