lucidwave

Hi all,

Can anyone give me any hints on where to stay in Bangkok. I am looking for somewhere fairly cheap (ideally not more than 1200 bt a night). I don't mind if it is a guesthouse, I don't mind shared bathrooms, and location is not the biggest priority. However, specific things that appeal to me are: cleanliness, wifi, a good atmosphere, and maybe a pool.

Is this possible to find?

Thanks very much in advance for any suggestions....

Hi all, following some good advice from people on this board: I am going to post a bit more detail about my project and what I am looking for in the hope that you guys can provide a bit of assistance.

a. desired skills (how MUCH English? Just "getting around town" or highly technical discussion?- educational level- high school ok or college preferred?)

- nothing highly technical at all really: maybe just a small amount of textile terminology. However, the interpreter should certainly have the ability to adequately convey what I am asking an interviewee and what the interviewee is saying in return. Some of this might involve being able to translate cultural differences e.g. I need to convey that I am not an industrial spy or a potential competitor and that I am simply doing this research for academic purposes that will potentially benefit a lot of Thais

b. length of trips and possible locations? Do you want people on the ground in the towns you go to, or will you take them out from Bangkok with you? How will you arrange accommodations?

- Our time in Thailand will last from Feb 14th until approx Apr 14th.

Ideally I won't have to take people very far. So, hopefully I can find people from Khon Kaen to help me while I am in that province and people from Chiang Mai to help me while I am in the North etc. If accommodations are necessary I will certainly pay all food and hotel expenses for the research assistant. My fiancee is travelling with me - so hopefully this will help offset any potential awkwardness about asking an assistant to accompany us for a multi-day trip.

c. how much remuneration are we talking about? Please be aware that the usual "part-time jobs" for unskilled labour run about 100B a day, but those are no-time-limit deals in town and don't require special skills like English. You should consider higher rates (including expenses for food/accommodation) since this is a one-time thing and requires English- the better English, the more pay.

I was thinking at least 600B a day plus meals plus accommodation. However, if anyone feels that this is not enough then please let me know. Maybe in Bangkok or for people with better skills, higher rates are in order?

So, in summary, the specific places I will need help are: Bangkok, Khon Kaen , Mahasarakam, Khorat, Chiang Mai, and Udon Thani. This will all be for the 2 months between feb 14 and apr 14. I might be also able to return for another month from mid-may until mid-june. An assistant would most importantly help me with interpreting from Thai to English during interviews, but would also be of great assistance if they could help me find silk producers and merchants to interview. The latter reason is mostly why I am trying to sort out these logistics before I arrive. If I could find someone to help, and they could set up some meetings or at least look into possibilities for meetings, that would be wonderful.

If anyone knows anyone who might be able to help me as an assistant in any of those places - or if anyone would be willing to help by putting up a note on a bulletin board for me (I will gladly design the note and email it to you) or asking around, I would be tremendously grateful.

Thanks again in advance.

dear lucidwave, ...i hope you ignore these insults by ms richardson...as i have lived and travelled in thailand over the past 25 years i know for sure you are going to be successful in finding people who will help you with translation...so continue as you are doing and i know your project will be a sucess.

Thanks dee123. I appreciate your message. I was starting feel that I was doing something wrong here. Hopefully everything does work out. I will be in Thailand in two weeks now and have left some of the organizing a little late.

Dearie me, how did this thread slip past me?

Lucidwave, *I* would like the links, please, if you want this thread to remain on the subforum. I'd also like the name of the real, live person I need to contact at those links to verify that person is posting as your handle on this forum. I'll give you 48 hours to notice this; after that point the thread will remain invisible until I get confirmation from the links you give me that you are for real.

And many apologies about Susan Richardson, our resident (and now defunct) troll. She was already re-suspended for another offense just yesterday, but this thread makes it obvious she's stayed past her welcome (on this and many other forums).

"Steven"

I have just private messaged you the relevant links - as well as my profile on the University webpage. My phone number was also included in the message in case you need to contact me. I hope that this will sort out any remaining questions and allow us to focus on the questions that I have posted.

Thanks to all who have posted helpful responses to my question. I will respond to these last few messages in the coming days.

In the meantime: one more question if I may: do any of you know whether I would even need an interpreter at some of the sites I will be visiting? Obviously, I will for anywhere in Isaan. However, some of the interviews that I will need to be conducting are with silk merchants in Bangkok. What is the general level of English that they speak? Would it be wise to go along with an interpreter? or would it be insulting to them?

Thanks again very much to all for your responses and help.

This is a classified ad and should be categorized as such

This is not a classified ad.

The point of this post is not to reach out to Thai students that may be reading this forum. The point is to solicit the opinion of the readers of this forum who likely have good suggestions on contacts that I should make.

For example, I imagined that people might refer me to professors that they know who could then put me in touch with appropriate students. I also imagined that people might be able to help me find the links to appropriate student bulletin boards on which I could post a request for help. It is conceivable that people reading my post might know of a student who is well suited to this, but that was not the main intention behind the post.

Again, many thanks in advance if anyone has any suggestions on how to find reliable research assistance.

Cheers.

Hi all,

I will be travelling to Thailand in a few weeks to start my dissertation work on the Thai textile industry. It would be really helpful to have some Thai students help me to call textile makers and sellers and accompany me when I meet with them. I have a budget to pay them, but haven't yet figured out where to meet reliable assistants. Does anyone have any ideas on where I can begin? If this is a busy time for students, are there any firms (or other people) who I should contact for help with this?

Thanks very much in advance....

p.s. I was advised to repost this question in this forum - apologies in advance that I have asked this twice and that I did not post here first

You might be best posting this in the Teaching in Thailand forum (or maybe the mods will move it).

Teachers will know who the good students are and some of them might already be experienced at researching for Farang's

Thanks again - that sounds like a good idea. Do you think the moderators would mind if I posted this question in that forum?

He should have just got his assistant to research the matter.

How can he, he is looking for them . . . Aside from the quotation marks, why is the word 'Assistant' capitalised?

poor guy . . .being ripped to shreds.

All spelling/typo mistakes I'm afraid - brought about by too much work.

Anyway, thanks for the link to that directory of universities. Unfortunately, I do not speak Thai and really can't figure out how to navigate to the boards/forums. Can anyone give me any pointers or post the links to some of the boards so that I may post there and look for help?

Again, all of your help is much appreciated - and if anyone has any more tips on where or how to find some research assistants then please feel free to post or send me a message.

Cheers.

Hi all,

I will be travelling to Thailand in a few weeks to start my dissertation work on the Thai textile industry. It would be really helpful to have some Thai students (or possibly non-students) help me to call textile makers and sellers and accompany me when I meet with them. I have a budget to pay them, but haven't yet figured out where to meet reliable assistants. Does anyone have any ideas on where I can begin? If this is a busy time for students, are there any firms (or other people) who I should contact for help with this?

Thanks very much in advance....

Dear Thaivisa members,

I am a PhD student who will be travelling to Thailand to do some research on the Thai silk industry for four months beginning in February. I will be interviewing silk merchants in Bangkok, silk merchants in Isaan, and silk producers and weavers in Isaan.

However, one major problem is that I do not speak Thai and will therefore need interpreters. Do any of you have any ideas on how I can find affordable interpreters in Bangkok and Isaan? People have suggested University students. Do any of you know any body who would be willing to help, or know of any University web forums or the like that I could post this request on? I do not have a fully funded project yet (so do not have many resources) but I would naturally be willing to pay a fair rate to whoever would be willing to help. Do you have any suggestions for what a fair rate would be in BKK and Isaan?

Thanks very much in advance....

I know some guy who can help you. His job is a interpreter. I think maybe he can help you. His phone is +66-8-5095-7779

i honestly dont see any problem at all and totally free,issaan is teaming with locals wanting to polish up there engrish,just go to the nearest falang cafe and you will find a young student within 10 minutes,....job done.

is it really that easy?

Thanks again to those who have responded.

I am from Pennsylvania however I had to send my passport to Huston Texas for my first visa. They e-mailed me a form (just basic information) which I sent with my passport next day with prepaid next day return post. I had my passport with visa back in 48 hours.

Houston is a safe and prompt bet.

I live in Kentucky, but will have moved to Pennsyvania by the time that I get back into the country in order to apply for visa.

I already have my plane ticket and it is an open-jaw. I fly into Thailand in Feb, but fly out of China in June. Would they have a problem if I just show them that? and maybe an Air Asia ticket or something flying into Malaysia or Cambodia on day 60.

Thanks...

I would give them a call. Expect they may require ticket from non US applicants

Do you mean a ticket showing I will be leaving on day 60?

My fiancee and I are going to apply for 2 entry 60 day tourist visas at the NYC consulate. She is a US citizen, but I am British. Will they have a problem issuing one to me? Also, will they do this on the same day if we arrive in the morning? We live a 10 hour drive away, so will they just mail our passports back to us if they can't get it done that day?

Thanks

Dear Thaivisa members,

I am a PhD student who will be travelling to Thailand to do some research on the Thai silk industry for four months beginning in February. I will be interviewing silk merchants in Bangkok, silk merchants in Isaan, and silk producers and weavers in Isaan.

However, one major problem is that I do not speak Thai and will therefore need interpreters. Do any of you have any ideas on how I can find affordable interpreters in Bangkok and Isaan? People have suggested University students. Do any of you know any body who would be willing to help, or know of any University web forums or the like that I could post this request on? I do not have a fully funded project yet (so do not have many resources) but I would naturally be willing to pay a fair rate to whoever would be willing to help. Do you have any suggestions for what a fair rate would be in BKK and Isaan?

Thanks very much in advance....

lucidwave, I don't know about rates for translations, but I believe most of the Universities won't have their term breaks until Mid Mar. Regards, BD

We can provide a really fine translator for you. Contact us at Tree of Life Orphanage in Buriram. Thienchai Petmadan is a superb translator. He studied in the UAE for several years and is totally fluent. He has accompanied many groups of foreigners around the Isaan to handle translations. He was the overall winner of the Isaan English speaking competition involing 5,600 schools when he was only 12. He is now 20 and will be attending Buriram Rajabhat University in June in Computer Science. His rate is 800 baht per day plus accommodations and meals when he is travelling. Contact uis at 044-618886 or 044-617011 in Buriram.

Thanks very much. I will call within the next few weeks.

Thienchai sounds like he would be a great help. Can I ask, do you know how many days he would be available? And how far would he be able to travel from Bururam?

Thanks again...

Dear Thaivisa members,

I am a PhD student who will be travelling to Thailand to do some research on the Thai silk industry for four months beginning in February. I will be interviewing silk merchants in Bangkok, silk merchants in Isaan, and silk producers and weavers in Isaan.

However, one major problem is that I do not speak Thai and will therefore need interpreters. Do any of you have any ideas on how I can find affordable interpreters in Bangkok and Isaan? People have suggested University students. Do any of you know any body who would be willing to help, or know of any University web forums or the like that I could post this request on? I do not have a fully funded project yet (so do not have many resources) but I would naturally be willing to pay a fair rate to whoever would be willing to help. Do you have any suggestions for what a fair rate would be in BKK and Isaan?

Thanks very much in advance....

It depends on the Consulate. Penang is one, Singapore is two, others may (still) be up to three. You will have to call or email the Consulate you intend to use and ask.

//The above is for a tourist visa - for a non immigrant visa the number is not limited for the multi entry type.//

Thanks. And so each entry gives me 60 days (extendable to 90)?

Cheers.

So, am I correct in thinking this?

Thanks.

It depends on the Consulate. Penang is one, Singapore is two, others may (still) be up to three. You will have to call or email the Consulate you intend to use and ask.

//The above is for a tourist visa - for a non immigrant visa the number is not limited for the multi entry type.//

Thanks. And so each entry gives me 60 days (extendable to 90)?

Cheers.

You would have to apply for a double entry at a Consulate - your visa has already been used once you enter Thailand.

Lucid:

The 90 day rule for being out of the country only effects arrival without visa stays from current information.

Thanks. So, what is the max number of entries I can get on a visa?

I must assume your other name is "lucidwave" as I have not been talking with anyone using the "jessixcate" name here. You are aware dual personality is not allowed on this forum? Please provide an explanation. Please make a choice.

Hi, sorry about that. I wasn't trying to break any rules. I posted from my fiance's computer and didn't realise that it auto logged on to her username. It was me posting though. I didn't realise until it was too late. She is also urging me to figure this out though

Thanks.

Just to reiterate: what is the max number of entries I can get on a visa? Thanks.

It is up to the Consulate how many they will issue but do not believe many normally issue more than 3 entry currently.

So, if I get a 3 entry visa will I be able to stay for a maximum of 270 days if I time all of my border runs correctly?

Is there then a time limit that I am not allowed back in the county after the last day of my 180 or 270 days?

Thanks again very much.

a little bump. Thanks again to all for their help.

It is up to the Consulate how many they will issue but do not believe many normally issue more than 3 entry currently.

So, if I get a 3 entry visa will I be able to stay for a maximum of 270 days if I time all of my border runs correctly?

Is there then a time limit that I am not allowed back in the county after the last day of my 180 or 270 days?

Thanks again very much.

It is 60 day entry stamp on a tourist visa entry and can normally be extended for 30 days. So a two entry could be 60+30 exit/enter 60+30.

There is no requirement to apply for extension of a tourist visa more than 21 days before expiration of 60 day stay - in fact they would probably not want to do that early. It can be the last day, or better planning during the last week.

The place "21 day" comes into play is for conversion from a tourist visa to a non immigration visa at immigration (and that requirement is currently not being required) for those intending to stay one year at a time for marriage/business type reasons.

Thanks very much. So how many entries could I get? Could I get 3 or 4 entries? Or am I restricted to only leaving the country once if I stay form Feb until July?

Thanks again.

and will it be difficult to convince the Thai embassy in DC to give my fiance and I such a visa?

Not at all difficult. Tourist visas are standard. Some government-staffed consulates try to discourage visa applications by giving single-entry tourist visas only, as they prefer to do more meaningful work, for which reason many people apply at an honorary consulate. However, I see no reason why the consulate in Washington should reject your application.

---------------

Maestro

Thanks again. I always had taken the wording on the website (http://www.thaiembdc.org/consular/visa/visa.htm)

Tourist visa.................. US $25.00 per entry for pleasure purpose only. (require copy airline ticket or itenery)

(Maximum stay 60 day, extension of stay may be applied in Thailand.)

to mean that I can only stay for 60 days total. Those 60 days could then be extended. But, they are actually saying that it is 60 days per entry. And are there no rules about re-entering directy after exiting?

A few more questions if you don't mind. How difficult is it to get extensions? Will I have a problem when they see that I am trying to stay for a total of 180 days on a 2 entry tourist visa with 2 extensions?

If we opted for this strategy, we then would be allowed (as per visa rules) to leave the county except for one time after 90 days. If we did take a trip to a neighboring country we would have messed our schedule up and would then have to leave Thailand much earlier than intended. I am understanding this correctly.

Finally, when the embassy states that they:

require copy airline ticket or itenery

how strict are they about this? Can I just tell them I am crossing overland from Malaysia or Cambodia?

Thanks again for your help. I would buy you a beer if we weren't talking in cyberspace.

So, just to clarify. The double entry visa will give me 120 days in 2 x 60 day increments? Each increment can be extended once for 30 days (but only 21 days before the visa expires)?

Without extension of each entry, it is a total of 120 days. With the 30-day extension of each entry, you get a total of 180 days.

---------------

Maestro

and will it be difficult to convince the Thai embassy in DC to give my fiance and I such a visa?

Thanks again for your help.

February to June or July, that’s four to six months in Thailand.

Get a double-entry tourist visa. This way, you won’t risk being denied boarding in the USA. No fear of being denied entry by Thai immigration.

With each entry, permission to stay 60 days will be stamped in your passport. With at least 21 days remaining of your permitted stay, go to any immigration office in Thailand and get a 30-day extension. Before this extension expires, hop across a boarder and return, get 60 days again. Then, if necessary, get again a 30-day extension.

---------------

Maestro

So, just to clarify. The double entry visa will give me 120 days in 2 x 60 day increments? Each increment can be extended once for 30 days (but only 21 days before the visa expires)?

Thanks for the clarification.

Are such visas difficult to get?

Thanks again.