old wanderer

PKG:

We are spending the $15 at the Consulate Tuesday when she picks up her passport for them to certify the marriage certificate. This is another form they have available. They tell us it is what will be necessary at the Ampur to get the ID card changed. Once that is changed we can work on the passport. I think also they have a computer link to the Thai ID sight, and maybe make a notation in there. (She was not married before by the way).

Seems like the long route is to go to the Ampur and do the marriage thing there get the Thai documents (And we did have a hel_l of a Thai wedding 3 years ago). But we will try with the old USA marriage certificate.

The reason I am a little grumpy about it is when I have told her to do it, she has listened to her Thai friends that say not to worry, and yet not one of them has ever traveled further than Issan to BKK> , while I do at least 6 international trips each year. All I have heard were excuses about too long of a line, or computer was down, or it will take too long.

I plan of having her take her expired passport that showed her married name, and the Nevada marriage license with the certified Thai translation. (I had to use one copy to get my O visa.).

She now see how serious it is.

I recently had a similar problem with my TW. I took a look at her passport and found it was expiring on May 11 this year. We are leaving for a short visit to Thailand in April, and will be back before the passport expired.....

Well I had to go to the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles for a O visa, and she was with me and inquired about getting a new one when we returned....They got a bit upset about it, and told us to get a new one NOW>....It was supposed to take 4 weeks, and that would have put us just a few day prior to departure. As it turns out, they called for her to pick up her new passport in 2.5 weeks.

However, she being Thai........has screwed around for 10 years about changing her ID card. We had an addendum to her old passport, showing her new married name. The new passport will show only her single name, as the passport must match the ID card...now the tickets, and her green card do not match the name in the passport.

Since it will be inspected in the USA, Thailand, and Canada before we are back in the USA, I told her this is of your own making, so if I have to leave you somewhere, you straiten it out.

I think I have her attention now, so when (if) we both get to Thailand, she is going home and get her ID changed, then go to get her passport sorted out, BUT she only has a few days to do this in as it is Song Khran, and we are leaving the following weekend.

I will talk with the Consulate (I'm being way too easy I know) and see if they can do the addendum in the e-passport.

Off the top of my head you could check with Brinks at the Jewelery Centre in Silom, I'll have to check my notes on others. I'll PM you with them.

Regards

Would you PM me also.

Thanks

They'll probably either know, or not know. You need to make clear that you want the carnet though (which requires a huge bond to be paid) rather than the 'passport' booklet, which only good for laos (so I was advised).

I did some checking on this for a motorcycle. The bond is the amount the person issuing the carnet would have to pay for the duty to import your vehicle in the country if it is not removed.

For my bike for instance;

Singapore 30% market value

Malaysia 60% market value

Thailand...not available....

So to bring my motorcycle to Singapore, the cost of the carnet via the Canadian AAA (the USA AAA does not issue them) $450 plus a bond of 60% of market value and about 3 weeks to issue. The Carnet is good for 1 year, and when you show the bike is returned, you get a refund on the bond...The bond can be a letter of credit from your bank as well. Also while the Carnet is good for 1 year, the bike must be removed from Singapore every 90 days.

Do a google on Carnet du passage to understand more.

My TW is glued to the 60" television every night listning to Sondhi. As he rants on for an hour or more, she sits there cheering him. Boy she does hate Thaskin. I found she had sent money to Sondhi station to help support it when it was on really shakey ground before Thaskin left. I think we own some stock in ASTV now.

Talk about a simple Issan girl whose brain woke up being in the USA for 10 years. Just after the coup, she was talking with her mother on the phone....."You buffallo brain to support Thaskin. He is Mr. corruption." she said Her mother responds, "Thaskin gave everybody in the village 250 baht to vote for him, nobody else offered anything".

I happen to really like strong people like Sondhi, and really hope some motorcycle does not drive by and shoot him. Thailand could use more outspoken thinkers like him. He does not seem to have a personal agenda, but has his own vision of where Thailand should be going.

I just arrived back home tonight, will see what I can locate tomorrow.

Like the rest of you, I am concerned about his absence.

Does anyone have more in the way of information or links to what the Thai ceromony entails, how long it all lasts and what is expected of me?

I had been married for 7 years to my Thai wife in the USA, but every time we returned to Issan, we both kept being asked by a lot of people in the village, "When are you getting married?" I printed large pictures of our wedding in the USA and had them framed and given to her mother and father,,,,,did not change a thing. "When are you going to get married/".

Well after 7 years of prodding, me re-adjusting my thinking a bit, I jumped in whole hog. Bought a Jo-ko-ban, hired a marching band, had 9 chanting monks, and enought beer and whiskey to keep 200 people drunk for 3 days, plus a bunch of pigs, chickens, somthom, .....If you are going to have a wedding party then have one that will not be forgotten soon. Had a pile of speakers 8 feet high and blasted Moo Lum music 10 miles away. Got to say I had a great time, drank moonshine with the lao people, learned to speak some Suay and Khmer, danced with every lady I could find, and met and recieved the respect of a lot of relitives that I would have never known. The best thing it brought a tremendous amout of respect for my wife and her family. Yes I paid the sinsod (mid 6 figures plus 18 baht gold), yes I paid for the whole party/wedding, and am well satisfied. I even had the family home rebuilt last year, but insisted that it be done to western standards, and hired outside contractors to come to the village and do the work. Now "MY" family home is a show place that people come to look at in this little village. It is know as "The Falang House even though It is the home of my mother-in-law. (My father -in-law died 2 months after the wedding.)

I really believe that the reason the vast majority of farang/thai relationships go bad is because we never intergrate outselves, but always expect the TG to do all the intergration. I do speak with some experience as I had gone through 4 other wives in the USA before finding a keeper. Happy relationships are based on finding a comfortable middle ground.

We are currently building a new home at a resort in the mountains, and when it is finnished I will charter a bus to bring as many village people to our house blessing party as want to come. I consider it obligagtion to my family, and a chance to show them a different side of life. Besides it a good reason to have another big party, watch the Thai's turn green trying to smoke my cigars, hire a moo-lum band, dance and just have a good time....As this is a bit of an upscale resort, I sure some of my neighbors will join in, others will feel it is beneith them?? We shall see.

We never went to the Ampur to do the paperwork, but all is well in the village.

I am taking my NUVI 360 with me to Thailand along with a SD chip. I understand the shop in Pantip will need to contact Garmin to get the unlock code for my unit. Then we will load the map.

Expensive 10,000baht

The airlines are required to check for travel documents....If you have an expired passport, you cannot travel...

I just went through this with my Thai wife, and even though we could have done the travel and arrived back in the USA with 7 days remaining on her passport, it was not acceptable.

The Thai consulate in Los Angeles said 4 weeks to process. We went in on 6 March and they called her to pick up her new passport on 22 March.

she had already done a 5 year extension in the passport. That only takes 1 day.

If your wife has not extended her passport then it should be quick. They are now only processing e passports.

Also we had an amended passport 8 years ago, so the last name would show her married name and match the green card and airline ticket....guess what....we are back to her single name as the passport has to agree with her Thai ID card....So next month we will try and get that changed.

I know when he was at my house his wife was coming over in a week or so. I'm sure Tim will re-surface, but really worried about him.

Since he spent so long in ICU, they do not allow visitors there except for family.

I am in Seattle for 5 more days then will go look around some more.

(And NO it was not the fish sauce, as my wife is still going fine, and NO it was not his car, as he rides a Motorcycle also. )

The last contact I had was on 5 March at 2300 hrs...he was supposed to call at 11:00 AM the next day.

I had discussed with the Los Angeles Consulate last month the following.:

I was picking up a 1 YR Multiple Entry O visa, when I was notified that I would need to go to BKK in May on Business, Can I have both a B and O valid at the same time in my passport, and just note which reason I am traveling to Thailand...

Answer: NO If you now apply for a B visa, we will cancel the O visa even if you have not yet used it. (No refund either).

MF came to my home a few weeks ago, my wife made him some Somtham and sticky rice that made his eyes water and nose run a bit. Had 2 emails and we were going to get together several weeks ago, but all is silent. I am really concerned about him as well. Last post was some computer problem he was having at that time.

He explained where he was staying which is only a few miles from my house. I had just gotten a new motorcycle on 6 March, so the evening of 7 March went over to try and find the house, but had a car crash into my bike, so ended the search.

I think the last time I heard anything was on about 5 March.

and she has said that I now have to decide what is more important; my career or my family, I feel like I am being emotionally blackmailed.

To me, a old guy that has gone through far too many wives, the above is the telling statement. You need to consider if your nature is to lead or to follow. Her statement clearly states she feels that she should be empowered to lead and set the standards.

You had a 12 month agreement, and then asses where the future would bring you. She broke it.

I do believe you should stay for the 12 months, and make no bones about she should be good for her word, or where will she break it next or demand next.

Do not make it easy for her, as she has a decision to make, if her small personal discomfort is worth breaking up an family and depriving your child from being with the father.

There are other simpler ways to go about this. I have been married 5 times. The last time was to my Thai wife 10 years ago, who I brought to the USA on a K1 visa. A few years ago we also got married in her village.

We wished to get the marriage certified in the Ampur, and it was simpler to just take the USA marriage certificate, get a paper from the Los Angeles consulate office ($15.00), and take it to the Ampur, do the name change on the Thai ID card, than trying to do all the other paperwork.

I did have to have certified copies of all the divorce decrees when I applied for the K1 visa.

Interesting enough, 8 years ago, we took everything to the cosulate and they did a adendum to her Thai passport saying she was married and her new last name on page 2. When we wanted to renew the passport, they went back to the single name, as it had to agree with her Thai id card...Then did the adendum for the married name so all the names on the Green card, airline ticket, and passport were the same. Hence the need to change the ID card at the Ampur.

Love riding my Aprilia Falco or Futura.....both are 1000cc Twins.... :D

Sometimes I ride the yellow bike in the picture, but just on the track (Honda CBR 600 F4)

America is the only contry in the world that lays claim to any money you make reguardless of where you live or work.

it used to be a rare occurance in Europe for a person to make an appointment to renounce citizenship, now in London there is a 3 to 4 month wait for that appointment. People that live abroad and earn a decient living are required to file every year with the IRS even if you do no owe anything.

I personally am rebelious by nature, and will look at alternatives when I finally retire in Thailand.

Be a bit careful about the ATM card thing. Earlier this year I set up with my bank to raise my limit starting on a given day for a specific amount. I went to the bank and wanted to withdraw 1,000,000 baht.

1st bank refused as my signature was worn, 2nd bank refused as my signature on my card did not match my signature in my passport in their opinion, 3rd bang agreed, but the card did not authorize the transfer.

Lucky for me I do have some friends in Thailand and was able to borrow the money for a week until I returned and transfered it to their bank account.

You have a similar problem if you or your wife has an account with a usual balance that is 5 figures. Suddenly you transfer 5 million baht and the next week go and try to withdraw it...get hit with a daily limit.

If you already have an account, it used to be OK, but with the $20,000 limit it now poses problems.

I recently did a land deal when the baht was at 37, I now need to finish paying for the land, and moving the funds is a PIA>

I have to order the money from my bank 5 banking days in advance, declare it when I leave, make sure I do not have any problems until it is a safety deposit box in Thailand....

Life used to be simple

With "large" amounts of money, the exchange here is worth about 3%. You need to decided if it is worth it too you for the risks involved.

Riding my motorcycle yesterday, I slowed down (not a full stop) at a 3 way T shaped intersection with no stop or yield sign, an oncoming motorcycle to my right had right of way. I then heard "Oei, oei, oei!" behind me. A motorcycle following me way too close on a gravel road could not slow down in time as well (most likely was going to throw himself through the intersection). Slid on it's side and went by me missing me by inches. I spun around and asked the driver if he was ok, got up and said he was fine. I left. Had he not been following me so close and not directly in my path but to my right or left, he could have easily avoided his accident.

Right here in Los Angeles. Tuesday I had the delivery of a long awaited Aprilia Futura motorcycle. This bike was like from the showroom and had been sitting in a garage outside of Chicago for almost 2 years. If you do not know what this is google Aprilia Futura. Absolutly futuristic beautiful bikes. This one was in Italian red.

I called and had it added on my insurance policy. Wednesday (liability only). I rode it a bit, and just after dark, following some traffic, and allowing about 4 or 5 car lengths between me and a string of cars and putting along at 25 MPH, a woman that could not turn on her turn signal as her hand was holding her cell phone to her ear, and did not want to be rude by interrupting her string of prattle, decided I was invisible, and promptly turned right in front of me.

now I am sitting home here on my Birthday (Sunday) with a tweaked neck and sore knee, plus an ugly bike that I have not been able to locate the parts to rebuild yet because they are rare.

I hired a junk yard dog type attorney to settle the whole mess.

Somewhat related...I am an American,and was JUST told by email from BOTH

of the two most liberal Thai Consulates in USA that they are NOT giving

multiple entry non immigrant type O visas anymore !!! Any feedback Thaivisa expats?

...anyone?..what a letdown!!!

That is not entirely correct. I applied for a Multiple entry O visa yesterday and picked it up today from the Los Angeles consulate. I supplied to them:

Passport

Copy of passport page 1/2

Certified copy of Marriage certificate with Thai translation

Copy of my wifes passport

Copy of my wife ID card

Hand written letter from my wife stating we were still married.

Money order $125.

Must have taken less than 10 minutes.

I just got back from the consulate in my office not 30 minutes ago, so you cannot get more current than that!!

I just picked up my non-immig O from the consulate in Los Angeles, it is for 12 months. I asked about 18 months, and they said does not exist.

I will be picking my non Img. O visa based on marriage to Thai from the Los Angles consulate office today. I will let you know what I get. I applied for a multi-entry O visa.

While I have heard a lot of negitive comments about the Los Angeles consulate office, they could not have been more helpful to me and my wife. When she showed them her Thai passport, they noted it would expire in 3 months. They explained sometimes you are denied bording if you do not have 6 months of validity left. They set her up and she did her "E" passport application while we were there, even though they have a firm policy of "by appointment only".

Sniperteam6: There are no finiacial requirements to apply for the O visa in your home country, only to extend it in Thailand.

Hi stuandchris,

Depends of the amount. If equivalent to 20.000 euros or less, the best rate is to take UK Notes with you and to change them at Super Rich when you arrive in Bangkok.

I am familiar with "Super Rich". Why do you say 20,000 or less?? I have never heard any limit on the amount they will change.

There is also another place close by that has slightly better rates, but it is at home, so don;t remembe the name right now.

One of the considerations that is taken into account in aircraft age is not the calendar age, but the "flight cycle" age of the aircraft. There are some majoy mandated mods once you reach a threshold.

A flight cycle is 1 take-off/landing. By flying the longer routes you postpone this maitenace period .

It is not uncommon to find aircraft with 80,000 hours of flying buy only 31,000 cycles. The threshold is usually around 45,000 - 60,000 cycles depending on the model of aircraft.

When I was a young man, still in the university I started a company and was in the right place at the right time. I became wealthy. When I was 30 my Chinese wife decided that she was in disagreement with my premise:

Golden Rule:

He that has the gold gets to make the rules.

It was the 60's and drugs, sex and rock and roll was everywhere. Naturally I was in the middle of it in SoCal and weathy and in my 20's.

Well not wanting to get killed in divorce court, I set sail on my 73' racing yacht and sailed the Pacific for 3 years. I stopped at all those out of the way South Pacific Islands and sampled what was available.

One of things I took away with me was; those people that had little, but had friends and family were consistently the happiest most carefree people I ever met.

If you have those things, or have a dream, and see the path to the fulfillment of the dream, you will usually be a happy person.

Those people that have no goal, no "real friends' or family will usually be a pain to be around.

By real friends I mean those that are with you what ever your circumstances are. I remember only too well one "friend" that I let live in my home when at the university, shared may drinks and adventures with, flew him to the south pacific to join me on the boat at times. A few years later when I returned broke (which was my intent, as I did not want the divorce attorneys to end up with a new RR), I called him from the Seattle airport (he was an architect living in Seattle at the time). Told him I was at the airport, reply "well if you are in the neighborhood stop by"...my response "Don't have any transportation".. Reply.."Well maybe next time".

Friend?? I think not. I had never been in need with this person before, so my perception was quite different. he was my friend, I was a person he used.

Sometimes I think , the more education you absorb in life (not meaning just school0 , the more prone you are to unhappiness, as you relize a broader spectrum of what is possible. Simple people tend to totally enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

Maybe I should dust of my old $500 suitcase and buy a cobra and place in it. Dress in an expensive suit, Then check it a left luggage.

Now you have a problem....IF you did get bit, why were you in my luggage, and if you do not get bit, why are you complaining about what was locked my luggage, and why were you opening it??