sonicdragon

I have a few questions re settlement visa for spouse

1. Is this the correct checklist ?

http://www.ukvac-th....ment-Spouse.pdf

I have another one which I downloaded some time ago which asks for the Thai Household registration book copy, but the one on the link above does not.

2. The checklist asks for original and photocopies "of documents listed above". This makes sense for things like marriage certificate, but do they also want originals and photocopies of things like

a) Sponsor letter

b.) Bank statements (some are internet-downloaded anyway)

c) Letter from employer in UK

d) Letter from solicitor re:sale of house

d) photographs

e) copy of my passort - the checklist asks for the a certified copy, so does that mean they want the original certified copy with the writing of the person making the certification and also a photocopy ?

etc etc

In short do they basically want everything submtted in duplicate, including photographs, so they can keep a whole set of copies for their records ?

Also regarding my passport copy - on the checklist they just say "Certified copy of spouses passport as evidence that he/she is British or is settled in the UK". So this would just be the info page and there is no need for copies of pages with immigration stamps ? I remember I had to submit pages with Thai immigration stamps when we applied for a visitor visa, so it seems odd that they don't want it now.

Thanks

SD

Excuse me. Posted in wrong forum !.

I have a few questions re settlement visa for spouse

Hi all

1. Is this the correct checklist ?

http://www.ukvac-th.com/images/Settlement-Spouse.pdf

I have another one which I downloaded some time ago which asks for the Thai Household registration book copy, but the one on the link above does not.

2. The checklist asks for original and photocopies "of documents listed above". This makes sense for things like marriage certificate, but do they also want originals and photocopies of things like

a) Sponsor letter

Bank statements (some are internet-downloaded anyway)

c) Letter from employer in UK

d) Letter from solicitor re:sale of house

d) photographs

e) copy of my passort - the checklist asks for the a certified copy, so does that mean they want the original certified copy with the writing of the person making the certification and also a photocopy ?

etc etc

In short do they basically want everything submtted in duplicate, including photographs, so they can keep a whole set of copies for their records ?

Also regarding my passport copy - on the checklist they just say "Certified copy of spouses passport as evidence that he/she is British or is settled in the UK". So this would just be the info page and there is no need for copies of pages with immigration stamps ? I remember I had to submit pages with Thai immigration stamps when we applied for a visitor visa, so it seems odd that they don't want it now.

Thanks in advance

SD

Have you thought of Chinese students studying in Thailand, there are a few at Universities in Thailand

Hadn't thought about that, and not sure a) how to contact them or whether it would be legal.

Thanks to all

I'm probably do as Crossy suggested and take it to Pantip, let a repair shop take a look and if it seems like it will cost more than a couple of thousand baht then probably ditch it and buy a new one.

I have quite mixed feelings about "paying for quality". I have an identital unit in HK that I bought at the same time and have used more or less all the time since. The only difference is that this one has been left untouched for 10 months at a time three times. It's been working perfectly. I also have a Samsung which was priced around the same as the Viewsonic, and that's also been OK. On the other hand, I was once told that Eizo and NEC are among the best that money can buy and I've owned one of each. the Eizo failed just a month after buying it, so it was replaced under warranty. The replacement then failed again about 3 months later and was too costly to repair (was in a different country from where it was bought) . The NEC failed 3 times in as many years and was repaired each time (the last being about 6 months ago).

Does anyone know a good online resource for comparing features, pricings and getting reviews ? Unfrtunately I have very little time for research.

Switched on my LD monitor today - which I use as an external monitor for my laptop, and this is what is looks like - see attachments. The third one is what it looks like without the laptop connected.

Anyone have any idea what might be wrong and whether it's worth taking it to Pantip (or elsewhere) to be fixed ? Or should I just get a new one ? And in that case, any recommendations for 21/22 inch ?

It's only the 4th month that I've used it. Unfortunatelty the first month was in 2007, the 2nd in 2008 and the 3rd in 2009.

Thanks.

SD

Hi

We are looking for a private tutor for our children (3.5 year old twins). They have been at a local kindergarten in Hong Kong for 2 years, learning mainly Cantonese, but also with daily Mandarin lessons - actually it was a trilingual Cantonese-English-Mandarin program that was roughly 60%-20%-20%. The way it was structured is that they had a class teacher who did music, sports, personal development, reading/writing/speaking all in Cantonese; then they would have two English lessons and one Mandarin lesson per day with natve speakers. As you would expect, everything was centered around play, but in a fairly structured way. We think it is better for them to continue with Cantonese lessons only for the time being, now that we will be in Thailand for at least a few months, since they have already attained an elementary conversational level, whereas their Mandarin is very limited. We are not really sure if this is the best approach, as ultimately we would like them to speak Mandarin as well, and we would like to discuss these issues with a prospective tutor prior to commencing lessons - we would also appreciate any comments or advice in this thread. They have been learning traditional Chinese reading/writing which we would also like to continue.

My wife and I speak Cantonese, but not fluently - the children are native speakers of Thai and English, and we try to maintain the rule that I speak with them in English and my wife speaks with them in Thai.

We are located in Samut Prakan and would like a tutor to come to our home two or three times per week.

Please contact me if interested.

Also, if anyone knows of good resources to find a suitable tutor please let me know.

SD

Update.

Arrived in Thailand yessterday, went to Pantip and looked around. I was told my choice of dongle was very limited because I have Windows 7 64 bit. Got this advice from nearly every shop I went to. The one recommended (in fact the only one) was a "DTech 3G HSDPA" which works with GPRS/EDGE and 3G - around 1900B. Being somewhat skeptical by nature i shopped around a bit and found other shops that said the cheaper/other models will also work, so I asked them to prove it, with my laptop - after an hour a one shop, they admitted defeat having tried countless dongles. This was with an AIS/12Call Sim (no 3G where I am going to stay first). Tried another shop that also said the cheaper one would work - also without success.

Finally went back to the very first shop I went to and asked them to set up the 1900B model. Worked first time with the AIS sim. Tried removing, rebooting, hibernating etc. All OK so I paid and left. Half an hour later I try to use it in a cafe - device not recognized !!! Played around with it for a long time with no joy - went back to Pantip. Sales girl couldn't get it to work, so she took it to their technical guy, who also couldn't get it to work - changed the dongle, changed the Sim - nothing worked. So I left it with them for an hour - came back, and it was working. Explanation: "Don't know why it wouldn't work, but I installed the drivers manually and now it works". Been working OK since then.

Fingers crossed !

On second thoughts I think I'd rather just pay a bit extra at Pantip so at least I'll be sure it works OK.

Up to you. If you can't get 3G in some areas, grab a HAPPY SIM for 49 baht. Unlimited Internet is 267 baht for 7 days as indicated in the link. Try it for one day to see if it suits. Don't bother buying an EDGE modem, it's a waste of money. A 3G modem that covers as many frequencies as possible will be more useful, especially for worldwide travel.

TRUE has 3G in Bangkok and you'll get free access to their Wireless network, but their EDGE service is SLOW.

AIS has 3G and EDGE.

TOT has 3G and is also sold via Virtual networks, some better value than others.

Now you see why it's important that you have an unlocked 3G USB modem which can cover as many frequencies as possible. That way you can obtain whichever SIM will suit your situation.

Thanks. What kind of modem is needed for the Happy Sim ?

On second thoughts I think I'd rather just pay a bit extra at Pantip so at least I'll be sure it works OK.

Hi neverdie, in what way was it a nightmare - no connection, or slow connection, or ...... ? I don't mind a slow connection - I live with the Hutch mobile service before - but no connection at all would be a problem.

Firstly, we arent just talking 'SLOW' here, we are talking record breaking slow speed stuff.

Also I experienced constant drop outs. To me the two combined made GPRS very annoying.

As I also said, its my understanding that if you goto a TRUE shop, upon arrival in Bkk, you can purchase WIFI time & of course prior to going there you can search for WIFI connections in the area that you are staying & you will know if you have a TRUE WIFI available. Its been a couple of years since I looked at it, but it wasnt an expensive option back then, so I doubt it will be now.

I also had a favourite coffee shop near my place that I would frequent. Most of them have WIFI now & its a good excuse for a coffee.

Hi again

As for slow speed - I think I can live with it. Sometimes I use a 28.8k dial-up modem at a remote location in Scotland and it's fine, though constant dropouts would likely be more of a problem.

I know for a fact there are no WiFi hotspots near enough to my in-laws house where I will stay some of the time in Bangkok to get a connection there. The problem with going to coffee shops is that there isn't always one open at the time I need to connect (eg 3AM).

If you are in the UK, it would be better to buy a 3G USB modem there and unlock it. All in cost below £30(1500 baht). Then you can use any SIM card in order to take advantage of 3G where it is available. As the SIM cards cost as little as £1(49 baht) it would be no inconvenience to have one of each to hand and to top up accordingly.

I'm in Hong Kong at the moment. I know they have 3G here, so does that mean I should be able to do the same as you suggest ?

But do they have pay as you go 3G sim cards in Thailand ? And do they have unlimited use monthly SIM cards (if not, how much does the data cost ?)

And as an added tip, if you use the regular Edge dongle, get a simcard both from Dtac and AIS. They are cheap anyway (50 Baht or so).

Then in the location where you will be using it the most, try both. In some locations AIS will be steady and OK speeds and Dtac might be slow, other locations might be the way around!

When you haven't subscribed to a package yet, you will be deducted 1 Baht/minute when on-line. Good enough for a bit of trial. Once you decided which one seems to be the best, take out a package, and use the other one simply as a back-up...

Did I misunderstand earlier ? You said "You can get unlimited packages on the pre-paid sim-cards. AIS currently just under 700 Baht unlimited". Surely it would be worth just having one of those from both DTAC and AIS and using whichever gives the best speed at the time, in the location I happen to be ? Then it's just 1400 Bt per month with (hopefully) no headaches.

If it is just to get internet access to a PC why not use Hutch? Seems they are the only one outside the few areas (Bangkok, Chang Mai) that has 3G. Walking past Hutch in South Pattaya the other day I saw they have a big ad for some sort of USB dongle for 590 baht. Probably requires some subscription as well but Hutch was usually about the same price or cheaper than the others anyway.

The subscription would be the problem, as I'm only here for 3 months, and likely not back again for another year, which will likely be 2 months next summer.

Thanks for that. Seems like the USB dongle from pantip is the way to go for me ! Which brand/model of dongle did you get ?

Good question! It says "EDGE Modem". No brand name. I've attached a picture of it. Just used it today. Works great! As has been said many times before, EDGE is not fast, but it is usable. Here in Bangkok I get "5 bars" everytime I use it. Outside of Bangkok I've been in areas where I get only 2 or 3 bars but even then I can do what I need to on the net. I am very curious to know if a "better" name-brand dongle would get a stronger signal but this one has worked well enough that I haven't bothered spending the money on another (except the 3G one I wasted my money on. Oh well... Satisfied my curiosity.).

If anyone else out there has experience with these things please join the conversation. Cheers!

Looks very much like the "AirNet USB EDGE Modem M100" here

Edge Aircard | Edge Modem | Edge for AIS | Edge for Dtac | Edge for True

Several months ago I bought a generic USB (dongle) EDGE modem from Pantip and it works great. However, I highly recommend that you take your laptop (assuming that's what you're using) with you and have them set it up for you. The first one I bought didn't work. Took it back. The guy tried another one (different model), didn't work. Third one worked great! Happened to be the cheapest one too, around 1000 baht with 12-Call SIM card included. 30 hours of internet for 100 baht good for 30 days. Top-up with cards from 7-11. I've since set this up on several more computers without a hitch. Easy self-loading software. Coverage is good anywhere you can get a phone signal. I've used it in taxis and on the sky train with no problems.

About a month ago I bought a Sierra Wireless 3G USB dongle with an iMobile sim for 2300 Baht. 7.2 Mbps and it is FAST!!! Coverage in Bagkok is good, spotty in surrounding provinces. Although fast, it's expensive. 100 baht only gets you 100 megabytes of data transferred. iMobile doesn't provide internet access by the hour. Their best "sign-up" package only gets you 6 gig of data for 700 baht. Definitely not worth it for me. Again I highly recommend taking your laptop and having them set it up. The 3G dongle is a lot more involved. The guy set it up on my laptop with no problem and showed me how to do it. When I got home I tried to set it up on a desktop and couldn't. Took the desktop to him and it took him nearly an hour to do it. And this is guy that has set up hundreds of these things. You have been warned. Have since been able to set it up myself on several other computers but I don't use it much due to the cost. Will soon look into a more cost effective SIM. If anyone has any suggestions please reply.

Cheers

Thanks for that. Seems like the USB dongle from pantip is the way to go for me ! Which brand/model of dongle did you get ?

Hi neverdie, in what way was it a nightmare - no connection, or slow connection, or ...... ? I don't mind a slow connection - I live with the Hutch mobile service before - but no connection at all would be a problem.

Firstly, we arent just talking 'SLOW' here, we are talking record breaking slow speed stuff.

Also I experienced constant drop outs. To me the two combined made GPRS very annoying.

As I also said, its my understanding that if you goto a TRUE shop, upon arrival in Bkk, you can purchase WIFI time & of course prior to going there you can search for WIFI connections in the area that you are staying & you will know if you have a TRUE WIFI available. Its been a couple of years since I looked at it, but it wasnt an expensive option back then, so I doubt it will be now.

I also had a favourite coffee shop near my place that I would frequent. Most of them have WIFI now & its a good excuse for a coffee.

Hi again

As for slow speed - I think I can live with it. Sometimes I use a 28.8k dial-up modem at a remote location in Scotland and it's fine, though constant dropouts would likely be more of a problem.

I know for a fact there are no WiFi hotspots near enough to my in-laws house where I will stay some of the time in Bangkok to get a connection there. The problem with going to coffee shops is that there isn't always one open at the time I need to connect (eg 3AM).

^For a little while (couple of weeks) I had just a GPRS connection to do basic stuff with online and it was a LIVING NIGHTMARE. More often than not, I ended up in the car, cruising Bangkok looking for somewhere to connect to WIFI.

Most areas of Bangkok (I think they claim all) have WIFI access (True), so you only need to purchase access. Of course, leaving the immediate BKK area would almost render that useless, I would imagine.

Hi neverdie, in what way was it a nightmare - no connection, or slow connection, or ...... ? I don't mind a slow connection - I live with the Hutch mobile service before - but no connection at all would be a problem.

Both AIS and Dtac have Edge (GPRS). You can get unlimited packages on the pre-paid sim-cards. AIS currently just under 700 Baht unlimited.

Regular EDGE dongles are cheap.

Not fast but usable, comparable to the speeds hutch gave a while ago. Nationwide coverage...

If you stay in Bangkok, both True and TOT have 3G, but not full coverage yet. I think both available pre-paid.

Unfortunately they are on different frequencies, so one device can't do both systems.

True will simply fall back to EDGE when outside of 3G range, not sure if you get any internet at all on TOT if outside 3G coverage...

TOT 3G

No idea on True's website for 3G, I have long given up trying to navigate their webmaze

Hi Monty, and thanks for the info. I'll be in the greater Bangkok area all the time. From what you said it sounds like I can just buy a AIS or DTAC pre-paid SIM (I assume this is what we call pay-as-you-go in the UK ?) and a "Regular EDGE" dongle and this will give me internet access wherever there is a AIS/DTAC signal. I don't need much bandwidth so speed is not a critical issue. I assume a Regular Edge dongle is just a USB device that the SIM plugs into, much like the Hutch device I had a few years ago ? Do you know where can I buy one ? So I would have unlimited access for 700Bt ? That sounds very cheap.....

I don't know much about 3G but I thought it was something for mobile phones only, or are there dongles for that which I can use with my laptop ?

Most bars, pubs and coffee joints and department stores has WIFI. Some free some not.

Hi, thanks for that, but I don't frequent bars and pubs, and anyway I need access pretty much wherever I happen to be - for instance I could get a work-related call at 3AM and need access within a few mins - so I think it needs to be a service that works over the public cellular phone network.....

I used to have Hutch mobile internet service when I lived in Thailand a few years ago and that worked like a treat, but that needs a one year contract. What I need is some kind of pay as you go service.

Any suggestions ?

Hi, can anyone advise on possible options for mobile internet. I will be in Thailand for 3 months July-Sep and will need a regular, almost constant, internet connection for my laptop. It doesn't need to be particularly fast, but I will be moving around, mainly near Bangkok quite often. Is there any mobile-broadband usb dongle pay-as-you-go service ? Any other options ?

Thailand runs a current account surplus and a trade surplus, which naturally support the baht. For there to be a big selloff in the baht, there would have to be the perception of economic collapse. The big money foreign investors likely think that's not going to happen and see the current events as just the next chapter in Thailand's ongoing political "evolution" (if you can call it that), or maybe they think it's just business as usual. Let's not forget there have been 18 military coup's in Thailand since 1932, and the current events are a continuation of the crisis that began in 2005. Protests and crack-downs are not exactly something new. Another factor is the expectation for a revaluation of the RMB, which will tend to support all asian currencies.

I suspect there isn't that much fast money invested in Thailand that can leave overnight. Obviously there will be some, and some short term investors may get cold feet and of course speculators could get involved, so there may be a knee-jerk reaction tomorrow, but I wouldn't expect anything dramatic unless the current situation gets very much worse. The BOT will likely resist a dramatic fall in baht, in favour of a more gradual depreciation, because currency instability is a problem in itself, often more so than the direction of movement.

Now our kids are 3 and half I find the stopover in Dubai or Abu Dhabi is good - breaks up the journey, and allows us to fly straight in to Manchester. But for a one year old, assuming he/she is a good sleeper and you have a night flight, and you don' have to connect through Heathrow, then nonstop is the way to go.

Another "good" Heathrow story - wife took one baby through security first, I took the other and they did the whole pat-down thing on me. By the time I got to the other side of the x-ray machine I saw one security staff throwing all our baby food in the waste bin !!! They had made my wife open everything and taste it, then they told her that now it was open she had to feed it to the kids before proceeding further !!! She tried to argue (naturally !) , so they confiscated the lot. Then I tried to reason with them, but of course that's a waste of time and energy.

Agreed. It's better with bassinet on the floor, if the cabin crew allow it (avoid BA, they wouldn't let us), as getting out of your seat with the bassinet set up on it's shelf can be a struggle ! Another thing, is to check in as early as possible - if they do online check-in then as soon as it opens - even if you have booked the seat in advance, otherwise the bassinets might all get taken. This happened to us once with a BA flight (avoid if possible) which was actually a Quantas code share. Even though we had "booked" the bassinet sets in advance (we have twins), when we came to check in at Bangkok (4 hours early!) we were told that they were already occupied by passengers coming from Sydney. Needless to say we were not amused. So avoid BA - did I mention that already ? By contrast, Thai, Etihad, Cathay and Emirates have all been great with kids. Oh, and another thing, you can usually book some baby food in advance. And did I mention to avoid Heathrow for connections ? Last time we went through (on the way to Manchester) they made us take off the babies' shoes to x-ray them !!!!!!!!! And that was after queuing at security for nearly an hour.........

Oh, and when you book, request a seat with a baby bassinet. When seatbelt signs are off, baby can sleep in the bassinet. After booking, call a few more times to the airline to make double sure you get the bassinet seat . It's a great help.

Leave and re-enter Thailand on Thai pasport. Enter and Leave UK on a British passport. Very easy.

You'll have to keep baby on your knee and you'll have to buy an infant ticket.

Try to choose a night flight. With luck, baby will sleep through most of the flight.

Agree very much with the poster who suggested giving a bottle during ascent and descent.

Avoid Heathrow at all costs if it's not your final desitnation.