smileplur

I know people often don't return to post a follow up to how things went. It generally annoys me on the forums where I mainly post (Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree). So, here I am to report what happened.

My girlfriend took the documents above. I was unable to get a new contract. As it turns out, they were very keen to see my Passport and Work Permit. The advice for her to take those two documents proved invaluable! A huge thank you for that!!!!

They read all of the letters, but they were mostly concerned with the letter from my mother and from me. The cross referenced everything in the letters with my passport. My girlfriend says they spent a lot of time with my passport. They went through every page meticulously. They went through it like this three times!!

They kept referring back to the passport with each document. It's what sealed the deal in her opinion.

She was told she was being granted a B-2 Visa, given instructions regarding where to go pay for the postage, and to expect her passport back in a few days. She said thank you.

So, she was successful. Thank you so much for the advice. It has certainly made a big difference in this case. I am extremely grateful for your help! Keep up the good work guys!

Furthermore, my passport will reveal that I already have the re-entry permit. Good call.

Thanks Mac,

My company has my passport at present for a 90 day report they are doing for me in the morning. I should be able to get it back sometime tomorrow afternoon. I will send her with both my passport and my work permit which show my continuous stay and exemptions for the past 3 years and the very frequent visits leading up to my moving here.

Getting the new contract on such short notice might be problematic. If I can't get it, I have an amendment to my current contract that states my salary will be reviewed in May of 2013 unless terminated. I negotiated for a higher salary halfway through the contract. Should I send that with her in the event that I cannot get my new contract in my hands tomorrow?

Hi forum members,

I will try to keep this short and sweet. My girlfriend is applying for a B-2 Visa to visit the US. She has her interview on Monday morning at the crack of dawn. I'm not permitted to go with her, so I have to weekend to make sure everything is sorted out. I am wondering what you think her chances are of successfully passing the interview. What else can I add?

She has the following:

• Completed DS-160
  
• Reciept of payment for the PIN and Visa Fee
  
• Bank Statements for the last year
  
• Letter of Support from her big boss stating her salary and permission to leave for 2 weeks in October. It also states that she will have a job when she returns.
  
• Letter of Support from her direct manager - pretty much states the same
  
• Letter of Support from me stating that we have been together for 2 years and I have every intention of returning to Thailand
  
• Letter of Support from my boss of 3 years attesting to the fact that I have held my position for 3 years and will be given another contract at the end of my current contract
  
• Letter of Support from my mother who holds a top secret security clearance stating that she will cover the costs associated with transportation, shelter and food for the short trip. It also sttes her position with the federal government.
  
• Several pages of small photographs documenting our living standard, home, vacations, and quality of life here in Thailand
  
• Photograph matching the DS-160
  

All are neatly prepared in the order requested. The fees are all paid.

The facts are:

• She is a university graduate
  
• Her salary is 14,500 baht per month + service charge (hotel and varies by month)
  
• She has contributed a small amount of 1,000 - 2,000 baht a month to a separate savings account + plus a lump sum of 40,000 baht (the lump sum was her own money from her parents about 6-7 months ago)
  
• My mother has been here to visit us. Numerous friends have been here to visit us. Unfortunately, some members of my aging family are unable to make such a trip.
  

What do you think? Can you offer any advice, suggestions, tips, or insights regarding what she is going to experience on Monday morning? Have I forgotten anything?

Thank you so much for your help!

Good news indeed!

Sorry. I quoted only the part of your post that I thought concerned lack of knowledge of the existence in the USA. My other comments were not directed to your post.

In fact, according to my daughter's pediatrician, there is a general outbreak in at least this area at this time, in numerous daycare centers, of what is described by her pediatrician as a VERY CONTAGIOUS but mild disease.

As far as my comments about 'the sky is falling' syndrome so prevalent on TV, it was not directed to you or your post but to the numerous almost hysterical posts in the preceding 100 or so posts.

My own understanding of "very contagious" is simply that it is easily spread and most likely no amount of hand washing and hand wringing is going to stop the spread. To expect Thai officials to have foreseen an outbreak after an incubation period of some several days is simply not reasonable.

Fair enough. My only mention of my nationality was to alert people to the fact that I have had limited exposure to the virus until recently. Certain strains of the virus are proving to be anything but mild in Southeast Asia. Let's hope that this one proves to be what they are claiming it to be. And, let's home for some dam_n soap at my school!!!!!

This news is particularly alarming for me. Being from the United States, we don't have many outbreaks of this disease. Prior to this event, I admit to having very little knowledge about it at all. It has been confirmed that there is at least one case of it at my school. There hasn't been any talk of closure yet, but you never know when a school like Chula does something like this. Others may very well follow.

I'm back in the USA for a short while. Two days ago my 16 month old grandsons (twins) came down with this disease. One evening of discomfort and the next day fine. My daughter says it was picked up at the gym she goes to.

What is difficult for me to believe is the 'sky is falling' attitude of so many posters over a viral infection that is seriously not serious. The negative attitudes of so many posters on here denigrating Thai officials for not containing something so difficult to contain, so easily spread, is simply appalling. Are you people for real?

Did you bother to read the rest of my post about why it would be a cause for alarm? It is serious. Numerous children have died in nearby countries. It is miserable for children despite usually being harmless in the long term. Hygiene and sanitation aren't a high priority, as my experience will show regarding the very minimum of providing soap in communal toilet areas. It is SOAP! It's not ROCKET SCIENCE! I didn't talk about any Thai officials at all, so I wonder why you are quoting my post. I certainly didn't say the sky was falling. I said, in other words, that I was concerned about the outbreak for some of the reasons outlined in the OP and raised further questions which I am not educated about.

This news is particularly alarming for me. Being from the United States, we don't have many outbreaks of this disease. Prior to this event, I admit to having very little knowledge about it at all. It has been confirmed that there is at least one case of it at my school. There hasn't been any talk of closure yet, but you never know when a school like Chula does something like this. Others may very well follow.

What alarms me most about it are a few things:

1) The sanitary conditions where I work -- The toilet closest to my desk never has soap. I am told this is because a student drank a large amount of it once, so they removed the liquid soap dispenser. The toilet is cleaned often, but the knobs and handles frequently touched are not. Students don't often wash their hands when they finish their business. Without soap, running water over hands isn't very hygienic as far as I can tell. I mean we all touch the same things to flush the toilet or turn the water on and off.

Also, there is one plastic cup at the water dispensing machine. This plastic cup can be used by anyone. I fill up my own water bottle, but students and Thai teachers don't always do the same. Otherwise, students can use the shared plastic cup that belongs to their classroom. I would hope this is cleaned a few times a day, but I highly doubt it. I've never seen anyone washing one. I watched 20 kids line up at a different water machine and use the same cup after a PE class today. Furthermore, the cup invariably touches the nozzle where the water is dispensed. This means that transmission can also occur when using another personal water bottle, cup, or whatever.

2) I am no doctor, but what are the ramifications of using a 'bum gun' that's been used by an infected person? It seems to me that this is another possible way for the virus to spread rather easily. It's a recipe for disaster,

I'm fairly certain that my place of employment isn't going to close, but you never know. We've already faced a lot of disruptions. While a week off would be lovely, I'd prefer the time in the classroom to catch up to where we should be at this point in the school year. The ramifications of this disease are seemingly nil for a healthy adult, but I would hate to see a bunch of students fall very ill. I'm not so sure which strain this is, as I have learned to be skeptical of media downplay of such things. This is especially true considering the recent outbreak in Cambodia. I'm not expecting a whole lot of truth to be disseminated regarding the extent of this outbreak.

3) As has already been stated, misdiagnosis by doctors appears to be very problematic. Antibiotics seem to be prescribed for every ailment. I've had doctors try to give them to me for a severe headache! These drugs can cause complications with this disease.

Well, we will just have to wait and see how this one plays out!

I believe your bum will be fine.

I believe I clearly stated that the use of a bum gun can lead to an increased risk of transmission of the disease. I also stated that I am not concerned about my own well-being as a perfectly well grown adult. I am concerned about the health and well-being of the students I teach.

Is that so difficult to understand? Did you bother to read anything else written, or was this just your silly attempt at poking fun at a serious post from a person concerned about the ramifications of this? Either way, you come across as foolish,

This news is particularly alarming for me. Being from the United States, we don't have many outbreaks of this disease.

Absolute balderdash. My son contracted the disease in Canada or do you believe also that it does not cross borders. It is a very mild illness but is quite traumatic for younger kids -- especially when the mouth is infected.

According to the CDC website, it is not common. I cannot recall an outbreak during my childhood or time living in the US. Here

s a direct quote from their website:

Large outbreaks of hand, foot, and mouth disease are not common in the United States. However, in some countries in Asia, outbreaks are large and occur often. Thousands of people may get infected. Some people, particularly young children, may have severe disease requiring hospitalization or even causing death.

http://www.cdc.gov/hand-foot-mouth/index.html

This news is particularly alarming for me. Being from the United States, we don't have many outbreaks of this disease. Prior to this event, I admit to having very little knowledge about it at all. It has been confirmed that there is at least one case of it at my school. There hasn't been any talk of closure yet, but you never know when a school like Chula does something like this. Others may very well follow.

What alarms me most about it are a few things:

1) The sanitary conditions where I work -- The toilet closest to my desk never has soap. I am told this is because a student drank a large amount of it once, so they removed the liquid soap dispenser. The toilet is cleaned often, but the knobs and handles frequently touched are not. Students don't often wash their hands when they finish their business. Without soap, running water over hands isn't very hygienic as far as I can tell. I mean we all touch the same things to flush the toilet or turn the water on and off.

Also, there is one plastic cup at the water dispensing machine. This plastic cup can be used by anyone. I fill up my own water bottle, but students and Thai teachers don't always do the same. Otherwise, students can use the shared plastic cup that belongs to their classroom. I would hope this is cleaned a few times a day, but I highly doubt it. I've never seen anyone washing one. I watched 20 kids line up at a different water machine and use the same cup after a PE class today. Furthermore, the cup invariably touches the nozzle where the water is dispensed. This means that transmission can also occur when using another personal water bottle, cup, or whatever.

2) I am no doctor, but what are the ramifications of using a 'bum gun' that's been used by an infected person? It seems to me that this is another possible way for the virus to spread rather easily. It's a recipe for disaster,

I'm fairly certain that my place of employment isn't going to close, but you never know. We've already faced a lot of disruptions. While a week off would be lovely, I'd prefer the time in the classroom to catch up to where we should be at this point in the school year. The ramifications of this disease are seemingly nil for a healthy adult, but I would hate to see a bunch of students fall very ill. I'm not so sure which strain this is, as I have learned to be skeptical of media downplay of such things. This is especially true considering the recent outbreak in Cambodia. I'm not expecting a whole lot of truth to be disseminated regarding the extent of this outbreak.

3) As has already been stated, misdiagnosis by doctors appears to be very problematic. Antibiotics seem to be prescribed for every ailment. I've had doctors try to give them to me for a severe headache! These drugs can cause complications with this disease.

Well, we will just have to wait and see how this one plays out!

What if you are on holiday? I know you can do it by post, but this seems silly. My boss recalls doing on report in Krabi once on holiday, but he says it was several years ago. It's sad if this is the case. I guess I will be taking myself up to CW later this month. Sigh!

I live on On Nut Road which is quite a distance from Bangkok Immigration at Chaeng Wattana. A friend of mine living in Samut Prakarn said that it only takes him a matter of minutes to do his 90 day reporting in Samut Prakarn.

Can we do our 90 day reports anywhere? It would be a heck of a lot easier for me to get to Samut Prakarn to do my 90 day reporting.

It's not a difficult task. Any teacher setting foot in the classroom should have a solid lesson plan. Not only does it provide you with clarity about what you are doing, it helps focus tasks and manage time effectively. It's about long term planning. Then you can reflect on what went well and what didn't go so well and modify as required for the future.

I write lesson plans that are quite detailed for my classes. It takes me about an hour to do the lesson plans each week. It's making the worksheets that takes a lot of time. Thankfully, I made them all for my course last year. I just have to modify them a bit to account for the problematic areas I discovered last year.

Neat little app with good functionality. I agree that I find the 'services' part most interesting. I will check the accuracy of the maps the next time I am at Swampy! Thanks!

smileplur many thanks for the information, it is just what I needed to know.

-O

Good luck with the phone. It is leaps and bounds above any other phone I have ever used. After a week playing with it, I am still amazed by what it can do! It is really nothing short of amazing. For the record, I hate Mac/Apple computers. I am a dedicated PC fan, but this phone is in a league all by itself. Samsung Galaxy S III cannot even compare.

So, I should cancel my multi-sim arrangement with AIS. I always have my iPhone 4s with me, so I can use it to connect to the internet with my iPad. I just don't want to drain the battery. Sigh ... I think AIS has the best coverage.

I think AIS 3G operates on 900MHz. Does your IPAD 1 have 3G/UMTS/HSDPA 900Mhz capability?

I googled a few sites and they said the IPAD 1 3G uses 850MHz, 1900Mhz, and 2100MHz.. True and DTAC use 850MHz.

IPAD 1 Specs: http://support.apple.com/kb/SP580

Right, I am running out of time. I'm not that tech savvy, but I am going to look into this in the morning.

I just tried that. I am still on Edge. Thanks though!

No, you can't just pop your old sim in. The iPhone takes a micro-sim. You have the option of using a blade and cutting your sim to the appropriate size, or exchanging your old sim for a micro-sim. The directions for cutting a normal sim to micro size are on various youtube videos and websites.

The iPhone is special. It's always connected to the internet unless you tell it otherwise. You will need a data plan that can support this. Personally, I use the 839 baht option from AIS. It includes 500 minutes of talk time to any network, 300 SMS messages, 50 MMS messages, and unlimited internet. 3G is capped at 3 gigabites. After that, you are stuck with Edge until the following billing cycle.

I bought my iPhone 4s last weekend at Siam Paragon. Previously, I had an iPhone 3gs with the same package. Unfortunately, the phone was sacrificed to the taxi gods. I am finding out very quickly that this package may be too much for my needs. Features like iMessage (free SMS/MMS) to other iOS5 users and Viber (free calls worldwide) mean that my usage is far less than it used to be.

Choose wisely! I selected AIS because I have always had the best coverage nationwide with them. Plans are about the same. D-Tac seems to be a bit light on their package. True has horrible customer service. I've never had a problem with AIS.

Good Luck! By the way, the phone is amazing.

Anyone?

Domenico's Pizza at On Nut Soi 31/1 or so is incredible.

The newly renamed Billabong is worth a miss. The change in ownership has caused service and food to go downhill very quickly. (On Nut - Soi 14)

Locus @ 24 - Western owned, but he can't be bothered to put a small selection of western food on the menu. Overpriced for what you get.

Beer Garden - There are a few stands there serving quality western food. I am partial to the Wiener Schnitzel with fried potatoes. The even put bacon into the fried potatoes! Excellent!

On Nut Guesthouse does have an exceptionally long menu. For whatever reason, I get a local discount of 10% when I go there. They said it was because I speak Thai and drive a motorbike and am accompanied by my Thai gf.

6 months ago. I dealt with the people at the stall at Ekkamai Medical Center (or whatever it is called). That new looking building near the bus terminal.

I did it with my Thai Driving License. No mention of a passport or work permit.

Here is what it looks like on my iPhone.

So, I have had my iPad 1 for a while now. I received it as a gift. I never bothered to put a SIM in it because I mainly used it at home. As I started using it more, I found that it is extremely helpful for work. So, I always take it with me to work where there is no wifi. I don't need access to the internet at work, but it is nice to have. There aren't enough computers for everyone and the internet is often out.

I recently purchased an iPhone 4s from AIS. I opted for their 839 baht package giving me unlimited internet (3G capped obviously), 500 minutes of talk time, and 300 SMS. I am finding that this package might exceed my usage because of awesome things like iMessage and Viber.

While buying my new phone, I asked about their multi-sim packages to add one for my iPad. I wasn't thinking about it when we set out for Siam Paragon, so I didn't take my iPad with me. For an additional 300 baht per month, I was given a second micro-sim for my iPad that is restricted to data (no phone calls, etc. from what I am told, but I haven't tried).

I got home and popped it in expecting to connect to 3G. I found that I get the E for Edge in the upper left corner of my screen. I chalked it up to the fact that I was at home and went back to wifi. Then, taking it to work, I still only get Edge. My package stipulates up to 1 GB of 3G and Edge thereafter.

I have looked at the options for cellular data where you can enable 3G on the iPhone, but this setting doesn't exist on my iPad. I searched around a bit and found that some special things need to be done to 'activate' 3G when using a True sim. I am wondering if the same thing applies with AIS. Does anyone know how I can 'activate' my 3G on my second SIM in my iPad? Surely, my iPad supports 3G. It had 3G capability in America when I used it there.

Please help! Thanks in advance.