Phaka2

Bump.

Bua is an excellent restaurant. Phala Rib House has new ownership that doesn't hold a candle to the old place.

First off, don't. Sounds like you aren't planning to spend full time there, so why? Don't know what the price is, but I'm guessing you can rent a lot of nice hotel rooms for that amount and not have to worry about upkeep etc. We (yeah, that we) have owned a house in Rayong city for 10 years and if I had it to do over I wouldn't and at this point it's almost impossible to sell due to all of the new construction going up everywhere.

We're able to get a turkey with all the trimmings and a huge assortment of Thai delights as all the neighbors come by for a celebration. Everybody loves to take their photo with the turkey and it seems I can never make enough mashed potatoes.

Glad I waited a couple of days to read this topic. Read every post and if you find my ass bouncing around it's because I laughed it off! This is some funny shit.

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Chanthaburi.

Get there quick before its spoiled and turned into another shithole.

I happen to be vacationing in Chanthaburi at the moment. I was going to recommend it. It is a special place that remains mostly untouched but the Russians hordes. Very little here for the farang though, except the unspoiled beaches.

Hua Hin does nothing for me. Pattaya is just awful. Phuket is where it's at. Go to any of the beaches communities besides Patong and you'll find an active community of farangs with their own hangouts. Making friends is easy and you can put up with the influx of tourists for a few months. It's where I will probably live for the rest of my life.

Quiet, my brothers.......

These floods are not natural. They are man made. When you block the natural flow of water, it will cause floods. The construction of poorly planed roads, housing development, industrial parks, and air ports; block the natural flow of water. These disasters, could have been reduced if there had been honest Environmental Impact Statements, made by honest organizations, and approved by honest people. In many cases, not just in Thailand, politicians only care about their bank accounts and not the citizens.

Behind my home in Rayong was a natural flood plain that was filled with thousands of truckloads of earth and gravel in preparation for building condos. Anyone could see that this was a disaster waiting to happen and now both up and down the river there has been tremendous flooding where there had been none before. Your post is dead on.

Turn out the lights, brother, the party's over.

Yes, everything being equal youth will have the advantage. But normally age has some advantages that are not always visible. Experience, security, nest egg, etc are all attractive. Add to that the confidence that is shown in a real man. Few young men or boys can show same without appearing cocky, it just takes time. Too many factors involved when selecting a mate.

Youth, looks and money will always trump wrinkles & money and I say that as a 46 year old so I'm hardly talking up my own shop here.

I'm just telling it like it is.

Yeah, but brother, add a little style that comes with experience to those wrinkles and it's tough to beat. Old guys really do rule!

Flying out to Shanghai tomorrow and Thai Airways said to arrive at least 3 hours before flight time to clear the queue.

Lew

Note, too, that it's possible that the U.S. immigration guy at port of entry could, not necessarily "would," cancel the 10-year visa if s/he thought it was being abused by too many entries. These folks have a lot of authority.

Don't want to lose the 10-year visa and go through the hassle of having to apply for another one, with a cancellation on record!

Mac

Hey, Mac -

Do you have any insight on the criteria for cancellation? My wife has a 10 year visa and we go back and forth every couple months for a couple of months. Noticed lately that ICE is asking more questions about our residency status when we arrive.

Thanks, Phaka

Just want to add scam that a friend faced recently after chatting with a man online. He said he would be coming to "visit" and gave her the arrival date in BKK. That day he phoned her and said he needed her help to talk to the Thai "policewoman". She was told the man had so much cash, gold and jewlery that they couldn't let him in the country unless he paid the duty in Thai baht. Foolishly, she transferred baht 60K to an account and, of course, you know the rest of the story. Sadly, blinded by her own greed.

Just want to say that I have been through airport customs more times that I can count and have always been treated very well whether I go through green with a couple of extra bottles of wine and cajole my way through or whether I go through red where on more than one occasion, I have been passed through without having to pay duty as an act of generosity. Geez, I hope I didn't just jinx myself....

Not true. Depends on your US bank. I bank with BOA. I simply logged on, setup an "outside account", scrolled down to "Bangkok Bank", entered the routing and account number, and they send TWO small transfers (around a dollar each) to verify that the account is correct (no charge), and within 48 hours you verify that the amounts have arrived. Log back in, enter the amounts as transferred, and you are done. I then was able to wire $25,000 usd from BOA to Bangkok Bank, which arrived in my account in 48 hours. Wire charge was $9.00 usd. Maybe you're having trouble with your bank, but there is no law restricting wire transfers without you being there in person. There "may" be a restriction if your bank does not have a Thai bank on its list. BOA does. No problem. Everything accomplished over the Internet without speaking to anyone. From here on, it's a simple "transfer between accounts". Hope this helps.

Same here. I do a bank to bank transfer on-line from my USA bank to Bangkok Bank in New York. The money goes directly to my Bangkok Bank Rayong account. There are no fees and the exchange rate is always at the top of the scale. It takes about three business days.

Zorro nailed it this is not forever.

Me I would rather ride this out here after six years I know I could cut back a lot and still be OK.

Thais surviving nothing personal folks if things get tough I would much rather rely on my wife here then anyone I know. That girl can climb a tree and come back with food

I have had to tighten the belt now for three years, to be honest I still have a good life and plenty of more room to go if I have to.

As for us if we can might be chance to help. Going to be a lot more craftsman around with nothing to do. Got some projects that need o be done. Now might be the time.

I have tried to do that with the housekeepers village when people lose work and need to earn few baht. Pay them the same dailey wage they get from the contractors, buy the material myself. The work is done at the same qaulity for less, but the worker gets the same.

Takes a bit of patience though, I have always told them if their boss calls go work for him, mine will wait till they have time. Took three guys and a month to get the interior of the hosue painted room by room. Cost for labor was around 1,000 baht.

But this is Udon not a tourist area, things there may be very different. My point being if you can help now would be a good time. If you can't, you can't The one thing I normally don't do is give money, for the sake of giving money. But, thats me.

There is nothing we can do for the government but we might able to help a neighbor or two.

Theft being up probably what would you do to feed your children?

Where Issan will feel it will be in two ways. no money come from whatever the family member was doing that let them send it home. Secondly there will be more mouths to feed on the farm.

The rice farmers, corn farmers and rubber farmers are already after the government for money. They will probably ge on pape anyway they usually do. The rubber farmers are talking about pulling out trees. I hope they are talking about trees that are no longer productive. To destroy a rubber planatation because the price will be down for a few years is insane. All to drive the price up in a marke that is shrinking.

How soon people forget it wasn't that long ago that the cost of these items were sky high because oil was high. It will be high agian. I don't like pay cuts either but I have done some awfully low paying jobs in my simple becaue some income is better then no income.

You know we could argue about this and that but the reality is the entire world is in this mess. There will be difficult times ahead for many people. Who was right or wrong or it could have been done better if, really doesn't matter much anymore.

Very much agree with your philosophy. We are all here for positive reasons and the right blend of integration into Thai life along with supporting a culture we enjoy can only help everyone.

Thanks, NanLaew. I will heed your your warning and try to have the right things for her to show and say. She will be travelling solo so I won't be able to get either one of us in trouble!

Hope this might help prepare some others. After weeks of preparing documents, forms, translations, pictures, etc., for a B1 visa it all boiled down to the attitude of the guy at the window. We arrived at 7:15 am for an 8:30 appointment. At the window where they check the documents, the Thai staff asked my wife why she had so many surnames -current, previously married and maiden. No other questions there. Seated inside at 8 am and called at 10:15 am. As my wife's number was called, a confused young Thai person stepped to the window and the guy behind it shouted at her "Are you so and so? Go sit down. Don't come up here until I call you." My wife stepped up next, already feeling a little intimidated, and the the first question was " Are you going to immigrate to to the States?" It was not a question we had previously discussed. She didn't quite understand and replied that she was going to visit her husband. He asked how long we had been married. Two years. Does he live in Thailand? No, he travels here every 8 weeks. Why does she have three surnames? Answered slowly and interrupted with "What does your husband do?" Again a slowly forthcoming answer interrupted with "Is your husband here?" I was standing against the wall opposite the windows and she quickly waved me up. he asked me if she was planning to immigrate to thge States. I said no, that's why we filed a nonimmigrant application. I said perhaps if he were to look at some of our documentation...interrupted. No, I don't need to see it. How long have you been married? Two years. What do you? Import products to USA from Asia. Does she travel with you to visit these other countries (listed in the application)? Yes. I will issue a 90 day visa, but she hasn't proven she will return. I asked, increduously, how he can make that determination without looking at any of the documentation. He said he doesn't need to see it. I asked what reason he had for not looking at the documentation that was specified in the applications as things that should be brought to the interview. He replied "You have the 90 day visa. If she comes back she can apply again." He then began telling my wife in fractured Thai that he was giving the 90 day visa and that she must return to Thailand before the visa expires. End of interview. I bit my tongue as his attitude had put me in an angry state of mind and I did not want to jepordize what we already had in hand.

From some of the other reports here in the forum, it seems that it does go much easier sometimes, but hope this helps others to prepare.

I have read a great number of posts regarding tourist visas for Thai wives and girlfriends. It seems income is of paramount importance. I met my wife six years ago and we married two years ago. Not long after I met her, I had her quit her job and began to support her as her salary was minimal by US standards and not a problem for me. We have since built a home that I anticipate for retirement in a few years and it is in her name. She uses an ATM card linked to my US account for support and handling the monthly bills of our home. We have a visa interview in two weeks so that she can make her first visit to the US for Christmas. Can the US Embassy be so ignorant as to think providing support for one's wife is reason to deny a visa? The home and car are in her name and she has a daughter attending school. So many posts indicate abritrary and quick judgements by the Embassy staff.

Also, should there be a problem, can one make an appoointment with a consular office to contest a decision? Has anyone ever contacted a congresman to apply a little persuasion? (Payback time for all those political contributions - the American Way!)

Appreciate any insight. Thanks.

Greetings all -

Just finished building a house in Rayong and, sadly, discovered this forum much too late. A wealth of info, though.

Regards,

Vito

LA, CA, USA