CWMcMurray

You also may want to consider that if you have any children with this women her husband will be considered the legal father of your children NOT YOU....

I am guessing that since to need to apply for visa in Canada, there is a good chance that country X is Canada... but it really doesn't matter.

As other have said you do not need to jump through all of the hoops for an O-A visa (multiple entry good for 1 yr) if you can qualify for a retirement extension.

Just fly out on your US passport to one of the neighboring countries and request a single entry O visa for the reason of retirement (good for 3 months) or you can even get a tourist visa (good for 60 days) in your Canadian Passport. Then fly back to Thailand on your new passport.

Then during the last 30 days of your single entry O you can go down to immigration and extend for the reason of retirement (800k in the Bank or 65 k in monthly salary - over 50).

If you come back in on Tourist visa, then once you get back in, go down to immigration to change visa from Tourist to O and immediately extend for the purpose of retirement. Need to ensure you have at least 21 days on your tourist visa left and that you meet all of the requirements for retirement extension.

Then once your new visa status is all set on your new passport... then go to the US embassy to renounce your citizenship if you want...

Well I had an interesting experience this past Sat...

Went to the ATM to make a withdrawal and after I put in the amount and pressed enter.. the normal message of "please take your money and your card" came up, but then an error message came up on the ATM and then the screen went blank...

After about 10 sec with me standing there in total disbelief, the ATM started to reboot. The card was then ejected but no funds and no receipt.

I went into the Bank and asked one of the attendants to come take a look at the ATM and they also saw that the ATM was rebooting.

I explained what happened and the teller was sympathetic and asked me to take a seat while he called the Bank HQ.

Once getting a hold of the correct pic at the Bank, he passed me the phone and after I explained what happened, she advised that since the ATM Card was for an overseas Bank there was nothing she could do and that I should just call my Bank and then if the funds were withdrawn from my account, to have my bank file a claim. I do not have problem with that, but I did ask her if she could check in the system to try and confirm that the funds were not withdrawn or to issue any type of written statement about what happened, so that I could keep in my records. She advised that she would check and call me back in a few minutes

About five minutes later, she called back and advised that she could not check the records until after the formal claim was received from my bank and that no statement could be issued by the Bank. She advised that I shouldn't worry and that once my bank filed a claim they would be able to refund the money "no problem"I asked her how she knew that my claim would be approved "no problem" if she could not look into the system to confirm that no money was received? I again asked her if it would be possible for the Bank to issue some sort of incident report or witness statement from the bank representative who saw the ATM malfunctioning and rebooting. She then said to hold on and that she would call back...

About 5 Min later, she called back again and advised that sorry, nothing she could do. I then advised her that if the bank could not issue any sort of incident report or witness statement, I would need to file a Police Report and would need to ask the attendant who was a witness to come with me, so that his statement would be included in the Police Report. She advised that it was not necessary to file a police report.

At this point, the branch manager came over to talk with me and I again explained that I really did need something in writing about what had happened to support my claim with my Bank. I mentioned again that if the bank could not provide anything in writing, then the only option I could see would be to file a police report. She at first seemed a bit confused, as she said, the police can not do anything about this. I told that I understand and was not looking for the Police to do anything, but that if a police report was filed, they would take my statement about what happened and they would also take the statement of the Bank teller that saw the ATM malfunctioning.

I said that both I and the Bank could keep a copy of these witness statements for our records, this way once the claim was made, the information would be available. I also advised the manager that it really was also in her best interest to also have some sort of written incident report for her records, this way when the HQ contacted her during the claims process she would also have it. I told her that in the case that the teller was willing to make a written statement of what happened, then it should not be necessary to file a Police Report.

She then thought about for a moment and agreed with me and then had the teller draft the statement.

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

I then called my Bank (Bank of America) and made the claim and to be honest was pleasantly surprised about how the claim process works. They advised that they will credit my account within 24hrs, but the entire claim process could take up to 45 days. They advised that there was no need to send anything or sign anything and that they would send a copy of the result of the claim once available. In the case that the claim was not approved, they would advise in writing the appeals process and that I could then submit the letter received from the Bank at that time.

This whole thing was a bit of a pain all the way around, but was pleasantly surprised to receive the letter from the teller with his witness statement clearly advising that the ATM malfunctioned and that I did not receive any money and that BOA will be refunding the money in full before the claim process is completed or approved.

many times these things slip through the craps at the Thai Post office, but she was correct...

Customs regulations do require the import of cosmetics goods to apply for an import permit with the FDA

Also the value of the goods is not the only thing that will determine whether or not the goods are flagged for formal customs clearance. If goods are a regulated commodity that requires an import permit, then formal customs is required regardless of the value of goods.

I went through this process when I was getting ready to graduate from University here and also did the switch to extension for Thai Wife....

You will need to make sure that you apply for your extension BEFORE you finish at the University. This is because you will also need confirmation from the University that you are still currently a student. Just as an fyi... it took my University about one week to process this once I turned in the Form, so do not wait to long to request this.

As the immigration officer explained to me at the time.... before they will switch the reason for the extension, they wanted to confirm that the original extension was still valid. She advised that if I was was no longer a student at the University, then technically my current extension would end the day I finished my studies and was no longer a student.

Based on your advised time line above, you may actually be perfectly timed to switch over. You can go for next extension up to 30 days before your extension expires and you advise that you still have more than a month left until you graduate.

Just go down to your University and fill out the form to request your student status and bring that with you along with everything required for Thai Wife extension when you go to immigration.

When I did it, the process was as follows.... go to the section for extension for Thai Wife and explain the situation to them and advise that you need to switch the reason for extension because you are getting ready to graduate. They will then look over all of your documents to ensure that you have everything needed to extend for Thai Wife.

Once they confirm that you have everything needed, they will tell you to go to the section for Ed Visa to "Release you" from your Ed Extension. This is where you will need to submit your letter confirming that your status as a student is still valid. Once this is done, the ED sections will "release you from ED Extension" and then you go back to the section for extension for Thai Wife.

Once you turn over the docs from ED Visa section to them, they will then go ahead and accept your papers for request of extension. Give you the 30 day stamp and then you come back in a month to pick up your visa.

Try to go in as soon as possible, to give your self time in case any of your paperwork is not in order. Also I am sure you may already realize this, but if you are missing something in your paperwork for the Thai wife extension, do not go to Ed Visa section and ask them to release you from ED Extension until you have received confirmation from Immigration officer in the Thai Wife section that you have everything needed for Thai Wife extension.

Thank you. And I'm aware of Chula's ranking. (I'm also aware that QS is probably the best source available but is not necessarily the whole picture)

I don' t think for a second that a US university is automatically among the very best or always going to be better than any Thai university. Not by any means.

I just think you saying that 'Mahidol is ranked higher than University at Buffalo' (which frankly I've never heard of) would have been a bit more useful (if perhaps a bit less impressive!) -- that wouldn't have surprised me at all.

Well UB is a good school, ranked 393 in the World, but I am sure they will get over the fact that you have never heard of them...

... the Thai University I went to was ranked higher than the US University I was going to (in the world rankings) and the US University I went to, was considered one of the top universities in the state and had many companies recruiting graduating students every year.

I'd be very interested to know the respective universities and to see a source for those rankings. Sincere request.

Mahidol University - World Ranking 228

University at Buffalo - World Ranking 393

Also just as an fyi... Chula was ranked 180

Another Poster mentioned Western Michigan, which I am sure is a very good University, but it did not make the top 500

Western Michigan - Not in the Top 500 - Ranking N/A

Total number of Colleges & Universities in USA: 4084

The point being, there are 4,084 Universities in the USA alone, so the majority of Universities in the USA are not even in the Top 500 World Wide Rankings, let alone the Top 200.... so I would argue that it is not such a clear cut case that a degree from USA is automatically better than a degree from Thailand.

Another Fun Fact .... Total Universities in the World

According to International Journal of Scientometrics, infometrics and bibliometrics, total number of universities in the world are counted to 17,036.

So to be in the Top 500 is no mean feat...

These threads are always the same... a bunch of folks talking about how bad Thai Universities are... but coming from personal experience, I disagree...

I graduated from University here in Thailand, in fact I transferred from a US University and did not find that the level of education was lower in any way.

In fa, the Thai University I went to was ranked higher than the US University I was going to (in the world rankings) and the US University I went to, was considered one of the top universities in the state and had many companies recruiting graduating students every year.

I was originally planning on going back to the US after graduating and did not anticipate any problem with getting hired, but I guess we will never know, as I was offered a job at a Thai Company and have been here ever since.

No I am not teaching English, and I do not have any complaints about the salary... I am living just as good a lifestyle (if not better) than I would have anticipated if I had graduated and worked in the US.

Take it from some one who has actually taken the path you are talking about, Thai Universities are nowhere near as bad as many are claiming... In fact, some are actually quite good.

I think you are tying to extrapolate something that really is not there..

It is very important to note that it states "and" not "or"...

I believe that in this case they are referring to more literal translations of 'de jure' & 'de facto'

"in the Law" & "in Fact"

Meaning that you must be married both in the terms of the law (legal marriage) and in fact (meaning not a sham paper marriage).

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

I it had stated --- "In the case of spouse, the marital relationship shall be de jure (legitimate) or de facto"

Then you may have a case...

And even then... from the folks listed above, I don't think anyone would be getting an increase of over 1,000 thb per month... and in fact most that were affected would only be a couple hundred thb per mo more than what they are currently getting.

Considering a 5 and 1/2 day work week... that would only really work out to about 7,200 per mo

300 * 5.5 days per week * 4 weeks + 2 more days (600)

If it is a multiple entry then you just need to leave the country and come back for another 90 day entry (no new visa needed).

Unless... you have your work permit and you and your company meet the requirements for extension for the purpose of work... if so, you can get a 1 yr extension from immigration...

Up to you which you would prefer...

I agree with Raro... we are a service provider employing professionals rather than a manufacturer and would have very few people affected by this min wage raise.

Off the top of my head... maybe the maids, security guards, a couple of the junior motorcycle messengers and porters.

I know it is not mandatory in our company but I do it... the employer matches the contributions and the contributions are tax deductible, so I do not really see any downside to them..

That being said, the max contribution is not that large (I think aprox 2% at our company) and certainly not going to provide any kind of huge next egg to pay for your retirement, so it is important to invest else where as well.

Rather than just putting it in an a savings account, why not open a Long Term Fund account...

Bangkok Bank Long Term Fund

Contributions are tax deductible (so long as you are working in Thailand)

Allowances (Exemptions) allowed for the calculation of PIT:

Long term equity fund ---- Amount actually paid at the rate not more than 15% of wage, but not exceeding 500,000 baht

Thai Revenue Department

So if you can invest 300,000 and you are in the 30% tax bracket, that means you would receive a tax refund of 90,000 the following year when you file your taxes. Also unlike IRAs in the US, you do not need to wait until you retire to have access to your funds... you only have to wait 5 years.

glad to here that you have received a good result.

from my understanding, the 60 day extension in a one time deal... it can not be used back to back indefinitely.

Once the 60 days is up, you would either need to go overseas to get a new visa or be able to meet the requirements for a 1 yr extension at immigration

My Passport was stamped to pick up my 1yr extension on 18 Jul. I called immigration today and they confirmed that they are closed on Monday and that I should come in on the 19th.

They confirmed that since the 18th is a National holiday, there is no problem in coming the following day.

Just did a quick search... Bangkok Thailand for Dining = 455 results ... looked through the first few pages and seem to have discounts of 5%-50%

For example, with the citi-m platinum select, you can get free valet parking at the Mall Bangkapi, they have special reserved parking areas at other Mall stores. They have a special lounge in the Mall for card members, you can get 2 passes a year for fast track customs, 2 passes a yr for lounge at BKK airport, free limo ride to airport if you buy ticket with your card, tons of promotions on hotels and restaurants, free road side assistance if your car breaks down, 3% discount on Gas purchases at Shell, 10% discount on all purchases at the Mall ... etc...

Sounds all very like the Thai "elite" card, Thaksin and his cronies was peddling... ....

They (Citi-M card) also have Blackberry and I-Phone aps that you can down load that allow you to check on "discounts".

You can search by country & city & category ( Spa & Health, Sports, Dining, Travel, and other) or you can search by "Nearby" and pick range of 1, 2,3,4 or 5 km from your current location...(search results are shown in English)

If the visa is not readable but the passport is fine, then he needs a new visa, not a new passport... Simply leave the country and get a new visa.

Also having a new passport in your hands would not have any affect on the readability of your visa or entry stamp, so do not see how that would be at all helpful in this case... a new passport is only needed if the passport itself is damaged and unusable.

Thai immigration does not look at all of your old no longer valid visas in your passport to ensure that they can read them all, they are only interested in the latest visa... the one that you will be using to enter into Thailand.

I agree that they should be able to look it up in the computer, but how about the entry stamp on your departure card?

I find that customs always stamp the entry date once in the passport and again on the departure card, did they do this for you as well?

If so, this could be additional proof of the date of entry..

Also absolute worst case scenario, the worst they could do is claim that you are an overstay and try to charge you for overstay fine...

without seeing how bad the passport is damaged, who can say?

But if it is ok and still in decent shape I do not know what the problem would be... I put my first passport through the wash and still used it for at least two years after that getting two more 1 yr extensions without anyone ever batting an eye...

It just depends on how bad it looks...

It seems like he is saying that the passport is fine, it is just the stamp.... if that is the case, why get a new passport?

Just go out and come back in before the visa expires and you should be fine.

What if the husband (deceased) signed for this loan while married to his wife...

In a marriage both parties are responsible for the debts, correct? So why would the death of the husband absolve the wife of the debt?

Does a husband or wife really need to co-sign for a loan to be considered part of "joint finances" under marriage laws?

For example, with the citi-m platinum select, you can get free valet parking at the Mall Bangkapi, they have special reserved parking areas at other Mall stores. They have a special lounge in the Mall for card members, you can get 2 passes a year for fast track customs, 2 passes a yr for lounge at BKK airport, free limo ride to airport if you buy ticket with your card, tons of promotions on hotels and restaurants, free road side assistance if your car breaks down, 3% discount on Gas purchases at Shell, 10% discount on all purchases at the Mall ... etc...

Sounds all very like the Thai "elite" card, Thaksin and his cronies was peddling... ....

Maybe, but this one doesn't cost you anything, as long as you charge at least 300,000 per yr, no annual fee. (maybe this is why the "elite" card failed?)

Which is only 25,000 thb per month and since you get discounts on gas and at the supermarket in the mall if you buy with the card it is easy to spend 25,000 a month and just pay it off every month.

One more thing... no matter which card you decide to go for, I would recommend applying for it at one cc stands that most card companies have in the shopping malls rather than inside a Bank Branch.

At the cc stands, these reps are paid based upon how many successful applications they have, meaning that they will bend over backwards to help you if you have a work permit and meet the min salary requirements.

If you apply at the bank Branch, I do not believe they have any similar 'bonus' for signing up more customers, so you are likely to be less helpful.