CWMcMurray

Submitted an application

Can you do it???

People break the laws in every country around the world, just realize that if you do this, you are breaking the law and decide if you are willing to pay the piper if he comes a calling.

This is completely separate from the advise of others about the economics of opening a resteraunt.

As for me, I do not think you should go for this "opportunity", but good luck if you decide to give it a go.

From my experience, most of that 3-4 months turnaround time for a locally filed I-130 is waiting for the interview at the consulate. The I-130 is out of the Bangkok USCIS office and to the consulate in a week and sometime less.

Why would a K-3 even be considered?

TH

Knowing the average processing time, I would guess that it wouldn't be considered. I was only asking because I had no idea about average processing times.

I have only heard anecdotal stories of 9mo to 1 yr to get a visa. It now appears that those folks are not eligable to apply at Bangkok USCIS. I guess if my wife and I ever decide to make the move back we will be better off going through the process here in BKK at USCIS office.

I believe that the BBC is fairly reporting the situation...

It will be interesting to see the difference on how the "Yellow shirts" and "Red Shirts" are treated. They should either both be pardoned or both be thrown in Jail.

I vote for throwing them all in Jail; it would be a really good precedant for some powerful people do some jail time in Thailand.

Realistically, there is absolutely 0 chance of that happening, none of the leaders on either side really want that. Better to just ban the opposing side from feeding at the trough for a few years.

For Power tools you are looking at Duty of 10% of CIF value (this includes the cost of goods, cost of freight and cost of insurance) and VAT of 7% of CIF Value + Duty amount.

For normal hand tools (no power) duty should be 20% and VAT 7%.

One more question...

If you qualify to apply for immigrant visa at USCIS Bangkok and the average turn around time is 3-4 months, would it make sense to still apply for K-3 marraige visa or given the short turn around time would it be a waste of time and money?

Hey Ben,

If someone goes through the process of getting an Imigration Visa and is then approved, how long is it valid?

In other words how long can you wait before going back to the states without having to re-apply for a new immigrant visa at USCIS Bangkok?

If you have already been approved and for some reason it is put off and the visa expires is there an expedited process to get another visa (since you have already been approved the first time)?

If she goes to the US on a tourist visa and then later they decide to stay can't she change her status from within the US?

Granted I know that they do not like it when this happens as it looks like people are just trying to "cut in front of the immigration visa line", but as earlier stated life can be fluid. Is there any downside to doing this? Will it be harder to get permission to return to her home country, will immigration be "less helpful than normal"?

Also, wouldn't still be possible to come back and use USCIS Bangkok services for applying for Immigration visa? All he would need to do is renew is O-visa here in Thailand, get a re-entry permit and then they can go to US together.

If he finds a job and they plan to stay, come back under Non-o and go to USCIS Bangkok and apply. Since he still has an unbroken Non-Im visa they should still allow him to apply, correct?

Also, anyone know what they average processing time at USCIS Bangkok for processing immigrant visa applications?

I agree with everything that has been said by others.

If she has unexplained gaps in employment I have heard that many will assume that she was employed in "the worlds oldest profession", just put down info and mobile number of her boss.

They seemed a lot more interested in me during the interview, I think the only thing they asked my wife was "where she was from" and then interviewed me. They wanted to know when I came to Thailand, how long I had been here for, how long I was planning on staying, they wanted to see my letter from the University I was attending and my estimated graduation date.

I had all of that info ready and handed it all over to the interviewer, less than 5 minutes she advised that she would give us a single entry tourist visa. She advised next time the process "would be easier", but since I would be finishing school shortly they could not give her a 10 year.

They said if we planned to stay in Thailand after I graduated to come back once I was employed and apply for a 10 yr visa or immigration visa if we wanted to move to the US.

I am also interested in this... Nyquil does work great.

I sent them a message through their website asking if they have a distributor and I also found the P&G does have a factory here, but I have never seen it in any stores.

*bump*

I can't believe no one knows this???

I want to verify docs needed for proof of income for visa exstension.

I know you can use tax receipts or letter from your embassy, but what if you want to use income from local job, but have not been working for a full year.

Would your work permit and bank book showing monthly deposits with "SAL" shown in the description of transaction be enough to prove your salary?

If not ,would you need a copy of payslip or letter from employer?

I see these kind of posts quite often and I always seem to seem the same recomendation regardless of the country of origin... go to an honorary consulate not the official consulate.

Can anyone explain the difference between the two? Why do they always seem to have different standards in issuing visas?

Do you have to be a citizen of the country in order to use an honorary consulate?

Do none of the regional countries have honorary consulates? Could that be why it is more challenging to get some types of visas?

Sorry to sort of hi-jack this post but it is still some what on topic....

She chose the money. I chose to take care and love my children.

Who won?

I did.

Yes you did win. Good for you man.

It looks like you both got what you wanted (won)

You don't need to have worked in a bar to be a "Bar Girl Type" this prase has is just become synonomous with money hungery gold digging scammer...

Wish you luck...

Checked this morning and can verify that furniture is in fact Duty: 20%

I was just working off my memory (as faulty as it is)...

I checked and you are correct furniture is 20%

Acually it is not all that uncertain...

You find out the import duty rate for the commodity (this is based upon the HS Code)

I want to say that furniture is 10%, but don't quote me on that...

The duty will be calculated using CIF value of goods (this means Value of Goods +Freight Costs+Insurance Cost)

Duty%*CIF Value=Duty amount

Then they will charge you for VAT of 7%

VAT is charged on (CIF Value + Duty amount)

Then you add Duty amount to VAT amount...

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

This is the formula used unless goods are subject to Excise tax and Interior tax (but most goods are not subject to these taxes)

I have accumulated 3 jugs of small baht (1,2,5). How do I go about changing this in at the bank? I know they had rolls for the banks and change machines located in grocery stores in the states.

Thanks!

You bring in your jugs and someone (or several some ones) at the bank will dump them out and count them. Some banks also charge a small percentage of the total for this service. Each bank is different and if you hacve an account with a large balance some banks will do it for free...

Don't bother separating and counting as they will just dump them out and recount...

If you want to save time, just separate into bags based upon denomination... 1 bag for 1 baht, another for 2 baht and another for 5 baht coins...

Personally it is not important to me. I believe overall, I would be equally happy in my home country or here in Thailand. Some things I like more in my home country, other things I prefer in Thailand.

The main reason for staying here is my wife. She is Thai and she is much happier living in Thailand than she would be living in my home country. For me it is easy to live in Thailand and there really isn't anything I need to go without (food, entertainment, English conversation). The same could not be said for here if we lived in my home country.

So if she prefers to live here and I am ambivilant, its really not worth the trouble of moving...

However, to combine a wonderful spiel about non-discriminatory employment practices and then add the rider "legally entitled to work in Thailand" and "without the need for the company to obtain a work permit" appears to be contradictory. Hence the reason for asking in here.

If it's the case that only Thais can do this, then the advertisement either breaches Reuters' employment mission statement or the mission statement is being ignored.

Excluding people on the basis the company will not supply a WP along with the requirement to be "legally entitled" effectively rules out everyone except Thais, including foreigners who might have a WP they can use as that WP "legally entitles" them to only work for the company that provides that WP.

This is a legal disclaimer and is most likely required by internal non descrimination policies that these companies need to comply with (especially the MNCs).

The statement "only Thai nations can apply" and "only those allowed to work in Thailand without the need for the company to sponsor a work permit" are very diiferent. The end result may be the same for now, but it appears to be the first step and clearly puts the spot light where it belongs (on the Thai govenment).

Companies will not hire foreigners for many positions, not because they aren't equally or more qualified in some cases or because they are racist. They are not considering foreign nationals because of the Thai government's restrictions upon foreign nationals being allowed to work in Thailand.

Based upon the above statements, if the Thai government implemented a "Green Card" system for PR then those foreign nationals would qualify.

Ummmmm....The same way as those without Tats, they just have to wear long sleeve shirts everyday

I know countless farangs who built houses in gf/wives names. Each and every one of them lost the house. When you do something like this, you are gifting the house to them. Write it off, you gave it to her. I'd say you have a lot of nerve to try and get back any portion. btw, it was very nice of you to build a house for the lady

How many lost the house based upon a Thai Court's ruling and how many lost the house after they listened to advice similar to yours and just walked away without a fight????

I have never heard of anyone saying they took there claim all the way through the court process and lost. Most just give up and say they have no chance.

Until proven otherwise it appears that the problem does not rest with the Thai Court System, but rather foreigners lack of commitment to see the legal process through to the end.

I see people complain everyday about the unfairness of the Thai Legal system, but it seems to me (from anecdotal information that I have heard) that those who follow it through to the end have normally been successful.

No, first of all you will be able to make allowable deductions

Second it is a sliding scale and you use the rate for the amount in that tax braket before moving up to the next tax bracket...

First 150,000 is tax free

150-500 is taxed at 10% = 35,000

500-1000 is taxed at 20% = 100,000

1 mil - 3.2 mil is taxed at 30% - 660,000

Aprox total: 800,000 (may vary based upon your allowable deductions)

If this was his business or he wanted to work in this Business I would agree with you, but since this is his wife's company and she will be the only employee I do not.

I would say let your wife do what she wants to do... no need to register the company at this time.

In Thailand they have something called an Unregistered Sole Proprietorship (foreigner can't own or work in this tpye of company).

This form of business can be used for businesses with total revenue of under 1milion baht per year(same for needing to make VAT payments). So why go through all of the expense of setting up a registered corporation until you reach that threshold?

I know a US Citizen who passedaway and only had a hand written Will (one of the do it your self forms). Signed and notarized that made his friend in Thailand, UK citizen, the exectutor of his will.

When he died, the US embassy was satisfied that his wishes were to have this person take care of his affairs and issued a letter (in Thai) stating as much.

The executor of the will was able to Sell his car, close bank accounts, get a copy of the death certificate, and claim his Death Benefit from the Thai Government (he worked in thailand for many years).

thanks for info, I'm going to call

Please give us an update after speaking with them.

Can you advise if Language will be an issue? I remeber taking a look at the "Job Postings" outside the embassy a couple of years ago while I was waiting in Line. If I remember correctly, all the local hire positions had a statement that the the applicant must be be able to Speak, Read and write in both Thai and English.

Not sure of the position you want to apply for or if this is still the case.