monitorlizard

in case you are thinking of returning to LOS check out the new teacher employment website SiamTeacher.com

Good luck.

Interesting thread. However, people are breaking the law. You are lying and using forged documents. I don't think the parents or the children will appreciate this at all.

I am sure that there are some very talented people out there who have a natural ability. I would highly recommend that you obtain a teaching credential here at one of the international universities. I think it would make you sleep better at night.

Change is in the air. Salaries are increasing for teachers and so are the qualifications. I came across a new web site teachers that is run by a Thai woman who is recruiting qualified teachers in America, Canada, and other English speaking countries. I did notice she is offering a service to schools verfying university degrees.

Sounds like the Khao Sand degrees area thing of the past, urban legend if you will. I do think Thaivisa and others on this forum should warn backpackers wanting to extend their stay in Thailand from using these establishments. They will get into serious trouble and most likely pay a heavy fine and possibly jail time?

Anyway, just my thoughts on the matter. I would hate to see anyone get into trouble with the law here in Thailand and using for their defense " a poster on a forum said people do it all the time."

I am sure it will be a matter of time when we will be reading posts "I have been busted for a forged teaching document. What do I do?" Who knows it may appear in the Post or Nation.

Very good news. I hope that some day soon they find a cure. I am curious if these new drugs are made available to the less developed countries at a reduced cost?

Hello,

We are almost finished with our bilingual education website and we thought it would be nice to include a column about living and working in Thailand on the website.

If anyone is interested please send us an email.

Other items.........

1. Be US or Thai nationality ( I would like one American and one Thai).

2. Committed to writing a weekly column.

3. Person to have a postive attitude about Thailand.

4. Must reside in Thailand.

Successful candidate will have humor but will NOT be sarcastic. We are looking for someone who enjoys living here in LOS and can share the "lighter side" of living in Thailand.

There is no pay but your column will be seen by a large group of people. Website will be advertised in newspapers read by over 300,000 students. The base will be over 1 million in a year.

This is not a forum but a column on a website.

Interested parties please send a sample of your writing. The site is bilingual so Thais can send in their sample in Thai if they wish. Columns will be translated in Thai/English.

Sorry, only Americans and Thais are to be considered at this time. The reason is that the site is heavily advertised in the US. When we expand to other countries, we will include nationals from that country.

So if you have free time, a little talent in writing, and enjoy helping others, please PM or email us your sample.

Thank you.

Hmmm, I would say you were quite unlucky and please do not make any golden rule based on your experience.

I beg to differ with you bluecat. I think we were very lucky! You bet that this experience will become a golden rule in my book! I will always look up to see if any trees look unhealthy and if there are any coconuts in them and its location to the beach chairs.

I love it here in Thailand and I love the Thais. However, I don't think I would be amiss if I pointed out that "common sense" is not a strong character trait here in Thailand. It makes me laugh actually. I strongly believe that if I didn't that I would become bitter and become insane!

You most probably right that the staff probably considered it critical and blocked my suggestions. I was not angry or loud but politely suggested that they block the area off and check the remainder of the trees. I must point out that 2 palm trees were dead and 3-4 others looked suspect (after the incident).

We are gone but I hope that the German children playing in the area and yes sitting in the deck chairs will be alright. Hopefully the throng of French and German tourists will worn others about sitting in the area. Maybe the manager will send the gardening staff to trim the trees.

Anyway, TIT.

I just had to share our experience today at the nice hotel Novotel Rayong. We had a nice lunch there. Afterwards, we decided to let our 5 month daughter go for a quick swim.

Well, my wife changed my daughter into her swim suit. I was just about to sit in the very same chair but move down a few. About 1 minute after my wife took our daughter into the pool, a giant branch of the tree fell down right in the middle of the chair.

Luckily, no one was hurt. Many tourists came running over as our daughter was screaming due to the noise. Of course my wife was freaking out that it would have killed our daughter if she was late 60 seconds.

I went inside to ask for the manager as I thought it would be prudent to report the condition of the trees around the pool area. The woman behind the desk, dialed a number and saif the manager was gone. I told he r what happened and she promptly came out to the pool area. She said a branch fell down. I said yes it did and our daughter's clothes is lying under that 50 kilo branch on the deck chair.

Dont' you think it would be a good idea to check the rest of the branches? And maybe block off this area? Thank you was her reply and she hurried off to her duties back to her desk. Meanwhile, the grounds people quickly brought a wheel barrow and hauled the branch away and swept the area clean.

I looked around at the circle of sick looking trees and wondered if these people will take any preventative steps.

Anyway, I just wanted to warn people about sitting near palm trees (no these trees did not contain any coconuts).

I couldn't help thinking that if this was a hotel in the West that there would have been enquires if my wife and baby were alright, a few apologies given, and prompt steps taken to ensure that this accident would not happen again.

Sad to say, the staff wanted to cover it up and pretend it never happened. It makes me wonder if carelessness causes serious injuries in LOS.

Anyway, please be careful about sitting near pools at hotel. Look up should be your first rule of them. We have a photo of our childs clothes under the branch and my wife wanted to send it to the newspaper (Thai) but I told her not to. I will send a letter to the GM. Maybe this will help.

Sounds like you meet the requirement for residency permit. I know it is a little expensive but this might do the trick. You may also look into adoption of your wife's kid?

As before suggested, a name change in a Thai passeport is not possible. A new passeport will be issued. Beside all the necessary Thai documents, also a copy of the husband's passeport will be required.

WC

Funny, my Thai wife did just that! She wanted a new passport but the Thai authorities would not give her a new one because the passport was still valid.

They slapped a name change on her passport. They did not want my passport. They wanted her Thai ID card and house registration. She had changed names on those documents.

The new law in Thailand lets Thai women keep their maiden names if they wish. They can also use both their husbands and their maiden name if they wish. And for your child's name you can use any combination of father's or mother's name.

Does anyone know what the rules are for bringing cats into Thailand?

In this case the cat would come from Denmark.

Do you need any permits to bring the cat into the country?

Does the cat have to be quarantined?

Does the cat need any vaccinations?

I would appreciate any info you can provide.

Well, well, well, a question that I can answer based on experience.

You will have no problems. I brought my dog, a golden retriever, to Thailand about 5 years ago. Go to your vet and get a cat document to travel. He can answer all your questions. The paper will list all the necessary vaccinations.

Your vet will provide a check up and fill out some document that you will give to the animal section at the airport in Bangkok. You will go to the section and fill out a document and I think pay a small fee. I will ask my wife the fee and get back to you. I recall it was very small. The document does NOT need to be translated into Thai.

The biggest question is if you should use a sedative for your animal or not. I suspect your cat will be in the climate controlled cargo section of the airplane. I would research on the web or check with animal welfare groups in Denmark about good airlines that are pet friendly. We didn't use a sedative for our dog due to her advanced age. I can't answer how cats would react. Again check with animal groups.

There is no quarantine in Thailand.

I hope your cat will be indoors. The lizards alone would love to dine on an unsuspecting farang cat. You can get all the western cat food and supplies here. I don't know if your cat is ready to dine on rice and leftovers.

Good luck. PM me if you want further details.

here we go again with the certified translator. You can translate it yourself. If you ask me your wife will do a better job.

Regarding the dual passport and traveling for a child.

I am not trying to start an argument but are there any posters out there that have experience with immigration with their child and 2 passports?

I know the UK allows their citizens to have dual passports but in most cases the US does not. In fact they tell you it is illegal for a holder of a US passport to enter the US on another passport.

It looks impossible to fly into countries with different passports. The obivious reason is that there would be a depart or entry stamp missing. This is the first thing the immigration looks for.

So, I would appreciate to know how people get around this little problem.

I have Thai firends whose kid and wife are Thai with US passports. They all have Thai ID cards but no Thai passports. They come into Thailand on their US passport and get stamped. Later they apply for a 1 year extension for 500 baht. My impression is that there are a lot of Thais who do this..... The big thing is to not let their Thai ID expire.

So why the cloak and dagger routine? Sounds like you might get into serious trouble if you try to con the immigration.

Sounds like you thought things out. It will be interesting to see how the US immigration stands on "gay" couples. It would be great to learn that they do not discriminate.

Keep us posted as we all would be interested if you are successful or not. Good luck!

when your wife has both passports, just have her show the thai passport coming in and going out of thailand, and use the US passport in the US. perfectly legal. matter of fact legally anyone with a dual citizenship must ONLY use their US passport when entering the US.

I beg to differ. I just registered my daughter for an American passport and they gave me a slip of paper informing me that it is illegal for a US citizen to travel to the US on a passport issued from another country.

Additionally, the wife will have to apply for a visa to the US on a Thai passport. I suspect they will have a record of the applicant.

Please go the the US Embassy website to check the facts.

Thanks everyone for your sound advice. I will be looking for airfares and hotels. It was very useful to know about the tax refund for tourists.

I am in the market of buying a Sony TRV 19E (digital movie camera) and the prices here in Bangkok seem to average 22,000 baht. I don't need all the fancy stuff as it will be strictly used for family movies.

I have been searching the prices on the web and the prices are lower in the US and UK. I do know that the tax in Singapore is 5% but a lot of people tell me that even with the tax it is much cheaper to buy electronics downtown. Does anyone have this experience?

I am under the impression I can save 10,000 baht on the price and so I might take the family to Singapore for a short vacation. How long is the flight?

Thanks

I think we are a little off topic here. I believe the orginal post was to obtain a fiancee visa. In this case, the tax documents are not applicable as the person who you are going to marry needs to show proof of income. For example, if it is an American then he/she will need to show proof of support in the US to support his/her Thai wife/husband.

Yes, there will need to be documents such as marriage documents. I imagine that you are speaking of former marriages? If it is the current marriage then the applicant will have all the necessary paperwork and there would be no need for a fiancee visa. We are talking about a different visa here altogether. He/she will be applying for a green card and permanent residency.

MARRIAGE VISA CAN be translated by the applicant or anyone! This is for the US Embassy.

I do not pretend to know of all the required forms but the packet can be obtained by the US Embassy and there is no need for an agency to perform the work. My advice is to save the money and do the work yourself. Again, there is no need to go to the Foreign Ministry of Affairs for any items in the packet that needs to be filled out for a fiancee visa.

But don't take my word for it. The person should download the forms and see for himself. You DO NOT need a registered person to translate the forms. This is true for the US Embassy. I cannot speak about other embassies.

It is very silly to think for one moment that a Thai business is going to help improve your chances of getting any visa with the US. The staff there can read and speak Thai. Personally, I take offence that I need a Thai company to help me conduct business at my own embassy. Just my opionion.

I cannot imagine a Thai citizen going to an American company in Los Angeles for help in getting a Thai visa.

I already have a TOT ISDN line. Sometime ago I was using Loxinfo as the ISP. Does anyone know if there are now any other providers?

I was curious if the price 1,040 baht for 20/40 hours for 64/128 speeds (monthly) 26 baht per hour after were cheaper elsewhere.

Thanks

The extra service that I meant means they will go to the Ministry of Foriegn affiar for you, not that they have special speeding or connection.

I am a little confused here. Why would you go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Thailand has nothing to do with giving visas to other countries. Yes, I suppose you would be doing a lot of waiting there.

Hello Painter

I cannot speak of other embassies but for the US Embassy your girlfriend can do the translation. My wife is the translator for all of my documents and we NEVER had a problem. She is not registered but she can read and write in both languages.

Regarding expediting marriages? Sounds to me that you are getting a "fiancee visa" so I don't understand the need for a company to expedite a marriage. I am sure your girlfriend will be doing the expediting.

However, once again you do not need a company to fill out your paperwork for a fiancee visa. The forms are in English and there will be required documents for your GF. It is straight forward. Please do not be fooled that a Thai company will have "special connections" at the US Embassy to expedite your paperwork. All the paperwork will be sent to the INS.

If you are trying to get one from the US Embassy, go to their website and download the forms

However, the embassy states that you need to file with the INS in the US. I believe that if you can prove you are a legal resident here that they may let you file the paperwork here. I believe that there is a INS branch here in Bangkok.

If you need to send in the paperwork you can try to submit it at the US Embassy and they will forward the forms to the INS office in your home state. It is worth checking out.

Good luck. Be very careful about companies here or in the US promising you guarantees. Did you know that each INS office has a funded "independent free or low cost" legal assistance office?

sbk---I think the fact that you resided here in LOS for 15 years DID help! However, the fact that the young woman is a college student and not graduated is not going to help at all. I think the fact of owning property and having a car is not going to help very much either I am afraid. Perhaps if you could elaborate on the rental property. Is it a rice field in Issarn or a shopping mall in downtown Bangkok? The amount of rental property proceeds would help if this puts her in the middle or high income class here in Thailand.

I gather she is not working or going to school when you two are together? The US and Canadian Embassy are very difficult. Remember both countries are huge thus making it very easy to disappear.

The bond issue does not exist and is often misunderstood. Sadly, the rich cannot post a bond and bring anyone they want to into the US. The bond is for those who marry or have family ties and do not meet the financial obligations. Then relatives can post a bond.

Anyway, you should contact the US Embassy about the bond issue, they can explain it as well.

Whatever you do for the application, the Embassy will have a record forever. So be careful. I think that since she does not own a business nor have a job this is going to count against her. It doesn't sound like there is so much holding her here in Thailand.

Good luck!

I would listen to Estrella. It sounds like she knows what she is talking about. I would tend to agree with her that visas for young women are difficult to get. It depends how much you trust your GF, but you can always post a few million baht in her account over a period of time to show income. This might help??? Or you can set up a business and name your GF as partner (contact Sunbelt Asia).

Good luck.

No, my friends are not Americans so they don't have to worry about this. They are doing a business and are in competition against a Thai company. Their model is better and will make more money than the Thais. My friend wants to know if it is alright because all of their bases are covered.....they live here in LOS without a company, WP, and they provide services in Thailand but payment is received out of the country. Also, the web site registeration is based out of the country. It's a pretty good deal for my friend......no taxes anywhere!

What's your opinion? Do you think there can be any possible problems?

Anyone recommend am agency for a friend? He needs to get personal information about a farang living in Thailand. Agency must be discreet.

Thanks.

A friend of mine lives in Thailand and has opened a web-based business. The services are offered in Thailand and are acccepting monies from inside and outside of Thailand. The bank account is outside Thailand which is accepting credit card payment.

Do they need a WP? And do they need to pay taxes in Thailand? Does the company have to be registered? Yes, they live in Thailand but the site is registered in North America.

Does anyone out there know? Thanks.

finding seats to Europe might be different. just bought my business ticket to SFO this afternoon. i was lucky to get this one. two things that i have noticed is that the travel agents print the low out of season fares to get people to call in. don't waste your time with airlines as they will charge you full price and will advise you to purchase from travel agent as it much cheaper (40%)!. Also forget about the internet. I used Thai airways and there was one seat available on a date I wanted. it was economy and the price was over $3,000! I called the travel agency and there were no tickets only waiting lists! it was the same on other airline websites. I get the impression that thhe internet cheap fares only work in the US

Good luck. Off to cold and rainy SF! Hope I can find my coat.

Well after putting my name on many airlines waiting lists I am still without luck. One word of caution regarding the internet websites, they are NOT UPDATED! I got really excited about the possibility of available seats but when I called there was none. They tell me internet is not updated here.

So thanks everyone. I finally managed to get a business ticket on JAL for 68,000 baht. UGH! Oh well, I should have enough miles for a free ticket after this flight.

Seems that the tickets drop like a bombshell around the 28th January. You pay up the nose when you have to be somewhere!