cocopops

While your pal is probably a great bloke with the best of intentions, you can understand the reluctance of the Thai authorities to help him. He wants to take the child away from its mother, probably permanently since Mum probably can't afford the flights to Hong Kong, on the grounds that he's paid 2.5M for the kid. To live with his new wife while he works full time?

A snowflake's in hel_l I would think, unfortunately for your friend.

Be a backpacker for a while. If you're careful 12K sterling will last quite a long time. Keep your eyes open while you are here and something might turn up - likely related to teaching English.

Unless you are an extraordinary individual, you cannot do menial work. You would be an illegal worker competing with other illegal workers from very harsh backgrounds (i.e. Burma). Honestly, I don't believe there are many westerners who could hack it. And even if you did manage it, unless you are of Asian heritage you would be caught very quickly. People of western appearance are never seen doing that kind of work here.

But seriously - you're 20 years of age with no marital ties, right? Throw on a backpack and lose yourself in Asia for 6 months. You'll have a great time if nothing else.

Thanks for the advice

I've been offered the role as a 12 month fixed term permanent deal which means all visa/permits are dealt with by employer.

Cool.If the employer is a "blue chip" then thats great. Otherwise, in the IT industry, be wary of the cowboys and firms who dangle carrots, talk the talk but dont walk the walk.They are rife here.And I'm speaking from solid first hand experience.

Thanks for the advice

Now i just need to work out the best way to control my finances i have left here in the UK!

Sell pounds, buy New Zealand Dollars, invest cash at 9% with only 2% tax in a NZL bank (but I am biased, being a Kiwi )

Is what you are suggesting possible without travelling to NZ--I mean the setting up of NZ Bank account and so on--I know that, if I wanted to do the same with a UK bank account I would need a UK postal address and they also want payment by cheque when opening the account--at least the one I was looking into most recently did--there may be some which don't but I am not aware of them, if so?

Risky fun!

One school of thought says that the Aussie (and by extension

the NZD) is more expensive than it should be already. And,

because of people doing what you propose with a lot of borrowed

money ("carry-trades"), it has the potential to drop fast at

any point.

On the other hand, many folks are confident GBP will drop this

year and there is every chance NZD will stay high...

Seems to me that restaurants and pubs should be handled differently. As a non-smoker, it irritates me when the next table lights up while I'm eating. But it's a bit silly objecting to smoking in a pub.

No ..never arrested or any problem there ...ever. I just applied for and received a two month Tourist Visa from Honolulu and plan to return to BKK in January. The only reason I am worried was that I got a half dozen emails in May of this year from a lady I knew in Pattaya. But the letters were not from her...they said they were from the Royal Thai Police (who really knows) and that I was accused of crimes there and would be arrested upon my return. I did nothing. I also received from the same mail address threatening words from a group in the USA. All very strange...but enough to worry me.

You must be one dangerous dude if they're trying to arrest you by email.

For a spousal visa to Australia the Australian and often one or more witnesses have to swear that the relationship is stable committed and long-lasting. I guess the original poster just lied his ass off on the forms huh? Comments in his first post indicate he is one of those with a less than generous attitude to all women, not just those that have turned on him. Som nam na, old chap.

OK. That is the special work/tour visa for Oz. Was not aware they called it B-A. One thing I did notice was that they say it must be used within three months (normally that would be the validity period of the visa). Are you sure your visa is still valid? Normally a multi entry visa is valid for 12 months so perhaps this visa also has a 'first entry requirement' of three months?

Strange.

I hadn't noticed that condition before, I'm not real sure what that means. But I'm quite sure it's still valid - last entered Thailand about a week ago. The "enter before date" on the visa itself is 12 months after the day it was issued.

I have no scanner or digital camera, so I can't post a picture of it. But I'll transcribe what's written on it:

Non-Immigrant B-A M 225AUD

SYDNEY <date of issue>

<enter before date> <passport number> 0

THAI-AUS WORKING HOLIDAY SCHEME.

The last line (THAI-AUS etc.) is hand-written. Everything else printed.

Regards,

Cocopops.

I have never heard of the visa but yes you can obtain a re-entry permit to keep your stay alive after the visa becomes invalid.

Thanks for the answer Lopburi. Nobody has heard of this visa type. Every time I enter, the immigration staff go get the boss to check that it's real.

For others, if you happen to qualify, this is a good visa to get. It takes a while though (mine took 6 weeks to issue last year).

http://thaisydney.idx.com.au/Consular_serv...%20holiday.html

Hi,

I was lucky enough to score a multiple entry "B-A" visa late last year. This

kind of visa gives you a 1 year permission to stay stamp each time you

enter. But it runs out soon, and I don't think I'm eligible to get another one.

From what I understand, if I leave and re-enter just before the visa expires

I'll be given another 1 year stamp. My question is, if I need to leave Thailand

briefly during that 1 year period, will I be able to get a re-entry permit even

though the actual visa has expired?

More succinctly, is it possible to stretch out my stay for almost another year

like this? Anybody have any experience trying this sort of thing?

Thankyou kindly,

Cocopops.