teacherofwoe

Thanks to everyone for the help

Does anyone know if the B40,000 must be earned but one parent or can it be through joint salaries e.g. B25,000 + B15,000?

I didn't know the 400,000 in the bank was still an option. If it is, how long does the money need to stay in the account?

Your wife can get a monthly tax receipt from the Tax Office.

Your money is fine, just go to the Embassy and get a letter confirming +40,000 baht per month.

Others in here will give you more advice

Sounds good, but do I need to show the money coming over for several months first or just the first time? If the original source of the money is from my family and not through salary or inverstment is that ok too?

To get the type O visa on the basis of having a Thai child I believe you need B40,000 per month from either parent.

Would simply having the funds sent every month from U.K. be sufficient for the British embassy to give me a confirmation letter?

Alternatively, what proof would my wife need to show? Probably paying income tax on B40,000 per month. Does this mean that we would have to wait until the end of this year to pay her taxes or can she register a business now and delare that she earns B40,000 per month?

Please advise.

I'll be travelling to Britain in a couple of months with my one year old daughter who has two passports. If I accompany her in the short Thai queue will they stamp my passport at that counter or will I have to queue again for the foreign counter? Has anyone done this? Her Thai mother, my wife, is travelling with us. I just thought I'd try to on!

It seems that everything comes from China these days: Electrical items, clothes, poisons, etc. But everything from China is the lowest quality and a waste of money in my opinion as it's guaranteed to break at aroung 12 months (if you're lucky). My personal motto:

Is it made in China? No thanks!

Chiang Mai tops for human security, Bangkok and Phuket worst

Suwinai said the human-security score was calculated using comprehensive criteria, including the ratios of hospital beds/doctors to the population, student/teacher ratio, household income, employment rate, crime rate, divorce rate, population density, telephone and Internet access, and election turnout.

Good ratios my eye...

Plenty of doctors in CM but very few good ones. I recently broke my collar bone and had to wait over 24 hours for the specialist to come from another hospital.

50 students to one teacher.

CM has the lowest salaries for foreign teachers.

There's always a dozen applicants for every job.

Crime rate may seem good to a farang but ask a Thai and you'll hear some real horror stories.

I live in CM's outskirts and we waited two years to get a telephone line. We had to buy someone's number. Internet took a further six months.

Election turn outs are good because of all the vote buying. My mother in law made B200 at the last election.

CM has plenty of things going for it but like any city it has it's problems and faults.

not sure about farang or all. The car remains in the Finance companies name until you have paid all the $$. upon completion, can transfer to ur name.

Thanks. The dealer didn't make that point clear. He said "farang mai dai". Somebody else has confirmed what you've said.

Firstly, apologies if this has been covered in a previous thread.

I went to my local Toyota dealer yesterday to enquire about a Vios. As I was putting down at least B200,000 I didn't need anyone to guarantee the finance. Great! Not quite. He said that as I was a farang I couldn't register the car in my name until it had been paid for in full.

Has anyone bought a new car on finance and registered it in their name right from the off?

If you have a look at the translation of the Thai Highway Laws you'll see that it is in fact legal to drive the wrong way down a road. Somewhere on this site (can't remember where) is a link to the translation. It's worth having a look at as it has other crazy rules like if you're indicating to turn left and an oncoming vehicle is indication to turn right into the same road he has right of way.

Anyone know where I can buy a tank?

Being loaded on booze really does cause so many accidents, but if the locals could drive properly in the first place then there would be fewer accidents all year round. Just the little things like looking left when you pull out in the path of oncoming traffic, tailgating the vehicle in front when you know you'll never be able to stop in time and the overtaking of the vehicle in front when you can see an oncoming vehicle. The Ministry of Transport needs to rethink the Thai Driving Test. It's just like the school exams in government schools: no one must fail. Only this test will determine whether people die or not. How many learner driver with "L" plates have you ever seen here? Drive through some cones and reverse your car and you get your licence.

Policemen are some of the worse drivers here. What chance have we got if the police perform dangerous manouvers themselves and also turn a blind eye to other traffic offenders (they would be classed as offenders in U.K.)

The ability to copy others is one of the strongest attributes of Thai people. So, why not copy the British of American system of the teaching and testing of driving. Yes, it's going to be expensive, but you'll be investing in lives.

O.K. That clarifies things rather well. I've worked and paid taxes for quite a few years, but I'm between jobs at the moment and was forced to do a boarder hop and i'm not on a tourist 30 days visa. I was trying to find the simplest method, but 21 days just isn't it. Either Penang or Vientine, I think.

Thanks.

It has been suggested to me that I can go from a tourist visa to a non immigrant B through a new teaching job without leaving the country. Apparently I can do this in Bangkok. Can anyone confirm this or is my source mistaken?

Thailand doesn't have any trees? are you sure about that 'teacherofwoe'?

Trees suitable for making furniture.

You are aware that 75% of the trees were cut down and not replanted, aren't you? Most wood comes from immature trees which is why most furniture that's made from wood is made from small pieces. If you want something made from a large piece of wood, you need to pay through the nose as it's probably imported. The rich go to places like Pai and buy old teak houses, dismantle them and take them back to Bangkok. I've been scouring Chiang Mai for a decent piece of hardwood for ages. No joy.

One of the best manners to deal with this issue is to get the word around more and more in all you home countries so that more people would boycott coming to Thailand and also try to persuade more and more people from either investing here or even putting in their money in any funds with a vested commercial interest in Thailand, the more the words get around , the effects will start to follow and changes will have to happen. Also, all the foreigners should get more united in their causes.

A romantic notion. Read the news threads about how tourists get beaten up, mugged, raped and murdered. What are our governments doing about this? I think potential visitors to LOS need to know these facts before two tier pricing.

But what happens when the tourists arrive as green as grass. "Ohhh, it's so cheap here, isn't it?" I went mental at my mum who was visiting. She had a hair cut and manicure which came to B200 or so. She gave them B700 because it cost more than that in England. I went crazy when she told me. There are thousands of green tourists that just reaffirm the notion that Thais have which is that we are sheep waiting to be sheered. "Money must grow on trees in the west".

talking, listening to the radio (bbc4), watching tv or videos are more important than scholl, where there is more gramma, writing and reading.

Just a well you are not teaching anybody English....."scholl" and "gramma"....but then again LondonThai !!...cockney...cant speak English any way....LOL.... ....think you should watch a bit more bbc 4, TV and video...

Hold on! How do you know he's a cockney? London is a bloody big place mate. A cockney is from the east end and is born to the sound of Bow bells. Do some research before you start using vocabulary that you don't know the meaning of. That way you won't look like a wally.

P.S. I'm a cockney as is my father. I have an M.A. and he has a PhD. Alrigh me ol mukka?

Racism is a word they don't like to use on this forum. I recently posted about a racist policeman. I had lots of replys from the politically correct. I then cut and pasted the dictionary definition of racism onto the thread but some genius decided it was offensive and deleted it. How the dictionary can be offensive I don't know.

Anyway, if you want to pay the same price as Thais when you go to places that have two tier pricing (displayed) then get a Thai driving licence. Mine has paid for itself many times.

Here's a story you might like:

My friend from the U.S got married to an Issan girl. We all had to go to Issan for the wedding;what a drag. I went into a store and asked the price of something (I spoke in Thai) and was told B800. The next day I sent my wife who's from Chiang Mai into the store and she was quoted B400. The day after that my friend's wife who is from Issan got a qoute for B200 which was eventually cut down to B180. So, even Thais can get screwed by other Thais.

I bought a king size bed this week from Ban Maa made from real wood (o.k. box wood) which I had delivered for free because I told them not to varnish it. I rubbed it down and stained it myself and it look fantastic. The bed was B3,000 and the varnish and sand paper came to less than B1,000. A great looking wooden bed that will last for years and years for less than B4,000. You go to Index or SB and pay B10,000+ for a bed and in a few years the vaneer will be peeling off.

When I met my wife she had very little English conversational skills. Most Thais start studying English from an early age; the education system here is appauling though. Think back to high school when you studied French, or German in some cases, and you can still remember some stuff. If you go to France, all of that stuff will resurface as was the case with my wife. Just simply hanging out with me soon produced amazing results. Most Thai adults know loads of English but don't even know it. As long as your wife gets continual correction then she'll be fine. She need to understand that the correction is an important part of the learning process and not critisism. If she's in a native speaking country even better. As long as she is prepared to imerse herself then no problems. I know of some Thai ladies who live almost as prisoners in their own homes in the U.K. because they can't even go to the supermarket.

If she wants it, and you're supportive, then it will take less than a year to have some fluency and two to three years to become really good. Professional classes are also a good idea, but can be expensive for decent teachers in the west.

The furniture you can get in supermarkets and Chotana road is the chip board covered in vaneer rubbish. Unfortunately Thailand doesn't have any trees. The place to go to buy this stuff is Ban Maa (Maa as in horse). This is where they manufature it and sell wholesale to Chotana rd etc... You need to take the superhighway heading to Lamphun, as you pass Lamphun you will see several orange sellers at the road side, pass the Cosmo petrol stn and look for the soi with a liitle roof arch thing. That will take you into Ban Maa and there are loads of shops for about five kilometres. You'll obviously need a truck (they will deliver, but it cuts into the money you'll save) and if you can take a Thai to barter for you so much the better. Go to a supermarket and make a list of prices then go to Ban Maa and you'll see how much you save. They do have varying prices for different levels of quality.

Alternatively, if you want something a little better then go to Ban Tawai. Take the Hang Dong road, as you get to hang Dong the road bottlenecks. Carry on to the traffic light and turn left. Go for about three kilometres (you'll see some expensive shops on theis road, really nice furniture) until you cone to an arch roof thing over the road and turn right. You'll know your on the right road because there's a shop on the left with loads of things made out of wagon wheels. Most of the furniture is on the right side towards the end of the main straight road. The stuff they sell here is real wood, albeit not they standard of wood that we expect back home. But it's better than the vaneer that peels off after a year or so. Again, different prices for varying quality.

I'm just about to register my daughter and get her passport. I was told by two different people at the consular that it can only be registered within 1 year, although there is nothing on the notes that come with the application form. The notes do state that the cost is B10,872 and additional copies of the entry are a further B4,248.

Now, as I read the reverse side of the notes it says that you can register your child as a British citizen at the Home Office http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk or ask for a form MN1

What it also says is that your children born overseas (i.e. in Thailand etc) gain British Nationality by decent. When they grow up and have kids of their own they won't be able to register them (your grandchildren) via the decent system if they too are born overseas. Oh no!

You can transmit British Nationality to children born overseas if you have 'other than decent' which is 1. born in U.K. 2 . naturalised in U.K. 3. (in some cases but not all) registered in the U.K.

I've had a quick look at the HO website and it's a real headache. I think every one who has had a kid should look further into this as it could affect our grandkids if we don't get it right now.

When did you get a copy of these notes?.They are to say the least somewhat outdated.I have a copy obtained just 6 days ago that clearly state the fee is 14,755 baht with additional copies costing 3835 baht.I was also told 6 days ago face to face over the counter at the British Embassy that there is no time limit on registration.I'm afraid what you have stated about the reverse side of the application is also misinformation and will cause confusion over this very important matter....and I quote from that reverse side :- "If you were born overseas to a British parent ,you aquired your British nationality "by descent" (unless your father was in the Crown service at the time of your birth). If your child is also born overseas then he/she will not automatically have a claim to British nationality but it may be possible to register him or her as a British Citizen with the Home Office.Please see the Home Office website http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk or as for form MN1 .If your intentions are to settle in the Uk you will be advised to apply in the UK".

The website you quote is only to be used if you were born overseas "by descent" ( the same as our children anotherwords) and may apply to some but not the majority of father's on this forum.What you say about your children also having children born outsde the Uk is very true for all of us but there is no mention of it on the current copy of BE notes.

By the way my notes also correspond to the imformation on the British Embassy website...you will find that yours...whenever and from whoever they were obtained do not.

I got my application form and notes attached two weeks ago from Chiang Mai consular. They may well be out of date; I really don't know. Where did you get yours?

My main concern is to to protect the future of my daughter. Some feel that the fees of registration outweigh the benefits. I do not. I will be registering my child with the embassy as well as Home Office. What I am still in the dark about is the "desent" clause which could affect my grandchildren if my daughter chooses to have children in Thailand for example. Surely there is a way for my daughter to become a British citizen "other than desent" like myself. Anyone got facts on this?

If my daughter (Thai & British) has a child in the U.K. to preserve the British aspect, what is the situation with the Thai government? Would my grandchildren loose their claim to a Thai heritage? More info is needed I think. Are there any grandparents out there who have had any experience???

talking, listening to the radio (bbc4), watching tv or videos are more important than scholl, where there is more gramma, writing and reading.

Just a well you are not teaching anybody English....."scholl" and "gramma"....but then again LondonThai !!...cockney...cant speak English any way....LOL.... ....think you should watch a bit more bbc 4, TV and video...

Erm... I think you mean "Just AS well", don't you?

I'm just about to register my daughter and get her passport. I was told by two different people at the consular that it can only be registered within 1 year, although there is nothing on the notes that come with the application form. The notes do state that the cost is B10,872 and additional copies of the entry are a further B4,248.

Now, as I read the reverse side of the notes it says that you can register your child as a British citizen at the Home Office http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk or ask for a form MN1

What it also says is that your children born overseas (i.e. in Thailand etc) gain British Nationality by decent. When they grow up and have kids of their own they won't be able to register them (your grandchildren) via the decent system if they too are born overseas. Oh no!

You can transmit British Nationality to children born overseas if you have 'other than decent' which is 1. born in U.K. 2 . naturalised in U.K. 3. (in some cases but not all) registered in the U.K.

I've had a quick look at the HO website and it's a real headache. I think every one who has had a kid should look further into this as it could affect our grandkids if we don't get it right now.

I'm married to a Thai lady and we've just had our first baby. I've been teaching for the past few years but i'm now looking for a new teaching gig as my contract hasn't been renewed due to buffalo directors at the school (another story), so what do I do if I don't get another teaching gig ("work permit job")? I can't get a marriage visa without K40 per month. I'm well under 50 too, so what are my options other than do three months of border runs and then naff off back for three months?????????????????????????

Any sensible ideas would be most appreciated as the school job situation in Chaing Mai sucks at the moment.