billd766

Two very different things.

A business visa lets you enter Thailand for the perpose of doing business.

Before you can actually start any business, even attending meetings or conferences/ making contacts etc, you should apply for a work permit.

To be pratical, you can attend meetings and do minor business work without a permit, for a short period.

Actually if you are married to a Thai you can get a work permit but you are on a Non Imm "O" visa and not a "B" visa.

If you are coming to work in Thailand then the company you are going to work for should send you a letter of invitation which will permit you to get a "B" visa.

If however you wish to start your own business you will need 2,000,000 baht (though not necessarily in cash), at least 4 Thais working for you, a Thai registered company, I think 7 Thai directors, an accountant, a lawyer, and a lot of luck.

You also need to make sure that the business you intend to do is one that is permitted for farangs.

I think that Sunbelt Asia, the forum sponsor can give you the full information required for that.

Best of luck.

I am just wondering if anyone knows if they are still giving out one year multiple O visas for foreigners married to Thais in Penang. I got a double entry in Osaka and then did a visa trip to Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh was great as usual but the Embassy would only issue me with a 90 day single entry O visa. I have to do another visa trip next month and am wondering if I can still get the one year in Penang. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi

If you contact the Thai Embassy they should be able to help you.

PENANG

Royal Thai Consulate-General

No. 1, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman

10350 Penang

Tel. (60-4) 2268029, 2269484

Fax:(60-4) 2263121

E-mail : [email protected]

I sent in my passport, copy of my wifes ID Card, translated copy of our English marriage certificate, copy of her house registration and a copy of the babys birth certificate from Thailand.

The house registration was silly really as she has not lived with her Mum and Dad for years.

It cost me 200 MYR for a 3 month 1 entry visa but I could have had a 1 year multi entry for about 500 MYR.

If you go onto the Web you can find the Thai Embassy in Penang with phone, fax and email address. They are very nice and very helpful.

The best thing to do would be to email Man (see below) as he was the guy who sorted it all out for me. Saved me all the taxi fares for 2 days, the paperwork and all the waiting around.

Really worth the 1000 baht or 90 MYR.

The guy I went to was at NJ books centre at 425 Chulia street penang.

Tel +60 4261 6133 fax +60 4264 1601 email [email protected]

The guy who arranges it is Manaff (Man) across the road at Maju Mehaa Singh travel at 384 Chulia Street tel +60 4261 5170 fax +60 4262 0739 email [email protected].

I stayed 1 night at the Cathay hotel for 69 MYR no breakfast, old hotel but OK then I went to the Hotel Continental on Penang road for 2 nights at 98 MYR inc breakfast.

Chulia street is less than 5 mins walk away from the hotels.

I flew on Air Asia which gets in too late for your passport and leaves to early. Manaff took mine through in the afternoon and brought it back the next afternoon instead of a 3 day turn around. It cost me 90 MYR for the service (about 1000 baht) and they do it all for you.

If you email Man and tell him what you need he will give you a price list.

You can then relax. The Soho pub across from the Continental does good English food and there are a lot of good curry places as well on Penang road. Alcohol is a bit expensive but duty free on the way out has good prices.

I hope that helps.

There is a thread running called Penang visa trip I think and that may give you more information.

If you need more help just PM me.

Good Luck and a good trip.

Regards

Bill

My pick up insurance is due for renewal in a couple of months and i want to find another insurance company.

Does anybody know of a good one?

Don't forget. You have to renew insurance policies at the same time as renewing your tax. This was posted somewhere on the forum not so long ago.

Compulsory vehicle insurance

BANGKOK: -- The government has announced that any vehicle without insurance will not be allowed to re-register.

This policy came into effect on 1 September, and will be strictly enforced, the Director-General of the Department of Land Transport, Piyapan Champasut, told TNA.

The measure is aimed at increasing the level of compulsory vehicle insurance.

Only 67 percent of the country's 20 million registered vehicles have entered the compulsory insurance system.

More than 90 percent of passenger cars are covered by compulsory insurance, compared to 55 percent of registered motorcycles.

Anyone seeking to renew their vehicle registration must have a valid insurance policy to coincide with the whole of the registration period, otherwise their application for renewal will be rejected, Mr Piyapan said.

-- TNA 2004-09-04

Gazza

Thank you for the information.

I may have a problem as the pick up is registered in Bangkok and I now live 400 km in the north but I will find a way around that problem.

My pick up insurance is due for renewal in a couple of months and i want to find another insurance company.

Does anybody know of a good one?

My wife is from Samut Prakan close to BKK, but we live 400km north which is where she has some land.

Why?? TIT but it is sabai mak here

The number is 809, but not quite as you quoted.

It would be 001 809 441 ...........

Uses voice over IP.  I use it for faxes without bother or delay.

TOT alos has an international service via 009 441.......

The first is about 10 baht a minute and I believe the TOT serives is the same, though I have never managed to get a connection that way.

I am on AIS and use TOT international to call the UK and I have been using the 009 44 prefix for quite a while and the calls cost me about 10 baht a minute and they also work with the (0) 845 and (0) 870 numbers as well.

Using the 009 prefix has cut down on my phone bills quite a lot.

Hope that this is of use.

Can you explain these further?

001 809 441 ...........

009 441.....

I can just use these prefixes from my landline (TOT) and get cheap overseas calls? Do I have to register first?

At the moment, I use a hatari card from 7-11 via my mobile (free mobile call) and it works out pretty cheap. although, if I call HK, it is still much cheaper to get someone there to call me back

Spog

I use the 009 44 prefix to the UK as I use an AIS mobile.

I live up country and I have only been waiting a year for a landline (jai yen yen) I hear her say.

I cannot say if it works from a landline but give it a try and see what happens.

I agree with Lopburi.

There is no Grandfathering for those of us who are married.

The next time round it will be 400,000 in the bank, or an equivalent income.

Astral

The last time I went to Suan Plu in July after I screwed up my visa (another story) I was told by a very helpful and nice captain that it would be 400,000 or 40,000 baht per month and, sorry no exceptions.

If you can find someone who will grandfather me please,please let me know.

billd766.

The number is 809, but not quite as you quoted.

It would be 001 809 441 ...........

Uses voice over IP. I use it for faxes without bother or delay.

TOT alos has an international service via 009 441.......

The first is about 10 baht a minute and I believe the TOT serives is the same, though I have never managed to get a connection that way.

I am on AIS and use TOT international to call the UK and I have been using the 009 44 prefix for quite a while and the calls cost me about 10 baht a minute and they also work with the (0) 845 and (0) 870 numbers as well.

Using the 009 prefix has cut down on my phone bills quite a lot.

Hope that this is of use.

What Does The Future Hold?, for worn out old bg's...

Being married to members of the Thaivisa.com forum??????

And ??????????

I have had a post paid account from AIS for over 3 years and last month I joined the GPRS promotion of 120 hours per month for an extra 350 baht per month. Anything over the 120 hours wil cost me 5 satang per minute but I can pay a little more for more hours. I will wait until the first full months bill comes in and see what it is like.

Last Saturday AIS called me and told me that my promotion package will be extended for 3 years.

Most of the time it is OK but as I live 5 km froma small village behind a hill the service sometimes drops out but i have been on line for nearly 2 hours at one time.

I am happy with the service and I have been waiting over a year for a land line.

I am 60 and my wife is 39 next month.

We have known each other for over 11 years and have been married for 4 1/2.

Had to divorce the UK wife first.

The divorce was the best thing I ever did, second best was to marry my Thai wife, (bit tricky the other way around).

Problem is I don't always listen to her advice and most of the time it is better than my own ideas.

hi´

as far as I know, mp3 don´t work on tape ...

so, you have to convert them in wave and then record them to your tape recorder, using a cd-rw,

to burn the files first in order to copy them on tape ...

I mean, use a cd to play on the hi-fi, and record your tape from this source

any audio converter will do the job

cheers

francois

hi

Thank you for the information.

This will give me something to do in my spare time.

Its baffling as to why rich farang want to relocate to poor rural villages...

I am not a particularly rich farang by farang standards but like Random Chances I also live in a small village.

Why? Because my wife owned some land here and we bought a little more and it is a nice plce to live.

I don't like cities very much any more, too much traffic and pollution and far too many people. We don't go out drinking at night as there is nowhere to drinl apart from the karaoke bar and that closes around 11 pm. The alternative is the local 7/11.

I am about 120 km North of Nakhon Sawan and where we live is surrounded by hills and full of clean air and peace and quiet.

I used to live in BKK for a few years and found that I was so bored with it, when my wife asked when we were going to build the house, now seemd like a good idea.

She does not come from this village but we have friends her and we get on fairly well with the local villagers and mainly keep ourselves to ourselves.

hi'

just plug-in your tape player into the line in.

then use a software like Adobe Audition (ex-cooledit), record the tape (full length),

then cut it song by song, apply some filters, like scientific filters (the 8 one), and the click/pop one, you may add some amplitude (amplify) never more than 6db ... let the prog calculate the best option, and apply, then save song by song in a folder created for it.

then ... burn your cd or cd-rw using nero, burn music

if it is not simple enough ... well ... call again with more details on what happened

cheers

francois

Hi Francios

Thank you.

That information is also useful to me.

Do you know how I can copy MP3 music the other way around, back to a cassette tape?

I have some music CD I want to use in the car but non CD player.

I hope that somebody can help.

Hi

Are there any farangs living the lower North of Thailand?

I live between the Klong Lan waterfall and the Mae Wong National park about 50 km southwest of Khampaeng Phet and about 80 km northwest of Kakhon Sawan.

I have met one or two guys around including a Frenchman, a Swiss guy and a German guy. I am English. (Almost enough for a world war)

I have been told of some others near Pangsilathong but I don't know where.

I live with my wife on 15 rai and she does some farming but not for profit yet.

Sorry for being so uninformed, but where exactly is the new airport going to be? I've read the name of the location somewhere, but couldn't figure out in which direction from Bangkok it is.

Stroll

The new airport is between the Bang Na Trat expressway and the Route 7 New Rama IX highwat to Chon Buri. It is just to the East of the Route 9 Eastern bypass by the On Nut Latkrabang road.

It used to be called Nong Ngu Hao International but I think is going to be called the Suvarnabhumi Airport. Please excuse the spelling but I can't get my head around some of the Thai spellings.

I dont understand very well the problem of some folks on the site...

If you are married with a Thai national ( spouse ) you just need to get 400.000 bahts to get a 1 year visa extension in Thailand. Obviously, you dont must work in the country...

They dont want to have poor peoples, they have enough with their poor Thais...

If you want to work in Asia, you must go to the Philippines. Overthere, when you are married with a citizen you can legally work in the country...

I understand what you say about needing 400,000 baht to get a 1 year visa extension, however you have to get a Non Imm "O" visa from outside Thailand before you can apply for the Thai Wife Visa.

Also the 400,000 baht is a combination of income and money in the bank.

Also as far as I can understand if you have a Thai Wife Visa you can also work in Thailand as long as you have a work permit.

I did check this out with a friend from the Immigration Dept but he does not work in Suan Plu but out at the airport.

As with a lot of things in Thailand it is sometimes a case of one official differing from another and both believing that they are correct in their own views.

Your information is correct Bill. Go for it.

Thanks Dr Pat

At least I got smething right for a change.

I will need to do a 30 day visa run on or before the 26th of this month. I've only done visas outside Thailand at embassies before (took 2-4 days each) but due some time limitations, i am unable to do so within the coming two weeks, so this is the only option for me this time. I plan on going with one of those tour buses from Bangkok - but i really have no idea which ones are recommended and which not? If anyone could give some suggestions, that would be appreciated. Also, what border (somewhat civilized, if possible) do you recommend?

Note: Showing funds in Thailand or cash is not a problem for me at the border, i'm already aware and prepared for that.

Rainman

I have done a couple of quick tourist visa runs in the last 3 months to Poipet.

Both times I went with Jack's Golf tours from Sukhumvit Soi 12 at 0630.

I have no connection with them at all other than using the service which was reccommended by a friend.

The trip was a good one and the bus almost new (not a minibus). It cost me 2,000 each time and that included the visa fee, bus trip, free luch at one of the casinos etc. We stopped for a break once each way after an hour or so.

You give them your passport and sign the odd bit of paper and they do all the rest. The last time we just walked through as a group, had lunch and waited about an hour, walked back through the border, got on the bus and went back to Bangkok.

It may have changed in the last few days with the cash requirement but Jack's Golf can update you on that.

You can contact them at 0 2251 1946-7 or http://JackGolf.com

I wasn't so impressed by the lunch but it was free (sort of).

Hello ,

Billd766 says: 

I just came back from a visa run to Penang yesterday for a 3 month Non Imm O visa to restart my Thai wife Visa and I had no problems at all.

Do you know how is it to have a one year Non  Imm O visa multiple entry?

I am french 45 y. not married but with 2 thai children. Two years ago I get this visas only showing the  birthcertificate  of my two sons and the tabien ban of my girlfriend. without showing bank account or anything else.

thanks to help me , I have to go to Penang in a few weaks.

Jacques

Hi Jacot 22

My case is a little different than yours as I am married (in England) with my Thai wife and I have the certified translation etc to prove it. I also have a copy of my sons birth certificate.

I suggest that you get the Thai consulate in Penang information, see below and email them to see what they can do for you.

PENANG

Royal Thai Consulate-General

No. 1, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman

10350 Penang

Tel. (60-4) 2268029, 2269484

Fax:(60-4) 2263121

E-mail : [email protected]

I spoke to them before I went and they told me what I needed to show and everything went off very well.

I hope that it works for you as well.

billd766

hello thai lovers

My name is erg and this is my first post on this page.

I am living in thai now 13 mounths, going to stamp every mounth.

I am "married" to an Akha girl, two years now, 25 years old, without a thai ID card, she has a blue card. Altough she is born in thai, and has proof of that.

Because of her blue card i can not register my marriage at a thai Ampheur, therefore i can not apply for a marriage document, i do have all the other requirements as a thai bankaccount, a tapiaanbaan, motobike on my name, house rent, telephone, drivinglicence, motobikelicence, all on my own name,a letter from my (holland) embassy wich says i can marry her, etc. etc. etc.

But in my case it is not posible to apply for a non O, hope somebody, knows something more about this, any tip is welcome, because i would love to have this one year stamp, or help her with her thai citicenship.

Erg

Hi Erg

I suspect that you have a major problem on your hands.

If she can get a Thai ID card then it would be possible for her to get a passport and you could get her back to your own country, assuming that she could get a visa (not so easy through the UK Embassy) and you could legally marry her there. Then you could apply at the Thai Embassy in that country for a Non Imm "O" visa and start to get a Thai wife visa.

However first she would need a Thai ID card and I don't think that she would be able to get one unless she could prove everything to the local authorities satisfaction.

That may be impossible though maybe if you could find the right persons with the right connections and a brown envelope full of $$$ that may help.

Otherwise you have a big problem.

Perhaps the Dutch Embassy could help in practical terms.

Maybe some other posters on the forum will know more than me and can make helpful suggestions.

I wish you the best of luck whichever way it turns out.

billd766

I dont understand very well the problem of some folks on the site...

If you are married with a Thai national ( spouse ) you just need to get 400.000 bahts to get a 1 year visa extension in Thailand. Obviously, you dont must work in the country...

They dont want to have poor peoples, they have enough with their poor Thais...

If you want to work in Asia, you must go to the Philippines. Overthere, when you are married with a citizen you can legally work in the country...

I understand what you say about needing 400,000 baht to get a 1 year visa extension, however you have to get a Non Imm "O" visa from outside Thailand before you can apply for the Thai Wife Visa.

Also the 400,000 baht is a combination of income and money in the bank.

Also as far as I can understand if you have a Thai Wife Visa you can also work in Thailand as long as you have a work permit.

I did check this out with a friend from the Immigration Dept but he does not work in Suan Plu but out at the airport.

As with a lot of things in Thailand it is sometimes a case of one official differing from another and both believing that they are correct in their own views.

Thanks - as per usual your info is to the point and quite useful.

You got this stuff down cold.

Phormio

A small piece of advice.

Go to the Immigration Dept at Suan Plu at some stage before you go out of the country and make sure you get a re-entry visa.

I forgot to get one before I went to the UK and blew my Thai wife visa out of the window.

Had to start all over again.

Ask the staff there if you need one just to be on the safe side.

True true, however, I got my visa the following day as well! Handed it in Wed morning and got it back Thurs 2pm - costed me 220MYR. Think I got a bargain here.

Mark

I think you did get a bargain but I arrived on the Wednesday afternoon and saw the agent around 3pm and got my passport back on Thursday afternoon. I assume the extra cash was for "overtime".

At the end of the day you pays your money and takes your choice.

There are a lot of "agents" about and I was happy with the service I got. It was my first time there and with the information that has come about since I think that I would still go back to the guy I went with this time as I was happy with the service I got.

I could probably have walked around and found someone else but I was there on a visa run and to relax for a couple of days.

The story may sell newspapers, but the experiences detailed in this forum do not suggest that it has credence..

Married to a Thai, but only got a Tourist Visa..............???

Perhaps you should also read the thoughts of Stephen Hawking, posted in another area of the forum, about the way rumour becomes truth.

Astral

If you read the post again carefully on line one I said that I went for a Non Imm "O" visa and taht is what I got.

I was refering to the 3rd paragraph of the original post.

Reports reaching Pattaya Today’s office suggest that the consulate general in Penang is having one of its periodic crackdowns on farang folk seeking a new Thai visa. One guy, who is married to a Thai and does voluntary work for a well known charity in Pattaya, ended up with a single entry tourist visa although he is used to a multiple entry non immigrant ‘B’ or ‘O’.

Astral

My apologies.

Billd766

billd766: I'm not sure if you mean "visa agent" (in Penang that is) when you mention visa agency. Anyway, there are so many of them so why just mention this one?

You can even have it before noon, you don't have to pay an agent to get it quick (the price for this is 60 ringit, I suppose the actual visa fee isn't included in that price). And it IS possible to catch the flight back to Bkk with Air Asia.

But, as I mention in the Trip to Penang thread, it's better to do it yourself. Even if you have to pay for the taxi. But, why not take the bus? It's not that difficult. Everyone around you are fluent in English and will gladly help you. After the bus trip it's a pleasant walk in a residential neighbourhood. (Ok, I just mentioned this for the guys not willing to pay for the taxi.)

For more information regarding visa trips to Penang, see this splendid thread:

Trip to Penang

Regarding the Bartender's reply, I suppose you mean "Pattaya Today", because that's what you wrote in the first place. Emailing Pattaya Mail won't do any good.

Regards,

Mike

Micke

Thank you for the information that perhaps I could have used, but basically I am a bit lazy and I spent a lot of my time there just walking around and sightseeing etc.

The only reason I used the agent That I did was that I met a guy on the flight down and later in a bar having a beer and he took me there.

I have had 2 emails since asking for the information which I replied to and I hope that together with your and my information other people may have an easier time.

Thanks a lot.

I see from Bartender 100 that it is possible to obtain a triple entry tourist visa but as I wasn't looking for one I had no concrete information about them.

Billd766