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My parents having been ringing me up repeatedy from the UK asking whether i had been shot or lynched yet - ok, perhaps that a bit of a slight exaggeration but they are real worried. I try to explain to them that i feel perfectly safe but they seem to believe everything that they hear down the local social club on how dangerous countries like Thailand.

I've found that most people living back where I come from are laced deeply with fears. They don't know that. The media plays a big role in shocking them too.

Try to be reasonable, after all it is your mother and father. They worry allot about you. If it would do any good then just tell them not to worry because you are in LOS.

My sister is one of them with unreasonable fears. On top of that she is a control freak. Anything to get me back home where it is even more dangerous than here and I hardly ever will see her unless she has the time once a year or so.

Those deep fears inside people are ugly to see. But what can you do?

I had my own fears about coming to Thailand before I came here. They all turned out to be crap programed into my head throughout life.

Thailand is rather peaceful on the whole. I like it a bit too much.

But anything could happen anywhere in the world.

So just be careful and enjoy your time here.

Yes crazy it is.

Orbitz says "departure tax is not covered" - Expat flyers insist it ought to be!

So I phoned Qantas Airways in Bangkok. They took the airline record locator for Qantas that is on the Orbitz e ticket (no mention of flight number) but just my name and I opened my coversation with them in regard to the flight date on ticket.

They said that the 700 baht departure fee is covered with my purchase of the ticket.

Let's hope so, I am not taking any Thai baht on the way to departure and no credit card. And the TS tax is not listed anywhere on the e ticket?

I checked the airport map, looks like Burger King on level 4.

But I could use a few shots, after 3 years of back and forth in the Thailand scene all I have had is puzzles to figure out. Puzzles that take weeks, months and years to find the way through. And then, if not at a dead end of the maze, things change. And I am sure this will all tag on for the rest of my life one way or another.

I think I am just beginning to see why so many falangs are found laying dead drunk on a street in Pataya somewhere.

SMILE

Since ACS in Bangkok said "send certified correct translations to MFA to be 100% sure" I am sending it that way and through one of the US Embassy's recomended translation services- Fugi. Fugi is not on the 2004 list that was provided on the link for "list of translators" above, but in 2005 it was on their list that they gave to me and we have been using Fugi in the past for affidavits and marriage certificate translations.

Lawyer in the States suggested having it done in the US, but I rather spend $173 here than $600 there.

When I get to the point that my I-130 immigration petition for spouse is approved, then I will post the results here in regard to the acceptence of the translations. Might be a while..

I'd hate to hear that the OP missed their flight just to get some relatively inexpensive food. For an inexperienced traveler I might suggest they clear Immigration first, as the lines might be long, and familiarize yourself with the layout and the general location of your departure gate, then worry about finding food... Quote: iomatopo

Thanks.

All of the inputs have been good.

My e ticket doesn't have taxes/fees/charges but just one lump sum indicating that taxes are included with airfare. No TS. Thanks.

The new airport seems to be laid out good. No buses from domestic to internarional, just elevators.. and with visble signs in English.

Thailand is a head twister as far as "what to do?"

7oo baht, oh? !!! You are most likely on the money.

I have a reply from Orbitz customer service and this is it (yesterday).....

Thank you for contacting Orbitz.

I understand that you want to know if the cost for your flight includes

the departure fee.

Please be advised that on the flight cost, U.S. or international

departure and arrival charges of up to $200.00 USD may apply, depending

upon the itinerary chosen.

Most countries include the country's departure tax in the price of the

airline ticket you buy. Unfortunately, Thailand isn't one of those

countries. You need to remember to put aside 500 baht (per person) for

the departure tax. As soon as you check in-there will be kiosks, where

you can pay the money to a person or use the machine.

OK. This all looks pretty good, and has been very helpful.

Thanks allot for all of your instructions, I am pretty well set in my mind on everything now.

Thanks,

Yes I have the e ticket, I suppose that I just need to find my check in row number to obtain the paper tickets.

Very interesting, never new anything about the departure fee being included with my flight ticket purchase.

Thanks for the input burimac.

After a domestic flight landing in Suvarnabhum, the need to find the way to the international departure side of the airport is a question. From what I see there are shuttle buses available, but I am just not sure of which bus number to take or if there is another way to get from domestic side to international side.

Then with the currency exchange at presant, I am not certain how much Thai baht I can exchange to U.S. dollars at the airport.

So being up against finding the way to where I need to obtain my e tickets from airline and to departure terminal, then as I remember there is a fee for leaving Thailand. Is that fee still 500 baht?

Any good advice is welcomed.

I have been baffled for months on something that should take 2 days to understand. I know "this is Thailand" but....

United States Immigration would like to have copies of wife's divorce certificates, translated into English and with a certification of "correct and complete" and certification of "translators competence."

There is no such thing here and it has baffled me. Either you get a certification for "correct" only or send it all to the Ministry of Foreign affairs for second stamp of certification when translator is done.

I have searched out quite a few sources to try to understand what to do, and I have a mangling of answers to sort out that leaves me still guessing.

Lastly the ACS in Bangkok gave me a probable answer. I am pretty sure that the people working there are Thai. So the answer goes like this....

"In Thailand they send document translations to the MFA to be 100% sure, but the

USCIS probably will accept the translations with just the certification of correctness from the translator.

Does anyone out there have any experience with Thai to English translation certifications for divorce certificates for immigration of spouse to the United States? 2711

Hi,

My first post. But I have been baffled for months on something that should take 2 days to understand. I know "this is Thailand" but....

United States Immigration would like to have copies of wife's divorce certificates, translated into English and with a certification of "correct and complete" and certification of "translators competence."

There is no such thing here and it has baffled me. Either you get a certification for "correct" only or send it all to the Ministry of Foreign affairs for second stamp of certification when translator is done.

I have searched out quite a few sources to try to understand what to do, and I have a mangling of answers to sort out that leaves me still guessing.

Lastly the ACS in Bangkok gave me a probable answer. I am pretty sure that the people working there are Thai. So the answer goes like this....

"In Thailand they send document translations to the MFA to be 100% sure, but the

USCIS probably will accept the translations with just the certification of correctness from the translator.

Does anyone out there have any experience with Thai to English translation certifications for divorce certificates for immigration of spouse to the United States?