bubba

4 hours ago, Thanyaburi Mac said:

Bubba

 

The U.S. Re-Entry Permit is good for two (2) years.

 

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/B5en.pdf

 

Mac

That is for the first several years. After that, they start issuing one year re-entry permits.

"

Generally, a Re Entry Permit issued to a permanent resident is valid for two years from the date of issuance. However, if you have been outside the United States for more than four of the last five years since becoming a permanent resident the permit will be limited to one year, except that a permit with a validity of two years may be issued to the following:

Reentry Permit Validity – 1-Year vs. 2-Year Terms

While the reentry permit may be renewed for a number of times, without limit, there are certain limits on the terms of renewal reentry permits.  For most reentry permit holders, their first, second and perhaps even third reentry permits will be valid for two years.   However, subsequent reentry permits may be valid for one year only.  The government has put in place regulations which restrict the validity of a reentry permit depending on how much time the applicant green card holder has spent outside of the US.  The effect of these regulations are to make it harder (and more expensive) for green card holders to remain outside of the US for more than a few years.

Here are the rules. If a green card holder has spent more than four years total outside of the US since becoming a green card holder (or during the last five years, whichever is less), then the reentry permit will be issued with 1-year validity term.  Otherwise, for folks who have spent outside of the US less than four years, the reentry permit validity term will be the default of two years.

There are some very limited exceptions.  If the green card holder is employed by public international organization of which the U.S. is a member or is a professional athlete, then the reentry permit may be issued for two (2) years despite extended periods of absence from the US.

http://www.i131reentrypermit.com/2014/09/overview-of-reentry-permit-extensions-and-validity-terms/

It is true that US immigration can pull a green card if the holder has remained outside the US for a long period of time. The solution is to obtain a re-entry document, which will preserve residency for the validity of the document, which I believe is for one year. This can only be applied for while the permanent resident is inside the USA and would have to be renewed every year.

I know of a Thai who had their US green card pulled, and the next time they wanted to visit the USA, they were given a visitor's visa valid for ten years, but I am not sure what length of stay in granted on arrival. 

I received the SMS news alert a little over an hour ago, and they may not have written up the story and posted it yet. I a

Aha...just as I was writing this, a TV breaking news alert comes in:

I just received the following SMS news alert from that other newspaper....if this is true, it is big news. Can any of the experts here verify this?

Cabinet extends long-stay visa for foreigners aged 50 or more to 10 years from one but they have to report to immigration police every 90 days.

Most of my staff do not even want to discuss Donald Trump. Yes, for the most part all are worldly and educated, but really do not seem inclined to discuss; however from what little has been offered, he sort of seems to them to be an "anti-Thai", given his hot headed temperament and aggressiveness and they sort of seem afraid of him. Think 'jai rawn'. 

Definitely not seen as a leader with a diplomatic disposition. 

Indeed One Stop Centre is requiring them for extensions of stay.

Trying to save some time, I printed out the PDF version posted here, and printed it on two pages of paper. One Stop immigration was OK with the form, but would not accept it printed on two pages - had to be front and back.

As I had already laboriously completed the form, the solution was to simply glue the two pages together, back to back. That way, it was judged acceptable.

By the way, a photo is required for the form at One Stop.

Arrived vack BKK last Thursday, am on retirement extension, no sign / mentioning of the new form, got stamped back in in less than 30 seconds.

I can only imagine the pandemonium and long waits that will result if they begin handing these out in the immigration hall at BKK, requiring its completion before being processed and stamped it.

I guess they would need to hand them out on the planes along with the landing cards.

It is interesting to see Thailand increasing the use of paper forms at the same time first world countries are trying to get rid of them.

Yes, hopefully they would hand them out on the planes. I will bet the flight attendants are going to love this as well, with non-English speakers trying to struggle through them and asking for assistance.

And it is interesting to see Thailand increasing the amount of paper. I have done a considerable amount of travel, but I have never seen an arrival form that was this detailed and time consuming to complete. Well, I have never flown to North Korea, but they could be the only exception.

Arrived vack BKK last Thursday, am on retirement extension, no sign / mentioning of the new form, got stamped back in in less than 30 seconds.

I can only imagine the pandemonium and long waits that will result if they begin handing these out in the immigration hall at BKK, requiring its completion before being processed and stamped it.

I downloaded the ".odt" file. Word don't want to open it and give me a message that the file is damaged.

Could you please check and replace the file. Thank you.

To open a .odf file, use LibreOffice (preferred) or OpenOffice, both of which can also handle most MS Office files. Microsoft's software does not properly support the Open Document Format. Microsoft wants you to use their proprietary formats that lock you into buying their products in the future.

If you do not want to download and install that, you can use a simple text editor, such as TextEdit, which comes pre-installed with MacOS.

Since the H-A opinions have started already, here is some more

https://www.uscis.gov/visit-united-states/extend-your-stay

That would not be applicable to a UK national.

You may not apply to extend your stay if you were admitted to the United States in the following categories:

• Visa Waiver Program

Well , I'll stick to water bottles , it hasn't killed me yet . I read a test somewhere that Namthip was the best water produced in Thailand . 49 baht for 9 litres at Big C. Normally I boil the water before drinking it anyway.

namthip/crystal only 2 clean companies

Unless you're a wikipedia spammer trying to look better than everyone by defending some of the worse companies of the world.

It is not clear to me here whether you mean clean water or clean business ethics. That said, Namthip is not a company. Namthip is a product name for the drinking water that is produced by Coca Cola (Thailand) Ltd..

Buy from whom? The Thai companies that pour municipal tap water into their jugs, and then sell them onward to consumers?

Thanks, but I trust my own filtering system more than any Thai company selling water, especially at 30-40b for 18L jugs.

In my system, I know everything is clean and kept clean. I know the filters are replaced regularly. I know the water is boiled and cooled in clean containers -- not those rumbling around the streets of Bangkok in the back of some truck.

most of these companies have major RO facilities, they resell to hotel and people who wish to have their own brand of water. The one im using does all the 5 star hotels, you can bet your ass that 5 star hotels don't give toilet water like singha and nestle to their guests.

So would you happen to have a reference or link with bacteriological or chemistry data demonstrating that Singha and/or Nestlé water in Thailand is sufficiently contaminated so as to be equivalent to "toilet water"?

0.0001 micron removes just about everything. RO is the best cost effective method short of distillation (which would be required to remove everything). Just remember you need to provide clean water to the RO filter so pre-filter system is required. As for boiling Bangkok tap water - consider that totally OTT these days - yes I did that 40 years ago but pipes, pressure and treatment have all improved to point that almost nobody considers doing that. Even back in 1980 tap water was consistently testing better than bottled water in central Bangkok (by US Embassy Medical Unit testing).

The Brita/Pur type filters are to improve taste and for that they will work. But RO does that and a lot more. And for Thailand you normally want more than taste removal.

Just referring to organic contaminants again, a 0.0001 micron filter would not remove dissolved organic compounds, nor would RO completely remove all organic compounds. You would need to finish the water with activated charcoal to do that.

As said I don't doubt that a filter will reduce this conductivity value, remove solved particles, carbonate.

But it does not say that the water before filtering is "dirty" or unsafe to drink.

The device does a purely physical measurement.

I can not guarantee that the water is safe in terms of bacteria/germs.

If the filter reduces carbonate e.g. it is a good thing for water to use for coffee/tea and cooking.

140 Baht? Time to get one Where?

Also, conductivity measurement does not detect organic contaminants such as pesticides or solvents, some of which can be very toxic. Reverse osmosis treatment is not entirely effective in removing such compounds.

Actually RO it is more effective than just about anything short of distillation.

Reverse Osmosis Systems

• Reverse Osmosis Systems use a process that reverses the flow of water in a natural process of osmosis so that water passes from a more concentrated solution to a more dilute solution through a semi-permeable membrane. Pre- and post-filters are often incorporated along with the reverse osmosis membrane itself.
• A reverse osmosis filter has a pore size of approximately 0.0001 micron.
• Reverse Osmosis Systems have a very high effectiveness in removing protozoa (for example, Cryptosporidium, Giardia);
• Reverse Osmosis Systems have a very high effectiveness in removing bacteria (for example, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli);
• Reverse Osmosis Systems have a very high effectiveness in removing viruses (for example, Enteric, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Rotavirus);
• Reverse Osmosis Systems will remove common chemical contaminants (metal ions, aqueous salts), including sodium, chloride, copper, chromium, and lead; may reduce arsenic, fluoride, radium, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrate, and phosphorous.

• http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/home-water-treatment/household_water_treatment.html

The information you cite in your quote does not mention organic contaminants. Yes, distillation will remove most organic compounds; however, from the literature I have seen, RO may remove some organics (effectiveness depends on their structure), but it is not generally recognised at being very effective for those.

And how does that explain that nestle thai water has 250+ scores in ppm while nestle first world has 90 and less(usualy 40)?

It's dirty and also has added toxic fluoride.

http://www.nestle-watersna.com/asset-library/documents/pl_eng.pdf

http://www.bottledwaterweb.com/bottlersdetail.do?k=685

would not surprise me if half of that was Lead just like in the maggi noodles in india(owned by nestle)

So without delving into the various conspiracy theories regarding fluoride, I am assuming that you mean Nestlé water in Thailand contains 250 ppm of total dissolved solids? Where did you get those data? And if it does contain 250 ppm of dissolved solids, what is the makeup of those dissolved solids and would those constituents cause it to be "toxic"?

and here goes to ignore list.. thats up there with anti vaxxers and flat earth theorists.

Actually, I was not certain whether you might subscribe to the fluoride conspiracy theories, as you did claim that fluoride is "toxic", which of course it is not at the low concentrations found in potable water systems.

As said I don't doubt that a filter will reduce this conductivity value, remove solved particles, carbonate.

But it does not say that the water before filtering is "dirty" or unsafe to drink.

The device does a purely physical measurement.

I can not guarantee that the water is safe in terms of bacteria/germs.

If the filter reduces carbonate e.g. it is a good thing for water to use for coffee/tea and cooking.

140 Baht? Time to get one Where?

Also, conductivity measurement does not detect organic contaminants such as pesticides or solvents, some of which can be very toxic. Reverse osmosis treatment is not entirely effective in removing such compounds.

And how does that explain that nestle thai water has 250+ scores in ppm while nestle first world has 90 and less(usualy 40)?

It's dirty and also has added toxic fluoride.

http://www.nestle-watersna.com/asset-library/documents/pl_eng.pdf

http://www.bottledwaterweb.com/bottlersdetail.do?k=685

would not surprise me if half of that was Lead just like in the maggi noodles in india(owned by nestle)

So without delving into the various conspiracy theories regarding fluoride, I am assuming that you mean Nestlé water in Thailand contains 250 ppm of total dissolved solids? Where did you get those data? And if it does contain 250 ppm of dissolved solids, what is the makeup of those dissolved solids and would those constituents cause it to be "toxic"?

Minerals may be added back in to some bottled waters to improve the taste. Completely demineralised water has a flat taste. The minerals added back in could be calcium, sodium or magnesium salts, which at the very low concentrations are of course harmless. These bottled waters are purified and then minerals are added back to improve the taste. Nestlé do this, and it is reported that the amount of minerals present in their water is about 20 mg/L (ppm). Then of course there are mineral waters bottled at a spring source that have various minerals that give it a unique taste, which of course you would not want to remove. Think of expensive, imported bottle water such as San Pellegrino.

It is important to differentiate between "bad" dissolved solids and "good" dissolved solids. Bad ones could include elements like lead and mercury.

But of course, dissolved solids measurements are not the only measure of potability. You could have zero dissolved solids (minerals), yet have a dangerous or even toxic level of organic contaminants, such as pesticides or trihalomethanes, which are a byproduct of chlorination at the water plant. I really doubt that the roadside water dispensers do anything to remove those. They may have some sort of charcoal filter, which can be effective, but those must be replaced regularly or they become completely ineffective.

Bacteria should be removed by fine particulate filters, particularly if they are silver impregnated, which some are. Viruses, such as hepatitis, will not be.

Because I travel a lot, I have done exactly one 90 day report in 15 years of living here. That was recently. So just for fun, I handed my passport to outbound immigration to see if the officer requested it. He didn't. So before leaving the counter, I said "oh, I think I was supposed to give you this [my 90 day report]". I passed it to him, he looked at it and said "what is this?". I just said, well, I think you are supposed to keep it.

Now it may be that failed 90 day reports get flagged in the computer and that pops up when you present to outbound immigration, but who knows. Seems that it was not exactly a high priority with the officer I encountered.

Outbound immigration are not interested in 90 day reports and are not "supposed" to keep 90 day report slips.

OK, I didn't know that. So if outbound immigration are not interested or expected to check for them, how is the requirement enforced, other than when one must visit immigration for an extension of stay?

Because I travel a lot, I have done exactly one 90 day report in 15 years of living here. That was recently. So just for fun, I handed my passport to outbound immigration to see if the officer requested it. He didn't. So before leaving the counter, I said "oh, I think I was supposed to give you this [my 90 day report]". I passed it to him, he looked at it and said "what is this?". I just said, well, I think you are supposed to keep it.

Now it may be that failed 90 day reports get flagged in the computer and that pops up when you present to outbound immigration, but who knows. Seems that it was not exactly a high priority with the officer I encountered.

So many here saying "lose the SIM". Now I am assuming that OP duly registered the SIM card with his passport information. if that is the case and the estate agent has your phone number, then they already know everything about you. Running from them by making it difficult to contact you is only going to frustrate them and put them in a bad mood.

But you know what I think will happen? This is a fairly minor thing. And for minor things, in Thailand I have always seen the police as arbitrators to create a cash settlement between two parties to make it go away. The police want that to happen, and it makes their job easier. I bet you get a call back to come to the police station and settle. Now this is all assuming that the woman does not INSIST on filing a criminal complaint, but I bet the police try to talk her out of that. And if you did get an offer to settle, I do not think you want a lawyer there.

While Singapore is not corrupt, and the officials there are always professional, I have not found them to be exactly warm.

Singapore is very strict about immigration offences and they go strictly by the book. I might suggest that you speak with a lawyer asap and seek their advice on what to do.

If Immigration does not believe your story and decides to charge you with unlawful presence in Singapore, here are the penalties for that:

(3) Any person who contravenes, without reasonable cause, this section shall be guilty of an offence and —

And from what I have have heard there, they have no hesitation in handing down imprisonment sentences for immigration offences.

Sort of makes Thailand's overstay laws seem humanitarian!

All business class passengers are allowed to use Fast track immigration service? I've been traveling in business class for years but no one told me that info.

Do you not get handed a fast track voucher by the stewardess ? I have on B.A., Eva, Emirates, KLM...always fast track for years now.

I've noticed that not all airlines always hand out the fast track vouchers all the time. It seems to do be down to erratic Thai working practices rather than anything else. When I wasnt given a fast track voucher on my last flight I just used the fast track lane anyway, armed with my boarding pass. In LHR, access through fast track security is by boarding pass colour anyway: there is no voucher.

Occasionally when regular immigration is busy at BKK they sometimes redirect economy class travellers to fast track.

They may do that in the main immigration hall, but they do not redirect to the separate Fast Track area located in the middle of the terminal. That one is almost always uncrowded; however you may have to dodge the mainland Chinese crowd at the visa on arrival area next to it as they arrive at the brilliant conclusion that they can easily save time by rushing Fast Track en masse.

And of course your other option if you can get it, is the ABTC. That gets you Fast Track in every APEC country.

Just a quick add on, don't leave your boarding card on the plane, they ask for it when you head for the fast track.

edit for spelling, too many GT's

I have never been asked for my boarding pass at Fast Track. Not even once after countless numbers of flights over the years. I normally fly business class and not all airlines (including TG) hand out Fast Track passes, but I just pass through Fast Track anyway.