karlski

I got a solid run to Ranong by booking with a company whose minivan is a 10 seater, and there were only 5 of us. 3 out of these 5 all said "this is by far the best service, and driver you will find". For 1,500 baht everything was handled and he completed our run safely and quite effectively in 12 hours flat. We left at 5:45 and got back at 5:25.

When we got to Ranong we did the 1-stop boat pier entry/exit and took a medium size boat across to burma, and everyone was slick enough to get back on board fast, allowing us to beat some traffic on the way back by about 20 mins... This driver has apparently done this run for a long long time, and just about every vehicle he passed me seemed to know the drivers, so only 1 or 2 lorries along the entire run ever stuck in front of him for too long, the rest let him fly safely past.

The seating was very comfortable and I was able to sleep instead of worry about certain or potential death. The 10$ bill thing and every other detail was handled to such an extent all I had to do was stand where was required. I never even saw the bills.

The bus says BLS "Bangkok Legal Services" and I booked through a small shop called "Simple Tour & Travel" on 81 Taina Rd. across from 7-11 through a woman named "Fon" who I have known from using her internet service.

Their # is 076-284236 tel/fax and mobile is 084 0531372 and their email is: [email protected]

So all in all, way way better than the more expensive "big bus" which is too long, too disorganized, too crowded, goes to the slow immigration office, stops everywhere way too often for snacks because all the stores bribe them to, and the return minivan drivers never really effectively disgorge you where you need to be with any sort of efficiency.

-krb

I agree, his phone-in pretty much sealed the deal. Fleeing was also a bad idea. Perhaps running afoul of the law also.

Last month when we all talked about this the majority of dialogue was against the UK allowing him to stay.

It's better for him to return and serve the time willingly, you can't run forever if you truly want to be home.

As a politician, he has failed. It seems like before him, there was nowhere near the division you see now.

Promising this or that reaction to his actions, or his fate, simply underlines the division, that in some minds, he caused by his actions.

-Is he a misunderstood genius?

-A beguiling trickster?

-A mogul gone rogue?

-A simple man, humbled by tribulation?

-A savior of the poor, who made an honest mistake or three?

-An agent of rich outsiders, who almost got full control?

-An effective leader, surrounded by mayhem?

Everyone's got an opinion, but indeed, the tables appear to have finally turned against him in a definitive way. So long as his compelling story runs it's course, the unity Thailand so desperately needs will remain on the back burner, as precious time ticks away.

He's a distraction. This is the problem with symbols like his "public image". They are not the real thing, they are just a referent. What does this man really want out of all this? Who is he really? Why is his particular fate so intriguing the the 1500+ reading this at the moment?

Much of the world is falling to bits before our eyes, -are there simply now too many people, too few resources, and too much of an imbalance in power and influence?

Long Live The King.

At least we can all agree on that much.

It's real. His access has been cut.

It's being carried on all major TV stations.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../i233836S96.DTL

http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews...1108-99192.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7717199.stm

WOW! And you are representative of the nut-jobs that support Obama?

No, i'm just Anti-Bush. I hate democrats just as much as republicans. I even call them Republicrats and Demopublicans because it's all just POLARIZING BS. That's why you leapt at the chance to dog me out. You are just on one side, and don't see both. And that's the problem, and always will be.

There are just as manu nutjobs on each "side". But the founders meant the two party system to be COMPLEMENTARY, NOT DIVISIVE. The Socratic method of teaching and learning through debate is meant to expose insights, understand how each of us think.

Not to devolve into endless diatribe over nothing.

Jesse Jackson is an even worse KOOK than Sarah Palin. And, he dared to show up at the celebration after being caught on tape secretly muttering how he didn't like Obama, and thought someone should bring him down.

Fortunately millions of people decided I am more correct than you are.

And to the joker talking about Obama as Osama, -did you learn your logic from a gumball machine? Is the limit of your critical thought based on how words "kinda sound alike, and what sounds alike must be alike". A meeting with Al Queda? Nah, i'm actually not gonna both with you after all.

OBAMA WINS. THATS ENOUGH FOR ME. AND BILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD AGREE. IF YOU DISAGREE, THEN YOU ARE WITH BUSH, AND PART OF A VERY SMALL CONTINGENT AT THIS POINT. Good riddance.

yes! finally! great bonuses:

1. We are rid of george bush soon.

2. We are rid of dick cheney soon.

3. We are rid of their cabinet.

4. We are rid of a senate and house that can block our attempts and efforts to change/fix/repair/rebuild/renegotiate/negotiate/ratify.

5. Now all the news pundits have nothing to speak about except results. I'll be glad to see half of them out of work soon.

6. We now have some room to maneuver.

7. The rednecks and right wing christian nutjobs and NASCAR Pro-War fanatics have LOST, and will now pay the price.

8. We can now RATIFY THE KYOTO TREATY.

9. We can open up a dialogue that doesnt involve smart bombing every innocent family stuck in the middle of our fanatics and their fanatics.

That fuc_king Bush motherf$%^&er really screwed the s^%+ out of all of us for 8 years. They stole the first election, they swift boated the second, and with the help of their buddies at Fox News, almost burned us this time round as well.

I left my country pretty much in disgust, but today I am proud. Not many countries could have done what we did today.

And, the world has a chance to see the OTHER SIDE OF OUR COUNTRY'S REAL IDENTITY. America is NOT just a bunch of European transplants that came over for 200 years. it's EVERYONE ON THE PLANET THAT WANTED TO HAVE A FAIR CHANCE. Unless you actually visit America and a major city, you might not notice that. Immigrants actually have a better chance than locals because they have a clean slate of credit. They can get a small business loan quicker than we who were born there. I hope our love of freedom and fairness can be brought back into show, it's been a dark 8-9 years (they were trying to impeach Clinton near the end, so I add 1 year).

And Sarge, The GOP s&^cks donkey d*^k. Luckily the LAW PREVENTS THE TERMINATOR FROM RUNNING BECAUSE HES AUSTRIAN! Is your idea of a proper politician some ROID BOT who still doesnt even pronounce his state's name correctly? And Palin isn't fit to be the mayor of my front lawn. Shes a KOOK. A KOOK. A total <deleted> KOOK. By the way, she's a KOOOOOO000OOO000K!

Yes, things are divided, i'll give you that, but then all humanity is sibject to this trait, not just over the pond. Wait till your country's turn comes up. At least your parliament has some entertaining debates, it's actually fun to watch them go at it, everyone's really on top of their brief, and not afraid to say how their constituents REALLY feel. It's quite impressive really.

As for the limp-wristed Liberal media, why whine Sarge? Don't cry now. It's too late. GAME OVER. See em' in 4 years. They'll loose even worse than this time. We're gonna fix this thing. And Russia and China can undermine it all they want, it won't work, -we all need eachother now. It's not like 100 years ago. Those who don't help one another can simply count themselves out for good. Finally, a chance to unify instead of disintegrate. It's about bloody time.

yes! finally! great bonuses:

I have a couple other posts that eventuate in the decision to pursue learning Thai in a school here in Phuket.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Areeya-Langu...ts-t216168.html

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Stay-Longest...staying+longest

I have signed up for the school, and have attended about 2 classes. I like the teacher, and even though the place is far away from where I live in Kata, I am learning a lot, and that's what counts.

As for the Visa, I have been instructed the steps to complete the process are as follows:

Filled out a bunch of paperwork asking all of my information, parents info, Thais who could vouch for me, how much expenses I have, where I live, etc., etc.

The school then submitted this to the Ministry of Education along with their credentials and promptly returned it to me once it came back. There's one more item they are waiting for which will arrive on November 5th.

I have been advised to:

1. Take this paperwork to Penang, file for a 3 month Non Immigrant ED Visa, stay overnight to wait for the paperwork to process, and return to Phuket.

2. Fly to Bangkok to the US Embassy with all paperwork, and in addition, a Letter from the School certifying I am a student there. This letter is written in Thai, and also has a copy in English. The embassy is supposed to process it somehow to get me to the next step. Once I have the resulting paperwork, return to Phuket.

3. Visit Phuket Immigration with all paperwork, and file for a 1 year extension.

-Are these steps correct, have you done this before? Did you get approved?

-what service am I requesting of my embassy when I show up with this letter from the school, after going to Penang?

I trust my school's staff, but I don't want to make any mistakes and have my visa situation subject to the advice of others without at least confirming the process is correct, and the steps have been experienced by some others.

They mentioned some other students from my country who have gone through the process, so i'll be seeing if I can ask them, just so I know what to tell my embassy to do when I show up.

I decided to do the ED Visa, it seems like the most logical choice in my situation. And speaking what rudimentary Thai I have learned is already paying off immensely.

My papers from the ministry are said to be arriving on November 5th. My 30 day extension on my tourist visa expires Nov 4th, which leaves me with 3 x 30 day Ranong runs. I will likely make a visa run on Monday Nov 3rd to Ranong so I can attend my 3rd class on the 4th, (not missing any days).

I'll make the run to Penang likely using the agent from http://www.banananewguesthouse.com/ ubonjoe noted.

I'll check all the paperwork both with the school in person, i'll email PDF's of it to the Penang visa agent, to make sure all is in order.

I'll update this post with the info as it comes in so we can give future users a sense of how this process worked at this time. It may change or evolve, but perhaps not drastically.

---------------

The marriage option information is deeply useful. We just visited a bunch of my lady's friends, and are being offered way better rents and homes than typical Farang prices, in areas one might only dream of living. I like the company formation benefits for down the road in a couple of years. Does the 40,000 baht income have to be made in Thailand?

Horror Stories:

Yeah, my Thai girlfriend's Thai boss and German husband seemed to have simply faced their own unique rough ride. He seemed bent on "saving" me from certain doom of getting an ED visa.

That it would decimate any chance I had of staying long term via some spooky "black stamp" on the last page of my passport or other cabal act on the part of immigration to force farangs out that had certain visa types.

That without a work permit situation, I was toast in the long run. My future bride to be would be left crying on the bus back to her village as I got trebucheted across the pacific back home or worse. [it would have to be a trebuchet, catapult wouldn't work, trust me on this.]

I kept mentioning how much research I did, both on ThaiVisa, and around Kata with friends in the know, -and up to then hadn't found cause to worry. His response, "bah, the internet is #ull#hit, all info is outdated, the rules change every 3 months and no one ever understands them!".

His spooky stories needed to be checked out. I've taken more note of how much beer chang I see him knock down... Is this guy some kind of immigration einstein. Perhaps not. Just got punted around by the system a lot.

Non-ED Visa:

It seems like this Visa is a great option for me. I seem to be one of the few people there to actually learn to speak, read, write, and perhaps even think, in Thai. These goals, idealistic as they sound, serve some kind of deeper purpose, on every single immigration issue/ visa transition i'm going to come across.

My theory and hope is that I exhaust the ED visa by actually learning Thai. By then, I will either be married for some time, or working for a firm that gives me a work permit for Linux/UNIX/INTERNET consulting because I know Thai. Or both.

Right now Penang is being recommended by the school as the visa run to make with my visa paperwork prepared by the school.

Is this correct? If so any recommendations about who to arrange through? I see TV has some offers. Anyone done their ED visa this way?

Later for Company, if at all:

This season's going to be slow, the world economy is slow. I'd be asking for certain doom trying to start a new firm from scratch.

This is where i've heard the most horror stories come from. And then some. If I start one it'll be solid. But this does not seem like the time. I've only been back 3 months.

My lady says if I have 1 million baht in bank, i'm solid for a year:

Is this true? I don't have that much, and even if I did I think i'd rather shoot myself letting it sit idly by. You only live once. She also said that was the normal amount a husband gives the Thai family when marriage happens. I sort of chuckled at that one. Maybe i'm uninformed, but what would they even do with that amount of money in Nakhon Si Thammarat. What would any of us do with that much dough.

Immigration in General:

In working in the immigration sector in my own country, it really does seem that even with all the corruption and cabal/intrigue, there are still a few solid paths a person can take. It's when people seek to "tweak" or "game" the system that all the conflicting data arises. Countries everywhere do seem to want you to be some kind of asset, without taking away from the natives. That in itself is a fine line. But is detectable, visible, finite. It doesn't seem as blurred and murky as my lady's jaded work contacts make it out to be. Thanks for continuing to provide a clear signal among all the chatter and radio noise. This particular question really got some solid answers.

Hi,

I am on a Tourist Visa that has 3 Ranong runs left on it after I went to Phuket Town to get a renewal stamp on it.

I spent 35,000 baht on a Thai Language school in Patong, Areeya's Language School.

The gist being that I get to apply for a 1 year ED visa.

Question #1. I've now been told "no way, you'll never get to just go to Phuket town for stamps once every 3 months".

Is this true, not true? What's the current advice as of Oct 2008?

---

I have also talked at length with many friends and contacts in Kata that i've known for a couple of years, managers of companies, that sort of thing.

One of them desperately pleaded with me, along with his Thai wife, and talked about the great possibility that if I use this ED Visa, i'll be screwed after a year. I might end up with one of those "magic" stamps on the last page of my passport that says in Thai fine print "no further entries" or something to that effect.

#2. Is this true? Is one kind of Visa type likely to kill off your chances at later types? It's all about the stamps in your passport isn't it? What's in computers online for immigration to access, and what just a black stamp from some embassy or checkpoint. Should I avoid the ED Visa for this reason?

They both said, along with other folks, that even though the cost of starting a company is high, and filled with much heartache a tears at times, that it's the longest term way to go because a WORK PERMIT is really the mainstay of LONG TERM presence here.

I have a Thai girlfriend, and she's got an accounting degree, albeit from a vocational college.

I also have been given a lot of advice about which lawyers and accountants to trust, not trust, etc. as far as company formation and avoiding horrors.

I have till November 4th to make my first Ranong run, and 90 days after that my tourist visa will have expired.

I know I plan to be here quite some time, my girlfriend, no surprise, wants to get married and settle down.

Having a company might not be as hard as it would be without her and the accounting skills. I got advice a month ago on all the numbers associated with running a firm out here, and that I should choose a very very highly complex job title/service for my work permit, e.g. scuba is OUT, and Linux Kernel Hacking for Cluster Servers is IN. Luckily Linux config files are in english, and that I can profess to practicing such murky technical arts.

-I doubt i'll get any money back from the school, and will likely study Thai there anyways, even if I don't get the ED Visa. It will have lost/wasted money, but if you say here forever or long term, you should be used to that right? The rules change every 3 months.

ah, I suppose they are selling these crispy new 10$ bills nearby someplace in accordance with the quasi-racket/ code of ethics/ farang enablement protocols?

it would be a neat bit of fun to see an example of a bill that had just de-crispified past the threshold, just to meet the master judge of bills. there's a guy someplace there everyone defers to,"he can tell you if it's crisp enough, he's the master, no one can defeat his technique".

-and if the wallpaper in the office has been changed from $5 to 10$.

-ah, but then, I must still research my original question. I found one site that said this, which is what got me to post:

http://www.wildkingdomtours.com/Visarun-eng.htm

Visa Runs are The Muang Thai’s revenge over all Farangs there are on long stay in Thailand. You have to get early up in the morning and a whole day’s uncomfortable travel is ahead. All farangs hate them. Furthermore it is quite normal that there is some kind of irregularity combined with a Visa Run. Either the standard of the bus is not what you required or you will have a break down on the way. What ever happens on a Visa Run you are not entitled to do any complains to our company as long as the mission of getting the visa stamp is fulfilled. We are only agents and have no influents on the management of the operating companies.

But at least it's an honest disclaimer. Can anyone recommend a company that's known for not driving off cliffs, having regular head-on collisions, border clashes, drug running, controlled by (evil) [brain-eating] <republican> alien overlords?

It's an annoying trip, but no so so bad. I am due in 2 weeks to do one of these and hopefully no more.

Any recommendations on a company?

I know to expect the unexpected, just trying to avoid outright chaos and moral terror.

What's this 5$ bill thing I read about? Interesting that Abe Lincoln would be involved.

http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/So...blog-48440.html

a one year visa is around 5500 bath so i'll offer this amount per year remaining on your card.

heck, i'd actually like the info on the 5500 one year visa? how's that one done? i just paid a lot more than that for an ED visa being a newbie. maybe you are referring to just the govt fee?

So this is THO right, Thai Offshore Baht? I was calculating at 29 to 1 USD after a few weeks of thinking the 34 was out of date.

So is the 34 the more accurate number?

In calculating hypothetical of 10,000 baht, i'm paying USD 294.00 at 34THB/to/1USD vs. paying $344USD at 29THB/to/1USD correct?

-nevermind, there's a similar post ongoing right now....

He's probably doing it now because he knows the timing of the penultimate crackdown on PAD to the minute, figures he better wrap up his asylum case so as not to leave any loose ends. there are some 'hard dates' they need to hit as far as political goals. can't have govt house occupied on king's bday. or even high season. etc. there are some handily distracting world politics going on at present, and there's still an october surprise due, somewhere. the second that paperwork comes through, you can bet the "go" will be given on grabbing Sondhi and the others, which could end up backfiring.

PAD folks should go to London. Show Thaksin there's no where to run and hide. Attach hand clappers to Kom Loy ballons, and float them across the London night skyline, when he sees the lights twinkling, he'll know what they mean, it'll pique curiosity of locals, "those are to wish Thaksin out of here and back into the hands of justice". Make it a respectable public statement with a little Thai symbolism (done respectfully), something that BBC will snap "this day in pictures". Perhaps his request will be delayed. You could also attach your British Passport, or a "mock" one, to the Kom Loy balloons. Then you'd have two powerful symbols in one easy-to-bake cake.

Don't take my words too seriously, my mind operates in a natural state of rebellion. And i'm not from here. In this life.

Howdy,

I'm a vegetarian that had a lot lot lot of access to Indian food in San Francisco, CA. So much so that I usually made everything at home.

My favorites are saag paneer (spinach/cheese) lentil daal (lentils with various seasonings) and channa masala (chick peas/garbanzo beans and masala sauce).

The curries seem easy enough to get at just about any store, -but many of them are for chicken, etc. which I don't eat.

Is there any place I can buy lentil beans (yellow, orange or brown/black?)

Is there anyplace I can buy chick peas/ garbanzo beans?

I dont expect to find any pre-made microwave indian dishes, but are they out there someplace? Just finding lentils would be huge. Legumes (as they are called in french) are an excellent protein combo with brown rice.

I make them indian style, and also in other forms, -sometimes adding tamari or "Bragg Liquid Aminos) or broccoli/potato/onion for lentil soup. A solid slice of wheat bread, and you are IN THERE.

The main lentils i'm seeking are the brown ones. They make the best soup. The yellow ones are my #1 for Daal. I can't afford to pay restaurant prices, and most of this sounds 'imported' to begin with, but anyone know where to find the goods?

-karlski

It more than helps Digi, it's truly awesome detail and insight on a Sunday research session that I felt would only yield more questions than answers. Good ol' phpBB.

I feel like I can actually sleep solid tonight after hearing my friends' smaller scale dive shop was having issues getting a work permit sorted for me. (They mention they did things legitimately back when they started their firm, and now seem to have more trouble than those that did things less so.)

The balance of having a Thai company, working the dive industry both as an instructor and technologist, and my income from the US online firm, at this point, simply chalk up now to how I wish to deal with dual-taxation. The US firm should be easy enough to edit the structure to suit, given I have ownership vs. being an employee who might have to contend with an unruly accountant bent on conservative "GAAP" principles.

My online immigration document processing business has helped about 200-250 people so far over the years. Now being in their shoes, I offer you sincere thanks, it's shown there's some humanity in this red tape after all.

-k4rlski

D. Did just that for almost seven years, you certainly need a strong constitution and a lot of patience...

Tour leading for 7 years. man. yeah. that's a lifetime right there.

Well, with the Perth plane ticket RT costing around 30-40,000THB and the associated Visa costs for the 1 year multi-entry based on my self-owned US internet firm, it's cheaper than doing the freelance diving, unless i'd be making more that 7-10,000THB a month at it.

I'd hate to hang up this gear though, but timing is all. I just need to extend, not work, especially if it's low on the profit side as fra as dive instructing goes. But perhaps you can earn as a diver here, that it's profitable, even if the profit is minimal.

I got certified here 2 years ago, then split, so never got a feel for what an Instructor makes out here in a typical month.

The dual-taxation issue is there too, but I think I have an eventual remedy for that.

Nice info though, I caught on to your thread with NightOwn888 and scifi, so following that one too.

-karlski

Wow, I am in the same scenario in terms of working for an internet company. but it's MY internet company. perhaps I should have made it mandatory for me to work in Thailand somewhere in the company rules and gotten the B visa.

-the only other exception being that as a scuba instructor, it would be pretty nice to do that too. but that's clouded things a bit more than helped.

But right now, I am more concerned about long term visa. It's just that the 'work permit' and 'non-b' or 'non-0' were ways to extend my 60 day single entry visa. Now i'm seriously looking at setting up the thai firm.

At least you did enough homework ahead of time to get a type of visa that could last you 6 months and have a chance at extending further, depending on what approach you take, and the real legal requirements a particular country/consulate/immigration authority are enforcing on the day.

But yes, I work on the internet, and from what I hear, 'technically' you have to keep your head down or get the WP. It's why I designated special staff at my company to be able to handle everything except the bank account. And even then, one of them has an ATM card I taped to the bottom of her steel desk she doesn't know about, with a couple pre-signed checks, and a pre-signed power of attorney my lawyer agreed to pre-notarize.

The best laid plans of mice and men, in the land of smiles.

My big question -the numbers given to start the thai company, they look low, almost affordable. Looking in the post for steps 1-5 referenced, but it says 'previous post'. time to dig some more.

wow, thanks digi, this is all great clarification...

D. Unless you speak 3/4 languages and/or have very extensive diving experience, you will find it very difficult to persuade a Phuket Dive Company to take you on their books and supply a work permit.

-agreed, I figured as much last time I was here 2 years ago I saw you'd have to be a tour leader in the boat every day, with thousands of dives, and a mind and heart made of steel to endure the endless hours and work. poor folks never had a minute of spare sleep.

Almost all Instructors and Divemasters in Phuket work on a freelance basis and have to set up their own comapnies to get work permits.

-now this part i'm VERY curious about. I've wanted to do this, but am not clear on the amount of "asset" money you need in the company. The few dive shops I am really in with have all asked me "dude, have you started a company yet?" I try not to bug them too much with the details of my quest for the sake of dignity mostly, but perhaps a few beers are in order. One of them started to spell it out for me, but in came a wave of customers so we had to cut it short. Perhaps it's time to really hang with my kind and follow the lit path.

The actual setup seems straightforward, you get your Thai partner or partners, and then form the company. But how much "asset" or actual cash needs to be in the company bank account?

I've heard people say 30,000 USD - 1 million baht. I've heard more than that.

I am a technologist/linux engineer as well as a scuba instructor, so my firm doesn't have to be scuba if it makes things easier.

At that stage, it's worth me asking who actually is dependable thai representative to assist in the setup, or if 90% can be done on your own.

But perhaps the expense is too steep.

A. Perth Consulate has been reported as issuing one year multiple entry non B visas without the 'full required paper work.'

-ok, I will check in with them! thanks for this. i'll inquire and check cost. perhaps the cost of the RT flight will be more than the visa expenses though. research worthy indeed though.

B. For even a 3 month single entry non B in KL or Penang you need to have the receipt for a work permit application (WP3) plus all the required company paperwork.

-wow, so it's all tied together then. can't do one without the other. so many people have said one leads to the other, that I didn't need the wp app and co paperwork till 3 months later.

C. Be very skeptical as regards these 'Freelance Work Permits' they may not be what you think they are.

-yep, totally. last thing I need is a fiasco, or to be a stat in a phuketgazette article titled 'freelance work permit holders deported en masse'.

I actually decided it was time to cook my own mexican food, and used a few shortcuts to get cheap taco/burrito materials.

Black Beans/ Pinto Beans - Refried:

http://www.ehow.com/how_10722_make-refried-pinto.html

You can get black or pinto at almost any local market, for low prices. 10 baht will get you enough to have a lot of burritos or tacos. Use canola oil instead of lard if you want.

For corn taco shells and flour tortillas, I got sick of paying import prices. Plus I like corn tortillas way more. A buttered corn tortilla with great beans, salsa, some rice and lettuce is the bomb. Makes that cerveza taste like liquid gold.

Corn tortillas are slightly more involved, but they taste killer, and the basic ingredients are all here in thailand, even the limes.

First you need the "masa", this is the involved part, but you master this, and you are fed for life.

With the world economy crashing, you should learn this stuff anyways.

http://www.tortillacocina.com/masa.htm

Then you make the tortillas:

http://www.tortillacocina.com/tortillas.htm

This link has both flour and corn, and a link to the "masa" I noted above.

Salsa: it's a science, not even gonna go there.

Guac: i've heard in california if you don't like guac you can be deported.

Blue fin makes some ok spanish rice, but they don't have so much of a mex menu anymore. The happy hour tacos are cool. but 4$ USD for nachos, might as well be in beverly hills.

-karlski

I was quoted this:

1. Documents for Non- Immigrant B visa 3,000 B.

2. Work Permit 20,000 B

3. Monthly payment per month 5,000 B

So now my questions are narrowed down to:

A. For the Australia-based approach of getting a Non-O because I already have a job (my internet business, based in US, albeit the internet is handily borderless) and provable US income. -Does anyone know of the proper channels to pursue it, e.g. the name of the office or company i'd contact in Oz to ask for more details? I'll keep googling, but if anyone knows, pls. advise. Also, have any of you done this format mentioned by astral above? Right now it ranks a bit higher than the "freelance work permit" approach most certainly.

B. For the Non-Immigrant B, it seems like I can do most of the footwork myself right? I have an "invitation letter" from a scuba firm here, -they have mentioned they are not 100% certain of what else i'd need to do this in Penang or Kuala Lumpur. And, it seems like it would only buy me 90 days anyhow, -but with some hard work, I could find another scuba firm willing to give me a work permit slot, maybe. Is the "invitiation letter" all you need? Or is there more? I'll sift through your forum some more, but if you have recently done this, lemme know. I'm all ears.

C. I agree about the cautions on this "freelance" program. It can work, or it can backfire. Mileage may vary. My business back in the US is an online immigration document processing service. All immigration systems are pretty similar. They have a "certifying officer" at immigration office, the top of the food chain, who can introduce "checks and balances" at will, your fate is in their hands, with a swipe of the pen, you can find yourself out of luck, and out of pocket.

Then you have the 'representatives', visa expediters, attorneys and quasi-experts in between, who know how to "game" the system through loopholes and can make some serious money from the people they 'represent'. Some cases go well, others do not. Depends on the cooperation between the certifying officer and the 'representative', and how much money is on the line, and who's watching, or being paid to not watch.

The fun comes when the 'representative' sees your 'case' assigned to a 'certifying officer' who they are not 'in' with. Consider your docs lost, your case doomed, read some Franz Kafka novels for creative examples.

D. Any divers out there who can comment on the general availability of work permits in phuket and how they are obtained? Do shops want you to already have a work permit before they hire you on?

E. I see a lot of teachers here, who appear to have better visa situations, -are these folks basically teaching a foreign language to thais and making a living that way? I have some friends considering thailand and one of them is a Teofl instructor, and perhaps it's time I looked into it as well.

For now, the Australia option seems to make the most sense, -any and all advice about it is very welcome. Thanks for the info thus far. Now off to search your forum some more.

-krb

It's a single entry. Says "employment prohibited".

My job is in the US, not here, albeit via the internet (itself an interesting paradigm in terms of location/income/immigration), so am not "working" here but would like to be, either as a dive instructor (already certified) or in some technology job.

So my question about Mr. Somjet and others was work-permit related, and in follow up, to obtain a 1 year multi-entry visa.

-But, you mention interestingly that being employed though in the US in my internet company, this would allow me to apply for the Non-Imm "O"? wow.

If so I can check with the US, and if not, Oz. But as a non-Oz citizen would it be permitted?

Hopefully I didn't mis-interpret the statement, but it quite fits my setup if indeed I read it correctly. Guess i've got some more homework to do.

And, it would be pretty cool to finally be able to visit Australia anyhow.

-karl

I was stopped at the airport counter by the Korean Air from even putting my luggage on the scale till I produced a ticket showing "onward travel out of asia" e.g. a ticket back to the US.

Luckily, I has researched this on ThaiVisa beforehand and got a lot of great advice. I was smart enough to purchase the return ticket, and made sure it was "refundable" so I could collect the cash back while here.

I didn't show her the return ticket right away, because I wanted to test out just how certain they were of rejecting me. They were pretty much enjoying the affair as it looked like i'd be totally out of luck, then I whipped out the return ticket and the fun ended. I was allowed on the flight and had no further issues.

It's up to the airline how much they want to enforce the immigration rules as they are the ones that get the fine of they don't. Some you can insist that they call the Thai embassy, and they'll relent, others will simply offer to have security escort you away from the busy queue. Just depends what country you are coming from. I'm not an expert, but went through this very experience only 60 days ago in the US enroute to Thailand via a 2 hour stop in Incheon.

-karlski