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I have just moved from Phuket to Hua Hin and would like to know if any member has experience of immigration procedures from Hua Hin. I have a 1 year visa extension but would like to know where there is an office where I can go for my 90 day address registration.

A secondary question: am I required to report to the police that I have moved into this district away from my old residence. What is the form here?

Any help gratefully received.

All for the price of a nights accommodation. He must be an idiot, more likely a psychiatric case. Why couln't he just have been a 'special forces' person like 50% of the other Walter Mittys around here?

The 90 day reporting issue is interesting. Lopburi's point is understood but there seems to be another category of people who have to report every month.

I applied for my annual extension in June (marriage to Thai). This has to be approved in BKK and can take up to 3/4 months. In the meantime they stamp the passport with monthly extensions whilst I wait for the 1 year approval. My 90 days was up in the middle of this process and I was informed that I cannot have a 90 day stamp but must report every month until I get the new 1 year visa. This is no problem as I have to go for the monthly visa extension anyway, but it does raise the interesting question as to the status of those waiting for extension approval.

As Lop says, if one is in the kingdom for less than 90 days no report is necessary. So are these monthly extensions literally 1 month visas or are they a continuation of the 1 year extension status? Either way if one has not been out of the Kingdom in the last 90 days I guess a report is necessary. In my case a monthly report.

Wont be long before we all need a full time lawyer just to be able to live here.

A couple of observations.

The official position is that if a foreigner does any work at all even voluntary work, they need a work permit. There are severe penalties if one is caught working without the permit.

The Tax authorities seem to somewhat similar to the immigration authorities i.e they seem to make up policy on the hoof. A friend of mine was recently told that he had to pay at least 18,000B in tax if he worked more than 2 months in any year. When pressed tha tax officer said even if he worked for 1 month this would still be the case. The rerason given was that this is an immigration rule for a visa. Very odd.

It appears that education authorities (not sure if this means schools but for sure means universities) can employ foreigners and pay them gross so long as the payment is offshore. This is usually for a short course delivered by the foreigner - so is definitely part-time. However there are different views on how this should be handled. One employer I know deducted 35% withholding tax from the fee, another deducted nothing. Whether the first employer was just reducing the salary bill or paying the money to the government - who knows.

Final point; I have been told that part-time salaries are not necessarily linked to the minimum foreigner salaries posted by immigration. Further these minima do not apply to teachers and journalists - but the minimum tax requirements do.

Not much point in taking P/T employment without a WP if it endangers your visa status and second the tax situation certainly makes anything less than 12 months employment on a decent salary unattractive.

I think it is Big Calamity. It is more expensive than Lotus/Tesco and the vegetables are seldom fresh and oftimes rotting in the store. Stock control at both outlets in Phuket is pathetic but I found to be worse at Big C. At Big C there always seems to be crowds of local teenagers wandering around whilst at Tesco there are always crowds of farangs with loaded trolleys wandering around. I think that the Tesco site is a more upmarket affair then the big C site. At Big C they have even allowed local market traders to take over whole sections of the car park, so there is now even more conjestion for those who still try to shop there.

I agree with others here, about time we had Carrefours or any other competition here in Phuket. The markets are great for vegetables, fish etc. But I like many locals have to provide for a young family and therefore need somewhere like Tescos. Service needs to improve but I do like Tesco.

I suspect that there are no rules at all and that all Immigration Officers are at liberty to invent what they like. When I went for the immigration 'proof of address' for my driving license I walked in to the Immigration Office asked for it and the guy just filled in a form, took 2 photocopies of 2 separate pages of my passport and that was it. I got the A4 sheet which the license authority want and the small slip. He slipped a piece of grubby paper over the counter with 200B written on it. I took the paper thanked him with a smile and left. Just another stupid farang. (I doubt he will remember me as I have 5 year license).

The good senator was probably treated the same as all the other applicants. My bet is that he was politely and courteously treated even though refused a visa. The fact that he had a long wait is not the fault of the embassy but a result of the large number of people wanting to visit the UK. He is obviously a pompous legend in his own mind.

I make the point that the immigration departments here in Thailand are as obstructive as possible and are far from polite or courteous. The cost of a visa, Mr. Senator is 1900B not 400 or 500. The cost of an exit/entry visa to protect the annual visa extension is 1000B or 3000B and the minimum amount we need to be able to live here in Thailand (with no citizen rights at all) is 400,000 or 800,000 depending on circumstances. And we stand in queues all day long sometimes to be refused.

Som nam na Ha! Ha! Ha! (You see I have poetic tendencies as well)

When leaving Thailand (ie BKK) if your child (8months) has a UK passport is this OK? What hapens when the child returns with her parent who has a 1 year extenion etc.,? The child was born in Thailand buit does not have a Thai passport only a UK passport.

Can someone outline the problems! if any please.

Why on earth would you require a copy when you have the original?

I assume that George knows you are American. It is not the same process as I had to undertake as a Brit. If you want to know what I did etc. then I will be hapy to oblige.

Stroll dear boy. There is a difference between being psychologically disabled as you suggest and telling it like it is. The fact that the good doctor agrees with you does not disturb this difference. I do not miss my wife as you suggest what I miss is the underlying ethical (duty, integrity etc.) implications of any contract be it marriage or other. As I said before I have come to terms with this missing element - and I wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't surrounded by ladies of the night.

P.S. I come from a dysfunctional family background. Do you think this has something to do with it?

Ha! Ha! it has been a pleasure to read through this thread. I am not alone. I married a non BG i.e one who left her 3months old daughter to be brought up in the village by her mother and went to Phuket to find fame and fortune working as a rep for a wine company. When I met my future wife (2 years future) she was to all intents and purposes single and represented herself as such. She was very attractive to me and stroked my ego in just the right way. I was sold.

It was only later that I found out that she lied as a daily routine - even when the truth was easiest and harmless to her. She was money mad and constantly reminding me that she must have a secure future. However the ego stroking was first class and had me - a sophisticated very well educated farang - by the shorts. We married.

She still has not sold herself to the general public, but has left me to search for those very rich gentlemen who can secure her future. A house, a car, and 2 children were not enough. She has listened to many others who were in the BG business and to hear them talk its sounds wonderful. Lots of money and a secure future. My ex-wife is just too stupid to realise that if it is so good why are they all out of it.

Conclusion: Most Thai girls have the minds of 13 year olds trapped in women's bodies. A non BG will eventually act in most respects just like a BG but probably without the nocturnal physical excitement. At least a good BG will know what she does not any longer want to do and may just settle for what she has - and give god value on a long term basis.

The longer I am here the more intriguing I find this wonderful land. I wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't surrounded by whores.

Many thanks Lop just what I wanted.

Thank you. I will try to do what you say.

I am running XP and my anti virus package (AVG) keeps telling me that I have a virus (Lovsan A) in c:\system volume information\_restore{2F190A83-IE9B-464C-8B97-8E4E888DB386}\RP104\A0013908.exe

I have run the scan part of the anti virus package and this tells me there is no virus on my system. I downloaded a tool from MacAfee to get rid of Lovsan A and variants and this tool found no virus.

Anyone know what is going on and how to deal with this problem?

Has anyone experience of the following problem, if so advice please.

I have a daughter born here in Thailand. She has both a Thai birth certificate and a UK birth certificate. She has a UK passport. I now want to get her a Thai passport but I do not know the procedure. I need to know:

a. what forms are necessary?

b. who must sign them (ie both parents or just the Thai mother?)

c. Where does one go to get the passport? Are there various offices in different provinces or is it just Bangkok for all?

Alternatively is there a web site - in English - where I can get the necessary information.

As the only 1 year extension - that I am aware of - that can be issued in 1 day is the retirement visa extension, why would you want a 1 year extension to live outside Thailand for 360+ days? Many overseas workers live for short periods here on the free tourist type visa. The entry/reentry visa allows you to do as Lopburi has stated but the total cost is a minimum of 2,900 baht for the extension and the visa and 800,000 baht in a Thai bank.

Lopburi's reply is good advice but hides a number of fairly important side issues.

Residency. As Lopburi rightly says there are hurdles such as Taxes, Thai language and a visa track record. But there is also the money side of things. If and when you are eligible to apply for residency there is a hefty application fee of about 9000 baht (non refundable). If you were to be offered residency then there is a further fee of about 200,000 baht if your wife is a Thai national. Then there are regulations after you get your residency booklet which are tedious and costly. Most foreigners who live and work here in Thailand apply for a variety of 1 year visa extensions which currently cost 1,900 baht for the year. As you can see you would be 127 years old before you spent as much as your residency permit would cost. Married to a Thai you are entitled to apply for a visa extension on those very grounds. You need a non immigrant O visa to start with and this you can get in the UK. I would suggest you apply to the consulate office in either HULL or CARDIFF as both these consuls are very helpful and not obstructive. You will need to show a copy of your marriage certificate and your wifes ID card (perhaps) and you should then have no problem getting your initial non immigrant visa. The rest you do here when you arrive.

Working. You will need to familiarise yourself with the work permit regulations once you are here. There are many job opportunities in Bangkok and your wife may be very helpful to you in this regard, especially if she is in any way connected. You may take up teaching (as a last resort perhaps). But bring loads of money and take your time settling in. Remember it is possible to make a small fortune in Thailand - you arrive with a large one.

Hope some of this hepls.

I am confused by your post and would like to help. So a few observations.

If your 1 year non O was the result of a contract of employment with your wife's business then the visa depends upon the work contract and finishes when you finish working for your wife. You have to get a form signed by the firm and then the employment people will give you another form when you hand in the work permit. (You have to do this within 7 days of finishing work or else there are fines). You then take the employment office form to immigration who will cancel your visa. (Again do this within 7 days of finishing work or else there will be overstay fines to pay). At this stage you can apply for another 1 year extension depending upon your circumstances ie. marriage, child dependent, retirement etc. If you cannot apply for any of these then you must leave the country immediately and re enter with whatever visa you can obtain from outside.

As has been said already, you do not need a Non-B in order to get a work permit. You can work on any category of Non immigrant visa. I have had a self employed work permit - as a freelance journalist, and also an employee work permit working at a University and both these on a retirement visa. I have found that it helps to employ a reputable agent in the case of self employment as the employment office staff are not very helpful and in my experience do not speak English.

If you go out of the Kingdom on any visa/work permit combination you should get an entry/re-entry Visa or your primary 1 year visa extension will be lost.

Reading the posts in this forum it really is surprising that such a vast difference in attitude and rule interpretation is allowed to exist in the immigration department.

I thought that memebrs might find the following very useful. There is even an online enquiry service which I am sure can be accessed anonymously. All the questions answered from the horse's mouth - so to speak.

PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Immigration Office (PPIO) has launched its revamped website, which now includes information about Immigration regulations and procedures in 10 languages.

The website, found at http://www.phuketimmigration.com, now has Immigration information in Thai, Swedish, Russian, English, German, Norwegian, Japanese, Italian, French and Korean.

Besides general immigration information for foreigners wanting to enter or stay in Thailand, the website holds a copy of the Immigration Act, a list of fees charged for Immigration services, and a list of contact details of other Immigration offices throughout Thailand, including links to those that have websites of their own.

The website also has a “Contact Us” link so people can email queries and concerns to the PPIO.

Hey insight you have a treasure there, dont let her out of your sight. "Serious conversation"? you mean beyond, "what your name"? "where you come from"? "how long you live here?" The general conversations that I hear at University are almost equally inane, so hopefully no-one will tell me that educated Thai girls are far superior. I blame the TV soaps watch by millions with mouths agape every day. Someone once told me that many girls had the mind of a 13 year old trapped in a womans body. Sounded good to me - low level communication skills required. I have done quite a lot of research on the bodies but have yet to tackle the mind question!

The rules may have changed but when I first got my Thai driving licenses I swopped my international license in and did not have to take a test. I have no idea if there is an age limit after which you have to test. I suspect that an international driving permit is the key. Having said all this if you havent got a license at all you cant take it along, can you? I am sure that this will not disqualify you. Instead of doing any more talking, just go along and see for yourself. Good luck.

Simbo you are spot on the money. This is a wind-up. I have never heard of a cohabiting farang with some many positive advantages.

Whilst identifying with almost all the eloquent points made by others on this thread I have to emphasise one in particular for me.

In the UK (and I am sure it is the same elsewhere) when you are over 50 you are unemployable and if single or divorced facing a grim future indeed. My experience was that the many singles clubs etc were populated by overweight blue rinse ladies whose mammary glands dangled around their knees and some of whom scraped their knuckles on the ground. They all had one attribute in common: they were all looking for true romance and made it clear that the very thought of sex before engagement or even marriage was quite out of the question. "What kind of girl do you think I am"? was a frequent put down. The very thought of sex with one of these "ladies" was enough to qualify one for a good supply of Prozac.

Enter the Kingdom of Thailand. My low self esteem is immediately banished as it becomes clear that I am a very attractive, not so old, man to a wide variety of young ladies, most of whom are more attractive than my erstwhile dream fantasies. I am soon advised by local residents that walking around with a 1000 baht note stuck to my forehead is cheating - but it still feels good. Nuff said??

With age comes wisdom. Unfortunately also with age comes incontinence and impotence and I am not sure it is such a good trade off.