gerryBScot

my wife is an alien too! i am not sure understand what I need to do...as I understand it the school has been advised that to sissue a work permit for me I need to present a non imm b which I don't have.

Came over from UK in first instance to get married and stay with new wife. at that point was open minded about staying on to work. So non 0 seemed most logical. Now approx five months later have been offered a job and need to change visa status.

Currently in Thailand on Non Imm O and have recently secured teaching position starting May. Will need to change visa to Non Immigrant B and school will provide supporting documentation. Do I need to leave country to do this or can I do it in Thailand at local immigration office? Thanks for your help

My Affirmation of Freedom to Marry was issued by British Embassy on 10th October 2009, translated and then legalised by Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 12th December 2009 and then used to register the wedding on 19th December 2009. I used the draft provided on the embassy's website and there is no clause in it which sets a validity period for the Affirmation. the signed and stamped document I received back did not indicate that the affirmation had a validity for any length of time. My wife is a filipina and her affirmation issued by her embassy in Bangkok had a clearly specified validity of 30 days from issue. we had some fun getting a thai wedding certificate because we are both aliens but there was no issue raised about the validity or otherwise of my Affirmation of Freedom to Marry.

I honestly don't know; for the UK you would probably need to contact the Department of Education/Teaching Training Agency.

Thank you for your confidence! Tis a fine city, a bit nippy right now I imagine!

I used Transpeed for moving stuff from UK to TH; they are BKK based; recommend you contact Beer on

T R A N S P E E D C O . L T D .

* Int'l Freight Forwarder & Logistics Agent / Customs Broker License No. 121 *

Address: 3360/6-8 Soi Manorom, Rama 4 Rd., Klongton, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110 Thailand

Phone: +66-2249-9001 to 10 & Fax: +66-2249-9731 or 2249-6060

Mobile: +66-81-614-8836 / E-*: [email protected]

MSN: [email protected] & Skype: transpeed_bkk

Webpage: www.transpeed.biz

he also speaks fluent English!

hi don't think you'll encounter any problem with being "present and settled" on the basis of working overseas. i think it would only be a problem if you spend your off shore leave periods outside the UK to the extent that the authorities could say you were domiciled somewhere other than the UK. so, for instance, if you own property in Thailand and have spent all your off shore leave there in the last few years then might be a problem. but you own property in the UK, your partner lives there when you are away, can prove it and presumably pay tax there? shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks for that. My problem is I have a Scottish ordinary degree from U of Edinburgh, duration 3 years, plus TESOL. The degree is actually a Master of Arts, a general degree from the early 1980s. I think I am going to be ok to work but I am looking at ways to enhance my paperwork just in case the application of the rules becomes more precise and I fall out of the criteria because I haven't got a four year bachelors degree. How the sins and failings of the past catch up on us hahaha!

thanks and that looks lke a nice pic of St Paul's cathedral!

Thanks paully. the diploma is actually taught in BKK downtown in surawong but grateful for your opinion.

You guys seems to know most things so would be grateful if you can help. My wife and I are both resident in Thailand. She filipina, me Brit. Married recently in Thailand, marriage registered at philippine embassy bkk, nice certificate from them to say this has been registered etc. we are going to spend easter in the phils. under balikbayan rules I get one year visa free on arrival if we arrive together with nice certificate from phil embassy. anyone know if I can still get the year if I enter on my own with my nice certificate from embassy or will I need to apply for and pay for a visa as we intend to stay for longer than 21 days. many thanks

Thanks for this. the general picture appears confused and bleak! anyone know anything about St Theresa's Inti College?

Great tips; would also suggest you drive with windows up (preferably tinted!) (and aircon on!) so police,( especially the motorbike boys) cannot see whether you are a faraing or not . Have been stopped and "fined" (a shake down) for non-existent violations and pretty sure only reason was I was driving with window down.

Anyone able to give me an opinion on this college's Diploma or any other insight into the college? I fell upon a presentation by their people today by pure chance and they tell me the diploma is approved by Ministry of Education for teacher's licensing purposes. Seems quite attractive in that the tuition is at weekends and I was just looking at it as I have the qualifications to teach ( first degree and TESOL, from another century!) but not the experience. Anyone know of any other similar course ? Many thanks

Thanks Techno very helpful. MDF is widely available here in a variety of thicknesses and i have done some work with it, stacking boxes etc for open plan shelving; painted up it looks good. very happy with results. I just recently bought a timber table and chairs with some blemishes on the finish and got the old sander out and am in the process of applying a new finish with good old TOA varnish and thinners. I am half way done and just love the way the finish is coming up; was just thinking if only I could get my hands on some decent quality pine. Got some ply from Globalworld with a timber finish but it was really poor quality and I have given up on it for the moment. But thanks for the info and thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Absolutely excellent & highly informative thread. At the risk of lowering the tone of the thread but because you guys know what you are talking about, what about ordinary cheaper timber for building furniture, tables,chest of drawers,book cases and shelving? What do you recommend. I am interested in wood with nice grain that will finish well purely for indoors. Would appreciate your expertise on what is available locally. I am not yet ready to move into hard woods but this really has got me thinking.Many thanks

I made it to a meeting of Gamblers Anonymous (GA) in December 2003 and after about 25 years of carnage and deep shame I heard people describe exactly what I had been doing,what I was feeling and I heard some solutions. Of course there had been a lot of excitement and fun a long the way except after 25 years I knew I was in big, big trouble. I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. I went to a lot of GA meetings in the first year. I was desperate enough. I was mid 40s and absolutely sick and tired of being sick and tired. Some practical things I learned: it is the first bet that does the damage, not the fifth or sixth; I learned also that it did not matter how much I won, and like many compulsive gamblers, though not all, I had some spectacular wins; to win is to lose cos whatever I won went back with even more. I learned also that I suffered from an illness and that the issue was not one of good v bad but rather of being sick. Learned a lot. Days of not gambling became weeks, weeks became months, and months became years..... Yet a few Sundays ago as I sat here at home watching the football being piped in from the UK the urge to gamble was on me like a rash; what price so and so to win the championship. The thought is as far as it went fortunately but it was quite unsettling as I hadn't experienced such a strong urge for a considerable time. I can assure you it is not about money; a compulsive gambler like me looks at money as ammunition, that is all, spray it about and for most of us there is not much we won't do to get it. But the problem if you are a compulsive gambler is you simply cannot win, you cannot win enough to stop.....you win 5 million, you will try for 10 million and so on. It is inevitable you will lose. let me stress I am not against gambling, I don't want to interfere with anyone's right to buy a lottery ticket or have a night out at a casino or race track.....but if you are a compulsive gambler like me you simply cannot do any of this stuff end of story. I think it often helps someone like your lady to hear another person tell their story, what it was like, what happened and what it is like to day. A merry xmas to you and please come back to me if you think there is any worth in seeing if we can do anything to give your lady some hope.

Thanks for the link and kind words. Jonny, I am in Ratchaburi and would be happy to offer your friend practical support if language/ distance etc issues are not overwhelming. I am a member of Gamblers Anonymous but I am on my own here and there are no meetings here yet but clearly there is a need, especially for Thais.

Any one share this problem and interested in support? Recently I reached 5 years of not gambling. Recently relocated here to LOS. There is a significant connection between the two suffice to say would not be here if still gambling. Periodically the insanity returns and it would help to be able to talk with another compulsive gambler. Anyone suffering with this complex problem, would be glad to talk and offer you some hope.

I am in the Ratchaburi area and wanna do some basic woodwork/furniture building. Where/how can I buy pine or equivalent softwood...tried all the big DIY stores and gone into the smaller high street builders stores but no joy. Any help would be much appreciated. Gerry B