jazzbo

Say what you will about dollars/pounds/euros... There is not much greater feeling than to see ALL your bags excess or otherwise pop onto the baggage carousel and then smile your way through the Green Customs Channel at BKK.

Do you hire a professional comedy writer or just make this stuff up yourself? Maybe next time when I appear before a US Consular Official -- as they have other things to do -- I will just write TOKEN AMOUNT when I affirm my monthly income.

While it is moot point for K. Frodo, it might have been a better procedure to have given up a few extra months validity and obtained a new Canadian passport at the Canadian Embassy here in Thailand and have had all the Thai Visa-related minutiae transferred to the new passport BEFORE leaving for an extended stay in his home country ... just a heads up maybe for others

Looks like Thai Channel 7 will be showing the Masters LIVE each day starting at 03:00 ...

from post #65 the American Embassy is not allowed to ask for evidence due to privacy laws and signs whatever you tell them.

That is a gross mis-characterization of procedures at the US Embassy ... if what you tell them is false you have possibly committed a felony and the Consular official only states that you have in fact duly appeared before him/her and sworn by such a statement.

The full explanation of how a document originating in the USA can be authenticated is explained here -- it has nothing to do with privacy issues:

Authentication of Vital Records, Academic, Commercial or Other Credentials Issued in the U.S.

U.S. CONSULAR OFFICERS ARE NOT EMPOWERED TO AUTHENTICATE PUBLIC DOCUMENTS ISSUED IN THE UNITED STATES.

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/notary_authentication.html

A few years ago on United Airlines I did an extra + oversize bag (musical instrument) that was within weight limits. Today on UAL from USA to Thailand that would be:

$200 for the extra bag plus $100 for the oversize = $300 ...

http://www.united.com/page/article/1,,53403,00.html

from post #172 The Canadian Embassy requires the proof of income rather than just taking your word for it (as I believe the US Embassy does).

I would suggest as regards the US Embassy the above is a mis-characterization. The US Embassy takes no position one way or the other as to the veracity of your affirmation of income: only that you provided such statement under penalty of providing false information to a US Government official which could be a felony.

Also -- as per Tod's post -- I think the IMM official's biggest determining factor is simple: Body Language.

The OP makes a good point for choosing a company with Thailand domicile vs. Bermuda or Turks & Cacaos, etc.

The information on the various age restrictions for BUPA/Thailand has not been accurately presented. If you go to the following on page 2 paragraph 2 left column it starts with 'Members may join before the age of 66 years' and then keeps on going:

http://bupa.co.th/Fi.../2_ATT_EN_1.pdf

As per Mac's statement, any public or financial document that would genuinely have to be certified by the US Embassy in Bangkok would have to originate with the document source in the USA, then go through the Thai Embassy in Washington, then the MoFA in Bangkok, and arrive at the US Embassy in Bangkok without the document EVER touching your formerly nicotine-stained fingers.

.. and the above is only a summary of what is required

When my late Father was asked "Hi Ed ... How are you?" he would answer with a clipped 'Fine!" regardless of circumstances ... when my Mother was asked a similar "How are you?" you might then receive a 10 minute medical prognosis ... as the OP said: No naming and shaming please.

from #164 I provide proof every time regardless if asked for it or not, and surely many others do also ... If at the US Embassy you may just as well be showing any such 'proof' financial document to the street lamp ... they by regulation will not and cannot even look at it.

Kuhn Git at #160 -- surely you can see that the letter is not worth the paper it's written on and, as such, is a complete waste of time... The Letter at least for the US is a sworn statement before a US Federal Official -- making any false statement can be charged as a felony... and any corroborating evidence requested by Thai IMM at time of extension is incidental and does not in and of itself constitute 'proof' ... that is just your assumption.

Can you imagine the lines if every such extension required the Thai IMM official to wade through supposed 'proof' as established by original documents?

Good explanation at #60 MCD and a skillful dodge of the 'W' word

Thanks MCD for your further clarification at #58 since -- based upon your post -- whether you intended the central point to be residence and 'O' visa your description of your brand new 'B' visa from Hull may help it become the new flavor-of-the-month.

So the letter from the US Embassy seems to be a complete waste of time.

In fact, the PO 777/2551(3) regulation does not even mention a Letter from the Embassy only that the applicant have 'must have evidence' of having a monthly income of no less than 65K baht.(T&G translation)

... however a Letter stating as such has become the accepted means of such evidence and each Country's

Embassy has determined their own basis for issuing such a Letter

The actual US Letter in no way states that the Letter is conforming to a specific requirement of Thai Immigration and that the Applicant for extension only requests that:

I am applying for a Thai visa/ an extension of a current Thai visa and any assistance you can provide in this request will be greatly appreciated.

Post #155 Went yesterday to the US consulate here in Bangkok and got the income letter. No documentation of income needed.

... Which would be the same for any similar sworn statement affidavit at any US Embassy or Consulate worldwide as per US State Department procedures.

from Post #55 The lucky thing for me is that I sub contract to a company and was able to get a letter from them stating my purpose of being in Thailand and therefore issued me a 'B' Visa ...

Just to clarify for others does that mean you PAY a company in Thailand to do work for you or your ex-Thailand company and that the Thai Company wrote a letter describing the arrangement for 'B' Visa purposes at Hull?

A re-phrasing of the previous two replies might be that:

You are making a sworn statement as to claim of your monthly income before a US Consular Official but neither that official nor the Embassy itself makes any statement or takes any position as to the validity of such claim ... only that the person as identified by US Passport on said date appeared before the official on said date and made such claim.

My apologies Kuhn M ... sometimes when it comes to Canada, Michigan, Florida (where we call it a horse farm) and Texas and Oklahoma and .... I just lose track. BTW good thing those Thai girls with knives all have lousy aim especially when one has known not hundreds but thousands of women in the Biblical sense... strippers or otherwise.

Google -- like Michigander Bob Seger's Rock & Roll ... -- never forgets.

from #152 ..which could easily be construed as a bribe. I won't be trying that one... not if delivered on a day when you have no business before the officials ... a case of Squidee snacks or some such I am sure would go a long way as a 'bribe'.

from post #64 When I was a kid I worked on a horse ranch ... and was there a dock at the ranch for your sailboat?

It seem like one of the factors -- at least maybe outside CW -- in granting various extensions of stay is becoming 'How well do they know you?' Do you show up for each 90-day report or just mail it in? ... maybe make a separate trip for re-entry permits? When you show up do they recognize you and ask 'how have you been' or some such? ...maybe a small office present at New Years?

from post #`136 Or maybe you are saying the USA embassy will start requiring documentation in response to the response of Thai immigration. That's possible I suppose. Most likely NOT possible as the requirements for document certification at US Embassies is the same all over the world. i.e. document certification of US documents must originate in the USA and not elsewhere.

from Post #62 "Thai women have routinely chased me with knives and cleavers or sharp tongues." ... You sure can pick 'em.

from Post #1: top Thai students not only out-perform most of the top students in all of Asia, but also out-perform a majority of students in the entire world in some areas... I assist students in Thailand who are blind and as IJWT would know some of them become valedictorians in their Thai high schools before going on to college on scholarship... some are a little head-strong and tire of such stories as the elephant or expressions like 'the blind leading the blind' or turn a blind eye'

... as long as we are today pointing out stereotypes.