landslide

I haven't used travelers Checks in decades, but did notice the rate of exchange is slightly lower at the currency exchange booths I use to exchange cash.

What the heck difference does it make that she did not know the exact name of the card?  She had it and knew what its purpose was.  This government functionary just wanted to feel important. 

1 hour ago, james1995 said:

 

$1276 for a 1 bedroom?!  I can get  a super luxury apartment in my home town for that amount.  Budget apartment is about $500/month.

I moved here from the Bay Area in California.   I was paying $2000 per month for a small one bedroom apartment.  Clean and safe, but by no means "super luxury".  Even this apartment is decent, but no one would call it "super luxury".  I suppose I could uproot and move to the midwest for a cheaper apartment, but I don't want to live in the midwest.  Here on the West Coast, even small towns are seeing a dramatic increase in the cost of housing. 

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

I've just arranged the rental of a 4 bedroom 3 storey house on the outskirts of Hua Hin for 15,000 Baht per month so there are bargains to be had. This house has no garden or pool (tiled front parking area and tiled back yard) but I don't want or need those things so for me it's perfect - zero maintenance required !

 

Yes, there are bargains to be had.  I used the $800 ($B28000) figure as a safe bet for a decent, well furnished home with a small garden.  We will eventually buy a house in the B$4 to B$5 million range once we are sure we want to stay permanently and know what area we really want to live.  My wife is comfortable in the US, but financially, Thailand is the better choice for us, and I actually am looking forward to getting out of the US.  Despite Trump's election, I live in an extremely liberal state which is raising taxes on anything they can, and expanding government at an alarming rate.  Even the rent on my apartment has gone up 36% in the last 4 years, and with no end in site for increases in the future, due to severe restrictions on building new housing..

My thai wife and I live in a medium sized city on the West Coast.  Rent for our 830 sf, one bedroom apartment is $1276 per month (about average for the area, clean but nothing special), utilities including electric, gas and internet, cable and phone is $242 per month and health insurance for the two of us is $1153 per month with a $3000 annual deductible.    Auto and renters insurance is $96 per month.  Gasoline for the car is approximately $60 per month.  Taxes, state and federal, average $710 per month.  So before we spend a dime on food, entertainment, clothes, prescriptions and doctor's visit we are out of pocket $3527 each month.  We have budgeted for our eventual move to the Hua Hin area the following amounts.  $800 house rental (2 to 3 bedroom house), utilities $200, health insurance $500 per month, auto expenses of $100, and taxes (US) of $400 per month  (no state income tax due).  So the budget for Thailand is $2000 per month before food, entertainment, prescriptions and any doctor's visits, 57% of our budget in the USA.  I think this is a reasonable projection of the cost difference between the two countries.  Could we be more frugal?  Sure.  Could we end up spending more?  Possibly.  But there is a definite cost advantage,  in our case.  

It is possible she lost or accidently erased your contact number.

15 hours ago, pgrahmm said:

There was a reason you were banned from the bar....

 

There was a reason her phone wouldn't work......

 

There was a reason her son had isolated her here.....Away from her family....

 

And - there would have been a reason why the return flight ticket would have gone unused....

 

The son also knew there is minimal Thai support infrastructure for people such as her.....

 

I'm also betting that after more disheartening time here the ladies spirit would have been broken - and she would have been very vulnerable.....The reason most countries have ombudsmen programs available for the elderly......

 

In my opinion you did a noble thing....

Well said.  OP, you were right to assist the lady.  As you said, she was of sound mind, and she asked for some help.  You passed on her concerns to her son in Pattaya, and for your good intention, he banned you.  I think that shows his perspective on his mother's happiness.

You can do it online if you register at immigration to get a user name and password.

Yes Ubonjoe .Yesterday one of the officers made the online registration for me.

At least the officer assisted you in setting up the online registration. You don't always see that in Thai government.

If you make it to Portland, Oregon, the Thai Consulate there is quick. I was in at 9 am and out at 9:45

am with a SETV. I am a US citizen, though.

I have read that there is a new law, regulation, or stipulation that they run a check and if you owe any unpaid taxes, your new passport will be denied.

I do know of Americans in Thailand that this could be a problem for.

I wonder what happens if you apply for a new passport, it is denied and you are not in America at the time.

If I recall, the last time I applied for a new passport, I had to turn in my old passport with the application.

Does this mean you could be stuck in a foreign country with no passport at all?

This is pending legislation, and not current law. The proposed law states that any US citizen with outstanding tax debt in excess of $50,000 will have their passport flagged and use of the passport denied.

Sorry for the repetition. I did not read far enough into the topic.

I have read that there is a new law, regulation, or stipulation that they run a check and if you owe any unpaid taxes, your new passport will be denied.

I do know of Americans in Thailand that this could be a problem for.

I wonder what happens if you apply for a new passport, it is denied and you are not in America at the time.

If I recall, the last time I applied for a new passport, I had to turn in my old passport with the application.

Does this mean you could be stuck in a foreign country with no passport at all?

This is pending legislation, and not current law. The proposed law states that any US citizen with outstanding tax debt in excess of $50,000 will have their passport flagged and use of the passport denied.

It continually amazes me the hoops the US government requires individuals to go through for a tourist visa, fiance visa or marriage visa, when thousands of illegal migrants flood across our southern borders every week. The border patrol have been ordered to stand down and do nothing about it. Yet individuals who follow the rules are denied entry on a continual basis. I brought my fiance to the US in 2010. The fiance visa took 10 months to approve. We decided we were not ready to be married at that time, so at the end of her 3 months, she return to Bangkok. Flash forward 2 years, and we did get married in Thailand. It took 17 months and the intercession of my congresswoman's office to get her marriage visa and CR-1 status This after already receiving the fiance visa two years prior and abiding by the terms of the visa. As an aside, last year her best friend gave birth to her first child in Britain, We applied by mail for a tourist visa to Britain so my wife could help with the newborn and spend a few weeks with her friend, without me. The one year visa was approved in less than two weeks.

The Royal Thai Honorary Consulate in Portland Oregon still has a triple entry tourist visa as an option on the application form there.

Supposedly available. but no idea if it is actually available or not now.

Still supposedly available there in Portland

Check the website and call them and ask if you can get it in Portland Oregon.

I picked up a triple entry tourist visa Monday, September 28, at the Portland, OR consulate. It took 18 minutes, all told. Very quick and efficient.

Having to wait 16 month apart before they could come to the USA seems crazy. Happy that it all worked out but people reading this shouldn't assume that will be the norm.

Actually, that is pretty much the norm. It took 16 months for us to complete the process for visa and green card for my wife. In my case, I was not employed, but have sufficient investments to not be required to show employment income.

Thanks for all the replies. I am just going to bite the bullet and get a single entry tourist visa. No fuss, no mess. There is a Thai Consulate 20 minutes from my home, so the process should be easy, and no wasted time at immigration in Bangkok. Maybe the next time I book a flight I will wake up and pay attention. I was so concerned about matching up my wife's return flight and mine (she is going to Thailand 3 weeks before me, and we are returning together) I just missed it.

I was careless, and after booking my ticket, realized that due to October having 31 days, my flight will depart 31 days after arrival. I am arriving October 16 at 10:55pm. If I delay going through immigration until after midnight, would my arrival stamp show an October 17 arrival? My departure is on November 16 at 6:40am. If this doesn't work, I will just get a visa extension for 7 days. I know that I could pay less by paying the fine of $B500 at the airport, but I would prefer to follow the rules. It was my stupid mistake, and if I changed my ticket to a departure on October 16, there is no way I could match the fare I got, much less adding in the change fee for the airline.

If they were really serious about effecting change, they should pull the vehicle plates for one month on all taxis convicted of violating the rules. Perhaps then the Coops renting the taxis will crack down on the problem problem drivers.

Sorry dudes, put on the reading glasses, a WOMAN and check the name? You think she is a borne US citizen with a legal firearms license, she's probably an illegal immigrant.

Besides bacon is expensive, so I would want in on my burger that I paid for haha! Go POSTAL!

My name is Squiddledickinski....and I was born in the USA.. Hey...look at Barrack Obama....how about the Big Lebowski?

Look up John Wayne's name... tons of foreign names. Heck...she could be the sister of Peter Torres from that band "The Monkees"

That is Peter Tork of the "Monkees".

Torres says she's sorry "but it's over and done with."

Not for 3 to 7 years.

Not likely to be anything like an Obama admin. But how many Americans would want a Cruz or Paul 1st term and more to the point , a complete Republican control of all gov? Lunatics really would be in control of the mad house!

So, like when the Dems controlled all 3 in Obama's first term. That didn't work out too well, did it .

At least, if the GOP controlled all three, they might bring out a budget.

Absolutely correct. The Democrats seem to have no concern at all about the deficit. All they want to do is keep spending so they can keep getting elected.

The last Clinton balanced the budget and even had a surplus. No?

Bill Clinton faced a republican congress. To his credit, he had the ability to work across the aisle with the Republicans to get things done. Hillary does not have his political skills, nor his governing experience.

..............Does her husband know how to bake cookies? What will be his role in the white house?.........Remember she resigned as Secretary of State. And she still has to answer to the Benghazi attacks and also countless other facts surrounding the IRS cover ups, IRS files hidden in the White house, of Prominent political opponents. There are so manny things she has been involved with, very little accomplishments as a Senator or as Secretary of State. She is a looser. Cornelia Rice (Secretary of State under Bush) could run circles around her if she ran for President.

You are absolutely right about Condoleeza Rice. That is a woman I could vote for as president. And Rice is a huge and knowledgeable American football fan, mentioned as a possible future NFL commissioner.. Hillary cannot overcome her sense of entitlement regarding the presidency. She accomplished nothing as a Senator (among the worst attendance records in the senate). As Secretary of State, what were her accomplishments, other than failing to respond to the Benghazi attacks and blame it on a You Tube video? She was more concerned about soliciting donations to the Clinton Foundation. She was fired from her position as an attorney with the Watergate investigation for "unethical conduct and a lack of moral integrity" by her Democrat boss. Who can forget her "enemies list" and the IRS files of Republican politicians found in the President's White Houose quarters during the Bill Clinton presidency. Nixon was vilified for this, but Hillary gets a pass because she is a woman? Don't forget "Travelgate". The media seems to be willing to give her a pass on her foibles, but I have a sneaking suspicion some of these will come back to bite her in the butt.

DEMOCRACY?

After following the US politics for more than 25 years, I do not recall the same party ruling the US for more than 8 years.

If that is true, Clinton does not have any chance, and a new party is a dream that never will happen under the US election campaigns scheme.

Under the actual US "Democracy" system, the 2 parties are just passing the "ball" every 8 years, and nothing really changes for good.

Polititians.jpg

Actually, the Republicans controlled the Presidency for 12 years. Reagan was president from 1980 to 1988, followed by George H. W. Bush from 1988 to 1992.

Putin will threaten nuclear anihilation to any country that attempts to collect on Greece's debts.

Not excusing the Briton, but if the three felt they were defending the woman's honor, why did they run away after assaulting him.?