daboyz1

I'd like to know how many of you Suthep supporters posting on TVF have actually been to the protest sites, or are you just calling it in from the UK or States? How many of you have had your wife frisked while leaving a BTS station (National Stadium) by some kid that knows more about Yaba than who the PM is? Nothing but pure thugs and scum. These are the kind of people that would be doing this no matter who was in the opposition or the government. This is nothing but a great opportunity for these creatures to give meaning to their lives, in their own eyes, that is. Suthep is just using them to do his dirty work, and if he ever does get into power he'll probably throw them all back in jail where they belong.

Well, after reviewing my post, I realize I left three other major groups of protesters out. Aside from scum and thugs, there are:

• The lazy arzes that enjoy a good opportunity to sit around and complain while getting paid 500 baht per day.
• The weekend warriors, or Bangkok middle class that comes out on Saturday afternoon with kids in tow.
• The street vendors, who also don't care who is in charge.

If you actually came here and experienced a protest, you'd see how ridiculous backing these people is. Thank God the protesters are not the majority, or none of us would set foot in Thailand. Suthep and the democrats want to side step the democratic process because they know they will never, never, never win a majority, legally, and that's really what it all boils down to - end of story - period. Corruption is on both sides, and this is not the way to fix it.

Take the post above and replace words Suthep with Thaksin and then change the year to 2010. Voila! Now you can see where the precedent was set.

I assume since you mention the I-864, you're looking at applying for a CR-1 or IR-1 visa for your wife. The best way to overcome the lack of income is to get a co-sponsor in the U.S. If this is not possible and you need to use assets, I believe the bar is 5 times the poverty level, which is about 100k USD.

More info here:

If You Can’t Meet the Minimum Income Requirements

If you cannot meet the minimum income requirements using your earned income, you have various options:

• You may add the cash value of your assets. This includes money in savings accounts, stocks, bonds, and property. To determine the amount of assets required to qualify, subtract your household income from the minimum income requirement (125% of the poverty level for your family size). You must prove the cash value of your assets is worth five times this difference (the amount left over).
  • Exceptions:
    • If the person being sponsored is a spouse, or son/daughter (who is 18 years or older) of a U.S. citizen: The minimum cash value of assets must be three times the difference between the sponsor’s household income and 125% of the federal poverty guide line for the household.
    • If the person being sponsored is an orphan coming to the United States for adoption: The adoptive parents’ assets need to equal or exceed the difference between the household income and 125% of the federal poverty line for the household size.
• You may count the income and assets of members of your household who are related to you by birth, marriage, or adoption. To use their income you must have listed them as dependents on your most recent federal tax return or they must have lived with you for the last 6 months. They must also complete a Form I-864A, Contract between Sponsor and Household Member. If the relative you are sponsoring meets these criteria you may include the value of their income and assets, but the immigrant does not need to complete Form I-864A unless he or she has accompanying family members.
• You may count the assets of the relatives you are sponsoring.

Source:

http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/affidavit-support

I think that is what did you in. You should have been completely out of the picture. But if she applies again, the cat's already out of the bag, she has an American boyfriend.

I was in the US Peace Corps for a two year commitment when I came here. I married my wife during that time. At the end of the two years, I had to return to the US for one month to dispose of personal property, with the plan to come back here immediately and permanently. I wanted to take my wife. She owns lands. She has a lot of money in the bank. She owns a car. She has been a government school teacher for 25 years and would lose all her retirement benefits is she quit. I thought having an American husband would help the process. I am a lawyer.

I prepared her tourist visa application. It was scorched earth, indexed and tabbed. It had documents to substantiate everything mentioned above. I had several letters of reference, as well as a letter from the government giving her permission to travel (teacher's need this). As you know, she must go into the US Consulate interview alone, which is conducted in English. She speaks fluent English. EVERYTHING was thoroughly covered. I was 100% confident. I waited outside. I was surprised when she came out about two minutes later with tears in her eyes. He took one look at the application and asked for MY passport, which she did not have, so he looked it up on the Consulate computer, and immediately denied her application and told her she needed to apply for a K-1 visa (immigrant based on marriage). He did not take one look at the documents she had; he did not "interview her." This was Chiangmai, and I was not allowed inside that day.

I got the guy's description and went back the next day, taking the application and documents with me. I went up to the window and spotted the guy, summoning him over. I asked him what the deal was. He said he wasn't supposed to discuss it with me, but would as a courtesy. He said it was purely his judgment. His duty was to determine if sufficient proof was offered that the applicant would leave the US at the time required, and he said he felt the burden had not been met. That was why he recommended the K-1. I said, "But hey, you did not even look at these documents. How could you form such a judgment?" I also told him a K-1 application would be fraudulent as it states an intention to immigrate to the US and my wife has neither the desire nor the intention to immigrate to the US. She wants to live with her family in Thailand. He said it was simple. She was married to me. I had just finished the Peace Corps and my visa was expiring soon. I had no replacement visa. I had no evidence of permanent establishment in Thailand other than being married. He told me that if I came back and established myself in Thailand and she reapplied a year after that, she might get it. "But," he said, "Right now there is no evidence that you will return to Thailand, and if you don't, she may not either."

So you see, it was all about me -- not her. Had she been single, I think she would have been granted the visa. Had she kept her maiden name and never told them she was married to an American, I think she would have gotten it (but that would be fraudulent).

The OP did not state his situation here. What visa? Are you here permanently? Are you on a retirement extension, or do you only have a work visa, which would be insufficient to establish permanence? The OP, having an address in the US, puts his girlfriend's application on shaky ground.

I have now cut off every connection I previously had with the US other than being a citizen. I am well established here in Thailand. I am quite sure my wife could now get the tourist visa with no problem. The only thing is, I never want to set foot on US soil again. It's not the place in which I grew up. Freedom there is now nil. TSA and the police are out of control. I have ten times as much freedom here in Thailand as has anyone in the US. Go back to the US?? No thanks!!

I might add that the single worst place I have ever been in Thailand is the US Embassy in Bangkok. It was like going into a prison. And the asshol_e officers treated me like I was a criminal. I don't need that kind of shit from anyone. And the rude way they in which they were treating the Thais made me ashamed to be an American. I'll take this opportunity to wish all the ICE agents down at the embassy a happy Macha Bucha and a Fukah Yukha.

You can thank all the people that come to the U.S. on a tourist visa, get married, and adjust status for the difficulty. IMO, they should close that loophole, then it wouldn't be such an issue getting a tourist visa if you happen to be in a relationship with an American.

I'm planning on about a 35k a month budget, but we don't have any kids. We also have a house, so no payment there. I'll be curious to see how it goes for you. Keep us posted.

They have a right to protest, but not to close off junctions for weeks nor invade public buildings and harass civil servants threaten kidnappings and remove peoples' civil liberties by blocking polling stations. And they, as lawbreakers, occupying public land, have no right to make any demands of the Armed Forces to protect them.

I wonder where they got the idea? They should try new tactics. Your description is so 2010/UDD.

It's interesting how people are trying to label the anti government protesters as thugs, goons, and henchmen when those are the exact tactics that have always been used by the UDD. The UDD developed this sort of street theater and now are upset that anyone else would play the same game. They showed in 2010 that you can unseat the government with protracted street protests.

That small detail is lost on many.

I agree with you that this "people's council" seems very suspicious. OTOH the criminal in Dubai will NOT release his grip on power.

I disagree that Thaskin was illegitimately removed in 2006. He won an election that that was boycotted and never received a royal endorsement. From that point forward he was not the legitimate PM of Thailand. It's unfortunate that the police can't/wont do their job in this country, hence the need for the military to step in and do it for them. The people in Isaan have been played by Thaksin. He gave them some good things back in the day, but you don't help people by simply giving them handouts. You need to give them a path to do well for themselves. Anyone that uses a campaign slogan such as "all Thais will be rich in 6 months" is an obvious fraudster. The rice bribe has failed miserably as well. I could go on and on about Thaksin and is failed policies, but they've been documented here 1000s of times.

I wish there was a 3rd choice. Because Thaksin's sister and Suthep's politburo sure don't seem like they'll resolve anything.

People can't look at this through the lens of American politics or even western politics in general. (I'm American by the way) You need to have the rule of law for a functioning democracy, not the rule of law that suits the highest bidder. Until Thailand has that, it will just be a continuous series of leaders ripping off the people. You can't resolve your legal issues with a donut box full of money.

While it's never good to have the military step in and take power, I thought it was warranted in 2006, and I still today think it was a good thing. .

I have to strongly disagree with your post, if Thaksin violated election laws in the 2001, why did the military wait until 2006 to address your assumptions (realizing maybe you are not more knowledgeable then the legal and judicial system of Thailand).

The elite ordered the military to act as they knew His politics and their domination of the political structure where on a collision course.

The military coup of 2006, and later the non-elected Democrats , represented by Suthep ordered the military to end the Red-shirt demonstrations that likened them to Fascist actions that dominated the political situation in Europe for almost a decade that resulted in ten's of millions of lives lost (23 million in Russia alone) are the root cause of the current unrest.

Thaksin greatest achievement was that of the awakening the less affluent population in the country, to the realization of the "power of their vote" and Thailand will never be the same business as usual that his election forever changed in 2001, be he a hero or a tyrant, the great service he did for the country's "have not's" can not be denied. This was behind the protesters objective of denying the less affluent in the country the right to vote.

The Election will take place as dictated by the royal decree, the yellow's are in the process of 'damage control' Democracy has prevailed in this current challenge, what the future holds, remains unknown!

Cheers

I'm talking about the election in 2006. Not sure what the 2001 election has to do with it?

Non-elected democrats? They didn't win their seats in parliament? Thai voters don't directly elect the PM. The voters elect MPs and then the MPs elect the PM. Abhisit was voted PM by a majority of the MPs. The same way all other PMs are elected in Thailand, and for that matter in all other parliamentary democracies around the world.

What yellows are you talking about? That movement ended about 5 years ago.

Generally in order for democracy to prevail, the first step is to have an election. That first step hasn't even taken place yet.

Looking at fascism and democracy, there are two sides in this fight but there are not two sides to this story. There is one side, which is to defend, preserve and extend Thai democracy as the instrument of justice and equality it is designed to be, however imperfect it may be in the former LOS. I'm posting against one side because the one side are fascists with fascist goons doing the dirty work of destroying an election and democracy.

On the one side, however, I've stated a number of times I believe Thaksin is a dictator, that from Bangkok to Dubai I don't like his style. I saw him elected in 2001, exercise dictatorial powers and be forcibly and illegitimately removed in 2006, and all else since then. Yet it's easy to recognize that Thaksin is persecuted by the opposing elite, not because he is a dictator or that he too is massively corrupt, but because he brought the rural dispossessed to the table.

I've posted ad infinitum that the people who vote for the political parties Thaksin's opposing elites detest and despise deserve to be cut in on the deal that is contemporary Thailand, but instead face an array of entrenched and unjust institutional rejection and resistance. The opposition to them has now escalated to the level of militant fascism and I have zero good to say about that. I become vehement in my defense of Thai democracy as it is and all my life hostile against fascism in any shape or form, any time anywhere. My father went to fight against it to defeat it in Europe and so do I fight against it where ever I may be, always.

I've taken time to be clear to you, or as clear as I can be. Key words here are advocacy and principle. It's up to you now to grasp at least the essentials of my exposition in response to your posts, inane and as personalized as your posts may be.

I agree with you that this "people's council" seems very suspicious. OTOH the criminal in Dubai will NOT release his grip on power.

I disagree that Thaskin was illegitimately removed in 2006. He won an election that that was boycotted and never received a royal endorsement. From that point forward he was not the legitimate PM of Thailand. It's unfortunate that the police can't/wont do their job in this country, hence the need for the military to step in and do it for them. The people in Isaan have been played by Thaksin. He gave them some good things back in the day, but you don't help people by simply giving them handouts. You need to give them a path to do well for themselves. Anyone that uses a campaign slogan such as "all Thais will be rich in 6 months" is an obvious fraudster. The rice bribe has failed miserably as well. I could go on and on about Thaksin and is failed policies, but they've been documented here 1000s of times.

I wish there was a 3rd choice. Because Thaksin's sister and Suthep's politburo sure don't seem like they'll resolve anything.

People can't look at this through the lens of American politics or even western politics in general. (I'm American by the way) You need to have the rule of law for a functioning democracy, not the rule of law that suits the highest bidder. Until Thailand has that, it will just be a continuous series of leaders ripping off the people. You can't resolve your legal issues with a donut box full of money.

While it's never good to have the military step in and take power, I thought it was warranted in 2006, and I still today think it was a good thing. .

Looks like Amsterdam got a job as a reporter with AFP.

When it rains, it pours.

I talked with my representative and asked that she follow up with the US Dept of State. This was their response (I will edit out the names):

I checked the consular database of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, and found that on xx-FEB-2012; on 30-xx-2013; and on xx-SEP-2013; <last>, <first>; with passport number <123>; was refused a visa under Section 214( of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Under this provision, each applicant is presumed to be an intending immigrant. The consular officer is obligated to assume that each applicant for a visitor visa is ineligible until he or she proves otherwise. The INA presumes that every applicant intends to immigrate to the United States, and the law places the burden of disproving this assumption on the applicant alone.

When evaluating whether an applicant has established eligibility, a consular officer looks at the purpose of the visit and for palpable reasons a person would return to his or her own country. In doing this, the officer takes into consideration the totality of an applicant’s situation, including family, community, professional, property, and economic ties to the applicant’s home country as well as any ties to the U.S. Because each individual’s situation is different, there is no list of characteristics that will, in any given case, constitute the proof needed to overcome the presumption of immigrant intent in the INA. In the case of Ms. <last>; she was unable to establish to the satisfaction of the consular officer that she qualified for a visitor visa.

Please keep in mind that sole authority for issuance (and refusal) of visas lie with consular officers at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. VisaNet is not authorized to override decisions made by consular officers overseas. The law stresses that there is no appeal for the denial of a visitor's visa. However, the refusal of a visitor visa is not permanent, and Ms. <last>; is welcome to reapply for a visa at any time should her circumstances change, or if she believes she can present additional evidence to demonstrate her eligibility for the visa.

We recommend, however, that individuals who wish to reapply do so only if they can present new, or more compelling evidence to overcome the previous grounds of refusal. Please be aware that nonimmigrant visa applicants worldwide are charged a $160 non-refundable fee each time a visa application is submitted. This is an application fee only and is charged whether or not a visa is issued. The fee covers the processing of the application. We assure you that any future visa application submitted by Ms. <last> will be given every possible consideration consistent with U.S. immigration law.

Wow. That's good you actually got a fairly detailed explanation from them. Most don't get anything close to that after a denial.

The redshirts are mainly poor working people, how do you expect them to attend rallies?

Should they just desert their jobs and farms?

9/10 people in CM support the redshirts.

99/100 in the more rural areas.

They did a pretty good job of holding Bangkok hostage for over 2 months in 2010. I guess that's when Thaksin was paying them though. Maybe he needs to break out his wallet again.

Sure, hand over your Thai ID, passports, and pay up your part of the debt first...

I remember when the Quebec separatist referendum almost passed in 1995. Once of the Canadian federal government's points was that if you leave, you owe us money for everything we spent in in the province over the years. Bridges, roads etc.

The cop is hot!

She's ok. I must say the female BIB wear a uniform better than my peers in Melbourne.

Perhaps he was referring to the other?

So when we get a statement from the head criminal in Dubai himself that he will personally kick in a few million Baht of his own money to help pay the farmers bills?

I'm wondering why the labor minister is issuing threats against protesters? I didn't realize that the police fell under the control of the ministry of labor. What a joke.

This is really shameful that people could not exercise their right to vote. The world is laughing at Thailand now.

The world has been laughing for awhile. The real comedy is that the country has been being run by convicted fugitive on the run through his puppet sister.

"....run through his puppet sister."

And who do you think pulls the strings on Thai Visa's favourite, "Mark"?

Abhisit has/had a relative that's a criminal on the run telling him how to run Thailand?

This is really shameful that people could not exercise their right to vote. The world is laughing at Thailand now.

The world has been laughing for awhile. The real comedy is that the country has been being run by convicted fugitive on the run through his puppet sister.

So two wrongs make one right??

Absolutely not. Two wrongs do not make a right. However, I'd argue that merely appointing the sister of a divisive, fugitive ex-PM was a slap in the face. It seems like most (surprisingly) accepted that without issue. There were no protests or "peoples councils" or Bangkok shut downs. However, when they went and tried to absolve the fugitive of his crimes at 4:00 AM, that was the final straw. Thaksin asked for this. He could've let things just be the way they were with his clone running Thailand, but his massive ego got in the way, and again people are dying because of it.

This is really shameful that people could not exercise their right to vote. The world is laughing at Thailand now.

The world has been laughing for awhile. The real comedy is that the country has been being run by convicted fugitive on the run through his puppet sister.

Can you prove your statements,Re: "country is being run by convicted fugitive on the run though his puppet sister" or is it just BS,,

Meant more as your support of the protesters actions of "denying other Thai's the right to vote"!!

Just looking at it on the surface it would appear that way. She is his sister after all with zero political experience and all of the sudden she's qualified to be PM?

But hey that would just be speculation. On the other hand if you look at the PTP campaign slogans such as "Thaksin Thinks, Pheu Thai does" and interviews with Thaksin himself where he stated "Yingluck is my clone" I'd say there's no doubt at all that she is his puppet. He's said so himself.

This is really shameful that people could not exercise their right to vote. The world is laughing at Thailand now.

The world has been laughing for awhile. The real comedy is that the country has been being run by convicted fugitive on the run through his puppet sister.

This is the core message repeated over and over by the anti-democracy, pro-feudal clique. There is no other argument offered and it's threadbare. It doesn't resonate in Thailand let alone the rest of the world. The advice to continue with this line when faced with photos like this , is simply crazy. The myth that this is a movement of well-meaning middle class folk fighting corruption has been exposed.. Some will continue to repeat the lie , others in the ant-govt movement will see the futility and engage in dialogue.....the only path to a non-violent resolution.

I'm just going based on what Thaksin himself has said. Things like "She's my clone" and "Thaksin thinks, Pheu Thai does" Was Thaksin lying when he said those things?

Not to mention this all started when they tried to absolve him of his crimes at 4 am. If these folks were so "anti-democracy" they would've been out in the streets the minute PTP won the election and Yingluck was voted PM. I'm somewhat surprised they weren't. But no they couldn't be happy with that. They had to push even further to clear the fugitive criminal.

What part of that is a lie?

This is really shameful that people could not exercise their right to vote. The world is laughing at Thailand now.

The world has been laughing for awhile. The real comedy is that the country has been being run by convicted fugitive on the run through his puppet sister.