daboyz1

Pretty funny they're worried about this video, but don't seem to care about the image of the country being run by a fugitive.

I don't see the man in Dubai mentioned at all. I doubt little sis would go for any of it unless he somehow get's off the hook.

You could but there would be no evidence to support it.The tide had turned against Thaksin and eventually he would have been voted out of office.You can argue against this to the effect that he was about to impose totalitarian controls, but again there is no evidence to support this.The truth is that the coup was an unmitigated disaster for Thailand, the ostensible "cure" that was worse than the disease.The terrible irony is that, even putting aside the criminality of those involved and taking their declared motives at face value, history will demonstrate that their efforts were counter productive.

Well J boy I dont know if you were in Thailand when the coup took place, heck I dont even know if you have ever been to Thailand.

I was here and saw how well the army was received, with smiles, handshakes and red roses even.

Then what did the army do? did they hold on to power like in Burma? no they held an election and when Thaksins proxy party won the did the army interfear, no they accepted the peoples choice.

You must know Thaksins status at the time of the coup, a caretaker PM who had overstayed his term and showed no sign of holding an election.

The coup would appear to be a desperation thing (The only way to get rid of Thaksin and return to an elected Govt) by an army who did not want to be in control or in power, the fact that they held an election shows that.

If you want to comment on unmitigated disaster you should look no farther then the red shirt riots, something that Fuller seems to have missed.

Fullers badly researched article which in places is completly in error seems to be some sort of attempt to show that Thaksins manipulation of the country is a good thing, why that would be I could only guess.

I was living there then as well. Only thing I noticed was that I couldn't get BBC or CNN on UBC that day. Internet was still working. I seem to recall them teliing everyone to take the day off. As far as I could tell nothing really changed. Although right after the coup they changed it so that you could no longer live there on endless 30 day tourist visas. 3 in a row and you had to leave for 6 months I think it was. I ended up marrying my now wife and got a 1 year Non-O multi entry at the Thai embassy in Singapore.

Personally I thought the coup was a good thing. As I recall Thaksin was in some weird political status (caretaker PM I think they called it) before the coup. He had won a landslide election that the other parties boycotted. I think he waited like a month for royal endorsement which never came. I also remember seeing him on TV crying about it. I kinda have a hard time calling it an election when his party was the only one running and then when he won, he never got royal endorsement to make the thing legal. The army stepped in, ran the country for awhile, then had an election which Thaksin's party won. The only reason Abhisit was the PM, was because a certain party bailed on the PPP at the time and alligned themselves with the Democrats. That's how things work in a parlaimentary system. I think all of that would've happened anyway without the need to hold Bangkok hostage for 2 months and start a bunch of fires.

Before someone jumps in with the yellows shutting down the airport, that was idiotic as well, although a bunch of people didn't die over it.

One can conclude a few things from Fuller's article. That he, in fact, had to see Thaksin in London in order to do an interview and the article. Yet there was not one quote from Thaksin nor does Fuller "clearly" state that he did in fact interview Thaksin face to face in London. Fuller uses quotes from supposed Thaksin lackeys and his own paraphrasing.

Second, Fuller seems to be patronizing this "Thaksin remote management" phenomena by pointing out sound bite economic facts that tourism is booming and unemployment is non existent as well as the implication that Thaksin's methodology gets big deals done, Thailand is on the move while the rest of the world is in a "slump," and Thaksin cuts through the government red tape with some sort of "remote single point of accountability." As other posters, and everyone who really knows Thailand point out, Fuller ignores the facts that Thaksin is a convicted criminal, "cannot" legally return to Thailand, and does not meet with world heads of state or represent the country as any legal representative of the people at anytime or place.

Fuller, by his patronizing point of view that Thaksin is using technology to forge some sort of clever "new global state leadership model," is actually making the rest of world leadership considering doing deals with Thailand look life a laughing stock analogous to countries who are sitting down to negotiate or "wink" at the meeting table about major trade deals with the Somalia pirates as the legal heads of state of Somalia. Can you imagine if Richard Nixon had setup shop in some Bahamas compound and started running the USA by telex? How long do you think it would have taken the US military to take him out?

Fuller seems to want us to see that Thaksin's remote use of technology to command all important decision making and budget authorizations of Thailand in a version of Hakim Bey's Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ) is a very cool thing for a country. Fuller's article expresses a view that is very dangerous for the world. Just think of all the convicted leaders such as Charles Taylor, for example, who might have escaped to some TAZ state such as Thaksin and still be pulling the strings in the goldfields of Sierra Leone. Or a Ferdinand Marcos, had he operated today in the day of technology, with all his looted wealth of the Philippines still commanding the country from some smartphone somewhere in a TAZ.

The New York Times is clearly no longer "all the news that's fit to print." Fuller's patronizing view of Thaksin and lack of truth and reality about the real background around this strange case of a nation, Thailand, becoming a prisoner of a pirate operating in some TAZ clearly illustrates that. Thaksin being a criminal leader at large is not a good thing for Thailand and not a good thing for the world. Fuller should be aware of this.

I have a hard time understanding how anyone can make a serious argument with the above post. Totally spot on.

On a visitors visa she can stay six months. B2. It's a crap shoot for her. She has every reason to stay for years with the new child. If she is working age, that's a problem as well.

She's not migrating so your wife can't sponsor her.

Just put the papers in and hope for best. Land in her name, vehicle...?

On a visitors visa she can stay as long as the CBP office at the port of entry says she can stay. May be 6 months, may be 30 days. It's up to them. They will stamp her I-94 with the date she is required to leave the U.S.

They can even deny entry if they feel like it. Of course this is rare. A visa merely gives you the oppurtunity to try and enter the U.S.

Kuhn Craig -- Congrats to you and your wife(y) on her US citizenship. As you posted it here where someone wants a TGF to visit him in the USA after a 4 month Internet relationship and a 2 month whirlwind visit to LOS, it may be useful for you to provide the following information even if many years back:

Did your the TGF ever make any tourist visa visits to the USA before you were married and, if so, how long were you 2 together before applying?

How long did you know your wife before you got married in the USA?

How long were you married before you applied for her US citizenship?

I was one of those crazy ones. Met wifey in August, moved to the US in June. Started the visa process in December.

Because of the rules of the fiance visa, we had to get married within 90 days, I believe. But we did the ceremony here before we left.

I stayed on top of this whole process and applied for things as soon as I could. SS number, green card, and then citizenship. I think we were married some 3 years or so before we applied for citizenship....can't remember the exact time frame though. VJ usually has the timelines all laid out, adjusted for the current situation.

Craig, you said something very interesting. You applied for the fiancee visa but got married in Thailand before you went back to the US.

Is that correct? There was no objection from US immigration? If that works it might suit my situation perfectly.

What alot of people do is go through the marriage ceremony in Thailand, but DO NOT register it with the Amphur. This way you are eligible for the K-1 (Fiance visa) The marriage ceremony in itself does not make you legally married. Once you file it with the Amphur, you are now legally married and no longer eligible for the Fiance visa.

ETA: Craig was referring to the requirement of getting married in the U.S. within 90 days after arrival in the U.S. That is the requirement for the Fiance visa.

Your girlfriend needs to prove to the U.S. Embassy that she has a compelling reason to return to Thailand. Forget everything else you hear.

she needs a reasonably good job for a reasonable length of time. She needs money in the bank. She should own property in Thailand or have strong family ties in Thailand. A good education and command of the English helps.The burden of proof is on her. If you own property in the U.S. it does not help, as that gives her a reason to stay there. Of course if she is wealthy no problem. If she does not meet these basic requirements, forget the idea altogether and save your money as it is not refundable.

Yep, these are the requirements to get a tourist visa. None of the above applies to a Fiance or Marriage visa.

A couple things.

1. K-3 visa is pretty much dead as of ~2010. It used to take years to get the IR-1/CR-1 visa for some reason. They have resolved that. Also, when you file for a K-3 visa, you are simultaneously applying for a CR-1/IR-1 visa anyway by filing the I-130. When the I-130 and I-129F arrive at NVC at the same time (which happens 99+% of the time) NVC closes the I-129F. This is from the U.S. state dept: http://travel.state....pes_2993.html#5

Important Notice: When both petitions have been approved by USCIS and sent to the NVC or when USCIS approves the I-130 before the I-129F, the availability of, as well as the need for, a nonimmigrant K-3 visa ends. If the NVC receives both an approved I-130 petition and an approved I-129F petition:

• The nonimmigrant K-3 visa case will be administratively closed.
  
• The application process explained below will not be available to the foreign-citizen spouse and cannot be used.
  
• The NVC will contact the U.S. citizen sponsor and foreign-citizen spouse, with instructions for processing the IR-1 (or CR-1) immigrant visa. For more information on the immigrant visa process, review the Immigrant Visa for a Spouse webpage.
  

2. As far as Fiance vs. Spouse visa, It depends on your situation what is the best route for you. K-1 (Fiancee visa) is definitely the quicker route to have someone in the U.S. by ~2-3 months since there is no real processing at NVC. However, the K-1 visa is more expensive in the long run by about $400. Also, the prospective spouse will not be able to work and in some cases not be able to drive until they get the green card after filing adjustment of status in the U.S, which can take another 4-6 months.

As some else posted above, VJ is definitely the place to go for this info. Whenever I post a link to that website here on TVF, the mods remove it. Apparently it violates some TOS rule here.

They can work as soon as they get work ID card after pending green card application. About 90 days I believe. Basically as soon as she has her SSN she can work. My wife was working just a month or so after we married and applied for change of status. This was if course 12 years ago so may not apply now.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

Mostly correct. SSN by itself does not allow work. You must have an appoved I-765 (Employment Authorization Document) to work prior to the receiving the green card. Generally when a K-1 arrives, after they get married they file I-485 (adjustment of status), I-765 (Employment Authorization), and I-131 (Advance Parole) all at the same time. If you file these at the same time, they only charge you for the I-485. Also, nowadays they issue the Advance Parole and Work Authorization on one ID card.

It's not random at all. We simply are not privilaged to all goings ons behind the scenes.

The board does have a fairly good grasp of what is needed for these visa catagories. Of course, if there are issues like mistakes, omission, lies, bad interview...

From my experience where the common wisdom fails here is thinking that a it is not possible for average Thai to obtain visas. That huge sums and stellar jobs are required. Or even a bf with a job in Thailand. Character does play a big part. In the end, will s/he return from their HOLIDAY or visit?

Would like to clarify dboyz and craig. These are the types of K visas that will be accepted and have good chances of sucess. Let's look at Craig and the OP.

Craig: met the love of his life and after nearly a year decided they wanted to be in the US. He could have stayed on, done the two years, maybe never even leave. He removed himself from a life of leisure to go back and take "a job". He remained in contact with his gf and they worked together to make it happen. Committment, longevity, determination all this means and shiws love and caring. Same with dboyz example. Met in Thailand, lived together, this is so paramount - in Thailand. They have a relationship!

Meeting a person on the Internet, coming to Thailand to hang out for awhile and spend a few months with said person. That is merely the beginning of a relationship. Clearly. Now, in Ireland they might swallow it - but how many of these Internet based "loves" do you think USCIS sees out of BKK?

Done.

USCIS has nothing to do with it. USCIS does not issues visas, they only approve petitions. The only relationship requirement for USCIS is meeting within the last 2 years. The Department of State and their consular officials in Bangkok issue visas.

This is an other website that is also very good, or so I have being told by my wife, it is in Thai and is good for the GF who might not be as proficient in English. http://www.usvisa4thai.com/index.php

I did the entire process on my own. No lawyer. Only info I got off the website and help from the embassy.

I found it to be very complicated. Timing is critical, as are the associated documents. Not sure I'd let my Thai GF be in charge of this???

My buddy tried to get his GF a visa and failed. Didn't fill out all the paperwork properly or something like that. It was a technical error. Of course, he did it properly the next time and she was rejected (it was for a tourist visa). It's a tough process any way you cut it!

It's seems really random to me. People I thought there was no way in hell, got a tourist visa with no problem. Others that I thought would get one easily, get denied. I never bothered trying to get my wife one back when I lived there.

OK to clarify a few things.

1. I generally lump CR-1/IR-1 visas together because they are both immigrant visas, and K visas are not. Neither CR-1 nor IR-1 require filing adjustment of status to get the green card To clarify a bit on the 2 year rule. You may be issued a CR-1 visa by the embassy, however if you enter the U.S. AFTER you have been married for 2 years, it will result in a 10 year green card being issued. I have seen situations where people have dealyed their entry to the U.S. for this very reason. They didn't want to deal with filing I-751 to remove conditions right after arriving in the U.S.

2. As far as K-1s being almost always rejected in Bangkok, I have not found that to be the case at all. In fact in the ~6 years I have been following this U.S. immigration business, I have found the opposite to be true. In my case my wife and I lived together in Thailand for over 2 years which should be plenty of evidence of an ongoing relationship. Unfortunately it was not. Even though I showed them 100+ entry stamps into Thailand,as well as a non-O visa, some bills with both our names on it, etc. They wanted to see more photos. It's all on the whim of the interviewing C.O. at the BKK consulate. I rarely see a K-1 case get denied in Thailand. Now if the girl shows up at the interview in tight jeans and says she works at a bar on soi 22, obviously that's gonna get shot down. I think the C.O. is more likely to approve a K visa because they can "kick the can down the road" if you will, and let USCIS in the U.S. decide if the relationship is bonifide and whether or not to issue a green card.

3. There is much more paperwork required at the interview on the Thai side for a K visa than there is for a CR-1/IR-1 visa. The only thing required for CR-1/IR-1 is the medical and the proof of ongoing relationship. All the other evidence (marraige certificate, DS-230, police report etc.) is submitted to NVC by the petitioner from the U.S.

4. As far as the CR-1 being denied outright, again I think the opposite is true. The I-129F (K-1) only requires meeting once in the past 2 years. I think if someone flys over to Thailand and goes through all the hassles of getting married etc., it show's more of a commitment. That's just my opinion though.

There's was a tall bald C.O. working at the U.S. embassy around the beginning of 2009 that was shooting down everyone for both K and immigrant visas for awhile. Seems he was a real a$$. So unfortunately, that plays into it as well.

First, I must call fraud - initially, the post is about getting "his" Thai "girl" back for a visit. Next thing you know the notion of marriage is being tossed around. Is it a visit or marriage?!

Ah, meeting on the Internet...well, at least he had come here and spent some time with her.

If they are contemplating marriage, I see all sorts of hurdles for the relationship and so will immigration.

She has almost no chance for a B visa without a solid job or perhaps if she was in middle of professional grad school.

The only route I see is K1. You cannot DCF here without living in Thailand min six months AND hold nonimm visa.

Therefore, only route for the two lovebirds is the K1.

Marrying a person you have only spent two months with is insane. Just want to point that out, doesn't seem to be clear -because meeting a foriegner on the Internet isn't crazy enough already.

It's makes no difference K-1 or IR-1/CR-1. (Fiance vs. Marriage) The embassy will expect the same evidence of an ongoing relationship either way. IR-1/CR-1 IS an option. It's actually a better option in the long run. It just requires that they be married. Only difference, USCIS will require proof of meeting in the last 2 years before they will even forward the petition to the Dept. of State.

Agreed for DCF will need some kind of Thai non-O or B visa to show 6 months residence in Thailand.

I guess on a personal level, it's their decision to make.

A couple things.

1. K-3 visa is pretty much dead as of ~2010. It used to take years to get the IR-1/CR-1 visa for some reason. They have resolved that. Also, when you file for a K-3 visa, you are simultaneously applying for a CR-1/IR-1 visa anyway by filing the I-130. When the I-130 and I-129F arrive at NVC at the same time (which happens 99+% of the time) NVC closes the I-129F. This is from the U.S. state dept: http://travel.state....pes_2993.html#5

Important Notice: When both petitions have been approved by USCIS and sent to the NVC or when USCIS approves the I-130 before the I-129F, the availability of, as well as the need for, a nonimmigrant K-3 visa ends. If the NVC receives both an approved I-130 petition and an approved I-129F petition:

• The nonimmigrant K-3 visa case will be administratively closed.
  
• The application process explained below will not be available to the foreign-citizen spouse and cannot be used.
  
• The NVC will contact the U.S. citizen sponsor and foreign-citizen spouse, with instructions for processing the IR-1 (or CR-1) immigrant visa. For more information on the immigrant visa process, review the Immigrant Visa for a Spouse webpage.
  

2. As far as Fiance vs. Spouse visa, It depends on your situation what is the best route for you. K-1 (Fiancee visa) is definitely the quicker route to have someone in the U.S. by ~2-3 months since there is no real processing at NVC. However, the K-1 visa is more expensive in the long run by about $400. Also, the prospective spouse will not be able to work and in some cases not be able to drive until they get the green card after filing adjustment of status in the U.S, which can take another 4-6 months.

As some else posted above, VJ is definitely the place to go for this info. Whenever I post a link to that website here on TVF, the mods remove it. Apparently it violates some TOS rule here.

is that the website about da visa journey? yes this is a great site for fiance usa visa

Yep, that's the website.

A couple things.

1. K-3 visa is pretty much dead as of ~2010. It used to take years to get the IR-1/CR-1 visa for some reason. They have resolved that. Also, when you file for a K-3 visa, you are simultaneously applying for a CR-1/IR-1 visa anyway by filing the I-130. When the I-130 and I-129F arrive at NVC at the same time (which happens 99+% of the time) NVC closes the I-129F. This is from the U.S. state dept: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_2993.html#5

Important Notice: When both petitions have been approved by USCIS and sent to the NVC or when USCIS approves the I-130 before the I-129F, the availability of, as well as the need for, a nonimmigrant K-3 visa ends. If the NVC receives both an approved I-130 petition and an approved I-129F petition:

• The nonimmigrant K-3 visa case will be administratively closed.
  
• The application process explained below will not be available to the foreign-citizen spouse and cannot be used.
  
• The NVC will contact the U.S. citizen sponsor and foreign-citizen spouse, with instructions for processing the IR-1 (or CR-1) immigrant visa. For more information on the immigrant visa process, review the Immigrant Visa for a Spouse webpage.
  

2. As far as Fiance vs. Spouse visa, It depends on your situation what is the best route for you. K-1 (Fiancee visa) is definitely the quicker route to have someone in the U.S. by ~2-3 months since there is no real processing at NVC. However, the K-1 visa is more expensive in the long run by about $400. Also, the prospective spouse will not be able to work and in some cases not be able to drive until they get the green card after filing adjustment of status in the U.S, which can take another 4-6 months.

As some else posted above, VJ is definitely the place to go for this info. Whenever I post a link to that website here on TVF, the mods remove it. Apparently it violates some TOS rule here.

Agree, the K-1 fiance visa might be best.

Do a Google for: k1 visa

http://travel.state....types_1315.html

Relatively short term relationship, and he lives in the U.S. Main point to the interviewing ConOff at the Embassy is what good ties does he GF have to Thailand that would pretty much ensure that she'd return.

With a K-1 visa, altho it'd take some time to process, they can get married within 90 days of arrival in the U.S., but there's no absolute requirement that they do so. If marriage is not in the cards, she comes back to Thailand.

Mac

She was just talking about getting married in Thailand before applying (a cousin's suggestion). Just a wedding at the local amphur office I presume. Im not sure how that would be viewed by the US consulate.

Consulate doesn't care how they got married. They are more concerned about proof of an ongoing relationship. Photos and that kind of thing. If they got married, he would file the I-130 petition from the U.S. and once that is approved and the NVC steps are completed, she would apply for a CR-1 visa at the consulate.

Sorry beg to differ. There was a coup in Thailand because if Thaksin had called another election , as was reported, and won with a larger majority it would have cemented his place as the most popular Thai and he would have been untouchable. Not to worry hes slowly but surely regaining all that popularity

If he's that popular and with his sister in the PM seat right now and other family members and allies in high positions in the police and military... why hasn't he come back to Thailand already?

Bingo! Good question.

Inviting criminals to lecture on the crimes they have committed happens in more countries.

Mind you that it is not a guarantee that they have changed and won't commit these criminal acts again.

I can't recall any fugitives doing this.

Let's see if the coup makers take a runner? Not likely. Regardless of what side you take in this political mess, one fact remains. Only one person ran away to avoid the justice system.

Thanks, According to the site, Wisconsin apps go to California.

So that's good in your situation. California is running about 122 days. That fluctuates alot, but historically California is mostly much quicker than Vermont.

Depends on which service center your petition will be forwarded to. Vermont is running about 184 days to petition approval, and California is running about 122 days. That is only the time until your petition is approved. It will still need to go to NVC for a few days after that, and then on to the Bangkok Embassy. Once the petition arrives at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, you are looking at roughly another 60 days until the interview. So I'd say minimum 6 months from now, maximum 9 months from now to have the visa in hand. Depending on what state you reisde in the U.S. determines which service center in the U.S. your petition will be processed. Hope this helps.

Is the picture in the OP one of Tarit on the phone with Dubai?

LOLOL! Thanks for almost making me choke on my lunch. That was funny. Probably true though.

Why is there a question mark (?) in the headline?

I thought the same thing when I saw it.

It was obviously not a suicide! One can safely rule that out Sherlock.

My condolences to his family.

One would think. Don't expect it from the BIB. There was a case back in 2006 where they found some German guy hanging from a light pole with a bag taped over his head. The cops said that's how foreigners usually kill themselves.

Why is so much time spent on these two idiots when hundreds of loyal red shirt canon fodder are languishing in prison for doing Big Ts bidding

Well so far Obama has spent no time on it and if he does spend time on it he will probably just laugh. This is Barack Obama the president of the United States. Not J W Bush the world conscience and righter of all wrongs except for what he did to his own country.

The reason the loyal red shirts are in prison with out being paroled is because they deserve it for being stupid enough to follow a leader who did not care one baht for them. Ask Mr paymaster Thaksin why he is not bailing out his loyal followers.

edit

Just got to thinking about it do you suppose they are still Loyal followers of Mr T. If they are well just as best to not let them add to the gene pool.

Who's J W Bush? Jorge W. Bush?

Sorry, couldn't resist.