paully

Yes, get your parents to write a letter of support (sponsorship) to the British Embassy inviting your GF to stay with them at their house in UK (they want to meet her) and guaranteeing that they will be responsible for all costs. They will have to show copies of their bank account. Your GF will also have to show evidence that she will return to Thailand, a letter from an employer will be better IMO than the fact that she has a child. Also go with her when she makes the visa application and show the clearance officer your work permit (assuming you've got one) as evidence that you will also be coming back to Thailand with your GF. It worked for me - 6 month visa same day.

Also be careful about what you 'export' with eBayand how you describe it: sometimes you will get into trouble if the 'exports' aren't originals.

But my question is - do I have to leave and reenter again on a new B visa or can I take my time since my passport says that I am ok untill next year.  I would perfer to wait and make a trip out of the country later in the year.  Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

No, don't "wait" if you're starting a new job next week. You may think you have been given blanket permission - via a visa - to remain until 2005 come what may, but it's not as simple as that. Basically, when you leave an old job your 'B' visa expires 7 days later (ie: you get 7 days to apply for an extension). If you don't apply for an extension during this time you are liable for an overstay fine. Your international school should be aware of this, of course, and should escort you to immigration within the next few days to get a new extension.

More characteristically good stuff from IJWT. I must say, I miss you on ajarn.com, 'Steven', but happy that you post so much in this forum.

In response to nomade, yes "office politics" are best avoided if you are a farang teacher, it's just not worth getting uptight about personalities and problems. There tends to be more female ajarns than male ajarns at many universities (particularly in language departments for some reason) and they are there (usually) for life and so into empire-building and one-upmanship over each other. So just smile and stay out of the way for an easy life.

^No Ken, a classic 'Thai' mistake.

Either "I like hamburgers" (I think they are nice) or

"I'd like a hamburger" (ie: I want to eat one now).

The negative points are that we only stayed together for 6 days before I returned home, and that we met in the bar where she worked. So, for the visa application, we’re going to say that we knew each other for 2 weeks and that we met in the hairdresser’s where she worked. Only 2 lies, the rest is true. I realise that they wouldn’t want to know if they knew she had previously worked in a bar!

Well, yes, those are pretty bad points from the angle of obtaining a tourist visa for the UK, as is the risk of being caught out with a lie.

From my experience in getting a UK tourist visa for my (Thai) wife, the clearance officer is mostly interested in two things:

1. How long have you known each other? This would be in total since you met her. If you met her this July, only 2 months ago, I doubt that it would be seen as long enough for a 'stable' relationship. Be careful about lies, they can see your passport stamps as easily as you can.

2. Is there strong evidence that she will return to Thailand at the end of the visa? Here, again, you seem to be in some difficulty. If she isn't working, the clearance officer will want to see some good evidence that she will return, especially as you don't work in Thailand. You can point to the fact that she has close family ties and a child in Thailand, but it's better IMO for her to show evidence of a job or studies to return to. Get as much paperwork together as you can.

Lastly, if you're going to try for a visitor's visa for her, try to be in Thailand to make the application with her if you can - try to avoid her getting an interview on her own where she may say something inconsistent with the application and get refused. Make sure she does not look anything like a bargirl, dress well and speak and act politely.

Swamper, I think the best thing is to go to Canada for a visit first, to see if you like it and if could live there for the rest of your days. It may be very exciting and new and different for you at first, but will you be homesick and miss your family? Can you cope with months of cold weather? Ottawa isn't the most exciting place in the world, in common with many 'government' cities, and pretty bleak in winter. Go and see for yourself, but don't commit yourself fully first.

Yes, I would think you have a good chance of getting a tourist visa for Ning: one thing they will ask (from my experience) is how long you have known each other. Two years is pretty good.

As others have said, work on getting paperwork to show that she will return to Thailand, put some money in the bank account, go with her to the Embassy when she makes the application (if you can), dress smartly and act polite but firm.

Sasin is part of Chulalongkorn Univ. Don't forget there are many other places to do MBAs here, as good as Bangkok Univ if not better (don't be fooled by the nice campus). NIDA, Mahidol (Salaya campus), Thammasat and ABAC around Bangkok spring to mind. But frankly, a distance MBA from a western university will be better.

Hi, Sumitr, thanks for the kind offer.

Please, no one tell Smeg about this board! He's the last one we want on here

Hi, IJWT, I guess we'll have to meet on this board now. The death of the Ajarn board is very sad for me. It had a lot of useful stuff on it (as well as some dross) and some good and helpful people contributing. Perhaps we'll never know exactly who hacked it to death.

A Solicitors' letter isn't going to be any use for what you propose. You should only use one when you want to threaten action - such as when you want to appeal AFTER being refused. An MPs letter would be much better in your case as the good doctor and others have said. If the Embassy have given your good lady a tourist visa for the UK already and you have your paperwork in order (and a job to support her), then you should be okay with the settlement visa.

On a separate issue, as a member of ajarn.com I feel somewhat let down that the admin. of ajarn.com did not inform us of the problems. You never know, some of us may have been willing to contribute to a central fund so that payment of the upgrade could have come from the members so that we could keep all of the stuff that was on their. IMHO, the knowhow on that site had a value far in excess of the amount it would have cost for an upgrade. I feel very let down that the choice for this was not put to us. We were not deemed worthy enough of a general message. Whlist I like Phil, and think he is a great guy, he has not done himeslf any favours in his handling of this matter. Sorry Phil but it must be said, and unfortuantely I don't have the option to say it at Ajarn.com, nor will I if Marko goes through with his threat not to allow hotmail/yahoo email address as one to use when registereing because I cannot be arsed to set up a new email address just to please Marko when he has shown such contempt for me!

Yes, you would think it could have been predicted, it's happened before (but hindsight's a wonderful thing, of course). Is that really true about no hotmail or yahoo addresses for registering on the new ajarn board, Phil?

Yes, you'll have 750 baht a month deducted from your salary towards the Fund unless your salary is really low. You may be asked to 'nominate' a hospital where you can go for treatment and you'll get a plastic card plus a paper card (renewed yearly) that you need to show when you go to the hospital. It's quite a good benefit: there are financial limits, but it also covers outpatient fees (up to a limit) and you can also claim for a couple of visits to the dentist each year.

Yes, Sueann, Sumitr Man's quite right (Hi Sumitr, by the way!): many international law firms are cutting back in Bangkok and in Asia generally because of the perceived lack of profit potential here. My old employer, Denton Wilde Sapte, an international English law firm, has decided to close all of its Asia offices, which seems a bit extreme. Partners and their short-term profits...

As others have said, your best bet may be to try the leading international law firm here in Bangkok: Baker & McKenzie, whose offices are in the Abdulrahman Building on Rama IV Road near Silom. You won't be offered an 'expat' salary unless you are recruited from abroad and have previous experience and rainmaking capabilities to offer. You can try for a local hire, though: why not pitch your salary request to at least that required under the new rules to acquire a work permit: 60,000 baht a month if you're from the US or Canada or 50,000 baht a month if you're from the UK.

I believe Herbert Smith also have offices in the Abdulrahman Building, try them. Apart from those firms Sumitr mentioned, Watson, Farley & Williams, an English international shipping law firm, opened an office in Bangkok a few years ago: may still be there. Good luck.