A Newbie Question

[Glenaron]

Ok here is my scenario, I have been hired by an Asian company as Director of IT to head up their shop in Bangkok. I am currently in Los Angeles and will be working at the company headquarters there for the next few months. When I apply for the Visa to come into the country do I apply with the US or Thailand? Do I need anything from the US other than a passport? I currently do not have a passport how long does this process take? What kinds of information does the Visa issuing authority need from me and my family (pregnant wife and 2 kids)?

Some other side questions, I will maintain my current salary here in the states in the $150,000 range. Is this going to be adequate to live comfortably in Bangkok or should I pursue an increase to cover living expenses. How can I arrange my finances to minimize my tax liability? Should I get a local salary and a salary here in the states or should i get a purely Thai salary as I hear Thai taxes max out at about $4K USD or is this incorrect?

I am bringing my wife and children with me, is it safe to bring them day one? Or should I wait a few months and find a home? I understand the domestic help in Thailand is of exceptional quality, what could I reasonably expect to pay for maid service, groundskeepers, nanny's and possibly a live in teacher?

As far as driving, coming from LA I think anything will be an inprovement, will I be able to drive? How does one get around there?

I am curious about purchasing a home and how mortgages are handled there, or would I be better off renting. Some cursory searches have shown me some very nice properties that seem too good to be true with servant house and guest homes for under $300K. When you purchase a house do they typically come furnished or is that an added expense? I don't think me shipping my home furniture would be a wise move. Anyway I actually have a lot more questions and hope that I can pick up more information here if anyone has any services or advice please post it here or feel free to email me at (deleted by author).

Thanks for all of your help.

[astral]

You don't seem very well prepared for your jump into the blue?

Living overseas, especially in a country like Thailand is worlds away from the cossetted life in the US.

I suggest you do some general reading about life as an expat.

Then try some searches on this site, you will find most of the answers you need. Your new employer should also be helpling you with matters like visa etc.

[dutch]

I am sorry but I have to agree with astral.

How is it possible that a person earning USD 150K can be so naive?

(and where is the know how of the company itself? There must be a businessplan!)

As astral advised you already,spend a few days on this website!

After that,if there are questions left, I am sure there will be a lot of help available

.

[Pink Mist]

I am suspecting a troll here, too many inconsistencies, you want maid, nanny , groundsman, live in teacher, why would you drive, go the whole hog and hire a chauffer.

You have been hired by an asian company to head their Bangkok shop, they organise permits and stuff, why didnt they tell you that?

I just cant believe a guy earning $150k is so naive, and an ###### doesnt know how to place a proper email link into a post.

[lopburi3]

Going to be working for a few months but buying a 300k house?

[Lordfoul]

I just cant believe a guy earning $150k is so naive, and an ###### doesnt know how to place a proper email link into a post.

It is clearly an attempt to defeat spiders that try to harvest email addresses.

/SM

[Glenaron]

I see it is clearly a mistake for asking this group for suggestions and recommendations, rather than offer constructive information or anything meaningfull I have been called a troll and naive (yes coming from Nebraska my entire life I may be naive, I thought your group my help remove some of my ignorance, obviously you are so caught up in your own self concevied grandeur you have no desire to assist anyone else). I'm sorry fellas I retract my questions and hope that I have nothing further to do with your silly little group. As for the (at) in my email that keeps programs from harvesting my email address and spamming me, if you aren't intelligent enough to ask first before berating someone over its use then you obviously arent the person I want to talk to.

I hate to lump everyone together but Expat friendliness has left a rather bitter taste in my mouth so far.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

He is even wondering whether he applies for the Thai visa at a Thai office, or at a US government office. Someone should let him know they drive on the left side of the road here too. Is he ready for us ... or are we ready for him ?

[Glenaron]

Sorry lopburi, I have a 4 year commitment to this position when the company relocates me. I didn't mean to say that I will only be there for a few months.

[konangrit]

You do not currently have a passport and don't even know how long it takes to process one. From this I assume that you have not applied for a passport before. So, you have never left North America, even though your' salary is $150,000 and now you are going to relocate not only yourself, but your entire family for 4 years to a completely foreign country in a completely foreign continent.

You have not even bothered to research the most basic of your queries, such as how long a passport takes to process.

I'm sorry, but I cannot believe that a man of your ignorance and lack of initiative could hold down a job which pays $150K/year.

This is obviously a fictitious post. If however I am totally way off mark, then do yourself a favour and stay in the US. In fact, I think you would have difficulties if you left your' own state.

People here are generally very helpful in answering peoples questions, but not when the poster has made absolutely no effort to find the answers out for themselves.

[Pink Mist]

so you dont want to get you email address "harvested", fine. As an IT specialist I thought you would have taken a little time to aquaint yourself with the forum functions as you would with any other new software. So no email but use the PM function.

As konangrit says you certainly come across as sounding ingenuine, but if not, do a bit of research by reading previous posts, then when you have some questions fire away.

If you're miffed with a bit of stick then LOS aint the place for you.

[Glenaron]

Well regardless of your "opinion" I will be there in less than 2 months. I have done minimal research into relocation because 1. I simply have had no time. 2. I was placed in the position 8 days ago. I will be working in the Jewelry Trade Center building and was trying to figure out my best resources for housing when I came across this site and figured I would ask some questions. Now that I have read through the other posts, I will plan on not making any posts here again. And actually if ever asked I will recommend some of the other sites(that have been extremely polite and helpful) I have been to rather than this one, due to the nasty emails I have gotten from people from my post here.

Good day.

[dutch]

May be you only want to hear what you like to hear.

You signed for a position without having any details, that you were asking for.

(you simply had no time)

If you are not a troll than at least you are highly irresponsably to your family.

I am in a senior management postion with a USA multi national for about 20 years now (of which the last 6 years in Asia).

Obviously you very quick made up your mind about this forum,as you did about accepting a new the job.

Good luck

[samran]

He is even wondering whether he applies for the Thai visa at a Thai office, or at a US government office. Someone should let him know they drive on the left side of the road here too. Is he ready for us ... or are we ready for him ?

well he is a septic. We should allow some latititude and pehaps think that this could actually be a real post.

Afterall, I once convinced a roomful of our American cousins that there was actually a bridge between Australia and New Zealand, with a green strip down the middle so that the sheep could could cross freely if there was drought in either country or if the dropbear problem on OZ got out of hand.

[bkk_mike]

He is even wondering whether he applies for the  Thai visa at a Thai office, or at a US government office. Someone should let him know they drive on the left side of the road here too. Is he ready for us  ...  or are we ready for him ?

well he is a septic. We should allow some latititude and pehaps think that this could actually be a real post.

Afterall, I once convinced a roomful of our American cousins that there was actually a bridge between Australia and New Zealand, with a green strip down the middle so that the sheep could could cross freely if there was drought in either country or if the dropbear problem on OZ got out of hand.

Actually, I can easily believe that an American from the midwest has never been abroad, and has no clue about how to do so...

And IT Managers rarely actually know how to do anything other than hold meetings.

First - If you do not have a house arranged in advance, don't come with the wife and kids unless your wife is going to help with looking for a house. Even then, if she's going to be running around looking at houses, it might be a good idea for the kids to stay with their grandparents for a while.

As foreign nationals, you won't be allowed to own land, so buying a house gets complicated. You probably want to rent initially until you've looked into 30 year leases, etc. With a work-permit you will probably be able to borrow some money towards buying a house (from AIG for instance), but it won't be a large proportion of the cost of the house. Don't even expect a 50% mortgage on a big house as a foreigner...

$150,000 USD a year is more than fine for living in Thailand though - although if you have a house in the US that you're paying a mortgage on, you'll probably want to keep it until you're certain that Thailand is for you..., which could well reduce the $150,000 to a lot less.

Being American, you're completely shafted tax-wise. (the US taxes its citizens on global income) - you just get a reduction for taxes paid locally. Just because you live in another country doesn't get you out of the clutches of the IRS. This means you probably want to keep a fair proportion of your income paid in the US - if only for writing the cheque to the IRS.

A visa can only be applied for outside of Thailand...

One thing - you have to talk to your HR people. You need their help on all of this. If only because the work permit requires an org chart showing your position in the company, including the work permit numbers of other foreigners you'll be working with or reporting to. Also, you need to find out from them if your company has BOI approval - i.e. Can you use the BOI one-stop shop to cut through a lot of the red tape.

The fact that you don't seem to have even chatted to your HR dept is why most people are finding your post unbelievable. If your posting is genuine you are completely unprepared for living in another country... (I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt simply because a huge number of Americans are amazingly naive - I couldn't stop laughing watching the Amazing Race when they complained bitterly that the taxi drivers in Korea don't speak English! How much Korean does the average taxi-driver in the US speak?)

[Pink Mist]

I really don't believe anyone would have bothered to send you a "nasty email", most posters (me included) think you are a troll and wouldn't bother.

Bkk-mike mentions some good points, one being your HR people not being involved.

I was once offered a transfer from Canberra to Rockhampton (in Oz), they flew me there and I was shown around the area and what the position involved before I accepted.

The point is, my company was about to relocate me and they wanted to be sure I knew what I was getting myself and family into before making the investment.

You are going to another country, relocating family, re-organising lifestyles and all this flying blind.

Can you now see the reasons for negative posts?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

He is even wondering whether he applies for the  Thai visa at a Thai office, or at a US government office. Someone should let him know they drive on the left side of the road here too. Is he ready for us  ...  or are we ready for him ?

well he is a septic. We should allow some latititude and pehaps think that this could actually be a real post.

Afterall, I once convinced a roomful of our American cousins that there was actually a bridge between Australia and New Zealand, with a green strip down the middle so that the sheep could could cross freely if there was drought in either country or if the dropbear problem on OZ got out of hand.

You'd get this bloke in Samran.

[astral]

Right you think we are being unfair.

Let me fill you in a little.

Before I came to work here I had visited Thailand on holiday twice,

I had learnt a few basic phrases of the language.

Even so I suffered from Culture Shock.

This is a very different place from the one you live in now.

Except at work, very few people that you meet outside will speak anything more than rudimentary English.

When I arrived I stayed in a hotel at first and then found my own house.

There are agencies who will help you. In Bangkok expect to pay $2000 per month,

deposit 1-2 month.

Maids and drivers are available, the owner of the house will probably be able to help on these matters

You apply for a passport with your State Department - they will tell you how long it takes.

You apply for a Non Immigrant B visa with the Royal Thai Embassy in the US.

Each member of your family will need a visa.

You will have to find out where the Embassy is and get the necesary application form(s).

You will need a formal letter from you prospective employer laying out what the job is.

You will need certified copies of you academic qualificatons to support the application for a Work Permit

When you arrive you will be granted a staty of 3 months.

After you employers have requested your Work Permit and that has been granted you will be allowed to stay, for one year. This can be extended later.

Seriously I suggest you come alone at first, and bring you family on a holiday visit.

Especialy as you wife is expecting.

If they like it then you can arrange for them to join you.

There are posts on this site about housing and life in general.

There are several web sites about Thailand as a place to holiday and work.

You have a lot of reading to do.

I hope this helps get you started