Poi Pet Border Runs - As Simple As Possible

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello.

It's my first post here. I have read all that heckmeck about "showing cash" etc, since i am regularly doing 30-day "runs" via Poi Pet. Reason: I'm not a native english speaker, so can't get any teaching job (and work permit), and, being from germany and thru a typical german education procedure (secondary school, then 3 1/2 year practical) i also do not have any university degree, thus also no chance of getting any other (legal!) job. I make a living doing odd jobs. Receiving about an average thai salary (10 - 15 k/month) i do not have an ability of carreying such amount around with me and risking it being stolen or lost.

I did my run yesterday (october 2nd) with a company that should be well known (don't want to advertise here, but they have to do with golf as well). They start at 7.00 a.m. near Asok skytrain station with a comfortable two-storey coach, during the trip they show DVD movies, have free coffee and newspapers. You give your passport to one of the guides before getting on the coach. When reaching Aranyaprathet (thai side), they will have all the passporets "stamped out" and hand them back. Then you cross into the "no-man-land" between Thailand and Cambodia, showing the already stamped passport to the officer.

Then you hand the passport back to the guide and the whole group goes in one of the casino-hotels for a free buffet lunch. This takes about 1 1/2 hours. Then they'll hand the pasports back again, whcih now include a cambodian visa, cambodian entry and exit stamps and a thai entry stamp. Then you walk back to the bus, showing again the already stamped passport to the officer when crossing. (Actually yesterday, my second trip with that company, we didn't even need to show the passports - the officers recognised the group members because we were given green stickers with thye company's name on them to wear on our shirt breasts). And travel back to Bangkok, again watching movies.

The trip costs 2.000 Baht (all inclusive) and in the end a small tip (20 or 50 Baht) for the coach driver. No need to que at either thai or cambodian immigrations, no need to show cash. Regardless what clothes you wear, suit or sandals.

I think it was worth mentioning here.

Oh yes, and what are foreigners like me supposed to do anyway? I'm gay, live with thai boyfriend since almost four years. We can't legally marry, thus no marriage visa for me. As mentioned above, non-native english speaker PLUS no degree, thus no chance for legal job and work permit. The other way round, my boyfriend not qualified for visa to germany due to not enough $$ in the bank and no supporter in germany (i am registered in Bangkok! No residence in germany anymore). I am a farang but not a rich one (not a backpacker either, but i came here with the purpose of spending the rest of my life here with my boyfriend, but that was before the immigration laws got so tough! And i had no idea that here you need a university degree even as a construction worker..... ) Any way to "legalise" me? Any help appreciated.....

Kind regards

Thanh

[Sunbelt Asia]

And i had no idea that here you need a university degree even as a construction worker.....

Who told you that? Its not true. You can get a WP without a degree. It's NOT a requirement unless you are a teacher.

In Thailand, the life goes lots smoother if you have money but its pretty tough if you don't. Solutions to your problem in a legal fashion but it always seems to take money to get legal.

www.sunbeltasia.com

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello again.

Ya i wasn't meaning to say that i need a degree to obtain a work permit - yet any company doesn't give me a JOB without a degree! And without hiring me, they sure won't give me a work permit

In the past three 3 1/2 years i have applied to numerous offers, using english-language newspaper's classifieds..... i yet have to receive the first ANSWER, be it negative or positive! The only one offer i got was from some language school - teaching german, "2 or 3 hours per week" at 350 Baht/hour! Of course w/o work permit, but at least, a reply! Even germany-based companies are no exception (major companies, that is).

Also, i do not really know (not a native english speaker!!) what my actual qualifications are. In germany, after one finishes the secondary school (grade 9 - sec1, grade 10 - sec 2 or grade 13 - "abitur", required for university entry) one goes thru a practical education, which is actual work in the job to be "learned", with one day a week of schooling for the theoretical things. After 3 or 31/2 years, depending on profession, you do a practical and a theoretical test and obtain a certificate called "Gesellenbrief", which is sort of a diploma that allows you to call yourself a professional. "Gesellenbrief" literally now means "Bachelor letter"!!! And, according to a friend of mine, this thing would be the same as a bachelor degree.... i am lost on that issue. I went thru two such educations, one for becoming an electrician and the second, after not finding any "electrician" job for over 3 years, to become a motor mechanic. Yet i didn't finish that second one, because the company did hire me in a different position back then.

Now, my "Bachelor letter" allows me (in germany!) to work as an electrician. If it were a bachelor degree, what would i be then? Electrical engineer? Here they call everyone with a screwdriver an "engineer". I am that guy who works on construction sites, putting the wires into the walls, and installs lighting, sockets, etc. Everything electrical, building related. I am also well able to fix just about everything electronic, mechanical etc (cars!) but have no paper to prove that. And w/o such paper, i won't get any job.

So i live off telemarketing or fixing the odd computer, mostly thru friends of friends of friends. Fixing mobile phones and stuff also adds to my income. Yet, i want to be legal and regular!

I know that, probably, money could help (as adverted in newspapers... "work permit - 10.000 Baht" etc, every day) but having called all of those numbers, always the same answer.... i need so much paperwork that it would fill a small truck, and in the beginning always has to be a company willing to issue that paperwork. Or, for MUCH more Baht, those "services" would arrange that paperwork.... but as mentioned, i am not that rich. I have zero assets outside Thailand, am unregistered in my native country, no insurances, pensions etc. I am now 29 years old, by the way.

Kindest regards....

Thanh