Protest The Us Embassy's Unreasonable Visa Restrictions

[Martian]

RY12,

You missed the point of my post, whether by design or not, that the whole situation goes back to dishonest people ruining it for the honest people. I don't care if the illegals are Thai, Japanese, Australian or even Mexican (which by the way you decided to call them out as a group, not I). They have ignored, defied and otherwise disrespected the laws governing the country of which they want to be a part of and either entered illegally or overstayed but either way are "illegals" and should be hunted down and escorted to their respective borders or vehicles to get them to their borders, surrendering everything they gained while being here illegal. Just like when a criminal has to surrender their car when used in the commission of a crime.

No one thinks your an idiot, except perhaps the poster who correctly pointed out how stupid this post is due to the fact you haven't even tried to get your GF a visa but yet you rant and rave about how unfair the visa awarding process is and want to start some major petition drive on here. Perhaps you would find a different bridge to your liking.

Good luck IF you do ever do try to get a first hand experience of the visa system.

Regards,

Martian

[venturalaw]

It is a good idea but the system is and has been retarded for a long time and doubt a whole lot will change.

Makes the Thai visa laws almost seem within reason.

Side Note - you can complain to your own local congressman and they can take action and have notice sent to the clowns in the Bkk Embassy. I know of someone who took all the steps to push the right buttons this way and his wife was granted a visa after continually being rejected at the walk in counter.

I know of someone who walked into the US Consulate's office in Bangkok with a letter from his state senator - it did no good whatsoever - and his Thai gf was very qualified. Truth be told, it's quite arbitrary. For instance, I was able to have my Thai fiancee (now we are married) who was unemployed, pregnant, and had no assets (other than approximately 30,000 baht that I put into her bank account) or family where she was living, a tourist visa to join me in the states. It is doable - just not easy.

The person I mention had complained to his congressman back home and was given a set appt. at the Bkk embassy where his wife was granted a tourist visa.

Your story sounds like BS

I don't BS. What I said was true. If you would like to meet sometime, evidence can be presented, and then you may apologize. Up to you.

[britmaveric]

Yes - my gf has a 10yr visa herself, and qualified without my assistance. (not really hard if you know what you are doing) However it seems you haven't even tried and you are whinging about possibly being denied.

[NotNew2You]

All I can say is that at least 50% of the "working girls" in San Francisco are Thai. This probably is the same in any city or town in America. Having this many girls from a single country is probably one reason for the strict scrutiny of visa applications...especially from poo-yings. I am sure most (all ?) of them came to the USA on tourist or wife/fiancée visas of one type or another.

I tell all my Thai girlfriends that it is very difficult to get any kind of visa to America (something they already know). That being said, I do know many Americans that have gotten visas of all types for the Thai girlfriends and wives.

[RY12]

"The person I mention had complained to his congressman back home and was given a set appt. at the Bkk embassy where his wife was granted a tourist visa.

Your story sounds like BS."

I don't BS. What I said was true. If you would like to meet sometime, evidence can be presented, and then you may apologize. Up to you.

I think the reason for the discrepancy here is that Jimmy's person applied to a US Congressmen whereas venturalaw's just applied to a lowly state senator... correct me if I'm wrong? I'd like to hear more about Jimmy's story- it was a tourist visa and the congressman just vouched for the thai-applicant's US boyfriend/husband? How exactly did the bf get the congressman's attention?

No one thinks your an idiot, except perhaps the poster who correctly pointed out how stupid this post is due to the fact you haven't even tried to get your GF a visa but yet you rant and rave about how unfair the visa awarding process is and want to start some major petition drive on here.

My girlfriend has never applied for the tourist visa.

This thread is hillarious.

The op has never applied for a visa, but wants to stage a protest about the unfair practices of the BKK embassy in granting visas, as he sits in the US.

At least apply for a visa, and get rejected before you moan about the unfairnes of the system.

Ingenious guys! Have my gf make a risky application that has a good chance of failing, seriously damaging her prospect of future applications, just so I can have the right to complain about it! Let me say something: even if she was granted the visa I would still despise the system because I've read too many stories on thaivisa about good, honest people getting rejected. Let's focus on that rather than attacking personalities. I don't understand why so many posters want to defend the embassy, just because the officials gave your gf/wife a tourist visa doesn't mean they're "good hard working people" and Uncle Sam loves you more or whatever. Also, for those of you with a high-school education of the Constitution, I KNOW foreign nationals have no constitutional rights (well, actually they do), it's the rights of the gf/wife's US SPONSOR that I believe are implicated in the visa process. That's not to say I necessarily believe they deserve those rights ... no one here is too pleased by all those blind farangs over the years who have been bringing in subserve Thai girls that jump ship in our country.

I'll give you the advise I received from a law enforcement official. Go to Mexico and run across the border like everyone else.

If I knew a trustworthy coyote, I might just try that... unfortunately the Mexican Embassy is probably more restrictive in giving out visas than the US, since I assume the US has substantial influence over them, especially with this kind of thing happening a lot.

[JimmyTheMook]

I think the reason for the discrepancy here is that Jimmy's person applied to a US Congressmen whereas venturalaw's just applied to a lowly state senator... correct me if I'm wrong? I'd like to hear more about Jimmy's story- it was a tourist visa and the congressman just vouched for the thai-applicant's US boyfriend/husband? How exactly did the bf get the congressman's attention?

American who works offshore and no longer maintains a US residence.

He and his wife tried 3 times at the walk in counter for a tourist visa and were flatly rejected- they are married & live in Thailand when he is not working offshore.

Was able to raise enough of a stink in the embassy to let them know it was not a dead issue on the 3rd try.

He was back in his home state where he raised hel_l to his local congressman , had some press in the local paper regarding the issue and the lack of assistance he was receiving.

Eventually he received notice of an appt. at the Embassy and she was issued a 10 year tourist visa - they have since used it w/o issue to visit and return.

Like most things now related to USA the ignorance and incompetence with these type of agencies is incredible and the folks at the embassy working the visa counters are absolute a$sholes in the way they perform their duties.

[gorshar]

My wife received a 10-year multiple entry non-imm with far less time or hassle then it takes me to get a 1-year extension on a non-imm 'O' in Thailand. It was a slam dunk. Three hours at the embassy and a 45-second interview. Done.

[crocodilexp]

rejected by what seems the strict standards of the embessy is not because of the U.S. requirements but due to the specific request of the Thai government that the U.S. have strict standards for Thai nationals (who are usually women) who enter the U.S.

If true, that is rather interesting. Would you care to point to the source... or hint at the source of this small bit of data?

[crocodilexp]

You missed the point of my post, whether by design or not, that the whole situation goes back to dishonest people ruining it for the honest people. I don't care if the illegals are Thai, Japanese, Australian or even Mexican (which by the way you decided to call them out as a group, not I). They have ignored, defied and otherwise disrespected the laws governing the country of which they want to be a part of and either entered illegally or overstayed but either way are "illegals" and should be hunted down and escorted to their respective borders or vehicles to get them to their borders, surrendering everything they gained while being here illegal. Just like when a criminal has to surrender their car when used in the commission of a crime.

Goebbels, is that you? Should meet up for a beer sometime... your old pal, Heinrich Himmler.

[Kaojai]

P.S. Is there some way to qualitatively compare the screening process there in BKK vs. embassys in other countries?

I've lived in an African country (with a significant Indian presence), in the UAE and in Pakistan, and in all of them there were many stories of the rude, verbally brutal treatment meted out by visa officers to people applying for visas to the US even before 9/11.

An American friend married a British guy. Both were well educated and had been working in the UAE for almost nine years. They decided to move to the US and applied for a green card (or whatever it was that was needed) for him. It was eventually granted, but she told me the experience was extremely unpleasant and she felt the way she ... a citizen ... was treated was deplorable.

In Pakistan I knew a number of students who had been accepted at colleges or universities in the US, whose parents were wealthy and paying for all their expenses, and they were treated quite roughly. Even those who were accepted and spent a year in the US found the process to renew their visas to be extremely difficult, some of them opting to shift to Canada.

The people who do the interviews need to be tough, but some of them interpret that as meaning they should/can be rude & insulting. I don't think it can be very pleasant work. Some of the people attracted to it, like those who join the police, probably have psychological issues that ought to disqualify them, but even pleasant people who want to be fair must get tired of the continual whining, lying and whatever else they face each day ... including people who want their senators or representatives to intervene.

Visa and Immigration Officers in the US and Thailand and every other country enforce rules using their discretion. Not always satisfactory, sometimes abused, but petitioning senators & representatives to open the borders to all the girlfriends and boyfriends of Americans living abroad is not likely to find a sympathetic response.

[puipuitom]

Some years ago two of my Thai employee's wanted to visit our business contact in the USA. They got an invitation from him to come, even stay - when they wanted during the entire trip - with him, but... visa to both ladies were refused because ... they would go to their fiancee ( 2 women, 35+, same man ? ) AND it was not sure, they would NOT leave the USA and return back to Thailand ( come on, for Taksin Shinawatra it is not sure he will leave and go back to Thailand).

One of the ladies even had a MVV ( temporary visa for Netherlands, still valid for 10 months )

I could write and phone to Mr Charles Wintheiser, head of the visa dept as much as I want, I only got ONE reply: "we donot give any explanation about our reasons".

But .. 2 x 1950 THB gone.

I congratulate the US citizens with such a government. About same as North Korea, and Stalinist Soviet Union.

Regards, Harry Romijn

[puipuitom]

We spoke about the refusal of our two female employees with a now deputy professor at Kesetsart Uni. Exactly the same experience: after her graduation her parents want to gave her a holiday trip to the USA.

But .. visa refused. Why ? No idea. You really think a univerity degree person wants to work illegally in USA cleaning dishes etc ? Forget it. She only want to see the "example of freedom", kiss Mickey Mouse, see the Liberty Statue, and get a job as academic food specialist in Thailand

Now, 45 years, she is NOT interested in ANYTHING of the USA anymore.

How come so many people on the world dislike Americans ?( bye-the-way, only from a PART of NORTH America = USA )

When you want all correspondance: wanmeephon at thaitrade dot nl

[puipuitom]

A good friend of mine, wanted to visit with his entire family ( wife, son, daughter + other brother and wife) his brother in Los Angeles, who lives there already many years.

All refused. Why ?? No idea.

Not sure sufficient financial support and/or maybe not back to Thailand ?? With an own factory in Samutprakarn, and one in Pluak Deang , a HUGE house in Prapradeng and a "ban" ( I call it a private hotel with 16 rooms, swimming pool, sauna etc, only for private guests) in Jomtien, over 300 employees. Of course not sure.

Thanks to his Canadian employee, he protested against his visa refusal, as "once-refused=always refused" and invited some of the embassy staff to Jomtien. They agreed when this family was refused, then NOBODY could be ganted anymore.

Result: my friends family finally got a visa, but his "poor" brother + wife NOT. They had only a - quite big - tourist souvenir shop in Pattaya, with 6 staff. Again two big suppporters to the "Americal style of life ".

More info ? Harry Romijn, Breda - Netherlands, tel: + 31 76 5449023, info at thaitrade dot nl

[phil2]

I applied for a STUDENT VISA to study in the States 9 years ago, and the interview was really not an interview.

The guy just looked at me, and said " You can't go to America because everything is very different from here. The food, weather, culture, and people."

They had a stack of type written letters that they were just dolling out to Visa Applicants without looking at their documentations.

My relative in the States had to report the whole sham to the Senator representing his constituent, and the Senator requested for all my papers to be forwarded to his office.

After going through my papers, he contacted the embassy and they gave him a flimsy excuse for not issuing the visa. They thought I wasn't going to return back home. But they didn't even take the papers from me.

This is just a ploy to collect the visa fee from applicants. It's stealing.

Aren't these policies made by the State Department? Who is their boss?

[7by7]

P.S. Is there some way to qualitatively compare the screening process there in BKK vs. embassys in other countries?

The Dept. of Homeland Security does produce a Yearbook of Immigration Statistics which, among other data, does show tables of Temporary Admissions (Nonimmigrants) by various categories, including Country of Citizenship.

Unfortunately, they only show the numbers admitted and not the total number of visas applied for, accepted and refused. (Which the UK figures do show.)

Edited August 31, 2008 by 7by7

[Martian]

You missed the point of my post, whether by design or not, that the whole situation goes back to dishonest people ruining it for the honest people. I don't care if the illegals are Thai, Japanese, Australian or even Mexican (which by the way you decided to call them out as a group, not I). They have ignored, defied and otherwise disrespected the laws governing the country of which they want to be a part of and either entered illegally or overstayed but either way are "illegals" and should be hunted down and escorted to their respective borders or vehicles to get them to their borders, surrendering everything they gained while being here illegal. Just like when a criminal has to surrender their car when used in the commission of a crime.

Goebbels, is that you? Should meet up for a beer sometime... your old pal, Heinrich Himmler.

ROFLMAO...good one. But it is true that criminals lose their assets deemed gained by or used in the commission of a crime. Once a person enters illegally or overstays their visa, they are violating a law and thus are now a criminal by definition (once given due process of law, of course). At that point everything they gain is done so under the pretense of committing a crime. Therefore, they should be treated just like any other criminal, surrendering of their assets.

It isn't an oppressive, murderous or extreme concept as your remark suggests but It was funny all the same!

Regards,

Martian

[Martian]

All I can say is that at least 50% of the "working girls" in San Francisco are Thai. This probably is the same in any city or town in America. Having this many girls from a single country is probably one reason for the strict scrutiny of visa applications...especially from poo-yings. I am sure most (all ?) of them came to the USA on tourist or wife/fiancée visas of one type or another.

I tell all my Thai girlfriends that it is very difficult to get any kind of visa to America (something they already know). That being said, I do know many Americans that have gotten visas of all types for the Thai girlfriends and wives.

The OP and his cronies don't want to hear the other side of the story or the years and years of factual data that supports the Embassy's (immigration policies) decisions or way they go about their work (see my original response about where true blame should be), they're only interested in bashing other people and not in true discussion that contradicts the way they see the world.

Sorry indeed, but that is the way it is.

Regards to all,

Martian

[RY12]

My relative in the States had to report the whole sham to the Senator representing his constituent, and the Senator requested for all my papers to be forwarded to his office.

After going through my papers, he contacted the embassy and they gave him a flimsy excuse for not issuing the visa. They thought I wasn't going to return back home. But they didn't even take the papers from me.

hmm, more evidence that contacting your Senator probably doesn't do any good. I don't really think there's anything anyone can do about the situation.

Hopefully the thought of our sufferings might cross President Obama's mind if his grandma, half-brother, etc apply for a tourist visa in Kenya; but Barack seems like a full-blown politician now and he'll probably just have his staff charter a flight in for them without thinking about the visa at all. Though that would be so totally awesome if the embassy in Kenya refused their visas!

well, i will just lurk back into the shadows of loneliness from whence I came. my only hope is that you all remember the seriousness of this issue and what it's doing to our honest fellow americans (and thais). good luck to all

Edited August 31, 2008 by RY12