ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
ThailandMilitary Coup Announced - May 22, 2014

With John Kerry saying he is "disappointed" and that the U.S. is going to take a look at the $10 million the U.S. gives Thailand, Thailand should say piss off. I agree with Karee that the U.S. should stay out of this, our Western model of democracy is not a one size fits all. And, as Kerry probably doesn't know, now is not a good time to be alienating any ASEAN countries.

 

$10 million?  That's Chalerm's annual bar tab.
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-05-23 19:11:00
ThailandMilitary Coup Announced - May 22, 2014

Generally (no pun intended) this is a good thing for Thailand.  Prayuth brought the parties together and put them in a room and told them to work it out.  They were either unwilling or unable, so this is the end result.  People are tired of the alternating hostage taking of the capitol.  The police are unwilling or unable to do their job, so that leaves the military.

 

Quite frankly the U.S. govt. should stay the f*uck out of it.  Elections are not the be all end all to all political problems.  Interestingly, they don't seem to be about elections when the Muslim brotherhood wins in Egypt, or when Saddam or the little dictator in N. Korea get 100% of the vote.  Thaksin (oops I mean Yingluck) was in the process of bankrupting the country with the rice scam and other corrupt populist policies and needed to be stopped.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen via an election.  The Thai situation can not be looked at through the lens of U.S. politics.  It's apples and oranges.


KareeMaleThailand2014-05-23 06:52:00
ThailandMilitary Coup Announced - May 22, 2014

Breaking news.

 

http://www.nbcnews.c...control-n111756

 

More to come.  Comment as possible below if you are in Bangkok and have news on the ground.

 

http://www.visajourn...-2#entry7024474
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-05-22 06:01:00
ThailandPolice Background Check

I see there is a requirement for a police report that my wife needs to obtain for the CR-1 we are doing.  Can someone help with a few questions.  Is this a standard report that every major police station would know?  Is the only requirement to obtain and translate this form into English or am I missing any details?

 

Thanks in advance

 

As Jeff said, it can only be done in Bangkok.  Here's the information:

 

http://photos.state....ipolicecert.pdf

 

It says there's a fee of 100 THB, but you can pay an extra "fee" to get it expedited from what I've heard.
 


Edited by Karee, 27 May 2014 - 06:27 AM.

KareeMaleThailand2014-05-27 06:26:00
ThailandTo change names or not?

I go back and forth on this. As soon as we got married in Thailand, my wife took off that weekend to go back home and changed everything to her married name.  ID card, passport, house book, everything.  At the time I thought it was amusing.  Now every few years there's some Thai govt. official coming out and saying they're considering restricting Thai nationals who are married to foreigners from buying land, and worse,  even owning it.  Nothing ever seems to come of it.  Not only that when she has to deal with anyone there and whips out that ID card with a foreign last name, they assume she's some kind of multi-millionaire because she's married to a farang.

 

I was there in April and she went and applied to get a bunch of farmland in her name.  It was huge fiasco, not because of her last name though, because it's Thailand and when dealing with things like that it's always a huge fiasco.  They just asked her about me, and then moved on.  It didn't seem to be an issue.  However, who knows about the next government that comes into power and wants to whip up nationalist fervor by restricting the evil farang from stealing all their land.

 

If I had to do it all over again, I would've had her keep her maiden name on everything Thai, and just change her name on the U.S. stuff if that's possible.  It appears that it is.


KareeMaleThailand2014-06-03 06:49:00
ThailandGetting a housewife credit

When I bought my wife her first car to add her to the title would have given us a terrible interest rate. She was invited at the store to apply for a Kohl's card but rejected due to lack of credit history. About a year ago I added her as an authorized user to my Amex account and she got her own card. Lately she's been getting a lot of applications to apply for credit cards. We just sent one in so we'll see what happens. We opened up joint checking/savings account the first week she was here, got her on my health insurance straight away, beneficiary of 401K, all utility/phone/water/cable bills in both names, beneficiary of life insurance. We're about 3.5 months away from ROC so this has been on my mind a lot too.

 

This happened with my wife and a Target credit card.  She was denied so I applied with BoA (our bank) to get her a secured card with $500 limit ($99 security deposit).  After about 4 months using that card and paying it off, Capitol One gave her an unsecured card with a $1000 limit out of the blue.  I then went back to BoA and said we want the card unsecured and the $99 back.  They said she has to pay on it for 6 months.  I said just cancel it then.  She put me on hold and came back and said they're making it unsecured, refunding the $99 and raising the credit limit to $1000.  This started about a year ago.  She now has multiple unsecured credit cards, and her credit score is actually better than mine (mid 700s)

 

ETA:  Did you ever get that green card mess straightened out?
 


Edited by Karee, 24 June 2014 - 06:26 PM.

KareeMaleThailand2014-06-24 18:26:00
ThailandUSA Immigration Law Thailand

I love Hua Hin. Since I was raised and went to school my whole life in BKK. It seems like Hua Hin is the closest getaway place my parents love to go since we were young. I have never been anywhere below that latitude.

Sorry to keep this post off topic. But again I highly OP to do it yourself. PM me if you need help to file forms and such. I am available through my nursing school break.

 

I see your city is Novi, Michigan.  I went to High School there.  A little trivia for you.  Do you know why it's called Novi?  There used to be a train station there for the train line that ran from Detroit to Lansing.  That station was station Number 6.  In roman numerals it is No. VI  (Number 6)  Novi
 


Edited by Karee, 26 June 2014 - 02:07 PM.

KareeMaleThailand2014-06-26 14:06:00
ThailandUSA Immigration Law Thailand

I was thinking to take my husband to Pattaya. I myself haven't been there indecade. Maybe I should changed my mind!

 

If you're husband is into cheap hookers, loud obnoxious Russians, and drug addicted ladyboys, then Pattaya is the place to go.  If not, I'd look elsewhere.


Edited by Karee, 26 June 2014 - 11:37 AM.

KareeMaleThailand2014-06-26 11:36:00
ThailandUSA Immigration Law Thailand

^I say conflicted because I can't find corroborating evidence. And if you dig deeper, it appears that several people in Pattaya are dedicating entire websites to attacking each other, trying to pass themselves off as legitimate press. It's weird and I don't understand it at all.

 

Welcome to the expat community in Thailand, especially Pattaya.  A bunch of angry unhappy foreigners.  I personally think they should drop a daisy cutter on that town and start over. 
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-06-23 08:45:00
ThailandUSA Immigration Law Thailand

I am thinking about using USA Immigration Thailand (also known as mythalfiance.com). Has anybody else had experience with this company?  

If your case is straight forward (no waivers etc.) then you shouldn't need a lawyer.

 

 

A lawyer can't do anything to speed up your case.  In fact by the very nature of courier delays (US postal service, fedex etc.) it will actually slow things down.  Instead of filing the petition yourself, you have to send all the information to the lawyer, and then they file it.  Also, It's entirely up to them when they decide to file it.  There may be more pressing issues than your case.  They may end up using your petition as a coaster for their beer,  Who knows?  The point is, once you pay the lawyer and sign the G-28, it's out of your hands. 

 

I made the mistake of hiring a lawyer for my case, and if it wasn't for this website, my wife would probably still be sitting in Thailand.  He claimed to have done over 10,000 marriage/fiance visas yet had no clue about the IR-1/CR-1 process.  I had to walk him through every step with information I got here.  If you feel the need to throw away money, I suggest sending the guy that runs this website a check, because this place is far more valuable than any lawyer.
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-06-23 08:41:00
Thailandrandom musings from chicago, and a question.

thx for the info Aaron, we have a house in Thailand and plan to live there in the future, seems time consuming to have to go to bkk this trip so we will hold off to a later date...we are staying bkk our last 2 nights tho, if we try to take care of getting the documents you spoke of will they still be good Jan/Fed 2015? regards....stevie n songsang

They're good forever.  There is no expiration date.


KareeMaleThailand2014-06-30 17:17:00
Thailandrandom musings from chicago, and a question.

For the " wedding " you probably will need divorce docs if you where ever married, birth cet and passport. You must be aware of sin sod by now so be prepared.


I've always been pretty proud of the fact that I escaped the sin sod thing.  However, on this last trip I took in April, I had to shell out 150k THB to get the family land out of hock thanks to my now deceased sister in law.  Looks like they got me eventually so no one is immune.  :rofl:


KareeMaleThailand2014-06-29 13:19:00
Thailandrandom musings from chicago, and a question.

 !!!She has her crocheting,we will need a separate suitcase when  we return to Thailand,her thai  tv,and calls and emails to friends and family.

Dinner is a nightly event, we both love to cook, weight gain for us both might begin to be a problem...haha. The thai embassy in Chicago  held a 3 day festival downtown, I took off on a Wednesday and we went from 11am-6pm...music,dancing, food...had my fill of Singha...shopping stalls....one thing I noticed, although it did not seem to bother Songsang,and we returned on Friday when I got off work, she wanted to go again was that while all the people at the various booths were very nice, not ONE thai person in the 100`s that attended ever acknowledged her or spoke to her and I also caught what I believed to be some not so pleasant stares. It  did not seem like the dark skinned thai woman from Chaiyaphum and her farang husband we very welcome at this "elite" festival. Anyway, we had a great time.

 

My wife is in to the cross stitch deal, not sure if that's the same.  We have things hanging on the walls all over the place that she has done.

 

As to the other Thais not being friendly, Some said some pretty rotten things to my wife when she first got here.  She was actually in tears once.  I kinda took as a "we were here first" kinda thing versus a her being from Isaan thing, but I could be wrong.  She doesn't let that kind of thing bother  her any longer.  She actually just sent a care package to a girl in Wisconsin that is having a tough time.

 

We went to a road show the Thai MFA is doing to renew Thai passports at the local temple a couple weeks ago and spent all day there.  Pretty uneventful and boring as hell.  For me anyway.


KareeMaleThailand2014-06-29 13:08:00
Thailandadministrative Processing in Thailand

 

he was asked to bring his police record from our country. He is not a Thai citizen but he is leagl to live and work in Thailand.

 

They also asked for his house registration.

 

A couple questions.

 

1.  Did he give them the police record from the other country yet?  If so, when, and did you confirm that they have it?

 

2. If he's not a Thai citizen, he's probably not going to have a house registration/ blue book (Tabien Baan) in Thailand.  He may have a yellow Tabien Baan, but not a Thai Blue one.
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-05-05 10:34:00
ThailandRoman or Thai alphabet

Hello. I am new here and have a few questions. I have used search function and cant find what I need. I am starting on my I-129F package and have questions about Roman alphabet and native language on forms.

 

I have her address written in Thai, but cant translate it to English letters. I have ran it thru a few translators online. On one it gives the street name as a car and the city is wrong. The other gives the street name as something about an ice cream truck, but has the right city. What would be the best way to get this worded in English? I will have the same problem on I-129F form, so I need a correct translation.

 

 

 

On the address for Letter of Intent under her name on the header.Do I put address in Roman letters or her native alphabet?   I am assuming that everything but I-129F where it asks specifically for native language, that they want Roman letters used?

 

 

This is a little off the wall, but I am not sure how this works. Life would be a lot easier if she knew English better and I knew Thai. I am really confused.

When the embassy sends packets later in process or I want to send package, do we use Roman letters or Thai alphabet to send? Do postal people in Thailand know what house to deliver to if its written in English letters? What is the best way to send packages/letters between USA and Thailand? USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL?

 

Maybe I am making more out of this than I need to.

 

When we talk on Viber, Tango, etc, we communicate in Thai. Will I need to have these chat logs translated back to English before I send them with package? Some of this stuff is so confusing and has too much grey area.

 

Thanks, Phil

 

 

 

Now that the address thing is resolved, let me answer some of your other stuff.

 

On the I-129F it has a space for the English address, and for the foreign language address.  Just squeeze it as best as you can.  If you can't do that, attach a piece of paper with the address in Thai.  When they say native language they mean Thai in your case.

 

It's perfectly fine to mail/fedex/UPS things within/to Thailand with the English address.  I do it all the time.  Use the address I sent you via PM.  It'll get there no problem.

 

They don't care much for chat logs as proof of relationship at the U.S. embassy in Bangkok.  They like pictures, pictures, pictures!!!  Of course you'll need to add a few other things.  Plane ticket receipt proving you met within the last two years etc.


 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-22 20:42:00
ThailandRoman or Thai alphabet

Hello. I am new here and have a few questions. I have used search function and cant find what I need. I am starting on my I-129F package and have questions about Roman alphabet and native language on forms.

 

I have her address written in Thai, but cant translate it to English letters. I have ran it thru a few translators online. On one it gives the street name as a car and the city is wrong. The other gives the street name as something about an ice cream truck, but has the right city. What would be the best way to get this worded in English? I will have the same problem on I-129F form, so I need a correct translation.

 

 

 

On the address for Letter of Intent under her name on the header.Do I put address in Roman letters or her native alphabet?   I am assuming that everything but I-129F where it asks specifically for native language, that they want Roman letters used?

 

 

This is a little off the wall, but I am not sure how this works. Life would be a lot easier if she knew English better and I knew Thai. I am really confused.

When the embassy sends packets later in process or I want to send package, do we use Roman letters or Thai alphabet to send? Do postal people in Thailand know what house to deliver to if its written in English letters? What is the best way to send packages/letters between USA and Thailand? USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL?

 

Maybe I am making more out of this than I need to.

 

When we talk on Viber, Tango, etc, we communicate in Thai. Will I need to have these chat logs translated back to English before I send them with package? Some of this stuff is so confusing and has too much grey area.

 

Thanks, Phil

 

 

Post her address here in Thai, or if you don't feel comfortable with that, send it to me via PM.  I'll get it back to you in English.


 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-22 19:56:00
ThailandGetting Medical Prior to Packet 3 Request

Hi Karee,

Out of all the required vaccines only two was required to get K1? If that is the case I am not too concerned. I just didnt want my baby getting stuck like a pincushion on the medical. When we could start that now and have them done or close to done.

Thanks for the info.

 

I believe that to be the case.  However, I think she'll need to have them completed before you file for adjustment of status here in the U.S.  Probably best to get them done in Thailand where it's cheaper.
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-08 18:37:00
ThailandGetting Medical Prior to Packet 3 Request

1. Cost is worth the risk to me. Don't see it as much risk getting it early. I see more risk in waiting and finding out something that requires a waiver right before your interview. The time that could be saved is worth the risk of the second medical (less than $100). 

2. I was under the impression from what I have read that the amount of vaccines and the enforcement of getting them prior to K1 approval has changed. I know the IR-1/CR-1 requirement where different at one time, but now are pretty much the same. 

 

What was your experience in 2009 with vaccines for your IR-1/CR-1?

 

Thanks 

My wife got the packet 4 with the interview date (Nowadays you just download it I think), and then went and got the medical done.  She didn't have any vaccination records, so they gave her the first shot of the series (which ended up being 2 shots) and then she went back the next day and picked up the medical report.  That was it as far as the shots were concerned.


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-02 21:26:00
ThailandGetting Medical Prior to Packet 3 Request

Hi All,

              Newbie here. Applying for K1  Fiancé Visa in Thailand. We have NOA 1 and CSS is doing the work. Think there is a possibility the process could go faster than we expected and want to lean forward so we can get through the interview process as quickly as possible. Also with the vaccine rules they now have for the K1 and my Fiancé not having any records we wanted to start her getting them now so she would not have them all at once at the medical. She called Dr. friend in her village and she had no luck getting any records. Then she called one of the Board Dr's in Bangkok to see what her options are. The office stated she could not do medical before embassy sent packet 3 and she should wait for the vaccines. Here are some questions I have for the people that have been through this in Thailand in the last 12 months.

 

1. Why can't she do the medical early? I know it is only good for 6 month but I don't see doing it in Sep as much risk with the current processing times at CSS. I also have read on this site of people doing medical prior to packet 3 request in Thailand.

 

2. Why not lean forward and get the list of vaccines started? I know if she has medical issues they may say she can't have some but she has no medical issues. Also would be less expensive at government facility than the board Dr.  and she would not be getting them all at once.

 

3. What was your experience with the medical process in regard to vaccines? Again I would like responses from the last 12 months as the vaccine rules changed.

 

Thank you for your help and comments, Glenn

1. Why risk it?  You never know what might happen and you'll be getting the medical done again if it expires. 

 

3. What rules have changed?


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-02 18:39:00
ThailandIs my future Thai Bride a Bar Girl?

Some that lived near me when I was a little girl changed leagues and became what today is called human traffickers selling girls to people that sent them to these bars. Their own families would bring them to sell them into this life or they were kidnapped.   

 

Now all it takes is for them to show up back in the village with their new IPhones and nice clothes.
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-24 20:29:00
ThailandIs my future Thai Bride a Bar Girl?

So what happens when they are not so young?

It's kinda funny.  After awhile you rotate out to Phuket, then maybe Pattaya (the worst place on the planet)  You can still make money by working at the bar.  Basically when you buy a round of drinks for the girls, they get a cut of that.  Of course the girl drinks are more expensive.  The bars I hung out in had a bell.  When you ring the bell you buy everyone a drink.  I left there many nights after running up a $150 tab. 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-24 18:35:00
ThailandIs my future Thai Bride a Bar Girl?

The best example I know of does exactly what Karee describes. The money is spent on all of these things instead of her family including her two kids. Once in awhile she will return to the village and spend a little on them but her mother pays for almost everything by working 7 days per week.

Her daughter is working a German guy now. She tells him she is in school taking German which of course he is paying for. She had him pay for a cosmology school which she actually attended but doesn't really want to work in that business. She just likes to play with the makeup ect.

There are many women in Thailand that do not work in these bars so I hope no one believes this is all women can do to make money. I know many that are hard working successful women that do not need a man to provide for them.

Yeah I tried sending my first girl back to school.  She'd leave everyday in her uniform.  The I'd get my credit card bill (yeah I was stupid enough to give her a credit card) and come to find out she was shopping at Central World all day instead of going to school.  She was pulling the wool over my eyes in a lot of ways.  Keep in mind we lived together in Bangkok.  I can only imagine what it's like for some guy that's 10 thousand miles away.


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-24 18:30:00
ThailandIs my future Thai Bride a Bar Girl?

But, but....

 

pretty_woman_ukquad_CAB20.JPG

 

:rofl: I think a lot of foreigners justify they're long term relationships with hookers based on that movie.  That somehow the reason they're hookers is because they have no other choice.  Here comes the foreigner to the rescue.  Unfortunately, that's the furthest thing from the truth.  Truth is, they enjoy the lifestyle and the easy money.   It's better than working in some rice paddy for 10 hours a day for peanuts.  They make big money for doing very little.  Get taken shopping.  Get to stay in nice hotels.  Get taken out to eat.  Hell I'm starting wish I was a young Thai girl!! 

 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-24 18:26:00
ThailandIs my future Thai Bride a Bar Girl?

 

You know the old saying, "you can take the girl out the bar, but you can't take....................." Or so I've heard it said.

That's true in almost all cases, although I have seen some exceptions.  Rare exceptions.  I hung out with a lot of these girls as a group on a daily basis for a year or so.  Partied with them, went on trips within Thailand etc.  The story about them working in a bar to support the family back in the village in the biggest lie of them all.  That money goes to the latest handbag, latest mobile phone, new designer shoes etc.  In some cases it supports a Ya Baa habit.  Very little of that money ever makes it's way back to the village.  These girls I hung out with would have 5 different farang boyfriends all on the hook at the same time from different parts of the world.  I used to laugh when two of them were coming to Bangkok at the same time.  It was funny watching them try to juggle that.  They usually pulled it off with no issues though.

 

They're experts at the game and have either been doing it for quite awhile or have been taught quite well by people that have been doing it a long time.  The main goal, and only goal for that matter, is to separate the farang from as much money as possible.  Even though I was taken for a ride in the beginning, I have no hard feelings, and by the same token really don't have much sympathy for the guys either.  If you get mixed up with a bar girl, you know deep down what you're getting yourself into no matter how young and hot she is.  Hence my advice to rent and not buy.


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-24 18:02:00
ThailandIs my future Thai Bride a Bar Girl?

just let her know how you really feel and ask how she really feels about you. if you guys truly love each other than it may be meant to be. Good luck!

 

The only true feelings I've seen out of a bar girl are raging violent anger. 
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-24 10:59:00
ThailandIs my future Thai Bride a Bar Girl?

11. Can she drink you under the table?

 

12. Can she kick your ### at pool?

 

 

 

These are bad omens - in general - but also for the topic at hand!

 

:thumbs:   I was going to add tattoos and cigarette smoking, but seems everyone has tattoos these days.
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-21 07:20:00
ThailandIs my future Thai Bride a Bar Girl?

Nice one.  Do you get this a lot here or on thaivisa?

 

Edit:  Sorry I mean do you get the question asked a lot here or on thaivisa?

 

I've seen some real horror stories since I've been coming here in 2007.  Most of them via PM.  Aaron told me a story that tops them all though.  Not concerning him or his wife, but a couple he knew in Vegas.  Maybe he'll share it some day.
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-12 21:20:00
ThailandIs my future Thai Bride a Bar Girl?

Nice one.  Do you get this a lot here or on thaivisa?

 

Both.  Mostly here.  Thai Visa is filled with a bunch of angry farangs.  Maybe my original post has something to do with their perpetual unhappiness.
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-12 21:11:00
ThailandIs my future Thai Bride a Bar Girl?

I figured I'd compile a list of warning signs since these questions get asked a lot.

 

1.  Did you bar fine her in Pattaya the first time you met her?  The question is the answer on that one.

 

2.  Does she work in Pattaya, but she's from Isaan?

 

3.  Does she work at a girly bar, but only claims to be a hostess?

 

4.  If you did meet her in a bar, does she claim that she she has only been in that line of work for a short period of time? Or that she is only in that line of work so she can send money back home?

 

5.  Is she asking for money for things like family emergencies, English school, or flat out saying I wont work in the bar if you send her enough money?  (she'll keep the money and continue working in the bar)

 

6.  When you call her, does her phone go straight to a recording between 8 pm and 4 am Thai time.  This is a HUGE one.  It could mean she has multiple SIM cards and doesn't want to take calls from you while she's with her Thai boyfriend or she's with a customer.  Also, some of the mama sans have rules about them using their phones while working.  In Thailand if a phone is powered down, it will not ring at all like it will in the U.S. 

 

7.  Does she disappear for days at a time, where you can't get a hold of her, and then comes up with some story about her phone being broken, and then asks you for money for another phone.

 

8.  Wants you to build a house for her parents back on the farm as part of the agreement to marry you

 

9.  Wants you to buy her a car.  (Why would you buy her a car if she's planning on moving to the U.S.?)

 

This is by no means a complete list, but hopefully some will learn from it.  I lived in Thailand for 3 years and met my first girlfriend in the bar.  I learned most of these things the hard way.  It actually took me getting hauled down to the police station with a minor knife wound and threatened with imprisonment if I didn't sign a confession in Thai, before I finally woke up and saw the reality.  The good news was that I didn't bring her to the U.S. on a visa. 

 

I know most will be blinded by the hot Asian girl that says they love the farang.  I was.  There's no shame in that.  If you meet one of these girls in the bar, rent, don't buy.  It will save you a lot of money and pain in the future.

 

Keep an eye out for the red flags I've posted above.  Especially #6.

 

Also, do some reading on Stickman. 

 

:rofl:

 

Actually, I just looked at Stickman, and a lot of the things I posted above are there in this link:

 

http://www.stickmanb...s-Red-Flags.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-12 20:09:00
ThailandCatch-22 Police Clearance style...

NOA 2 did the trick.  The PCC is in process.

 

Unfortunately they told us it won't be ready until Aug 13!  I did not expect more than 3 weeks!

 

I guess old corrupt ways die hard, the cop behind the desk started to offer "expedited" service for only 1500 Baht, but stopped and just told us to suck up the 3 weeks - "its a very long process"

 

I have yet to hear from the embassy of course, but I will update this post with whatever their reply is.

 

Thanks again for the quick, accurate info, and what ultimately turned out to be the solution.

 

On a side note, there was another woman there with a page that looked Identical to the sample I was given and posted here.  Of course hers was her own name and address (I assume, I did not look) but what I did look for was the visa type, and that was k-1.

 

 

S & N

 

Glad to hear it worked out.
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-21 17:15:00
ThailandCatch-22 Police Clearance style...

Thank you very much Keree for the excellent info, and follow up.

 

I have the e-mail to the embassy ready to go (I was going to call them in the morning, but e-mail right now scratches my itch to DO something all that much better!! :-))

 

The NOA-2 is a very good idea I think.  We are only two hours away from the embassy/police office by bus, so we will probably head there in the morning I think.

 

I will of course post what I learn, especially if its not just a snafu with the guy who happened to be working the desk when we arrived last time!

 

Thanks again,

 

S&N

 

Calling the embassy is a complete waste of time.  So is emailing them without a case number.  I've found them to be pretty responsive when emailing them with the case number.  Keep in mind the term responsive is relevant, meaning a day or two.  You are dealing with a U.S. govt. entity in Thailand after all, so 2 days is light speed within that context.
 


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-20 09:05:00
ThailandCatch-22 Police Clearance style...

Another possibility is to call NVC and explain the issue to them.  They're pretty decent to deal with, unlike USCIS.  Explain your predicament and they may go ahead and complete your case and forward it to the embassy without the police report, and your wife will need to bring it with her to the interview.  This way she'll have the interview letter (packet 4) to show the cops.  I would go this route as a last resort.

 

NVC contact info:  (603) 334-0700 (7:00 a.m. EST to 12:00 a.m. EST)


KareeMaleThailand2014-07-20 08:43:00
ThailandCatch-22 Police Clearance style...

Whoops, you replied again before I posted :-), 

 

Well, the lack of a packet 3 would fit with what my wife thinks... she thinks this is a letter from an agency, not from the Embassy. Which would make sence if the embassy does not send out package 3's.

 

However, one thing about that.  The medical is not sent to the NVC, that is triggered by something from the embassy, and is brought to the interview (or it is sent directly to the embassy by the Dr.) AFAIK so far.

 

I have added a picture of the sample letter the Police gave us (sorry, I don't have a scanner) name address and case number redacted since I doubt the police asked her if they could use her paperwork for a sample!

 

Thank you,

 

S & N

 

 

Right the medical is part of packet 4 in an IR-1/CR-1 case.  There is no packet 3 in an IR-1/CR-1 case, only K visa cases.  That letter seems somewhat sketchy IMO mainly because of the dates on it, and it has no seal etc..  I know that alot of people have just shown them a copy of NOA2 from the I-130 or the letter from NVC asking for the documents.  In my wife's case she just paid a lawyer 5000 THB in Chiang Mai to deal with it because she didn't want to make the trip to Bangkok. 


Edited by Karee, 20 July 2014 - 08:36 AM.

KareeMaleThailand2014-07-20 08:34:00
ThailandThailand must overcome its obsession with Thaksin Shinawatra

A political circus

 

?Welcome to the Republic of Thaksin.? You won?t see these words displayed in the customs hall when arriving in Thailand, but the Land of Smiles has indeed morphed into the land of Thaksin Shinawatra.

That should be giving Southeast Asia?s second-biggest economy plenty to frown about. Seven years after the former prime minister was ousted in a coup, Thaksin?s long shadow continues to dominate Thai politics. Since then, the country has seen six prime ministers, the most recent one being Thaksin?s baby sister, Yingluck Shinawatra.

Like many loving siblings, Yingluck looks out for her kin. Recently she tried to ram a get-out-of-jail-free card for Thaksin and other politicians through the parliament - as big a political blunder as Asia has seen in years. Markets plunged and more than 32,000 people joined demonstrations in the capital and 17 other provinces. This week, Yingluck backed down and agreed to scrap the bill for now.

But anyone who thinks that?s the end of Thailand?s Thaksin nightmare is wrong. The proud and acerbic billionaire, Asia?s answer to Italy?s Silvio Berlusconi, isn?t about to shelve his obsession with returning home, reclaiming the portion of his telecommunications fortune frozen by the state and succeeding his sister. Many fear Yingluck is little more than a placeholder for big bro.

With his ambitions thwarted for now, the focus has turned to how much money this setback will cost Thaksin. Thais should be worrying instead about how much this political circus is hurting their $366 billion economy. Every day that politicians and policymakers in Bangkok spend obsessing over Thaksin?s return is one that?s not being used to modernise the economy, increase competiveness and avoid the ?middle-income trap? that befalls many developing nations and may soon ensnare Thailand.

The politics of personality aren?t confined to Thailand. Asia is awash with larger-than-life populists bigger on charisma and spin than concrete reforms: leaders like Shinzo Abe in Japan, Xi Jinping in China and, in some ways, Benigno Aquino in the Philippines. The same problem afflicts several figures who have yet take the helm, including India?s Rahul Gandhi. All have neglected tough policy work in hopes that a strong personality will be enough to carry them through and bolster their approval ratings.

But Thaksin raised the strategy to an art form, essentially making an entire nation about him. His tenure from February 2001 to September 2006 saw nothing less than the wholesale bastardisation of Thai democracy. He neutered its institutions and enriched his family members and cronies in ways that would have made a Russian oligarch blush.

Like former Italian prime minister Berlusconi, Thaksin was a powerful tycoon who leveraged his business success to become leader. Thaksin, like Berlusconi, was later accused of bending the government to his will and in alignment with his business interests. He got away with it by literally bribing the rural communities that formed his power base. His ?Thaksinomics? programme of flooding the hinterlands with cheap loans was never more than Tammany Hall-like doling out of cash for support. The money did nothing to improve the economy?s fundamentals or capacity for innovation.

It?s a strategy Yingluck copied early and often after becoming Prime Minister in 2011. Take her disastrous rice- subsidy plan, which by the latest estimate has cost $19 billion since October 2011 and over time has recorded losses equivalent to 59 per cent of that figure.Thailand is now sitting on two years of export production, which has distorted rice markets in the Mekong River region and cost Thailand the title of world?s biggest rice exporter. What?s depressing is that in that time Thailand could have, say, built a new state-of-the-art airport. Instead Suvarnabhumi Airport, opened the same month in 2006 in which Thaksin was ousted, continues to struggle with capacity constraints that are impeding the all-important tourism market.

Why champion such a debacle? The rice programme is sure to pay huge dividends for Yingluck, and by extension Thaksin, come early 2014 when her government may call a snap poll. The hope would be for Yingluck?s party to demonstrate enough of a mandate to resurrect the amnesty bill. To do that, they will need the farmers. Hence the linear focus on boosting rice prices.

It?s frustrating to think where Thailand might be today had the nation not squandered the last seven years on all things Thaksin. By overreaching so spectacularly with the amnesty bill, Yingluck displayed a level of cluelessness that will further hobble her ability to govern.

The bill might have gotten further if it had also applied to people charged with lese-majeste, which mandates prison sentences as long as 15 years for defaming or insulting the king, queen, heir apparent or regent. Instead the bill would have allowed Yingluck?s brother, army officers and former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who faces murder charges for authorising soldiers to use weapons during unrest in 2010, to walk free - not average Thais. It left the pro-Thaksin Red Shirts and opponents known as the Yellow Shirts wondering who, or what, they had been fighting for.

It?s time that the Republic of Thaksin became less about one man and more about the aspirations and needs of Thais.

Washington Post.

 

Source:

http://gulfnews.com/...watra-1.1253587

William Pesek is a Bloomberg View columnist.

 


Edited by Karee, 10 November 2013 - 09:45 PM.

KareeMaleThailand2013-11-10 21:44:00
ThailandC.E.A.C update.....

Well, I guess that is a personal call.  If you don;t mind replacing everything when they loose it, then send it all in.

good.gif

There was a member here that had a Singapore Police report sent to the BKK embassy for her interview.  It took them months to find it.


KareeMaleThailand2013-11-16 22:29:00
Thailandds-160...

after a failed effort to do this together over the phone(only got to page 3 before she hung up on me)

 

 

 

 

 

laughing.gif

Frustrating, isn't it?
 


KareeMaleThailand2013-11-17 11:35:00
ThailandPolice clearance

only cost us a mere 1500.00 baht last weekranting33va.gif

 

1500 THB?  How is that?
 


KareeMaleThailand2013-11-20 07:00:00
ThailandPolice clearance

Maybe some tea money for the cops.


KareeMaleThailand2013-11-19 19:40:00
Thailandinterview date and aditional evidence.

K3 hasn't been an option since 2009, they rarely,if ever grant them anymore
 

Right.  When I went through the process K-3 was still an option.  I filed in 2008.


KareeMaleThailand2013-11-19 13:40:00
Thailandinterview date and aditional evidence.

I remember when I was going through this and wanted my wife here ASAP.  I had a decision to make.  I could get her here 2-3 months earlier if I went the K-3 route, or go the IR-1 route and be apart the extra 2-3 months, and not have to deal with USCIS until citizenship.  I chose the IR-1 route.  Glad I did.  Dealing with USCIS sucks.

 

Just an observation


KareeMaleThailand2013-11-17 14:48:00