SAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)

Danno2 · March 13, 2009

Aaron or dabozs do you have any tips on paying the visa fee at the post office. We went to one on Sukhumvit and they tried getting us to do NIV ones. We are planning on going to the one near the embassy but I wanted to ask you first for any tips. I'll include them in my checklist for everyone else.

Thanks in advance!

Danny

AaronLV · March 13, 2009

We went to BNH and they had the forms there, we didn't bring any. They give you the DS-3025, which are the vaccinations history. From what I have read in the AOS guides here on the site:

If the beneficiary's vaccinations were COMPLETED as part of the visa process, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO INCLUDE FORM I-693 IN THE AOS SUBMISSION. All your medical information is enclosed in the brown envelope which was handed in at the POE. The envelope is then forwarded on to USCIS where it will be consolidated with the I-485 submission, once received.

Following that advice, I sent in my AOS packet without the I693. I actually found a civil surgeon here in Las Vegas, that transferred the vaccination history to the I693 for me (for free), so if I do get an RFE for the vaccination history then I will have it ready to send in.

The Never Married Form was another story. This is a big deal in Thailand. The beneficiary has to get 2 witnesses who will testify for them. If at any time after approval it is found out to be a lie then the witness have a mandatory jail term.

In Buri ram, this took us all day, we got there at 9am, and didn't finish until 5pm, luckily her uncle runs one of the villages in the area and knows everyone there, so they stayed late to finish the form for us. She had a problem with her Dad's house registration since he had changed his name when he became a Monk, and that caused a big headache that day.

There was some discussion before about moving this thread to the Asia Forum. Whatever happened to that? It makes more sense.

*Robert* · March 13, 2009

Boy it's quiet here lately.
Where is everyone?

Hyena- are you still around? Everything ok? Believe it or not, I'm missing your stream-of-consciousness posts

:blink: :unsure: :whistle:

Danny, good luck getting all the things you need, but make sure to actually enjoy your vacation at the same time! :thumbs:

ThaitoUSA · March 13, 2009

I actually enjoy it here. Feel like it's a privilege to reside in the main K-1 forum.

AaronLV · March 13, 2009

Aaron or dabozs do you have any tips on paying the visa fee at the post office. We went to one on Sukhumvit and they tried getting us to do NIV ones. We are planning on going to the one near the embassy but I wanted to ask you first for any tips. I'll include them in my checklist for everyone else.

The attorney we used went to get the Visa for us, we just paid the attorney and they went to get it for us.

daboyz · March 13, 2009

Aaron or dabozs do you have any tips on paying the visa fee at the post office. We went to one on Sukhumvit and they tried getting us to do NIV ones. We are planning on going to the one near the embassy but I wanted to ask you first for any tips. I'll include them in my checklist for everyone else.
Thanks in advance!

Danny

I am IR-1, so I paid my fee to NVC. She didn't have to pay anything in Thailand. Sorry.

AaronLV · March 13, 2009

Aaron or dabozs do you have any tips on paying the visa fee at the post office. We went to one on Sukhumvit and they tried getting us to do NIV ones. We are planning on going to the one near the embassy but I wanted to ask you first for any tips. I'll include them in my checklist for everyone else.

The attorney we used went to get the Visa for us, we just paid the attorney and they went to get it for us.

Just looked up the receipt, and asked Nam where it was she said the Post Office was at Asoke. Here is the telephone number: 02584197

Also in your document, make a note that the exchange rate is a fixed price, so 131 = 4454 baht, it does not fluctuate with the currency rate.

Tried to edit the other post, but wouldn't work.

scandal · March 13, 2009

Aaron or dabozs do you have any tips on paying the visa fee at the post office. We went to one on Sukhumvit and they tried getting us to do NIV ones. We are planning on going to the one near the embassy but I wanted to ask you first for any tips. I'll include them in my checklist for everyone else.

The attorney we used went to get the Visa for us, we just paid the attorney and they went to get it for us.

Just looked up the receipt, and asked Nam where it was she said the Post Office was at Asoke. Here is the telephone number: 02584197

Also in your document, make a note that the exchange rate is a fixed price, so 131 = 4454 baht, it does not fluctuate with the currency rate.

Tried to edit the other post, but wouldn't work.

Aaron, that's really good info ... thanks!

I think my honey was getting jealous of all the time that I'm spending on VJ lately, so she decided to join our party.

So .... Drumroll ....

Welcome please ...... Magicgirl (aka uscandual's honey)

I'm not sure if she's planning to post here, or just lurk in the background .... maybe she'll emerge just to smack me around when I get out of line :bonk:

Now everyone be nice, please! There's a lady in the house :luv:

mommymeow · March 13, 2009

Aaron or dabozs do you have any tips on paying the visa fee at the post office. We went to one on Sukhumvit and they tried getting us to do NIV ones. We are planning on going to the one near the embassy but I wanted to ask you first for any tips. I'll include them in my checklist for everyone else.

The attorney we used went to get the Visa for us, we just paid the attorney and they went to get it for us.

Just looked up the receipt, and asked Nam where it was she said the Post Office was at Asoke. Here is the telephone number: 02584197

Also in your document, make a note that the exchange rate is a fixed price, so 131 = 4454 baht, it does not fluctuate with the currency rate.

Tried to edit the other post, but wouldn't work.

Aaron, that's really good info ... thanks!

I think my honey was getting jealous of all the time that I'm spending on VJ lately, so she decided to join our party.

So .... Drumroll ....

Welcome please ...... Magicgirl (aka uscandual's honey)

I'm not sure if she's planning to post here, or just lurk in the background .... maybe she'll emerge just to smack me around when I get out of line

Now everyone be nice, please! There's a lady in the house

A warm welcome to your honey ka.

Danno2 · March 13, 2009

The Visa Fee = 4454b was simple and can be done at any post office. Its just the one around the corner from the embassy does it all the time so they know what they are talking about. I took a picture of a sample form and will include in in my document.

The document translation was done across and just down the street (about 100 yards) from the front of the embassy. There is a sign out front and its on the 2nd floor. Its 300b each document and takes about 2 days.

OK, thats it for the checklist. Having my laptop / mobile Internet has been pretty invaluable during the process but without the help of several of you it would have been MUCH more painful.

Thank you very much for the help.

Danny & Chada

AaronLV · March 13, 2009

The Visa Fee = 4454b was simple and can be done at any post office. Its just the one around the corner from the embassy does it all the time so they know what they are talking about. I took a picture of a sample form and will include in in my document.
The document translation was done across and just down the street (about 100 yards) from the front of the embassy. There is a sign out front and its on the 2nd floor. Its 300b each document and takes about 2 days.

OK, thats it for the checklist. Having my laptop / mobile Internet has been pretty invaluable during the process but without the help of several of you it would have been MUCH more painful.

Thank you very much for the help.

Danny & Chada

The 300 baht for document translation is a bit on the high side. We paid 200 baht and that was through the law firm. I saw a place on Sukhumvit near Thong Lor that listed 50 baht per page.

BTW, great work on the document.

daboyz · March 13, 2009

The Visa Fee = 4454b was simple and can be done at any post office. Its just the one around the corner from the embassy does it all the time so they know what they are talking about. I took a picture of a sample form and will include in in my document.
The document translation was done across and just down the street (about 100 yards) from the front of the embassy. There is a sign out front and its on the 2nd floor. Its 300b each document and takes about 2 days.

OK, thats it for the checklist. Having my laptop / mobile Internet has been pretty invaluable during the process but without the help of several of you it would have been MUCH more painful.

Thank you very much for the help.

Danny & Chada

Is that 300 baht per page?

Noi3125 · March 13, 2009

Just a couple comments from my experience.

- police certificate: I went along with my husband and while I had both of our NOA's with us they didn't ask to see anything. I am not sure if it was because I was there or just the people we talked to. The whole process took less than 30 minutes, the people were really nice, and it arrived in the mail before the date they said it would. So I would definately try... you don't lose much if they don't let you.

- medical exam: we didn't make an appointment, we went to Bumrungrad as well with out anything other than the medical from from the BKK embassy website and the photos. We arrived around 10 or 10:30. They only took one of the photographs and gave us the rest. My husband saw the doctor for a total of about 2 minutes, maybe other people's experience is different but I wouldn't think 2 minutes would matter which doctor you saw. Everything else was the lab, or x-rays, vaccines, etc. It took less than two hours. There is free water, tea, and juice. The staff was really nice and helpful. Everything cost us around 5000 baht.

- post office: I think you have to use one of the bigger Bangkok post offices. We went to our office here in the middle of nowhere and they had no idea what I was talking about. They only joked that I could give them the money...

Daboyz - I think you mentioned they gave your wife a hard time for not speaking English. I would love to hear more about your experience. I speak Thai fluently and my husband and I speak Thai together. His English is minimal. All of our letters and everything are in Thai... not English. What questions were you asked? I would appreciate anything more about the interview.

And about this bald man people keep talking about... I am not sure if I met the same person or not but I had a very bad experience with a man who claims to do visa interviews for the embassy in Bangkok. He is American, married to a Thai woman, living in Udon and owns a language school there. I went to have some documents translated. He drilled my husband and I and said if he was to interview him he would "tear him apart" (his words). Told me he would fail my husband instantly because:

1. He didn't understand what my sister's name was when my husband pronounced it (have you Thai significant other try Valerie... I haven't met a Thai yet who can pronounce it).

2. He didn't speak enough English and he didn't care that I spoke Thai, if he is going to live in America he needs to speak English (I won't mention this guy has lived in Thailand 30 or so years and his Thai is minimal).

3. It was not NATURAL for an American woman to marry a Thai man. I mentioned that he had a Thai spouse and he said a foreign male with a Thai female is a different story, it is natural. He said if he got our case where as he would spend 10 minutes on a female interview he would spend at least 30... or else just fail us instantly.

4. He doesn't believe in co-sponsors and therefore would fail me on that case too.

He listed a few other reasons but at that point my poor husband and I felt so beaten into the ground by that point that we didn't bother to pay attention. So I don't know if this is the same guy but it sort of seems like it. He was a heavy-set male... I don't remember the quanity of hair.

My analysis of him was that he himself didn't seem very happy in his personal life so he takes it out on the interviewees. I don't have any advice for anyone about how to handle him except he liked to talk about his favorite foods. The one piece of advice he did give is that if he fails someone to immediately ask for another interview date. He also seemed to appreciate his own value and so I would reccomend being very humble if anyone else here stumbles upon him.

One last question in my P3 they sent me the I-134 but they had previously told me I could use the I-864 because it is for a K-3 visa... anyone have any experience with that?

Take care everyone.

Noi

Noi3125 · March 13, 2009