SAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)

[scandal 951]

Youtube tip -

There don't appear to be any Thai TV channels on US cable/satellite systems. I have AT&T UVerse, and their channel offerings include Philippines, India, Russia, etc. Even VietNam. But no Thailand. I think it's the same for Comcast, DishTV, etc.

So, out of concern that my honey will have access to 'back home' content once she's here in the US, I was very happy to hear that she likes watching her Thai dramas on Youtube. Apparently they get posted there very quickly. E.g. a drama that was on live TV last Thursday was already up on Youtube by this weekend. Here's a sampler.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osWiQUsBBK4

So, I thought this might be of interest to others here.

Rin and her children watch youtube, but we also subscribe to www.thaitv.tv. We pay an annual subscription price (I think it is $100 for the year or $10/month if you pay monthly). Has both live tv and recorded programming. Generally, the picture quality is better on thaitv. Also, on youtube the soap opera episode are frequently broken into 4 or 5 parts.

That's great! Thanks for the tip.

The pricing is here: http://www1.thaitv.tv/TH/OnlineService/OnlineProduct.aspx

At those prices, I'll definitely sign up for it when she arrives in the US.

Thanks!!

[ThaitoUSA 15]

This is from the FAQ on this site:

For K-1 Visa's the NVC's role is to process the file, run initial background checks on beneficiary, repackage the I-129f and then send it to the recipient Consulate/Embassy.

This is the link to the site I had referred to in the ealier post:

http://www.usaimmigrationattorney.com/Secu...tiveReview.html

Of interest is this bit here:

At National Visa Center (State Department) stage, a separate independent NCIC database check is done by in-house FBI staff in connection with information supplied in the DS-230. Based on results, NVC has the option to request full fingerprints to be taken at post. NVC checks can usually be completed in 24 hours. In some limited cases involving high-risk visa applicants meeting certain specific criteria, NVC also does Security Advisory Opinions (SOAs) before sending the file to Consular Post.

edit: I see here that this might not be referring specifically to the K-1, as the DS-230 is mentioned. However, I am still of the belief that it is not random at all and has to do with the checks done at NVC.

Edited March 14, 2009 by ThaitoUSA

[birch- phuk_beer 0]

I was reading back a bit and there was a lot of talk about the 131 at the post office. Ive been in the Embassy a few times and if my memory serves me right, there is a post office "IN" the embassy. After you go through checkin, walk past the long line of seats and the girls table, where they organize your paperwork for you, in that far left corner, is a PO to pay the fee.

Yes there is a PO inside, however since you have to have the fee paid when sending in packet 3 that one is not going to work.

Went down to apply for SS# today, it was easy, they only needed her passport and Marriage Certificate, so we could get the card in her married name. Interestingly enough the lady said she was authorized on the K1 to work until it expired. We should have the card in 8-10 days.

Little by little getting paperwork done.

Well, need some input folks. Seems I screwed the P-3 up which they received in BKK on Friday.

I thought the postal fee was supposed to be paid at interview date. I didnt send it in with the P-3.

So, now I am concerned they'll send it back, put it on old till I pay it, whatever.....

I have an email into them, I guess I'll wait till Monday till I hear form them. I've found they're quick to respond to email inquiries and quite helpful.....ayeee....any thoughts folks?

[AaronLV 12]

I was reading back a bit and there was a lot of talk about the 131 at the post office. Ive been in the Embassy a few times and if my memory serves me right, there is a post office "IN" the embassy. After you go through checkin, walk past the long line of seats and the girls table, where they organize your paperwork for you, in that far left corner, is a PO to pay the fee.

Yes there is a PO inside, however since you have to have the fee paid when sending in packet 3 that one is not going to work.

Went down to apply for SS# today, it was easy, they only needed her passport and Marriage Certificate, so we could get the card in her married name. Interestingly enough the lady said she was authorized on the K1 to work until it expired. We should have the card in 8-10 days.

Little by little getting paperwork done.

Well, need some input folks. Seems I screwed the P-3 up which they received in BKK on Friday.

I thought the postal fee was supposed to be paid at interview date. I didnt send it in with the P-3.

So, now I am concerned they'll send it back, put it on old till I pay it, whatever.....

I have an email into them, I guess I'll wait till Monday till I hear form them. I've found they're quick to respond to email inquiries and quite helpful.....ayeee....any thoughts folks?

I wouldn't stress about it to much. If it was me, I would go pay the fee, have the photocopy ready to send, and let them know you paid it but just did not send it in with packet 3.

[Danno2 0]

I was reading back a bit and there was a lot of talk about the 131 at the post office. Ive been in the Embassy a few times and if my memory serves me right, there is a post office "IN" the embassy. After you go through checkin, walk past the long line of seats and the girls table, where they organize your paperwork for you, in that far left corner, is a PO to pay the fee.

Yes there is a PO inside, however since you have to have the fee paid when sending in packet 3 that one is not going to work.

Went down to apply for SS# today, it was easy, they only needed her passport and Marriage Certificate, so we could get the card in her married name. Interestingly enough the lady said she was authorized on the K1 to work until it expired. We should have the card in 8-10 days.

Little by little getting paperwork done.

Well, need some input folks. Seems I screwed the P-3 up which they received in BKK on Friday.

I thought the postal fee was supposed to be paid at interview date. I didnt send it in with the P-3.

So, now I am concerned they'll send it back, put it on old till I pay it, whatever.....

I have an email into them, I guess I'll wait till Monday till I hear form them. I've found they're quick to respond to email inquiries and quite helpful.....ayeee....any thoughts folks?

I wouldn't stress about it to much. If it was me, I would go pay the fee, have the photocopy ready to send, and let them know you paid it but just did not send it in with packet 3.

I agree. Here is a link to a copy of the form. Bangkok Embassy Visa Fee Picture example

[Danno2 0]

LOL, the you tube thing is so funny. I went up to Chada's work today and all the girls were watching you tube "soap--opera's" as she likes to call them. She works in a building connected to a mall called Zen off of Chun Lit. Its a great mall with what I beleive is the most modern movie theater in Bangkok. The ultimate movie experience there is $20 a person. I'm going to check it out tomorrow but not at the $20 price... Anyway they were having a Toyota Yaris car demo with the female car models outside. WOW! The last 2 days the weather has been awesome in BKK. Partly cloudy and in the 80's i think.

Sorry to ramble so much...

[ThaitoUSA 15]

Thank you for the picture of the post office slip Danny. I showed my fiancée, so she knows what to look for when she goes.

Your description of Bangkok makes me miss it so much. I had lived there for four years and had seen it all. I miss the chicken curry restaurant in the alley beside my university; I miss taking the canal (khlong) boats downtown to Central World; I miss walking out onto Ramkhamhaeng Rd and seeing scores of beautiful women; I miss being able to hop on a bus on a Thursday afternoon and spend the weekend on some beautiful beach; I miss the experience of walking outside after the monsoon showers have abated; I miss the Burmese roti man; I miss getting dressed up to go out to some club where the music was loud and bad, the girls were grinding, and the Sing-ha flowed; I miss weekend excursions to JJ market, sometimes to find something in particular, sometimes to just get lost in the sea of stalls; I miss my Honda Wave; I miss this guard at The Mall Bangkapi who would always smile and say 'hello' to me as she held the door; I miss a whole lot more.

For me, I fell in love with more than just a Thai girl; I fell in love with the whole darn place. I learned Thai language, culture, history, geography, etc. I even studied Thai massage at Wat Pho's massage school. I feel confident that we'll travel back to Thailand during our summers (as we're both teachers), because whenever you or others start talking about the place, my heart aches to return!

[scandal 951]

LOL, the you tube thing is so funny. I went up to Chada's work today and all the girls were watching you tube "soap--opera's" as she likes to call them. She works in a building connected to a mall called Zen off of Chun Lit. Its a great mall with what I beleive is the most modern movie theater in Bangkok. The ultimate movie experience there is $20 a person. I'm going to check it out tomorrow but not at the $20 price... Anyway they were having a Toyota Yaris car demo with the female car models outside. WOW! The last 2 days the weather has been awesome in BKK. Partly cloudy and in the 80's i think.

Sorry to ramble so much...

The Thai car models, electronics show models, etc. are AWESOME. I've been to a few trade shows etc. where they're selling computers, electronics etc. and they hire models to represent Samsung, Sony, those kinds of firms. It's all I can do to prevent myself from staring and drooling. And yes, I've done this with my honey right beside me. She's cool with it (I think!)

What's also a treat in Thailand (if you're a guy of the look but don't touch persuasion) is going to the bars on KhaoSan Rd etc. where they have the reps. for Chang, Singha, Tiger beer dressed in the logos of their firm. Wonderful eye candy while you're enjoying a cold one. Great way to build brand loyalty

[ThaitoUSA 15]

These girls are referred to as "Pretties," as that is the reason for which they are hired. I have quized many of them, and often they know little or nothing about their products. Their main job is to stand there and look pretty.

Several pretties attended my unveristy and during their oral exams for English, they'd happily declare this. "I am prit-dee." And yes they were.

If I can figure out how to embed videos and pictures, I'll be sure to upload some Pretty shots I've taken over the years.

[scandal 951]

This is from the FAQ on this site:

For K-1 Visa's the NVC's role is to process the file, run initial background checks on beneficiary, repackage the I-129f and then send it to the recipient Consulate/Embassy.

This is the link to the site I had referred to in the ealier post:

http://www.usaimmigrationattorney.com/Secu...tiveReview.html

Of interest is this bit here:

At National Visa Center (State Department) stage, a separate independent NCIC database check is done by in-house FBI staff in connection with information supplied in the DS-230. Based on results, NVC has the option to request full fingerprints to be taken at post. NVC checks can usually be completed in 24 hours. In some limited cases involving high-risk visa applicants meeting certain specific criteria, NVC also does Security Advisory Opinions (SOAs) before sending the file to Consular Post.

edit: I see here that this might not be referring specifically to the K-1, as the DS-230 is mentioned. However, I am still of the belief that it is not random at all and has to do with the checks done at NVC.

I agree that they have the *right* to do any checking they want, for as long as they wish, for any visa that enters NVC, including K visas.

And I do believe that some K visas are flagged for something suspicious in the file that sets them off. That has always been true, and undoubtedly still is. But the recent increase in AP cases at NVC indicates that something has changed their behavior pattern. They're not disclosing it to the public, but clearly something new is going on there.

What I'm saying is the following:

- Historically the % of K1's held at NVC for longer than 15 days hovered about 5%, throughout Jan-Oct 2008.

- Suddenly in Nov/Dec 2008 that number jumped up to 15-20%.

(See http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...ost&id=9691 for my chart clearly showing this)

The 'background' 5% of cases held up historically is most likely due to some kind of red-flags, as you suggest.

But how can you explain the sharp increase in Nov last year? (BTW - that trend has continued into 2009, as I'm continuing to document)

I can think of three possibilities:

a) The number of suspicious cases has actually tripled all of a sudden (highly unlikely, bordering on impossible)

b ) The threshold at which they trigger suspicious cases has bee changed. I.e. they've tightened their scrutiny standards so that cases that previously would sail through are now flagged (possible, but ....)

c) They are acting on a new internal directive to randomly sample the caseload and hold some quota of files (15-20%) for AP.

I tend to think it's c) for 3 reasons: (1) anecdotally, based on about a dozen people on the AP@NVC thread, we can't see anything in our cases that should be triggering a review (2) the distribution of the increased AP cases mirrors the general distribution of countries for K1 filings. You would think that if suspicious cases for fraud, etc. was the cause of increased NVC AP, it would reflect disproportionately on high-fraud embassies, e.g Manila etc. That doesn't seem to be the case. (3) cases held for AP are being processed and passed through in almost exactly 7weeks (everyone is getting approved between about 45-52 days). If it were really based upon something suspicious in the files, you would think it's unique to each file and the processing time would show more variability. If it's the same processing time, probably they're going through a standard checklist process on all the AP files.

Anyway, this is really not a Sawasdee/Thailand topic. I'm happy to continue discussing with you, but suggest it should either be moved to AP@NVC thread (where I'm very active), or to PM/email between us.

Thanks for your interest in this matter.... it's very much on my mind, having been through it personally

[daboyz 36]

Thank you for the picture of the post office slip Danny. I showed my fiancée, so she knows what to look for when she goes.

Your description of Bangkok makes me miss it so much. I had lived there for four years and had seen it all. I miss the chicken curry restaurant in the alley beside my university; I miss taking the canal (khlong) boats downtown to Central World; I miss walking out onto Ramkhamhaeng Rd and seeing scores of beautiful women; I miss being able to hop on a bus on a Thursday afternoon and spend the weekend on some beautiful beach; I miss the experience of walking outside after the monsoon showers have abated; I miss the Burmese roti man; I miss getting dressed up to go out to some club where the music was loud and bad, the girls were grinding, and the Sing-ha flowed; I miss weekend excursions to JJ market, sometimes to find something in particular, sometimes to just get lost in the sea of stalls; I miss my Honda Wave; I miss this guard at The Mall Bangkapi who would always smile and say 'hello' to me as she held the door; I miss a whole lot more.

For me, I fell in love with more than just a Thai girl; I fell in love with the whole darn place. I learned Thai language, culture, history, geography, etc. I even studied Thai massage at Wat Pho's massage school. I feel confident that we'll travel back to Thailand during our summers (as we're both teachers), because whenever you or others start talking about the place, my heart aches to return!

I miss the short time on Cowboy.

[scandal 951]

I miss the short time on Cowboy.

does your wife know that?

[ThaitoUSA 15]

Where do you think they met?

sorry daboyz.. . I couldn't resist.

[daboyz 36]

I know better than to marry a hooker.

[birch- phuk_beer 0]

Where do you think they met?

sorry daboyz.. . I couldn't resist.

thats just f**dup