SAWASDEE 3 (2009 Thai thread restarted)

[*Robert* 2]

Not trying to scare anyone, but some weird things happening there. This stoppage of scheduling interviews is odd as well, although it did take me 3 months from case complete at NVC to get the interview. Kinda apples and oranges though since I was IR-1. IR-1 there is no packet 3, so you think it would go quicker. Also for IR-1 NVC schedules the interviews not the embassy.

Maybe, just maybe, due to all the complaints and other ####### that has been going on over there, they are making personel changes, which would DEFINITELY be good news!

[afisher 0]

Not trying to scare anyone, but some weird things happening there. This stoppage of scheduling interviews is odd as well, although it did take me 3 months from case complete at NVC to get the interview. Kinda apples and oranges though since I was IR-1. IR-1 there is no packet 3, so you think it would go quicker. Also for IR-1 NVC schedules the interviews not the embassy.

Maybe, just maybe, due to all the complaints and other ####### that has been going on over there, they are making personel changes, which would DEFINITELY be good news!

He sees the glass as half full

[girarm 0]

Well let us hope that something constructive is going on at our Bangkok Embassy, but I am not going to hold my breath because I do not look good with a blue face.

[daboyz 36]

Wow!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Illegal-Thai...La-t268608.html

So I guess if you give your wife money to buy land they will confiscate it. I wonder what that means for married farangs that already own land?

They really know how to attract investment there.

[ThaitoUSA 15]

Having lived among Thai, I am calling BS on this one. They love to talk a fine talk, but lets see them even attempt to enforce this. Say my wife and I have a joint bank account in America, from which she transfers money into her Thai bank account in order to purchase land. They are not going to look into who deposited the money in the account in America.

Just look at some points in the article:

Many members of the public have complained that it takes up to a year to complete a transaction that should only take one day, he said.

Mr Anuwat, a former governor of both Phang Nga and Samut Prakan provinces, said he was satisfied on the first two points, but rated the general level of success among land officials nationwide at speeding up their work rate at “only 30%”.

I'd like to point out that one of the three criteria that is being satisfactorily met is dress code! They have much more pressing issues to address than chase after land buying farang. The only reason he made that comment whatsoever is in the context of all the foreigners who are buying up Phuket real estate.

And when he says

“If the Thai spouse has enough money to buy the house that is fine, but if the Thai has no money and uses money given to him or her by a foreigner to acquire property, that is against the law. If we check and find out later that a Thai person has been using money from a foreigner to buy land anywhere in Thailand, we will revoke title deeds,” he said

it is to be read as "We will demand an obscene amount of tea money."

I would think that any American spouse who can successfully navigate US immigration should have absolutely no problem helping his Thai wife purchase land in Thailand without any commotion.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I took 6 days vacation for printing TONS of our evidence;I have been preparing after I finish working but seems it is a big project

Shopping new clothes for making new shirts for him HEY!

Shopping Sunglasses for him (he ordered 5 sunglasses ) HEY! HEY!

Shopping Belts for him HEY! HEY! HEY!

Shopping handbag for him HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY!

Shopping ...........................

Shopping ...........................

Shopping ...........................

Shopping ...........................

Shopping ...........................

Shopping ...........................

Shopping ........................... Please do not tell HIM !

Shopping ...........................

Handbags?? I izznt teh ghey!

they don't like it when we have our private conversations on Sawasdee3 forum

Don't worry, Magic Girl. Now we are getting to know the real Scandal!

Edited May 27, 2009 by Mister_Bill

[daboyz 36]

Having lived among Thai, I am calling BS on this one. They love to talk a fine talk, but lets see them even attempt to enforce this. Say my wife and I have a joint bank account in America, from which she transfers money into her Thai bank account in order to purchase land. They are not going to look into who deposited the money in the account in America.

Just look at some points in the article:

Many members of the public have complained that it takes up to a year to complete a transaction that should only take one day, he said.

Mr Anuwat, a former governor of both Phang Nga and Samut Prakan provinces, said he was satisfied on the first two points, but rated the general level of success among land officials nationwide at speeding up their work rate at “only 30%”.

I'd like to point out that one of the three criteria that is being satisfactorily met is dress code! They have much more pressing issues to address than chase after land buying farang. The only reason he made that comment whatsoever is in the context of all the foreigners who are buying up Phuket real estate.

And when he says

“If the Thai spouse has enough money to buy the house that is fine, but if the Thai has no money and uses money given to him or her by a foreigner to acquire property, that is against the law. If we check and find out later that a Thai person has been using money from a foreigner to buy land anywhere in Thailand, we will revoke title deeds,” he said

it is to be read as "We will demand an obscene amount of tea money."

I would think that any American spouse who can successfully navigate US immigration should have absolutely no problem helping his Thai wife purchase land in Thailand without any commotion.

I agree with you somewhat. But for them to keep changing (threatening to change) the rules is not good for their economy. People eventually get tired of not know what's around the corner.

I lived there for a couple years on 30 day tourist visas. The army took over and said no more of that. 90 days consecutive on a tourist visa, and you're out. Once I got married I was issued a non-immigrant O, and was allowed to stay another year. They constantly change the bank/income requirements for marriage visas. Also some Thai consulates ask for the bank/income requirements, some do not. That changes on a regular basis. So there's really no reason to believe whether the above new land requirements will be enforced or not. Not a real good way to live your life not knowing if your land might be yanked in the future at the whim of some bureaucrat. I agree probably never gonna happen, but who wants to live with that possibility in the future.

Even though the U.S. visa process is a major pain in the a$$, at least the rules are consistent, even though the processing times are not.

[rsn 135]

I'm not suggesting that the U.S. should be the first to cast stones, we all know how f*cked up the government is here, but Thailand does seem to do some peculiar things that seem counterproductive.

1.) What you mentioned, daboyz

2.) The whole tourist visa dealie. Now it's only a 15 day extension for visa runs. Don't they want foreigners to stay in Thailand and spend their money?

3.) All of the b.s. surrounding the laws that make it almost impossible/feasible for a foreigner to live in Thailand and work a job remotely overseas. Again, doesn't it benefit Thailand if I'm pulling in a foreign salary and spending it all in Thailand?

Edited May 27, 2009 by rsn

[daboyz 36]

The thing that is most frustrating, is how often they change the rules. Now you only get 15 days for a visa run? Doesn't quite seem worth it.

All this craziness with the yellow shirt/red shirt garbage, and now they are doing everything in their power to make sure farangs don't spend money there. Doesn't really matter to me now. I'll probably never go back to Thailand anyway. Too far for a vacation. If the wife wants to go to visit, she can go alone.

[daboyz 36]

I'm not suggesting that the U.S. should be the first to cast stones, we all know how f*cked up the government is here, but Thailand does seem to do some peculiar things that seem counterproductive.

1.) What you mentioned, daboyz

2.) The whole tourist visa dealie. Now it's only a 15 day extension for visa runs. Don't they want foreigners to stay in Thailand and spend their money?

3.) All of the b.s. surrounding the laws that make it almost impossible/feasible for a foreigner to live in Thailand and work a job remotely overseas. Again, doesn't it benefit Thailand if I'm pulling in a foreign salary and spending it all in Thailand?

You can do #3 very easily. I did it for 3 years. Get married in Thailand, go to Singapore and apply for your Non-O, pick it up the next day, and you're done. That is if they don't give you a hard time about the income/bank requirements. They didn't ask me at all. Of course you might be renting instead of owning now. You can also look at buying a condo. They'll allow that as long as the building is 51% owned by Thais.

Ohh you'll have to check in with immigration every 90 days. Also, you turn that year into 15 months if you play your cards right.

[rsn 135]

You can do #3 very easily. I did it for 3 years. Get married in Thailand, go to Singapore and apply for your Non-O, pick it up the next day, and you're done. That is if they don't give you a hard time about the income/bank requirements. They didn't ask me at all. Of course you might be renting instead of owning now. You can also look at buying a condo. They'll allow that as long as the building is 51% owned by Thais.

Ohh you'll have to check in with immigration every 90 days. Also, you turn that year into 15 months if you play your cards right.

I'm very curious about #3. I'm aware that if I was married to a Thai girl, I can get a 1-year renewable non-O, no prob there (I faintly remember reading about the 90 day immigration check on the wall of Eddie's Bar in Ban Dung last time I was there too). But, I have read countless threads that have said that if you work, for example, over the internet (say at a job you have in the U.S.) you technically have to get a work permit or setup a business locally. I've read a bit about each avenue and neither seem easy to do, at all (not to mention costly for different reasons). I said technically before because I have also read that one could get away with this without doing either of the two things I just listed as long as they fly under the radar, but if you get caught the penalties are harsh. Can you shed any light on this?

Edited May 28, 2009 by rsn

[daboyz 36]

You can do #3 very easily. I did it for 3 years. Get married in Thailand, go to Singapore and apply for your Non-O, pick it up the next day, and you're done. That is if they don't give you a hard time about the income/bank requirements. They didn't ask me at all. Of course you might be renting instead of owning now. You can also look at buying a condo. They'll allow that as long as the building is 51% owned by Thais.

Ohh you'll have to check in with immigration every 90 days. Also, you turn that year into 15 months if you play your cards right.

I'm very curious about #3. I'm aware that if I was married to a Thai girl, I can get a 1-year renewable non-O, no prob there (I faintly remember reading about the 90 day immigration check on the wall of Eddie's Bar in Ban Dung last time I was there too). But, I have read countless threads that have said that if you work, for example, over the internet (say at a job you have in the U.S.) you technically have to get a work permit or setup a business locally. I've read a bit about each avenue and neither seem easy to do, at all (not to mention costly for different reasons). I said technically before because I have also read that one could get away with this without doing either of the two things I just listed as long as they fly under the radar, but if you get caught the penalties are harsh. Can you shed any light on this?

I worked from home on my laptop the entire time I was there for a U.S. company. I even went on sales calls and did installations at many Thai telecommunications companies including CAT and TOT. I also traveled throughout Asia for work while I lived there. I knew alot of people that did that while there on Non-Immigrant O. Lots of Brits, lots of Aussies etc. You're right, going for the Non-Immigrant B is a pain in the a$$. You have to find 5 Thais to set this up. You can use your fiancees family members etc. There is mass amounts of paperwork setting up the Thai company etc. You can get married in one day.

I got hauled off to the Lat Phrao police station one night with a stab wound, and was forced to sign some kind of confession in Thai. I never had any immigration problems before or after that. I over stayed a couple times, for couple days here and there. Had to pay 500 THB for each day but was still not an issue as long as they get their Baht.

[ThaitoUSA 15]

I worked at a Thai university and renewing the 1 year business visa was easy. I'd pile into a minivan with a group of foreign professors to the immigration office once a year. I'd show my face to the officer upstairs, go downstairs and hand them a few thousand Baht for a multi-entry visa and be on my way. I never checked in every 90 days, though I believe folks on business visas are required to as well. A secretary from my university knew the officers well and did all the leg work. Looking back on it, I was spoiled. If anyone cares to work at my former university, I can put you in touch with the chair of the English department.

[daboyz 36]

I worked at a Thai university and renewing the 1 year business visa was easy. I'd pile into a minivan with a group of foreign professors to the immigration office once a year. I'd show my face to the officer upstairs, go downstairs and hand them a few thousand Baht for a multi-entry visa and be on my way. I never checked in every 90 days, though I believe folks on business visas are required to as well. A secretary from my university knew the officers well and did all the leg work. Looking back on it, I was spoiled. If anyone cares to work at my former university, I can put you in touch with the chair of the English department.

Yeah it's really easy if you work for someone else's Thai company/university. But if you have to set up your own and deal with all the banking the taxes etc. it's a major pain. I would guess that rsn makes considerably more working for a US company than he would make working at a Thai university. Maybe they pay farangs more, I don't know. I do know that the average salary for a 4 year Thai graduate coming out of university is about 20k baht. Keep that in mind when you consider working for a Thai company

[rsn 135]

I would guess that rsn makes considerably more working for a US company than he would make working at a Thai university. I do know that the average salary for a 4 year Thai graduate coming out of university is about 20k baht. Keep that in mind when you consider working for a Thai company

True, and true. My fiancee's cousin told me that his english teacher makes about 30k THB/month, and that's a pretty good chunk of change apparently. He also told me that lots of people are trying to get similar jobs since they pay so "well". For my job (software engineer), I'd be lucky to make 50K or so THB/month. Not bad if you're living in Thailand I guess, but when I think about how I could live in Thailand if I'm making a U.S. salary, wow. Life would be sweet indeed.