Off to Thailand Today

[thongd4me 69]

Wow, what a jerk. Some people are amazing.

I guess he was just doing his job, but what I'd like here is some confirmation

of whether the consulate has taken the original vaccination record of other

applicants and refused to return it. That's what to me seems strange.

He didn't need to embellish his refusal but that's his problem not mine.

In VN, I believe they put it in the brown sealed envelope. As far as I'm aware, the guy at the POE checks it and keeps it. I would believe the process is the same for the Philipines. You should go back after you get your copy and request a copy of the vaccination record--they won't require her to get additional shots (or shouldn't anyways...).

Very good point; that's one thing I saw before but had forgotten. Not having got to the

interview stage ourselves nor gone through the POE process we couldn't know about that.

If they keep it at the POE stage I would think (not assume, I guess that's not in the govt's

vocabulary) it might be returned to us at some point, but I guess we'll just have to find out.

[*Robert* 2]

Wow, what a jerk. Some people are amazing.

I guess he was just doing his job, but what I'd like here is some confirmation

of whether the consulate has taken the original vaccination record of other

applicants and refused to return it. That's what to me seems strange.

He didn't need to embellish his refusal but that's his problem not mine.

In VN, I believe they put it in the brown sealed envelope. As far as I'm aware, the guy at the POE checks it and keeps it. I would believe the process is the same for the Philipines. You should go back after you get your copy and request a copy of the vaccination record--they won't require her to get additional shots (or shouldn't anyways...).

Very good point; that's one thing I saw before but had forgotten. Not having got to the

interview stage ourselves nor gone through the POE process we couldn't know about that.

If they keep it at the POE stage I would think (not assume, I guess that's not in the govt's

vocabulary) it might be returned to us at some point, but I guess we'll just have to find out.

Nothing collected at POE is ever returned, nor is anything else returned that gets submitted from that point on.

Edited October 30, 2009 by *Robert*

[thongd4me 69]

Back to NY today; so much to do but it was a productive visit.

Thanks to all

[thongd4me 69]

10/14/2009 I-129F NOA2 approval notification by e-mail - in Thailand!

10/15/2009 Package received at NVC, Portsmouth, NH

10/16/2009 NVC sends package to BKK consulate

10/20/2009 package received at BKK consulate

10/31/2009 packet3 instructinos received at her address in BKK

Update of my timeline - events in October.

Oh what a feeling!

Today before going to Chulalongkorn U. to have lunch with her son (also with her ex)

I was standing outside her house and saw the mailman drive up on his motorbike.

She came out to greet him and I thought (no, this couldn't be possible) but YES!

The letter from the US Consulate with our case number & packet3 instructions.

On the very last day of my visit, just before leaving for NYC.

Thanks again to all my VJ friends, especially D & T who we

met on Thursday in BKK.

[BinhJerome 14]

10/14/2009 I-129F NOA2 approval notification by e-mail - in Thailand!

10/15/2009 Package received at NVC, Portsmouth, NH

10/16/2009 NVC sends package to BKK consulate

10/20/2009 package received at BKK consulate

10/31/2009 packet3 instructinos received at her address in BKK

Update of my timeline - events in October.

Oh what a feeling!

Today before going to Chulalongkorn U. to have lunch with her son (also with her ex)

I was standing outside her house and saw the mailman drive up on his motorbike.

She came out to greet him and I thought (no, this couldn't be possible) but YES!

The letter from the US Consulate with our case number & packet3 instructions.

On the very last day of my visit, just before leaving for NYC.

Thanks again to all my VJ friends, especially D & T who we

met on Thursday in BKK.

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope it goes great and you have a great trip home. Good luck Jerome

[ThaitoUSA 15]

My wife was able to receive a copy of the vaccination form from Bumrungrad upon request. The one that she submitted to the consulate was never returned. However, while filing for AOS, we did not submit a copy of the one we had and we never received an RFE. It seems as though the one submitted during the consulate interview had been forwarded to the center after it was handed over at the POE. Then again they may have overlooked its absence from the AOS petition; impossible to know for certain.

[thongd4me 69]

My wife was able to receive a copy of the vaccination form from Bumrungrad upon request. The one that she submitted to the consulate was never returned. However, while filing for AOS, we did not submit a copy of the one we had and we never received an RFE. It seems as though the one submitted during the consulate interview had been forwarded to the center after it was handed over at the POE. Then again they may have overlooked its absence from the AOS petition; impossible to know for certain.

I have a feeling nothing is overlooked - her vaccination docs were probably accessed by the AOS

processing staffers, or just the fact that they were in order was taken note of.

Looks like the government is getting it right for once. Down with unnecessary duplication.

For others who haven't done the medical yet - There is a white mini-bus

(FREE!) between Bumrungrad and the Nana skytrain stop.

We didn't know about that when we took a taxi to the hospital (again I said like a 5 star hotel).

The doorman at the hospital told her about the minibus and in about 30 seconds one appeared

from around the parking area and it was almost full. That's why she had to sit on my lap to

the skytrain. Hell, it beats walking. Fun too. :devil:

Edited November 1, 2009 by thongd4me

[thongd4me 69]

My trip back to NY was good and uneventful. I arrived home within an hour

of the time I promised my 83-yr old mom. She missed me so much but

I had to see my sweetheart because we needed to take care of business

and hadn't seen each other in 17 months.

Me and her both meeting the mailman as he delivered the packet3 letter

from the consulate on the day I left was just awesome.

I had a nice little chat with a Jamaican NYC subway worker when I was

waiting for one of the trains. I realized that my BKK-NYC trip had 10 legs.

1) private car to Suvanaphumi

2) BKK-Dubai

3) Dubai-NYC

4) Train to the Plane

5) Subway in Queens

6) another subway in Queens

7) Subway in Manhattan

8) another subway in Manhattan

9) subway in the bronx

10) bus in the bronx to my final destination

The whole thing in NYC cost only $7.25; it

could have very well cost $60 or more for a

cab or most likely half that or more for other

combinations of trains & busses.

[Ney 0]

10/14/2009 I-129F NOA2 approval notification by e-mail - in Thailand!

10/15/2009 Package received at NVC, Portsmouth, NH

10/16/2009 NVC sends package to BKK consulate

10/20/2009 package received at BKK consulate

10/31/2009 packet3 instructinos received at her address in BKK

Update of my timeline - events in October.

Oh what a feeling!

Today before going to Chulalongkorn U. to have lunch with her son (also with her ex)

I was standing outside her house and saw the mailman drive up on his motorbike.

She came out to greet him and I thought (no, this couldn't be possible) but YES!

The letter from the US Consulate with our case number & packet3 instructions.

On the very last day of my visit, just before leaving for NYC.

Thanks again to all my VJ friends, especially D & T who we

met on Thursday in BKK.

That is GREAT!!! I'm very happy for both of you! Hopefully you will bringing her home very soon!!!

[thongd4me 69]

That is GREAT!!! I'm very happy for both of you! Hopefully you will bringing her home very soon!!!

The funny thing is that the short-term delay that concerns us most is not

a problem on my side or her side (in and of ourselves) but that her employer

is foot-dragging in giving her the final release she is entitled to. The Ministry

of Education knows she is one of the most valuable staff they have (she won

the "Best Teacher In Thailand" award 2 years ago) and are taking advantage

of the fact that she warned them in advance. Conventional wisdom on VJ

says never to tell your employer you are leaving until you have the visa

in hand (for fear that you may be out of a job should the visa not come

through), but she has always been a team player as well as a leader and

thought they would be less upset if she gave them a heads' up.

I don't fault her on taking this decision, because it's likely she would have

had problems with them no matter what approach she took.

While we were together, she was working on this elaborate "document"

which was suddenly required of her by the Ministry. It's the most

complicated thing I've ever seen, with calculus formulas, etc. all in Thai.

She wants to do everything that they require but every time she turns

around, they require more.

She was to have a "retirement party" the first week of October, so I moved

up my arrival date. When I arrived I was told that they might have the

party on October 30, the day before my departure. Oct. 30 came and

went and she was still knee-deep in red tape and bureaucratic stonewalling.

She was always worried about what she would do (work, friends, etc.)

when she came to NY but now she is much more eager to leave this

BS behind her and be with me.

Edited November 5, 2009 by thongd4me

[anya-D 8]

Congratulation I'm happy for you both

But I'm also a little sad about Thailand is losing a great teacher though... good one is hard to come by. She should start a business like teaching Thai to the children in NY, I'll deffinately send mine (when i have one)

[thongd4me 69]

Congratulation I'm happy for you both

But I'm also a little sad about Thailand is losing a great teacher though... good one is hard to come by. She should start a business like teaching Thai to the children in NY, I'll deffinately send mine (when i have one)

She was thinking of volunteering at the Wat in NY to teach Thai at first but she will be looking for a regular job as well.

I don't think there would be a demand for a full-time Thai language program in the States, but she would be qualified

to lead one if there were.

One thing that saddens me a little is that we are both beyond the age where we would want to have young kids.

If we both were 10 years younger, we might have gone for it, but we each have kids of our own that fill that void.

Kids are a challenge but they're worth it. Best of luck to you.

[thongd4me 69]

In New York, my co-worker from BURMA came up behind me and flashed...his JIM THOMPSON SILK TIE!