Sawasdee 4 (Thai K-1s in 2010)

[toma1 10]

Shipping Boxes from Thailand to the US ???

Even though we do not have an interview date yet, Audy checked with the Thai post office for shipping rates. The Thai post office informed her 13,000 baht for a box that weighs 30 kgs.

She thinks she will have four boxes in addition to two to three suitcases she wants to bring to the US. Of course I can get three suitcases for free if I bring her to the US which I am certain I will need to do. I think that price is too steep and not very likely to get the boxes to the US.

Have others here shipped boxes from Thailand to the US and if so what were the experiences?

Thanks

We got everything... but my wife knew the Postmaster's daughter and he handled the shipping for us personally.

Even then some took 5 months to get here and a few got sent back and had to be reshipped due to some technicality.

[Audy_Rob 26]

We got everything... but my wife knew the Postmaster's daughter and he handled the shipping for us personally.

Even then some took 5 months to get here and a few got sent back and had to be reshipped due to some technicality.

Yes, this is the kind of experience I would like to avoid. Thanks toma1.

[AaronLV 12]

Shipping Boxes from Thailand to the US ???

Even though we do not have an interview date yet, Audy checked with the Thai post office for shipping rates. The Thai post office informed her 13,000 baht for a box that weighs 30 kgs.

She thinks she will have four boxes in addition to two to three suitcases she wants to bring to the US. Of course I can get three suitcases for free if I bring her to the US which I am certain I will need to do. I think that price is too steep and not very likely to get the boxes to the US.

Have others here shipped boxes from Thailand to the US and if so what were the experiences?

Thanks

When we were coming back I went to all the major shipping carriers (DHL, UPS, FedEx) to gt prices on shipping to the US, DHL was the cheapest, but the box weight limits were low. So I had decided we would just pay for the extra bags on the flight. I bought a few large duffel bags at MBK for about 900 baht (with wheels), and loaded them up. We ended up with 5 bags, 4 of them were about 26 KG, and 1 was 23KG, which was within limits on Eva, so we ended up not having to pay. If I remember correctly the extra bag fee was between 30 - 75USD depending on the weight, we were lucky and everything fit within our limit. You figure at 13000 baht even upgrading your tickets to get extra weight on the bags would be well worth it, plus then she will have all of her items when she arrives.

One thing to keep in mind is if you need to switch to a domestic carrier when you arrive in the states the charges go through the roof, their weight limits are lower than international. We flew into LA and then drove to Vegas for that reason. For two of us with baggage one way from LAX to Vegas was over 500.00, compared to 77 for a 1 way car rental + gas.

[ryankh 0]

Yes, this is the kind of experience I would like to avoid. Thanks toma1.

Hey AudyRob, I have a completely unrelated question for you...

Your profile shows that you received your Packet #3 on 4/23. I was curious, when did you send in your Packet #3? You said, you don't have an interview date yet. I am just curious about how long it will take after sending in your packet 3 until receiving an interview date for the Bangkok Embassy?

Thanks in advance.

[Tom and Teaw 1]

I was at the UPS store on Saturday and noticed a sign on the register to ship your bags by air in the USA. So if you have time when you get to the states that is something to check out. I thought the prices

were very reasonable and cheap considering what I saw awhile back with other freight carriers that would ship your bags on a flight.

[ryankh 0]

Hi all, anybody hear any word on interview scheduling dates thus far? How quickly are they being scheduled? Somebody previously posted that its taking 8-10 weeks just to schedule an interview! Ridiculous. The embassy was only closed for 10 days, makes no sense why they would be that backed up (except for the fact that its the typical US government at work).

Anyway, just wanted to know if anybody has received any news on how long scheduling interviews are taking. Any info is appreciated!

[Audy_Rob 26]

Hi all, anybody hear any word on interview scheduling dates thus far? How quickly are they being scheduled? Somebody previously posted that its taking 8-10 weeks just to schedule an interview! Ridiculous. The embassy was only closed for 10 days, makes no sense why they would be that backed up (except for the fact that its the typical US government at work).

Anyway, just wanted to know if anybody has received any news on how long scheduling interviews are taking. Any info is appreciated!

Hi Ryan,

The current news is not good. Another member named Jordi that uses the name gbagbo and I are very close in time frame.

My fiancee sent Packet 3 June 29. The Embassy said they received it July 1. Jordi's fiancee sent their Packet 3 about a day or 2 later than us.

The Embassy just posted the schedule for August and neither of us are on it so we are hoping for September.

I sent an email to the Embassy July 20 asking about scheduling and wanted to confirm they received Packet 3. They confirmed receipt of Packet 3. They said they are quite a bit behind and it is currently taking 8-10 weeks to SCHEDULE the interview.

I do not know once they schedule the interview, how much time the interview is after it is scheduled. I will copy and paste the email below so you can read for yourself. Jordi and I are PMing each other about the schedules. Feel free to PM me anytime.

The Immigrant Visa Unit received the returned Packet 3 materials from the applicant through the Embassy's mail room on July 1, 2010. The interview appointment has not been scheduled for the applicant at the moment. Due to the large volume of applicants, now it takes about 8-10 weeks after having received the returned Packet 3 for the IV Unit to schedule an interview appointment. We will be in touch with the applicant by mail once the interview appointment is set.

Link to Schedule Appointments:

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas/scheduled-appointments.html

Good luck.

[AaronLV 12]

Hi all, anybody hear any word on interview scheduling dates thus far? How quickly are they being scheduled? Somebody previously posted that its taking 8-10 weeks just to schedule an interview! Ridiculous. The embassy was only closed for 10 days, makes no sense why they would be that backed up (except for the fact that its the typical US government at work).

Anyway, just wanted to know if anybody has received any news on how long scheduling interviews are taking. Any info is appreciated!

If you go through the timelines, you'll notice that May-Aug tend to be longer (5-6 weeks from packet 3) then the winter months, combine that with the 10 days of closure, and add on the backlog of all the other visa's and rescheduling the interviews during that time, and a 8-10 week timeline seems logical, but certainly not reasonable when you are waiting.

Hang in there, time will go by quickly.

[Audy_Rob 26]

When we were coming back I went to all the major shipping carriers (DHL, UPS, FedEx) to gt prices on shipping to the US, DHL was the cheapest, but the box weight limits were low. So I had decided we would just pay for the extra bags on the flight. I bought a few large duffel bags at MBK for about 900 baht (with wheels), and loaded them up. We ended up with 5 bags, 4 of them were about 26 KG, and 1 was 23KG, which was within limits on Eva, so we ended up not having to pay. If I remember correctly the extra bag fee was between 30 - 75USD depending on the weight, we were lucky and everything fit within our limit. You figure at 13000 baht even upgrading your tickets to get extra weight on the bags would be well worth it, plus then she will have all of her items when she arrives.

One thing to keep in mind is if you need to switch to a domestic carrier when you arrive in the states the charges go through the roof, their weight limits are lower than international. We flew into LA and then drove to Vegas for that reason. For two of us with baggage one way from LAX to Vegas was over 500.00, compared to 77 for a 1 way car rental + gas.

This is great. I also happen to fly EVA mostly (their food is the absolute worst) and I stop in San Francisco. No domestic destination to continue. Thanks very much.

[ryankh 0]

Hi Ryan,

The current news is not good. Another member named Jordi that uses the name gbagbo and I are very close in time frame.

My fiancee sent Packet 3 June 29. The Embassy said they received it July 1. Jordi's fiancee sent their Packet 3 about a day or 2 later than us.

The Embassy just posted the schedule for August and neither of us are on it so we are hoping for September.

I sent an email to the Embassy July 20 asking about scheduling and wanted to confirm they received Packet 3. They confirmed receipt of Packet 3. They said they are quite a bit behind and it is currently taking 8-10 weeks to SCHEDULE the interview.

I do not know once they schedule the interview, how much time the interview is after it is scheduled. I will copy and paste the email below so you can read for yourself. Jordi and I are PMing each other about the schedules. Feel free to PM me anytime.

Link to Schedule Appointments:

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas/scheduled-appointments.html

Good luck.

Hey Audy_Rob, thanks much for the info! At least I know what I'm getting into. Though, not pleased with it. I thought the hard part was going to be waiting for the NOA2. Yet the waiting continues...

I didn't realize that the embassy schedules in bulk, 1 month at a time. That's also good to know. I'm sure you'll get in the September though. At least, I'm hoping you will!! Do keep me informed of your status, and I'll also let you know anything I hear. On another note, any idea what the case number format means? obviously BNK = Bangkok, 2010 = the year. Any idea about the last 6 digits? Are they just a random serial? or do they have some meaning? I was wondering if you could use that to somehow gain a rough guess as to when they are pushing applications through...

[Tom and Teaw 1]

It never ceases to amaze me how the people at the embassy in BKK seem to never know what they are doing at times. When Teaw picked up her visa on 7-19, I got an email the next day saying her visa was ready to pick up. Then today, Tuesday, she got a postcard in the mail from the embassy dated 7-21 that her visa was ready and she could come pick it up. Duhhhhh!!! Here they are increasing the fees saying it costs more to process the visas and one hand doesn't seem to know what the other hand is doing most of the time. Kind of like talking to the IRS....you never get the same answer from someone. Sounds like the visa process needs a lot of reform.

As for you guys still waiting for interview dates, I hope you get them soon and all goes well. I know it does take longer from around mid summer to the fall to schedule the interviews. I think people applying for school visas kind of adds to the backlog too.

[Kang Lang 7]

UGH it's uscis time again...i am just starting to pull things together for my husband's ROC i dread it, i wish i never had to deal with them again. /rant off. i know it's nothing compared to those of you who are still waiting to be reunited but dangit i can't wait to have the government out of my marriage.

[thongd4me 69]

UGH it's uscis time again...i am just starting to pull things together for my husband's ROC i dread it, i wish i never had to deal with them again. /rant off. i know it's nothing compared to those of you who are still waiting to be reunited but dangit i can't wait to have the government out of my marriage.

We just finished AOS and my countdown to ROC is almost 21 months; seems like nothing.

The calculation I made was the GC approval date + 2 years minus 3 months to be within

the 90-day window for filing.

I put the countdown on a ticker to remind me. To be sure I'm within the 90 days I pushed

the "OK to apply for ROC" date a few days forward.

[gbagbo 0]

Looks like those of us waiting for an interview date were a little bit screwed due to a holliday this month. August 12th, a Thursday, is Her Majesty The Queen's Birthday

No interviews were scheduled that day so that's a good 15 or 16 interviews lost for the month of August.

[Audy_Rob 26]

...Her Majesty The Queen's Birthday...

I have heard the Queen's Birthday is somewhat like Mother's Day in Thailand.

In September there will be Labor Day.