does and don'ts

[MalaysianGirl 26]

According to your link, my statement is correct. Note that I said Thailand is one of the most well off countries, and not THE MOST well off country. I also did not imply that Thailand has no poverty. Every country has poverty.

Please note that I did say that one part of your statement is correct. (I have no problems admitting people are correct.)

The part where you said Thailand is likely "one of the most well-off SEA country" would be correct, while the other is most probably not. As far as I know, Brunei is the most well-off SEA country, followed by Singapore, and then Malaysia.

And also, you did say "Thailand is likely the most well-off". This would be incorrect.

In fact, Thailand is likely the most (or one of the most) well-off country in SE asia.

About poverty; I don't think Singapore or Brunei has poverty, but I could be wrong.

Again I emphasize, I did not mean offense. If you took it that way, then so be it. I will leave this thread. All the best to you and everyone else!

[MalaysianGirl 26]

According to your link, my statement is correct. Note that I said Thailand is one of the most well off countries, and not THE MOST well off country. I also did not imply that Thailand has no poverty. Every country has poverty. Perhaps I could have phrased it differently though. Thailand is one of the more well off countries, or something along those lines.

Just saw that you edited your post. My reply above stands. Take care!

[rsn 135]

Please note that I did say that one part of your statement is correct. (I have no problems admitting people are correct.)

And also, you did say "Thailand is likely the most well-off". This would be incorrect.

About poverty; I don't think Singapore or Brunei has poverty, but I could be wrong.

Again I emphasize, I did not mean offense. If you took it that way, then so be it. I will leave this thread. All the best to you and everyone else!

Ah I see. I mentioned it twice but should have just mentioned it once. The second mention is the correct one.

Edited November 6, 2011 by rsn

[SuperDuper! 230]

Wondering if the OP is prepared to deal with the ongoing flooding there....

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-06/thailand-s-floods-edge-closer-to-central-bangkok-may-last-for-three-weeks.html

[rsn 135]

Please note that I did say that one part of your statement is correct. (I have no problems admitting people are correct.)

And also, you did say "Thailand is likely the most well-off". This would be incorrect.

About poverty; I don't think Singapore or Brunei has poverty, but I could be wrong.

Again I emphasize, I did not mean offense. If you took it that way, then so be it. I will leave this thread. All the best to you and everyone else!

These two counties most definitely have poverty. There are plenty of articles detailing this.

[scandal 951]

I personally would recommend the K1 for someone in your situation. Unless you have spent quite a bit of time living with your fiancee/girlfriend, I assert that the K1 is a much safer route to go. Really, the waiting difference between the cr1 and the k1 is negligible, for all intents and purposes. Also, applying for AOS after a K1 is not a big deal, since she is already here. For someone like yourself who is taking the cautious route and has been burned before, the K1 is the best option I would think. You likely won't spend a considerable amount of time with her until she arrives in the U.S.. With the K1, if things don't work out, either now or after she arrives, you don't have to deal with lawyers, a messy divorce, splitting up assets, etc. You each go your separate ways and move on. Regardless of what anyone says, the K1 is a "90-day-trial-run visa". It really is, unless you and your significant other have spent a great deal of time together before their arrival in the U.S.

As far as the wedding situation, you can do what many others, myself included have done. We had a small legal wedding in the U.S. w/ immediate family to fulfill our obligations within the 90 days after her arrival, then had a larger reception in the U.S. for everyone else. Later on, we went back to Thailand and had a traditional ceremony for her friends, family, village residents, etc. It's amazing how far a dollar goes in Thailand, so you can throw a really nice ceremony/party for almost nothing (relatively speaking).

If you really are going the cautious route, I would strongly suggest you consider a K1 instead. I was hesitant, like yourself, which is why i chose the K1, and I felt it was a very good decision, even though everything worked out. I knew almost nothing about Thai culture when I met my wife, as I was on vacation visiting a friend and had no intention of meeting a wife at the time. So, I decided that the safest, most cautious route involved the K1. Perhaps this is true for you as well.

I agree with what rsn wrote above. (And, for good measure, my wife and I attended the lovely wedding reception rsn and his wife had here in the US )

For another variation on this theme, you could consider having a Buddhist ceremony in Thailand BEFORE getting the approved K1 visa, and getting married in the US. That is what we did. We had our Buddhist ceremony in Thailand with all of my wife's family (only my mother was able to join us from abroad). Then, after she got the K1 and came to the US, we had our legal wedding within the 90 days to comply with the visa requirements, and filed for AOS. The key thing to note is that the ceremony in Thailand is fine provided you DO NOT register it as a legal marriage in the amphur. If it's not registered, the Thai government and more importantly USCIS do not consider you to be married. We checked this point out very carefully with Embassy staff in Bangkok before proceeding. The advantages of rsn's scheme or my scheme is that you don't have to choose between her family or your family- you can have two ceremonies, in both countries, with both extended families able to attend. You also get two anniversary dates to celebrate for ever more

[cactus john 1]

I think you should just forget all this engagement and marriage visa talk and just go and visit her and see if it is going to work out. She dosen't know you either...

Choc dii