SAWASDEE 2

[aitian 0]

We went to BNH today and Nok had her medical exam done. The paper we got in the mail from the embassy said the cost was 2100 Baht. Our bill was 2910 Baht. Nok just got the exam and no vaccinations or anything. We actually have to go back next week b/c she brought her vaccination records and they never asked for them. When they said she was done and she could go pay for it, she told them they didn't ask her about her vaccinations and then showed them her records. By then the doctor already left for the day and now we have to go back next week to show the doctor the vaccination records. We are not sure if she has all the vaccinations necessary anyways, so we thought we might as well get them done while we were there. They said okay and said she needs 3 shots. Once we found out they were around 3000 baht we said that we would go to a Thai hospital and come back with the records. So we asked exactly which shots she needs. They said they didn't know because the shots are different for her age and stuff like that. Then I thought wait, you don't know but just a minute ago you were going to sell us 3 shots for 3000 Baht. I guess they know the shots if we get them done there.

Well, I just wanted to share the 2900 Baht cost with you all and see if that is right. The receipt just says Medical Packages 2910 Baht. Was very displeased with BNH except for the beautiful interior and comfortability.

[Thai Rath 1]

Well, I just wanted to share the 2900 Baht cost with you all and see if that is right. The receipt just says Medical Packages 2910 Baht. Was very displeased with BNH except for the beautiful interior and comfortability.

We went to Bumrungrad for the medical exam and also noticed that the bill was for more than what the embassy said (I can't remember the exact amount we paid), but just figured that the embassy's form was out of date...and also that this was Thailand, after all, not exactly the land of fixed prices!

Also, my husband didn't have time to get his vaccination record before the exam, so the doctor just gave him two shots: dose 1 of both the Td and MMR vaccinations and that was enough for his K1.

[Thai Rath 1]

We went to Bumrungrad for the medical exam and also noticed that the bill was for more than what the embassy said (I can't remember the exact amount we paid), but just figured that the embassy's form was out of date...and also that this was Thailand, after all, not exactly the land of fixed prices!

Also, my husband didn't have time to get his vaccination record before the exam, so the doctor just gave him two shots: dose 1 of both the Td and MMR vaccinations and that was enough for his K1.

P.S. Just to clarify: we paid more due to the vaccinations, but the medical exam by itself was more than what the embassy quoted.

[dvddvd 0]

hello all,

i'm in bangkok and will be here until toom and i leave for the u.s.a. in early july. if anyone is here or coming here that would like to meet up for a drink, talk about this experience, and have something different to do. please drop me a message.

best,

david

[Kang Lang 7]

i have another dumb question, what exactly is a "house registration card" is that the same thing as the thai id card?

[Yodrak 7]

Kang Lang,

No, it is not. The thabiian baan, or house registration, is a paper or booklet that associates a person with a specific address and household. Whether or not the person actually lives there. A child will be put on the house registration of their parents, and may still be registered to their parent's household years later after becoming an adult and having moved to Bangkok or elsewhere for work. (In an atypical reversal of that, my wife and her son are registered at a shophouse that she owns, even though she had moved back to live with her parent's and was renting out her shophouse.)

A Thai must vote in the amphur where they are on a thabiian baan, so in that sense it serves as voter registration. I don't know what else it might be used for. Certainly not for keeping track of where the citizenry lives, since as I said many Thais don't live where they are registered.

Yodrak

i have another dumb question, what exactly is a "house registration card" is that the same thing as the thai id card?

Edited June 11, 2007 by Yodrak

[Kang Lang 7]

Kang Lang,

No, it is not. The thabiian baan, or house registration, is a paper or booklet that associates a person with a specific address and household. Whether or not the person actually lives there. A child will be put on the house registration of their parents, and may still be registered to their parent's household years later after becoming an adult and having moved to Bangkok or elsewhere for work. (In an atypical reversal of that, my wife and her son are registered at a shophouse that she owns, even though she had moved back to live with her parent's and was renting out her shophouse.)

A Thai must vote in the amphur where they are on a thabiian baan, so in that sense it serves as voter registration. I don't know what else it might be used for. Certainly not for keeping track of where the citizenry lives, since as I said many Thais don't live where they are registered.

Yodrak

i have another dumb question, what exactly is a "house registration card" is that the same thing as the thai id card?

Thanks Yodrak for clearing that up!

[SanFrancisco-BKK 0]

We brought house registration and English translation. It was return right away by the lady at window 5 who checks all the documents filled properly.

Kang Lang,

No, it is not. The thabiian baan, or house registration, is a paper or booklet that associates a person with a specific address and household. Whether or not the person actually lives there. A child will be put on the house registration of their parents, and may still be registered to their parent's household years later after becoming an adult and having moved to Bangkok or elsewhere for work. (In an atypical reversal of that, my wife and her son are registered at a shophouse that she owns, even though she had moved back to live with her parent's and was renting out her shophouse.)

A Thai must vote in the amphur where they are on a thabiian baan, so in that sense it serves as voter registration. I don't know what else it might be used for. Certainly not for keeping track of where the citizenry lives, since as I said many Thais don't live where they are registered.

Yodrak

i have another dumb question, what exactly is a "house registration card" is that the same thing as the thai id card?

Thanks Yodrak for clearing that up!

[SanFrancisco-BKK 0]

In our case interview was on Monday and we were told to pick up visa on Wed 3:00 pm.

Our interview date was posted on the website today. Wasn't as soon as we had hoped, but it sure is nice to be able to know when we will be going back to the US.

[heyx2rr 0]

Hi folks - it's been a couple of months since I've posted, but I wanted to jump back in and give Yodrak a big thank you. I had been looking for an Immigration Attorney to assist my fiancee, Tin, with the 2nd part of the K1 process. Yodrak, you had suggested William White, from White and White in Bangkok. In April, I visited Tin in Bangkok and we met with Bill for an hour to get his feedback on the information that Tin and I had put together so far for our I-129F package, and to see what he would recommend as far as our next steps. Bill was very professional and very knowledgeable. He gave us some very good recommendations on how to structure our I-129F package, and valuable input on what data to include for the proof of ongoing relationship sections. He was very easy going, and it was clear that he had extensive experience. After reviewing the state of our application and providing us with feedback, he indicated that he didnt see any reason why we couldnt complete the initial submission of the package ourselves, and his recommendation was he could provide the most value add by assisting during the second part of the process when Tin would receive another package of materials/forms to be filled out (and for preparations for the interview itself).

After meeting with Bill (for about an hour), Tin and I took a walk to discuss our decision. We both were very comfortable with Bill, and felt like he was the right person for us to hire. So we called Bill's office back within the hour and confirmed that we wanted to hire his law firm to represent us . Note that the day before our meeting with Bill, we had talked with the owner of a different company that provides K1 Visa assistance. Neither Tin or I were happy with this company. Among other troubling things, the owner refused to look at the materials that we had put together so far, and reiterated frequently that we would fail if we tried to do any part of the process ourselves. As soon as we walked out of the door, we looked at each other and said that we hoped that White & White would be better, because we were not comfortable using this company. It's probably a good company for some people, but it just wasnt a good match for us.

After returning to the US my goal was to complete the application w/in a couple of weeks, ship the papers to Tin to sign, and upon receipt of these papers back, go ahead and submit the application. However, upon my return my job responsibilities shifted and I had to pick up a fair amount of additional work. I quickly realized that I would not be able to complete the application quickly and give it the amount of review and detail that I wanted - so I contacted Bill and he agreed to work directly with Tin to complete our application quickly. I sent him the materials we had, and within a week and a half he had sent the final application back to me, ready to sign and submit. Fabulous!

I sent in the I-129F application on May 31, and it was received on June 4th. We've got things started and we're waiting on NOA1. Both Tin and I are relieved and excited, and looking forward to making our way through the next steps in the process.

I'm planning on trying to get back to Thailand in August for another visit to see Tin's family in Isaan (had a great time during my first visit last October). Our plan is to visit the extended family for a few days, and then Tin and I will take her daughter on a special trip for her birthday.

Thanks again, Yodrak!

Best of luck, everyone - looking forward to continuing to the read the forum to pick up more tips, and to seeing the progress everyone is making.

- Rich

[Yodrak 7]

-Rich,

mai bpen rai khrap Glad you got information, advice, and service that you are comfortable with.

Yodrak

Hi folks - it's been a couple of months since I've posted, but I wanted to jump back in and give Yodrak a big thank you. I had been looking for an Immigration Attorney to assist my fiancee, Tin, with the 2nd part of the K1 process. Yodrak, you had suggested William White, from White and White in Bangkok. In April, I visited Tin in Bangkok and we met with Bill for an hour to get his feedback on the information that Tin and I had put together so far for our I-129F package, and to see what he would recommend as far as our next steps. Bill was very professional and very knowledgeable. He gave us some very good recommendations on how to structure our I-129F package, and valuable input on what data to include for the proof of ongoing relationship sections. He was very easy going, and it was clear that he had extensive experience. After reviewing the state of our application and providing us with feedback, he indicated that he didnt see any reason why we couldnt complete the initial submission of the package ourselves, and his recommendation was he could provide the most value add by assisting during the second part of the process when Tin would receive another package of materials/forms to be filled out (and for preparations for the interview itself).

After meeting with Bill (for about an hour), Tin and I took a walk to discuss our decision. We both were very comfortable with Bill, and felt like he was the right person for us to hire. So we called Bill's office back within the hour and confirmed that we wanted to hire his law firm to represent us . Note that the day before our meeting with Bill, we had talked with the owner of a different company that provides K1 Visa assistance. Neither Tin or I were happy with this company. Among other troubling things, the owner refused to look at the materials that we had put together so far, and reiterated frequently that we would fail if we tried to do any part of the process ourselves. As soon as we walked out of the door, we looked at each other and said that we hoped that White & White would be better, because we were not comfortable using this company. It's probably a good company for some people, but it just wasnt a good match for us.

After returning to the US my goal was to complete the application w/in a couple of weeks, ship the papers to Tin to sign, and upon receipt of these papers back, go ahead and submit the application. However, upon my return my job responsibilities shifted and I had to pick up a fair amount of additional work. I quickly realized that I would not be able to complete the application quickly and give it the amount of review and detail that I wanted - so I contacted Bill and he agreed to work directly with Tin to complete our application quickly. I sent him the materials we had, and within a week and a half he had sent the final application back to me, ready to sign and submit. Fabulous!

I sent in the I-129F application on May 31, and it was received on June 4th. We've got things started and we're waiting on NOA1. Both Tin and I are relieved and excited, and looking forward to making our way through the next steps in the process.

I'm planning on trying to get back to Thailand in August for another visit to see Tin's family in Isaan (had a great time during my first visit last October). Our plan is to visit the extended family for a few days, and then Tin and I will take her daughter on a special trip for her birthday.

Thanks again, Yodrak!

Best of luck, everyone - looking forward to continuing to the read the forum to pick up more tips, and to seeing the progress everyone is making.

- Rich

[SqdnGuns 21]

Keeping the thread alive.......

I will be leaving for Thailand on Sept 7th and returning to So Cal on the 16th. I'll probably spend a a day or two in Bangkok then spend the rest of my time up in Surin (Krasang/Lamduan). If anyone is going to be there about the same time or have anyone they want me to meet up with in Surin, let me know.

[qbertz7 1]

Hi guys,

I'm sure the answer to my question is somewhere in here, but I couldn't be bothered to go through 133 pages posts. I noticed a lot of you on your timeline sent in packet 3 before the embassy even got a chance to send packet 3 to your fiance. Can someone let me know the exact list of things that need to be sent? I'd definitely like to try to do the same and send everything to them before they even send the packet so we can get the earliest interview date possible.

Thanks.

[BishopMnA 0]

Hi guys,

I'm sure the answer to my question is somewhere in here, but I couldn't be bothered to go through 133 pages posts. I noticed a lot of you on your timeline sent in packet 3 before the embassy even got a chance to send packet 3 to your fiance. Can someone let me know the exact list of things that need to be sent? I'd definitely like to try to do the same and send everything to them before they even send the packet so we can get the earliest interview date possible.

Thanks.

Hey qbertz7

I downloaded the forms from the Thai embassy website and sent in the information early as well, prior to receiving pkt 3. I downloaded the checklist/DS-230 and also sent two photos and a copy of our passport picture pages.

The embassy received our package and scheduled our interview before we ever received the pkt 3. Once the pkt 3 did arrive, I filled out the rest of the forms, gathered up evidence of our ongoing relationship, and took all that to be presented at the actual interview. In our case, this saved us about 3 weeks.

Just make sure that the the NVC has forwarded your petition to Thailand first. As long as they have received it, then you can download the forms/mail prior to receiving pkt 3. Many others seem to have successfully done this as well...

Good luck to you and your fiancee on your Visa Trip! You're getting close!

Peace,

Mark-N-AAm

[qbertz7 1]

Ok, so just to be completely clear, this is exactly what you sent:

1) Signed checklist

2) Form DS-230

3) 2 passport photos (of only the beneficiary or petitioner too?)

4) Copy of BOTH yours and beneficiaries passport photo page.

And this is what contituted packet 3? Everything is just filled out and brought to the interview?