SAWASDEE 2

[*Robert* 2]

I'll tell her not to mess with anything else tonight when we chat and take the papers with me and see if I can't convince her to go to the interview anyway. I doubt she would come in October but maybe in March when they are out again. I thought the visas were good for a year. But she wants to get married while I am there and if that happens the visa is no good anymore. So who knows what we will do. All was fine until her mom and daughter came to visit her in BKK this last weekend so she could take her daughter to the med. appt. And even if they used the visas to come here, if they go back without AP the visas are then no good as I understand it.

That would in fact be a one-way trip, but given the alternative of not coming over at all?

As for getting married while you are there, there is the ceremonial Buddhist type wedding, and then there is going to the Amphur and registering as a married couple.

Until you register with the Amphur, you are not legally married in Thailand. Therefore, it is possible to go through the Buddhist ceremony and not violate the terms of the K-1 visa. Just make sure that if you do this, and exchange rings, and if she comes over on the K-1 visa, that both of you remove your wedding bands when going through Immigration at your POE.

Edited August 14, 2008 by roi_aggie

[Dagobert 0]

Wow! That is very rough this late in the process to find out Tom. I hope that you can work everything out when you visit her. Best of luck to you.

Alvin

[Devkpaik 1]

Tom,

I'm really sorry to hear that. I am sure everything will work out for you guys.

Please keep us updated.

[Nautilus 0]

Does anyone live in El Paso, Texas??

[Kang Lang 7]

hey all, quick question for you...does anyone have an inexpensive way to send money to bkk. my husband is having some custom made shorts done and needs to send money to his friend for the fees it's 500 USD. my own bank wanted to charge $45 which i thought was really expensive. any suggestions are appreciated.

thanks!

lin

[*Robert* 2]

hey all, quick question for you...does anyone have an inexpensive way to send money to bkk. my husband is having some custom made shorts done and needs to send money to his friend for the fees it's 500 USD. my own bank wanted to charge $45 which i thought was really expensive. any suggestions are appreciated.

thanks!

lin

I use my credit union to do a wire transfer, to an account with Bangkok Bank. By going through their NY office to a Chiang Mai branch, it is not considered an international transfer, and only costs me $16 a pop.

[rin and john 71]

I'll tell her not to mess with anything else tonight when we chat and take the papers with me and see if I can't convince her to go to the interview anyway. I doubt she would come in October but maybe in March when they are out again. I thought the visas were good for a year. But she wants to get married while I am there and if that happens the visa is no good anymore. So who knows what we will do. All was fine until her mom and daughter came to visit her in BKK this last weekend so she could take her daughter to the med. appt. And even if they used the visas to come here, if they go back without AP the visas are then no good as I understand it.

That would in fact be a one-way trip, but given the alternative of not coming over at all?

As for getting married while you are there, there is the ceremonial Buddhist type wedding, and then there is going to the Amphur and registering as a married couple.

Until you register with the Amphur, you are not legally married in Thailand. Therefore, it is possible to go through the Buddhist ceremony and not violate the terms of the K-1 visa. Just make sure that if you do this, and exchange rings, and if she comes over on the K-1 visa, that both of you remove your wedding bands when going through Immigration at your POE.

Tom - Robert is correct, no amphur, not legally married. Many do the Buddhist ceremony before coming to the USA for official wedding.

The K1 visa is valid for six months. She could come here within six months of issuance, get married, file for AOS and AP. I think (don't hold me to it since we were K3), once her biometrics are completed, she could theoretically depart. I think the AP is for re-entering the USA and is not touched in any way upon leaving. Check with USCIS. If that is the case, biometric appts are typically about 25 to 30 days after you send in the AOS/AP paperwork. So if you had everything ready, entered the country, married, filed AOS/AP, did biometrics, and then left, she might be able to complete that in under 40 days. She would have to come back for the AOS interview, but right now about 30 to 35% are getting their GC without interview. So there is about a 1 in 3 chance she wouldn't have to come back then.

Another option would be to check with the consulate and find out if the visa could be extended by another six months after the original validity (reason: want daughter to finish school year in Thailand so cannot enter USA until April).

Hope someone with more experience on K1's than I can shed some light on the legalities of the AP.

John

[rin and john 71]

Never mind. Just read the I-131 instructions. If she leaves the USA, they consider her AP application abandoned.

[shawndoc 0]

hey all, quick question for you...does anyone have an inexpensive way to send money to bkk. my husband is having some custom made shorts done and needs to send money to his friend for the fees it's 500 USD. my own bank wanted to charge $45 which i thought was really expensive. any suggestions are appreciated.

thanks!

lin

Moneygram is $14.99 for up to $1,000. On bigger transfers its worth going online and checking out both Western Union and Moneygram. Western Union always has a higher fee for the transfer, but often has better currency conversion rates that compensate for the higher fees.

That's one of the reasons I don't use my bank to do wire transfers, they won't tell me how much baht will be put in the bank until after the transfer.

[Tom and Teaw 1]

Thanks for all your kind words and help but I don't think any amount of talking is going to get her to change her mind, unfortunately. Trying to get her and her daughter over in Oct. would not work out I am sure if she went ahead with the interview. And her daughter would have to be back for the start of school and the AP would not come fast enough. Although I do believe they can be out of the country and use the AP to return. I know about the marriage part and she has already said we'd go sign the papers and it would be registered, etc. No Buddhist ceremony for her as she considers herself Christian. I'll just have to wait and see what she says tonight. I think she is already looking for work and working on a new place to live so her daughter can come down from Korat. True, we might be able to get the visa extended so her daughter could finish the school year. I'll talk to her about that and see if that might help so they can at least come over for a visit. The other bright thing is I will save money on airfare!!!! My biggest gripe is the money I have spent on a new passport for her daughter, photos, filing, etc etc that I can't get back now. Would rather be spending it on this trip.

[daboyz 36]

hey all, quick question for you...does anyone have an inexpensive way to send money to bkk. my husband is having some custom made shorts done and needs to send money to his friend for the fees it's 500 USD. my own bank wanted to charge $45 which i thought was really expensive. any suggestions are appreciated.

thanks!

lin

Moneygram is $14.99 for up to $1,000. On bigger transfers its worth going online and checking out both Western Union and Moneygram. Western Union always has a higher fee for the transfer, but often has better currency conversion rates that compensate for the higher fees.

That's one of the reasons I don't use my bank to do wire transfers, they won't tell me how much baht will be put in the bank until after the transfer.

If you only need to do it once, then Moneygram is the way to go. I sent my wife a prepaid debit/visa card. It costs $5-$6 every time I load cash on it. You can load it at many places including Western Union. Then she can just use the ATM in Thailand, or use it as a Visa card for purchases. This is the one I use:

https://www.capitaloneprepaid.com/

[Kang Lang 7]

thank you shawndoc! we really appreciate it.

[*Robert* 2]

Thanks for all your kind words and help but I don't think any amount of talking is going to get her to change her mind, unfortunately. Trying to get her and her daughter over in Oct. would not work out I am sure if she went ahead with the interview. And her daughter would have to be back for the start of school and the AP would not come fast enough. Although I do believe they can be out of the country and use the AP to return. I know about the marriage part and she has already said we'd go sign the papers and it would be registered, etc. No Buddhist ceremony for her as she considers herself Christian. I'll just have to wait and see what she says tonight. I think she is already looking for work and working on a new place to live so her daughter can come down from Korat. True, we might be able to get the visa extended so her daughter could finish the school year. I'll talk to her about that and see if that might help so they can at least come over for a visit. The other bright thing is I will save money on airfare!!!! My biggest gripe is the money I have spent on a new passport for her daughter, photos, filing, etc etc that I can't get back now. Would rather be spending it on this trip.

Tom, I don't even know you, but I certainly feel for you. You seem to be taking this in stride, which is way better than I would have! (Either that or you're doing a damn good job of hiding your feelings/anger!)

I have to think the reason for you keeping your cool is because you plan on retiring in Thailand within 2 to 3 years, but that's still a long time to be apart, not to mention the cost of travel if you want to go visit her. I myself can't handle long distance relationships, but some people do very well.

Must say this is the first Thai woman I have heard of that is Christian, which is definitely a surprise. If that's the case, then I guess you don't have to worry about Sinsord?!!!

Hope things work out.

[Tom and Teaw 1]

Well, I am pretty pissed, more at the money part of it and the fact that her daughter came down last weekend and they went and did the medical exams which I paid for....so why didn't she tell me before I gave her the money for that??? I can survive the money part of it, although I'd rather still have it. But I guess I am at the point in my life where nothing surprises me and honestly, I kind of know what she means about not wanting to leave her daughter. If I had had to leave my girls when they were small I am sure I would have gone pretty nuts. Does not excuse the fact that if she was thinking seriously about it not telling me sooner.

As far as long distance, we talk so much on the phone, internet, email that we don't really miss each other that much other than the physical company sometimes. And I have been over there 8 times the past almost 3 years to see her.

She was here for 90 days in 2005 and got introduced to Christian religion and read the Bible and stuff so she has sort of moved that way. But there are actually more Thai women there that are Christian than you would think. One day on the skytrain I ran into two Mormon missionaries which surprised me. And I am past the point of EVER paying a sinsod or dowry since I have supported her totally for over a year and paid for he yoga training, etc. and paid for her daughter's private school and a few other things. So I don't feel I owe anyone in the family one friggin cent!!! Of course, whenever we go out with her cousin and half-sister...who live together...I am the one who always pays, the rich farang, you know?

[*Robert* 2]

I hear ya Tom! And I definitely know ALL about the "rich farang" part. Bites me in the butt all the time, even though I hardly consider myself near as wealthy as some of the people over there do!

I have been very fortunate with my MIL, and she does not expect any money out of me. My wife will send her money for her birthday or mother's day, but that's it.

It just sucks that this had to happen now, as you said, instead of sooner.

Mai Dee Mak Mak!