SAWASDEE 2

[HYENA 4]

How many wedding dates do you intend to have?! There is no reason to rush to a court house to get married, because 90 days is plenty of time to plan and get married, especially if you've already done some ground work, like finding a wedding planner, or someone like that.

Robert

Well in my case, the rush is saving 1000s of dollars if we have the wedding by December 31. The difference in income taxes between filing "single" and "married filing jointly" is pretty big. I know it's not romantic, but we discussed it and she thought it was a good idea... and after all, we had the unofficial Buddhist ceremony in Thailand back in August.

So we are doing the same thing. Courthouse wedding in December... family wedding later.

Well that's one good reason for getting married by Dec 31st!

Yeah, in our case, not sure it would have made up the difference for the more expensive flight though! Oh well.

Does anyone know a good Website (free or otherwise) to download contemporary Isan music? I kind of like it (in small doses) and was hoping to surprise my SO by having some MP3s for her to make her feel at home.

Thanks!

What a GREAT IDEA!

My Tilac said she didn't want to talk to any Thai people here once she comes because she "heard" (geez, they put SO MUCH WEIGHT on gossip and what they "hear") that the women are catty and think they're richer than so and so and the catty competition is just as bad here as it is there (I do know it's ruthless and nasty there).

I think it would be great to find some Thais locally but she told me yesterday "everybody say not do...everybody say lady not nice once they move to farang country". I tried to tell her everyone's different but that's what I get for finding a small town girl. They rely heavily on what they hear and gossip.

I guess all I can do is try and show her there are plenty of others just like her over here.

[HYENA 4]

My approval was almost 5 months later. I didn't have any touches as well before approval.

I'm only a few days behind you

Everyone's rolling through..even my time counters are old, broken and moldy...

[symbiosis 0]

How many wedding dates do you intend to have?! There is no reason to rush to a court house to get married, because 90 days is plenty of time to plan and get married, especially if you've already done some ground work, like finding a wedding planner, or someone like that.

Robert

Well in my case, the rush is saving 1000s of dollars if we have the wedding by December 31. The difference in income taxes between filing "single" and "married filing jointly" is pretty big. I know it's not romantic, but we discussed it and she thought it was a good idea... and after all, we had the unofficial Buddhist ceremony in Thailand back in August.

So we are doing the same thing. Courthouse wedding in December... family wedding later.

Well that's one good reason for getting married by Dec 31st!

Yeah, in our case, not sure it would have made up the difference for the more expensive flight though! Oh well.

Does anyone know a good Website (free or otherwise) to download contemporary Isan music? I kind of like it (in small doses) and was hoping to surprise my SO by having some MP3s for her to make her feel at home.

Thanks!

What a GREAT IDEA!

My Tilac said she didn't want to talk to any Thai people here once she comes because she "heard" (geez, they put SO MUCH WEIGHT on gossip and what they "hear") that the women are catty and think they're richer than so and so and the catty competition is just as bad here as it is there (I do know it's ruthless and nasty there).

I think it would be great to find some Thais locally but she told me yesterday "everybody say not do...everybody say lady not nice once they move to farang country". I tried to tell her everyone's different but that's what I get for finding a small town girl. They rely heavily on what they hear and gossip.

I guess all I can do is try and show her there are plenty of others just like her over here.

That's interesting. My fiancee and I had the exact same conversation -- me trying to hook her up with the local Thai community and she saying she's not interested. I wonder if that will change though.

[symbiosis 0]

Weird question: are khon thai sensitive to humidity (or the lack thereof) in the U.S. during winter? I'm thinking I might need to get a humidifier.

[toma1 10]

Weird question: are khon thai sensitive to humidity (or the lack thereof) in the U.S. during winter? I'm thinking I might need to get a humidifier.

Depends where you live... Anna had a lot of problems with dry skin in NYC and we were only there for 5 days. No complaints since we've been in Florida, though.

[orlandoiam 0]

Visa received a couple months back! Here's a few of the details... I could go into more detail if needed but it's a pain to whip out all the paperwork again. Just thankful it's over. A bit anti-climatic, actually. All the meticulous and stressful gathering of life info and then just a quick visit to embassy and all is done. Here's a bit of the details:

Our original interview date was about the last week of October 2008. We had all the paperwork but my finances (or ablity to support my fiance)was in question. I had been living in Thailand for the past five years-- so though my paycheck was more than ample for Thailand living-- when converted I was a pauper on paper.

We had even filled out a second affadavit of support from my parents (before the interview) showing we would live with them until we had saved enough to be self-sufficient but the embassy needed further proof I would be living with my parents. (to ensure he wouldn't be going on the dole upon entry to the U.S.) They told us to collect necessary paperwork to prove my future living situation.

So, I filled out a voter registration card, some taxes and a rental form from my parents to provide further proof of future address and returned with the paperwork about 2 weeks later in November.

Day of interview returned the extra paperwork and no questions were asked of either myself or fiance. Just was silently given a card stating to pick up his visa the next day? or a day or two later. Which we happily did.

We flew into the U.S. in early December and are currently living with my parents in the cold cold cold.

As for the humidifier question from SYMBIOSIS: I totally recommend it. I was only living there for five years and I'm getting nosebleeds from the dry heat. It's pretty darn terrible.

[HYENA 4]

Weird question: are khon thai sensitive to humidity (or the lack thereof) in the U.S. during winter? I'm thinking I might need to get a humidifier.

I was born here and I have a humidifier (prevents a bloody nose without a single punch thrown)! My son has the same problem so just one in the house is enough to keep your nose from turning into a potato chip and falling off!

I had a whole house one in a townhouse I had and I'd crank it up during the winter for the fun of it and it felt like a rain forest...but things started to grow on the windowsills so I had to stop. Orchids loved it and doubled their size, though!

[HYENA 4]

My approval was almost 5 months later. I didn't have any touches as well before approval.

On January 3 will be 6 months from date sent....January 14 will be 6 months from NOA1. I think I'll bust a move at the end of this week if I don't hear anything...just to abuse the powers that be.

[HYENA 4]

My approval was almost 5 months later. I didn't have any touches as well before approval.

On January 3 will be 6 months from date sent....January 14 will be 6 months from NOA1. I think I'll bust a move at the end of this week if I don't hear anything...just to abuse the powers that be.

I can't count! Bought too much gold for sin sod--dizzy here!

It looks like VSC is working on my week now! I think it should come this week looking at the dates.....

They've got some catching up to do...fatties been sitting around eating holiday cake and cookies! Cole weather makes ya eat (makes me want to go to Thailand and get heated up)!

I want it to come NOW (but I'll need just a little time to make emergency money fast as I can! I want a nice wedding cereMOANy....gonna stay for 6 weeks (unless my friend drives me nuts, which he is-maybe shave that down to a month)...tried to teach him to speak what little Thai I know he throws in the towel and second guesses going at all. I told him scams are 90% less and he could meet his potential gf half way by making an effort (but noooo). Sometimes I don't understand (some) American's reluctance to learn a language like the rest of the educated world...Whatever.....I'm going for me! He gives me any flack and he can fend for himself!

Edited December 29, 2008 by HYENA

[eric_f 0]

Anyone else get two identical letters from the NVC? I got two dated a week apart stating that they had received my case from uscis. ?? :S

[*Robert* 2]

Anyone else get two identical letters from the NVC? I got two dated a week apart stating that they had received my case from uscis. ?? :S

But hey... two is better than one!

[birch- phuk_beer 0]

54 die in nightclub fire in Bangkok

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081231/ap_on_..._nightclub_fire

[dvddvd 0]

54 die in nightclub fire in Bangkok

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081231/ap_on_..._nightclub_fire

Yes, just saw that horrible story myself. Spent New Years Eve in Bangkok a couple of years ago (on Ratchada) and I remember being really nervous in the club because of all the hand held flame thowers that were being used during the shows. Don't get me wrong, I really like that Thailand isn't overly regulated, etc., but on that night I made sure that we sat by an exit.

dvd

[birch- phuk_beer 0]

y wife were in BKK last year, down near the palace....insane

[toma1 10]

Anyone know a good long distance company for Thailand?