CrazyExpat

The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, commonly known as AIDS is the most advanced stage of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. Basically, persons who are suffering from aids become weak due their defective immune system. The HIV virus was globally recognized as a lentivirus, meaning "slow virus", which gradually attacks the immune system. HIV and AIDS Immigration Ban In history, the first cases of AIDS in the United States were recorded when gay men from California and New York were infected in the 1980's. The outspread of the disease in the world was so fast that in 1986 more than 85,000 cases of AIDS infection have been reported from 85 countries. Due to the fear of the disease and shortage of health resources, the Department of Health and Human Services added to the list of communicable diseases. This act prohibited HIV infected persons from entering the United States and prevented residents infected form acquiring legal permanent residency. The ban became stricter due to the passage an amendment on the HIV immigration law which removed the rule allowing HIV infected immigrants to stay in the US if they have been in the US continuously for seven years provided they would suffer extreme hardship if required to return home. Under the amendment, a family member of the immigrant should be the one who will suffer exceptional and extreme hardship rather than the applicant alone. Lifting of the Ban After 22 years of discrimination, the ban has been finally lifted by President Obama. This Monday, January 4, 2010, the fight to remove the ban finally ended. This change brought hope to potential immigrants who are infected with HIV but want to reunite with their family in US. This certainly is one of the best moves in US Immigration law. Siam Legal International provides services for K1 Visa Thailand and K3 Visa Thailand. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm and provides a wide range of legal and Thailand visa services. Martin Juarez is a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Juarez

The use of a Thai Visa application to generally refer to visiting the immigration office or Thai embassy/consulate overseas to obtain, renew or extend an entry permit is a common misnomer among baffled neophyte expats in Thailand. While the difference doesn't really matter to the common Thai visa applicant whose main concern is to successfully obtain his pass, it certainly helps to be familiar with these different terms especially for future reference in relation to the maintenance of your long term visa in Thailand. Moreover, it also facilitates a more efficient communication with your visa agent who may be well-versed with these common terms and may be using it to explain the procedures to you. Below are the common terminologies that are used in applying for a Thailand Visa: Thai visa application as the word implies generally refers to obtaining an entry permit from the Thai embassy or consulate abroad. Depending on your circumstances and the type of entry permit being applied for it can also be done inside Thailand. Thai Visa application is the initial procedure prior to Thai visa extension as current entry permits are subject to extensions when needed. For example, the usual retirement visa application procedure starts with a NON O Visa application from the Thai embassy applicant's home country. This is usually a 90-day pass. The same process goes with the Non B application. An initial 90-day B visa is given to the applicant during the application. These initial visas are then extended into one year retirement or one year or another 90 day B visas as long as the requirements are met. Thai Visa extension, therefore, is carried out to lengthen or extend current entry permits whose validity is due for extension. The extension is granted as long as requirements are met. Extensions are normally done at any immigration office across the kingdom. A 60-day tourist visa for example can be extended for one month at the at the immigration office for a fee of 1900 Baht. Thai Visa Conversion refers to the switching from one visa type to another. Say a business to a retirement visa. There are certain travel documents that can be switched without the necessity to leave Thailand. If you have a competent visa agent then you may need to go out of the country anymore when switching the said travel document into another type. Thai Visa renewal is another term you may need to wont yourself to especially if you are not a Thai PR holder in Thailand. Most long term entry permits are good for one year however they are subject to renewal with the proper requirements. A retirement visa for example is renewed for another year as long as you have the required funds. A marriage visa can be renewed as long as you are still married and you have the required funds. The good thing about this type of renewal is that it's simple and straightforward as long as you have the requirements. Thai Visa Validity refers to the entire period the visa is valid. This is normally stamped in your passport when you enter to Thailand so you have to be wary with this date to avoid overstay fine later on. This should not be confused with the validity of the visa (or the grace period) prior to entering Thailand once the visa is obtained from the Thai embassy abroad. This is normally indicated with the phrase "ENTER BEFORE (DATE)" in the visa itself. Thai visa terminologies are best understood as you do them or experience them in context. The next time you apply, extend, convert or renew your visa you should be able to know these differences already. Having yourself informed with these basic terms would make you feel at ease and confident in your next Thai visa application. Siam Legal International provides Thailand lawyer services to foreign nationalities who desire Thailand Visa services. You can also locate the location of the Thai embassies and consulates at the Thai Embassy website. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm that provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com to know more about Thailand Visa. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

Ordinary expats in Thailand wishing to extend their stay in the kingdom may find it difficult fitting themselves in the various Thai visas offered by the Thai government. However, those who are married to Thai locals have got little to worry about. Marriage Visa in Thailand Immigration privileges are among the countless benefits of being married to a Thai. A foreign spouse of a Thai national is entitled to apply for a Thai marriage visa aka Non Immigrant Category O visa. This particular Thai visa can be applied for immediately after marriage, subsequently allowing the foreign spouse a renewable yearly stay in Thailand. Fortunately, the process for the Thai Marriage Visa application is rather straightforward and the requirements are quite minimal. The most important requirements when applying for a marriage visa to Thailand are; you are married to a Thai national and you or your Thai spouse is financially capable of supporting your stay in Thailand. To prove your on-going marital relationship with your Thai spouse, you have to show the original of your marriage certificate and have your Thai spouse accompany you when submitting the visa application as the visa officer will be interviewing her about your marriage. This is especially required when doing the visa application inside Thailand. On a positive note, medical certificate and police record are no more required when Thai Marriage Visa application is done in Thailand. Financial Requirements As far as the financial requirements for marriage visa in Thailand are concerned, there are two ways to meet them. One is to open a bank account, deposit 400,000 Baht into it and then wait for at least two months prior to making the Thai marriage visa application. The 2nd option is to show a proof of 40,000 Baht monthly /pension income. To do this, you need to obtain a pension/ employment letter stating your job or source of your pension and monthly income. This you bring to your embassy in Thailand for verification. Your embassy in turn will provide you an affidavit of income which you use for the visa application. In addition to this document, you may be required of your income tax and latest bank statements by the Visa officer. In case you don't qualify for the income requirement but your Thai spouse is, she can just as well handle the financial requirements. She just needs to present employment letter and income tax if she's employed and business registration certificate, balance sheet and business tax if she's self-employed. Application Process The actual application procedure is simple. An applicant who has 21 days left in his/her current visa can apply a 90 day visa initially then have this visa converted into One year Marriage visa before it expires. Those who have non immigrant Thai visa can proceed to visa conversion directly as soon as their visa is due to its expiration. You and your Thai spouse can go to the nearest Thai immigration with your documents to proceed with the visa application. Those who are not qualified to do the Marriage visa application in Thailand because of their invalid current visas can go to bordering countries to secure new entry visas and then apply marriage visa in Thailand as appropriate. Summary Obtaining the Thai marriage visa can be accomplished by following the guidelines outlined above. If you have yet to marry your Thai fiancee you should research the laws and procedures for Marriage Registration in Thailand for your respective nationality. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm and provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com.

Settling in the UK with your Thai fiance proves to be your best option if your bread and butter in the UK is keeping you from permanently relocating to Thailand. A UK settlement visa in the form of a fiance visa is your key to bringing your Thai fiance to stay with you in the UK for good. This is true for those couples contemplating of getting married in the UK then proceed in adjusting their fiance's immigration status after marriage. UK Fiancee Visa Requirements Applying a UK fiancee visa for your Thai fiance necessitates meeting two important requirements: your relationship with your Thai fiancee and your financial status in the UK. Establishing a believable and an on-going relationship between you and your fiancee requires your having known each other and being together for a period of time not less than 6 months. This should be seen as a logical requirement after all you are sponsoring someone to the UK who will hopefully become your long time partner in life. The longer you have known each other, the better. Apart from this, you also need to show tangible proofs of your genuine existing relationship in the forms of email exchanges, photos together in various places, money transfer receipts, telephone bills, boarding passes to Thailand and any other pieces of evidence that could validate your existing relationship. You would also need to provide proof of your freedom to marry certificate and if you have been married before a divorce certificate or spousal death certificate should be provided to attest the dissolution of your previous marriage. Finally, you would need to write a letter detailing the milestones of your relationship, how it started and developed to become what it is now. This in turn becomes a literature for all the pieces of relationship evidence you have so far collected. Just recently the British embassy also started requiring a letter of intent to marry from a registrar in the UK for the visa applicant and the British fiance. This, however, would require the presence of the foreign fiancee in the UK at the registrar's office before this letter is issued. Contacting the municipal registrar in your area on how to go with this is the best thing to do to be able to address this requirement. Your fiancee also needs to undergo a medical check up to check her health status. They are particularly concerned with checking if she has Tuberculosis. You would need to call the IOM center in Bangkok to schedule her check-up and anticipate corresponding medical check up fee. She would also need to secure a police record to prove her being a good citizen. This needs to be obtained at the Royal Thai police which can take up to 2 weeks to have it finally issued. Your financial position in the UK is the next crucial requirement in question. The rational behind this is that the UK government wants to make sure that you would be able to support your future wife's stay in the country without any recourse to public funds. To show them your financial capability, you would need to provide your last 6 months bank statements; at least 3 recent pay slips, employment letter, House Title deed or Mortgage Agreement and photos of your house. This is aside from the sponsorship letter which confirms your desire to sponsor her stay in the UK. Speaking of the sponsorship letter, it's advised to include in it your sincere intention of marrying your fiancee once she gets there and supporting her financially and morally and purchasing her airfare ticket and travel insurance after she has obtained her visa successfully. Process The UK fiance visa application follows a simple process. Nonetheless, it is advised to take it seriously as remedying a refused visa application proves to be a more difficult ordeal. A good way to start the process would be to familiarize yourselves with the details of the whole procedure i.e. expected time frame, costs, required documents among others. It would be good to list down all the required documents from both ends and start collecting them the soonest possible. In filling out the visa application forms it would be prudent to start with a draft and if there are questions unclear to you, it's always good to ask UK visa professionals. You can also call the British embassy to clarify confusing items in the visa application forms. As for your fiancé's important documents in Thai i.e. Birth certificate and Single Certificate, they would need to be translated into English and legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once the aforementioned required documents are collected and fully prepared, you can proceed with submitting your visa application at VFS in Bangkok which will turn over to the UK consular Section. It would take approximately 3 months to process the visa application before the result of the visa application gets issued. If interview is required, the processing time would expectedly take longer. Your Thai fiancé is initially allowed to stay in the UK for 6 months if she gets the visa. After marriage in the UK, her immigration status can be adjusted accordingly that she may be able to stay and work there for good. Costs Aside from the service fee of the visa agent, you would also need to anticipate other fees like embassy fees, medical check-up fee and translation fees. Summary The UK fiancee visa application demands a thorough preparation of the required documents. It is therefore advised to enlist the service of UK visa specialists to guide you and your Thai fiancee with the visa application process. UK visa professionals who speak both Thai and English and have broad experience in assisting UK visa in Thailand are recommended to carry out the task for you. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service international law firm and provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

While it is easy for Americans to come to Thailand for a holiday, Thais and other nationalities have to undergo a thorough procedure in obtaining a tourist visa that they may be able to enter the US for vacation. Nature of a Tourist Visa Obtaining a travel permit to visit the US proves to be very difficult to obtain particularly for ordinary Thai applicants relying on the invitation of their American friends, fiancé, spouse or relatives. The US government's rigorous immigration procedure may be accounted for their inherent assumption when dealing with non-immigrant visa applications. The officer when evaluating the application immediately assumes that the tourist visa applicant who is seeking admittance to the US is in fact eyeing for a permanent stay in the country. As such, this assumption needs to be overcome successfully by the applicant in such a way that he/she will be issued the necessary entry permit. However, it's important to note that the application is evaluated subjectively and its approval or denial is entirely on the discretion of the officer evaluating the application. This is the reason why compared to other entry permit types a tourist visa has a lower success rate. It is also the reason why an application is still denied despite the applicant's providing all the necessary requirements to substantiate his/her visit to the US. Preparing for the Application As the evaluation of the tourist visa application is solely based on the applicant's capacity to prove that he can support himself financially through out his stay in the US and that he comes back to Thailand after his allowed visit, it's a must that the applicant has the following qualifications in support of his entry permit application. First would be a decent and a stable job in Thailand. An employment letter or contract, income tax and pay slips are some ways to substantiate this. A 6-month job stint might not be enough to establish the stability of your employment but it's definitely better than nothing. A job involving prostitution or working in a bar or night club doesn't add appeal to your application so it might not be good declaring it. Second, you have to show assets and properties in Thailand. Assets can be in the form of cars, a piece of land, a house among others. Land or House Title deed, Mortgage agreement, Car registration certificate and other documents can be submitted to prove your possession of these assets. Supposing you own a business in Thailand, you would need to show your business registration certificate, income tax, balance sheet among others. A savings account with substantial amount of deposit in it could also serve as one of the evidence to prove your financial capability. You can ask your bank for your latest 6-month bank statements or you can show your passbooks for this matter. Just a note on the savings account, having a big money in your bank account doesn't guarantee a successful application though it helps establish your financial status. However, if your sponsor abroad plans depositing an amount of money in your bank account just to show that you have money, make sure that the funds have been deposited discretely not in a lump sum as this will be obvious. Finally, if you have your family or children in Thailand, then you can mention them as your dependants to support your visa application. Don't also miss to provide an outline of your itinerary detailing the whereabouts of your trips i.e. accommodation and places to visit. What if you don't have most of the above qualifications as you rely on the sponsorship of your American relative, boyfriend or friend? This would considerably make your chances even more slimmer. However, you can still proceed with the application. As mentioned above the approval or denial of your application is entirely on the discretion of the officer. For family members visiting their relatives or families in the US their situations are viewed differently. The Application Process After familiarizing yourself with the requirements and procedure of the tourist entry permit application, you may now start collecting the required documents. You have to collect as many evidence as you can to support your application. If your documents are in Thai, make sure to translate them into English. If you are going to the US via sponsorship, make sure that your sponsor provides sponsorship letter detailing your relationship and his intention to support you while you are in the US. He might need to provide bank statements or employment certificate to validate his good financial status in the US. When everything is in order you can already contact the US embassy to schedule the submission of your documents and for the interview. The US embassy in Bangkok as well as the US consulate in Chiang Mai accepts and processes tourist visa applications. The processing time normally takes 2-3 business days and the result of the application is issued accordingly. During the interview, be prepared to answer questions like how will you support your stay in the US, what will you do in the US among others. A confident applicant would likely give a better impression on the visa officer than a nervous one. In this regard, you have to anticipate all possible questions that the officer may ask you in relation to your visa application and practice answering them. Using a Visa Agent If you want to increase the chances of your tourist visa application getting approved, it might be good enlisting the services of US visa professionals to assist you with this endeavor. You would greatly benefit from their expertise in going over the visa application therefore ensuring better chances for your visa application. Be mindful though about unscrupulous visa agents. Look for the established and registered ones with proven track of record in US visa assistance. Summary Obtaining a US tourist visa proves to be a difficult ordeal especially for ordinary applicants. Apart from proper planning and familiarizing yourself with the requirements and procedure, it would also be good to consult with US visa professionals to personally guide you with the visa application. A money you spend for them maybe worth it if you don't need to do the application again the second time. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm and licensed US visa attorneys that provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

Some foreign nationals who would like to visit Thailand for a period not exceeding 30 days can enter the country without a visa provided that they hold a return ticket with them. This is referred to as the Visa Exemption Rule or Visa Exemption Scheme being implemented by the Thai Immigration. Thailand and some countries have certain diplomatic and bilateral agreements providing this visa exemption privilege to the citizens of the countries involved. Brazilians, Peruvians and South Koreans in particular can stay in Thailand for 90 days without a visa owing to their countries' special agreement with Thailand. Currently, there are 41 countries and two Administrative Regions whose citizens can enter Thailand via this immigration privilege for the sole purpose of tourism. 1. Australia: Commonwealth of Australia 2. Austria: Republic of Austria 3. Belgium: Kingdom of Belgium 4. Brazil: Federative Republic of Brazil 5. Bahrain: State of Bahrain 6. Brunei Darussalam: Negara Brunei Darussalam 7. Canada 8. Denmark: Kingdom of Denmark 9. Finland: Republic of Finland 10. France: French Republic 11. Germany: Federal Republic of Germany 12. Greece: Hellenic Republic 13. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 14. Iceland: Republic of Iceland 15. Indonesia: Republic of Indonesia 16. Ireland: Republic of Ireland 17. Israel: State of Israel 18. Italy: Republic of Italy 19. Japan 20. Korea: Republic of Korea 21. Kuwait: State of Kuwait 22. Luxembourg: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg 23. Malaysia 24. Monaco: Principality of Monaco 25. Netherlands: Kingdom of the Netherlands 26. New Zealand 27. Norway: Kingdom of Norway 28. Oman: Sultanate of Oman 29. Peru: Republic of Peru 30. Philippines: Republic of the Philippines 31. Portugal: Republic of Portugal 32. Qatar: State of Qatar 33. Singapore: Republic of Singapore 34. Spain: Kingdom of Spain 35. South Africa: Republic of South Africa 36. Sweden: Kingdom of Sweden 37. Switzerland: Swiss Confederation 38. Turkey: Republic of Turkey 39. United Arab Emirates 40. United Kingdom: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 41. United States of America 42. Vietnam: Socialist Republic of Vietnam Apart from the return ticket, the Thai immigration officer may ask for proof of financial support in the forms of cash which is THB 10,000 Baht per person or THB 20,000 per family. The 30-day visa is stamped at the passport control booth at any international airports in Thailand. Those who arrive by land via the border are only given 15-day visa. If you would like to apply for a Thailand Visa you may contact either a Thai visa service center or a Thai Embassy near you. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm and provides a wide range of legal and Thailand visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

Undeniably, Thais are slowly getting enamored with the unique appeal of Australia as their new favored holiday destination. A visit to Australia to explore educational and employment prospects while checking the opera house in Sydney on the side or hopping with the kangaroos in Tasmania for the more adventurous ones or to meet with their Australian friends or boyfriends and relatives or simply to experience the Down Under side of life are some of the compelling reasons Thais love to go to Australia for a holiday. However, it's never easy to realize this plan especially in the case of ordinary Thais who need to undergo the visa application procedure to be able to enter Australia for a visit. Admittedly, the visa application is a complicated process especially for first time applicants who are not familiar with the procedure. Tourist Visa types As Thais are precluded from applying Electronic Travel Authority, an Australian visitor visa equivalent that can be applied online or organized by travel agents and airlines, they are left with the option to do the tourist visa application the usual way. In particular, Thais are qualified to apply tourist visa under the following visitor visa subclasses: Tourist visa (subclass 676) - This is a temporary visa that allows the applicant to stay in Australia for either three, six or even a year. Sponsored Family Visitor visa (subclass 679) - This visa is for applicants who wish to visit their family or relatives in Australia for a maximum stay period of 12 months. This requires formal sponsorship from the Australian citizen or permanent resident visited. Requirements Just like when applying for tourist visas for other countries, the Australian tourist visa application entails meeting particular requirements to be granted the visa. The Australian government would like to make sure that the visa applicant is coming back to his home country after his allowed visit to Australia so it's necessary proving your strong ties with Thailand. Your ties with Thailand can be in the form of your stable employment, assets and properties, savings accounts and dependents. These ties need to be properly established and documented to be acknowledged by the embassy. Apart from these ties, the visa officer will also be looking at the applicant's financial position. Are you financially capable of supporting yourself throughout your stay in Australia? Or if you are going there through the sponsorship of your Australian friend or relatives, are your sponsors financially stable to handle your expenses and provide you accommodation when you get there? For this requirement, you need to show savings account or income statement, bank statements and other proofs of your financial capability. Your sponsor will also need to declare his desire to sponsor you by subjecting himself to financial check up by the AUS government. This is part of his making the formal sponsorship process. Finally, it's always good to include a copy of your itinerary in your application to show the officer your clear purpose of stay in the country. Process For the normal tourist visa otherwise known as subclass 676, the usual visa application process applies. The visa applicant fills out the application form and provides documentations in support of his or her visa application. The documentations include his itinerary, savings account, passbooks, and property title deeds, health insurance, among others. Once everything is ready and complete, he can go to the Australian embassy and lodge his visa application. A corresponding visa application fee is expected. The embassy takes 5-10 working days to process your visa application. Applicants under Sponsored Visitor Visa, on the other hand, follow a more detailed procedure for the visa application. It involves two steps as follows: Step 1 - The applicant fills out the application form and sends this along with relevant supporting documentations to his Australian sponsor. Step 2 - The sponsor fills out the sponsorship form and then submits this along with all visa application forms, documentations. The sponsor will also pay the visa application in behalf of the visa applicant being sponsored It should be noted that applications by sponsorship can be lodged at the nearest Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) office. Normally, visa applications are processed in the state or territory where the sponsor lives. It takes 6 weeks to process this visa type but can take longer depending on your circumstances. Post Visa application If your visa application is approved, a visa label will be stamped on your passport containing visa details and conditions. You should be wary about these details and ask the officer if there's a detail which isn't clear to you. If your visa is not approved, the embassy will send you a refusal letter detailing the reasons for the refusal, your review rights and the deadline for lodging an appeal (if applicable). Summary Frankly speaking, you can do the AUS tourist visa application by yourself. However, if you are not confident that you are doing the right thing because you don't really understand the process and the requirements, it's just prudent to enlist the services of a reputable visa agent to assist you with the visa application. The visa agent shall be able to help with the proper way of doing the visa application thereby increasing the chances of your visa application getting approved. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal network. Apart from corresponding with the firm's foreign clients, he has a relatively long experience assisting visa applicants on their UK, US and Thai immigration concerns through working with his immigration-experts Thai colleagues in personally handling and dealing with the clients' cases. Siam Legal International has offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm and provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

The submission of the visa application and the interview that goes with it comprises the finale of the long and arduous journey of obtaining a K visa or an immigrant visa to the US. The interview is normally done at the US embassy in the applicant's home country or residence. In Thailand, the US embassy in Bangkok also accepts and processes non-Thai immigrant visa applications provided that the foreigner is legally working and residing in Thailand and for K3 visas if the marriage was registered in Thailand. Lao citizens and Cambodians normally have their immigrant visa applications processed at the US embassy in Bangkok. While the interview only requires an hour or two stay at the US embassy, this final part of the K Visa application process is very important. It's the moment the applicant validates herself and her claims by submitting her visa application documents and answering questions from the probing visa officer. The questions vary from personal to general so you have to familiarize yourself about your US fiancé's personal details and your relationship details as these might put you on the hotspot later on. Common Interview Problems To prepare for the interview part of the visa application, it might be prudent to look at the most common reasons why immigrant visa applications are denied at the US embassy in Bangkok. Knowing these common reasons would make you anticipate what documents to bring to remedy potential problems. The reasons include the following: Missing affidavit of Support or if not it's incomplete - You have to make sure that your American fiancé or spouse has filed an I-864. Or better yet, bring an original copy of the accomplished affidavit of support form by your sponsor. You can also show a copy of his latest Federal tax return so bring this, too. Inadequate proof or evidence of on-going and genuine relationship - You need to be ready to establish your on-going relationship with your American fiancé or spouse. Compile all email exchanges, photos together, and money transfer receipts, boarding passes, marriage certificate and other pieces of evidence to show your relationship. Inability to express oneself in English during the interview - It would be good to anticipate the questions that the visa officer would be asking and practice yourself answering them. You could ask the officer to repeat the question if you didn't understand it. Answer his questions clearly and honestly. Post-Interview The US embassy in Bangkok despite the volume of applications that they have to process tries their best to process visa applications as timely as possible. The visa maybe granted immediately after interview after a few hours of evaluating it. Or the embassy may advise you to come on another date to pick up your visa. If there are missing documents or additional documents which the embassy requires, the processing of the visa will be logically take longer. You just have to turn over these documents that you maybe able to obtain the visa. Speaking about documents that you have to submit to the embassy, it's always prudent to make photocopies of them. Original copies may be required to be submitted but important documents which you need to keep need to be photocopied. You may furnish the embassy with the photocopy. You can show the original copy should the officer ask you about it. Denied Visa Application If a visa application is denied, the officer will likely explain the reason for the visa rejection. If you enlisted the service of a visa agent, they should be able to explain the reason to you further and hopefully, find ways to remedy the problem. If not then it might be good consulting with US visa professionals to assist you with your reapplication. Summary The interview part of the US immigrant visa application is the last stage of your long wait to finally get hold of your dream visa. Messing up with the finale due to lack of preparation is certainly the least thing you would like to happen. To ensure your strong chances from start to finish, it's recommended enlisting the services of US visa Lawyers to guide you with the whole journey. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm and licensed US visa attorneys and provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

Foreigners come to Thailand for various reasons. Some are here to conduct short term business while others to simply enjoy the amazing wonders of the Land of Smiles. Unfortunately, the validity of the Thai visa intended for these purposes are limited to the usual 90-day duration often in the form of a 60-day tourist visa plus a 30-day extension. Those who want to stay longer are forced to do the border run which is done every 15 days for a maximum period of three years or leave the country and come back by plane giving them another 30 day visa stamp at airport immigration. However these alternatives are rather inconvenient and expensive. Well, in fact, some nationalities like Europeans (mostly nationals of the European Union members), Americans, Australians and Canadians can actually avail a One year multiple entry visa to Thailand in the form of a Non Immigrant B visa that they maybe be able to come and stay in Thailand for a year. This One year Thai visa can be applied in person or by mail at the Thai consulates or Thai embassies abroad such as those found in the UK which accept and process visa application from UK citizens and permanent residents and EU nationals. There are also some Thai embassies in Australia which process this visa and their procedures are rather simple and straightforward. The ones in North America and Canada are also very efficient and attend to visa applications promptly. Only citizens of these countries and permanent residents can apply for the one year multiple entry Thai visa whether by mail or in person. Requirements The basic requirements for the application are as follows: 1. You need to be holding citizenship of any of the above mentioned countries. Permanent resident status holders in the US are allowed to apply provided that they can show their Green card when applying. They also have to meet the other requirements of the consulate. Some EU countries which are not allowed to directly apply from the Thai consulate in the UK by mail needs to show a valid address in the UK where the result of the visa application will be sent to. Otherwise they can just go directly to the consulate and apply there in person. At the Thai consulates in Australia, all citizens of the countries mentioned above are allowed to apply whether by post or in person. Though, the visa applicant needs to be physically present in the country where the visa application is being processed. 2. Passport with remaining one year validity. 3. The Thai embassy and consulates in the US require bank account with a minimum of 500 USD deposit while the ones in the UK and AUS require copies of itinerary or airfare ticket. 4. Thai company supporting documents. The Thai company which will be organizing your visa shall inform the consulate about your visa application and shall provide you with the necessary documents to prove that the company is licensed and duly registered in accordance with Thai business law. 5. Visa application form. All necessary information required needs to be provided in the form. Don't forget to affix your signature and the required photo. Process If you enlist the services of a Thai company to assist you with the visa application, the company would likely request your basic information and copy of your passport and then they will prepare your visa application papers. They will just send the papers to you via courier. You in turn have the choice to bring it to the consulate in person or send it there through mail. If you intend to do it by mail, make sure to use a registered mail service so that you may be able to track down the whereabouts of your visa application. The normal processing time when done by mail is 5 business days and when the application is tendered in person it may take a day or two only. Of course you have to anticipate mailing delays and other factors so ideally the visa application should be done the soonest possible time once you have determined your departure date to Thailand. Fees Apart from the service fee which you have to pay for the company who will be organizing your visa, you have to anticipate consular fee in the amount of 175 USD if you will be applying your visa in the US and 100 Sterling Pounds if you are doing your application in the UK. This consular fee can be paid via the consulates' payment forms that come with your visa application packet. Advantages of the One Year Multiple Entry Thai Visa Among the obvious merits of having a one year multiple entry visa is your ability to stay in Thailand for one year except that you are required to exit to the nearest border every 90 days to update your visa stamp. You don't have to pay anything at the immigration border to do this. You just have to shoulder your transportation fee. If you are coming from Bangkok, the visa run can be accomplished in 8 hours as the nearest border is 4 hours away from the metropolis. Also, there are a lot of visa agencies to bring you to the border for a very reasonable fee. The One year visa also allows you to work provided that you can secure a corresponding work permit to go with your Non B visa. It will also improve your chances of getting employed as employers can readily employ you with your visa. They only need to obtain the necessary work permit for you. On another note, this visa type is not renewable. You need to go back home and apply for another one if you wish to stay further in Thailand. This visa can also be switched into long term visas such as retirement visa, marriage visa and business visa as long as you have the necessary qualifications. Summary Some foreign nationalities can take advantage of obtaining a multiple entry one year Thailand Visa [out] hassle-free with the assistance of a registered and licensed Thai company. Though the process is simple and straightforward the necessity of having a qualified firm to assist you with the application is recommended. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm that provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

Sometimes a 30-day or 15 -day period of stay under the Thai Visa exemption and Thai Visa on Arrival schemes respectively are not long enough to truly enjoy all the wonderful adventures that the Land of Smiles has to offer. More often than not the charmed visitor like you would want a longer stay in Thailand. In this case, you would need to apply a Thai tourist visa from the Thai embassy in your respective home country prior to your departure in the kingdom. The Thai tourist visa provides a 60-day period of stay in Thailand which can be extended into another 30 days giving a total period of stay of 90 days. Recently, Thai embassies and consulates worldwide have started issuing a double entry visa which means you can stay in Thailand for a total of 6 months. Your first entry tourist visa allows you a 90-day stay, 60 days plus the 30-day extension. Once you have this exhausted, you can proceed to the border or go out of the country then come back and obtain your next tourist visa at the border or at the airport. Also, Thai tourist visa applications worldwide are not subject to visa fee. This remains the case until March 2010. The main requirements for the tourist visa application are as follows: 1. Completed Visa Application Form 2. Proof of Funds to finance the trip -This can be in the forms of travelers cheque, bank statements, cash and credit card balance 3. Itinerary or ticket reservation 4. Passport 5. Photo (2x2) 6. Visa fee - It's free at the moment until March 2010. You can lodge your Thailand tourist visa applications at the nearest Thai embassy or consulate in your area. In some countries like the UK and the US, you may be able to post or mail your visa applications to the Thai embassy and they will mail you back your passport with the visa stamped on it if your application is successful. You can download a free copy of a Legal Guide to Thai Visas on our website. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm and provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

Employment in Thailand doesn't only present economic benefits although most expats out there agree that Thailand isn't the best place to earn money. The main draw for the influx of foreigners who would like to work in Thailand is more of the exciting lifestyle and countless adventures which the country affords to the working expat in the duration of his stay. Indeed, where else in the world can you have a vacation while earning money at the same time if not in the amazing Land of Smiles, Thailand. Apart from a Thai Business Visa or a Non B visa, a foreigner needs a work permit to be able to work legally in the Kingdom. It is the job of your employer to arrange this for you however there are also times wherein you would need to take care of this concern by yourself as your hiring company in Thailand may not have the staff to do this in your behalf. This means the company will just have to furnish you the necessary Thai Company documents and you are left to organize your work permit on your own. Normally, if you will be applying a NON B visa from the Thai consulate or Thai embassy in your home country for the purpose of employment in Thailand, the embassy officer may require the initial work permit application called WP3 as a requirement for the visa application. This will be taken care of your employer as most of the documents required are Thai company-related papers. Once you get to Thailand with the Non B visa, you would need to accomplish the other required documents such as the medical certificate and the photos. Along with your passport, this will be brought and submitted to the Ministry of Labor. The Ministry of Labor normally takes 7-10 business days to issue the work permit. The validity of the WP usually depends on the validity of the Non B visa. Say, you were able to obtain a 90-day non B visa in your home country; you would be mostly likely given a work permit with 90-day validity when consummating your WP application in Thailand. Extensions of the Non B visa and work permit takes place when they reach their validity within Thailand as long as all required documents are present. The following are the common documents required for the Thailand work permit application. This is especially true for those who will be working for normal Thai companies. It includes the following: · Form WP2 · Recent photo (3pcs); 5 x 6 cms in size · Employment agreement · Copy of company registration certificate, including company objectives. · Copy of company shareholders' list · Copy of VAT registration; Phor Phor.01 · Company Organization chart · Copy of front page of passport and visa. · Education certificate and resume of previous employment. · Medical certificate · Map of place of business. · Photos of Office inside and outside, with outside showing the company name and address Once all these documents have been collected, you may proceed to submit your work permit application at the Ministry of Labor for processing. The application fee has since increased to 600 Baht from the original 100 Baht. The government fees usually depend on the length of the work permit validity that you are applying for. As some of the documents which you will be dealing are in Thai and the fact that you are not familiar with the process, it would be good to seek assistance from a Thailand legal service to guide you through the work permit application. This way, your dream of being able to work legally in Thailand will be surely taken care of. Siam Legal International is a Thailand law firm located in Bangkok, Phuket, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket and Samui. Persons interested in applying for a Thailand Work Permit should seek the assistance of a Thailand Lawyer. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm that provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

The journey of the Filipino bride who's traveling to Thailand to get married here starts with documents preparation required by the Philippine embassy in Bangkok before it can issue the Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage (LCCM) certificate which is an important requirement for the Thai marriage registration. The Filipino fiance or fiancee would first need to request for Certificate of No Marriage or CENOMAR from the National Statistics office in Manila. She also needs to obtain a Birth Certificate from the same government agency. These documents she has to bring to the Department of Foreign Affairs on Roxas Boulevard for legalization or as Filipinos call it for the "red-ribbon" literally referring to the red ribbon used in binding the documents. Legalization time normally takes a day or two to accomplish and of course legalization fees apply. Once the Filipino bride is in Thailand, she would need to visit the Philippine embassy located along Sukhumvit 39 in Thonglor. She then submits her documents and pays the processing fee of around 1,000 Baht. The embassy implements 10-day marriage ban which basically requires the planned marriage to be posted at the embassy for a period of 10 days. If no one objects to the marriage within 10 days, the LCCM will be issued. This certificate has to be translated into Thai and legalized at the Ministry of foreign Affairs before the actual Thai marriage registration can take place. The legalization period normally takes 3 days so timing is essential especially if the couple has limited time in Thailand. Along with the fiancé's documents, the marriage can be registered at any local district in Thailand. The marriage registration is a 45-minute to one hour affair and the couple needs two witnesses for the marriage. Both marriage parties will be issued Marriage certificates in Thai. These certificates have to be translated into English and legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that they may be able to be used outside of Thailand for any legal purposes they may serve. Filipinos can get married in Thailand as long as they have the necessary documents as required by the Philippine embassy and the Thai government. Their marriage in Thailand is recognized worldwide. Siam Legal International is a full service Thailand law firm providing Thai Marriage services for Filipino and other nationalities. If you desire for a Bangkok Wedding please contact us for more information at our Bangkok office +662-253-8100 or Manila office +632-599-1912. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm that provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

The various advantages of holding a Thai PR can perhaps explain the increasing volume of PR applications being received by the immigration office every year. Though the requirements and processes involved are never definite and clear, most resident expats in the Land of Smiles are willing to gamble their money, time and effort to secure a permanent residence status in Thailand. Among the merits of holding a permanent resident status in Thailand are as follows: 1. A PR holder can live permanently in Thailand which means he/she doesn't have to go through the usual immigration red tape. 2. A Thai permanent resident is entitled to an alien registration book which is equivalent to the National ID card held by Thai citizens. Apart from this, he will be issued a permanent residence book. 3. A permanent resident can be included in the Tabien Baan aka house registration document. 4. A PR holder can obtain a work permit easier than a non-resident. This implies that he/she still have to obtain a work permit if he/she intends on working in Thailand. On top of the advantages outlined above, a permanent resident can also enjoy a lot of privileges that go with his permanent status. These include the following: 1. Ability to finance a condo purchase with funds earned in Thailand as opposed to the required use of off shore funds. 2. Being able to apply for naturalization in accordance with the law concerned; 3. Your children who are born in Thailand can be granted a Thai nationality. 4. Become a director of a public company although it's majority Thai owned. 5. Non-Thai family members can also apply for extension of stay and permanent residence. The Immigration bureau implements a quota in granting permanent residence status by nationality. That is only 100 PR grants per nationality every year. The application period normally opens in early or mid December which runs until the last business day of December. The results of the PR application are published in a newspaper in December of the next year. This means that the Thai PR application process takes a year to complete. If you think you are qualified to apply for the Thai PR, it would be good starting your preparation as early as possible. You have to identify the best category which your qualifications fall under and start collecting the required documents associated with it. It's also advised that you enlist the services of a qualified Thailand lawyer to guide you with the requirements and process involved. Siam Legal International is a full service Thailand law firm providing Thailand Immigration and Thai PR assistance to all nationalities. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm that provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

While they may be upholding the same missions overseas, Thai embassies and consulates around the world operate and implement directives and rules in different ways. Interpreting and implementing immigration rules seem to be the most telling proof for these operation discrepancies. Some are straightforward and lenient while others are tight and almost impossible to deal with. Some are pleasant and friendly while others are serious and intimidating. Some issue the visa in the next 30 minutes after submission of the Thailand visa application while others take 2-10 business days. Some accept posted or mail Thai visa applications while others insist your personal appearance in the embassy office. Interestingly, this lack of uniformity results in the preference of some Thai embassies/consulates by both visa agencies and applicants. These Thai embassies and consulates stand out among the rest owing to their efficiency, friendliness and hassle-free procedures. There are of course various factors contributory to the way the Thai embassy or Thai consulate processes visa applications for Thailand such as the nationality of the applicant, type of visa being applied for, location of the embassy and among other things. Let us take a look at these Thai embassies and consulates around the world which are ergonomically and economically beneficial to Thai visa applicants. This is according to Thai Visa applicants themselves who relate their experiences in Thai visa forums online. If you are coming from the UK, it would be worth knowing the Thai consulates in Hull, Cardiff, Birmingham and Glasgow. They process Thailand Tourist visa applications without much ado. You can post your visa applications to them with your passport and get the results within 5 days, mailing time included. Small consulates in other European countries i.e. the Thai consulate in Marseilles, France and Stuttgart, Germany are also good ones to send your visa applications to especially if you live near these areas. Moving to Northern America, the Thai consulates in Alabama, Florida, Portland and New York maintain a straightforward Thai visa processing procedure. Applications can be done in person or by mail. In Canada, the Thai consulate in Ontario is a good one to visit to have your Thai visa applications processed. In Africa, the Thai embassy in Nairobi, Kenya as well as the ones in South Africa process Thai visa applications in a timely manner. Down to Oceania, the Thai consulates in Perth and Brisbane have the reputation to be efficient in processing visa applications. Applications can be sent by post or be tendered in person. When it comes to the neighboring countries of Thailand, the most accommodating ones would be the Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thai consulate in Penang, Thai embassy in Jakarta and Thai embassy in Laos. Certainly, all Thai embassies and consulates around the world maintain and follow certain rules when it comes to visa processing and Thai visa applicants are bound to follow them. I am sure there are more Thai embassies and consulates out there which deserve the listing but for now let us just stick with the above. You can visit the Thai Embassy website for a directory of Thai embassies and Thai consulates around the world. Remember however if you are applying for a long term visa (One Year Visa) you will need a sponsoring Thai Company for a Thailand business visa or you must meet the strict financial requirements for the Thailand marriage or retirement visas. It is best to seek the services of a Thailand Visa Agency to assist you in processing your Thai Visa application. Siam Legal International is a Thailand law firm providing Thailand Visa services to US Citizens, UK Citizens, Australians and many other nationalities. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm that provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

The availability of religious institutions to carry out various marriages in Thailand is one of the reasons the country is popular not only to 'mainstream' couples but also to minority ones who would like to tie the knot in the Kingdom following their own religious and cultural traditions. True enough, foreign couples with diverse cultural and religious backgrounds flock to the Land of Smiles to get married hassle free. Let us take the case of Muslim couples or a Muslim marrying a Non-Muslim. Muslim couples who would like to get married in Thailand under Islamic Marriage procedures will be happy to find out that the procedure is quite simple and straightforward. Some embassies would require their Muslim citizen to get married under the Islamic marriage before it issues the Affirmation of Freedom to marry which is a requirement for the Thai marriage. If the Muslim party is marrying a Non-Muslim, the non-Muslim should be converted into Muslim first before the marriage takes place. This conversion procedure normally takes 10-15 minutes. Muslim couples have the option to do Muslim marriage or Thai marriage while in Thailand whatever they would like to accomplish while they are here or depending on the purpose of the marriage if any other than true love. Muslim marriage in Thailand can be accomplished in a day. The couple would have to call the National Islamic center in Bangkok for an appointment. The requirements for the marriage include: a. Passport b. Divorce certificate (if any) c. Photos (1.5x1.5, 6pcs) The marriage takes place in a mosque so you would have to dress appropriately. If you are bringing guests with you, inform them about appropriate clothes for the occasion. The ceremony usually lasts for an hour or two. A certificate will be issued by the marriage officer to the couple after the marriage. This document is English so it's no more necessary to translate it into Thai. The fees that you have to anticipate are government fee which is around THB 4000 and transportation fee as the center is quite far from the city center. If you are using a visa agent then you also have to expect service fees. If you are new in Thailand and you have a tight schedule, it would be wise to enlist the services of marriage professionals who will assist you with organizing your Muslim marriage i.e. liaising with the Islamic center on your behalf and accompanying you the center for the actual marriage registration. You have to be aware about language and cultural barrier in Thailand so it's best to have a Thai and English speaking person with you to walk you through the marriage process. Siam Legal International provides Thailand Marriage services at any of our six law offices across Thailand - Bangkok, Phuket, Samui, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Pattaya. Our Thailand law firm can also assist you in Thailand Wedding Planner services. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm that provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

The use of a Thai Visa application to generally refer to visiting the immigration office or Thai embassy/consulate overseas to obtain, renew or extend an entry permit is a common misnomer among baffled neophyte expats in Thailand. While the difference doesn't really matter to the common Thai visa applicant whose main concern is to successfully obtain his pass, it certainly helps to be familiar with these different terms especially for future reference in relation to the maintenance of your long term visa in Thailand. Moreover, it also facilitates a more efficient communication with your visa agent who may be well-versed with these common terms and may be using it to explain the procedures to you. Below are the common terminologies that are used in applying for a Thailand Visa: Thai visa application as the word implies generally refers to obtaining an entry permit from the Thai embassy or consulate abroad. Depending on your circumstances and the type of entry permit being applied for it can also be done inside Thailand. Thai Visa application is the initial procedure prior to Thai visa extension as current entry permits are subject to extensions when needed. For example, the usual retirement visa application procedure starts with a NON O Visa application from the Thai embassy applicant's home country. This is usually a 90-day pass. The same process goes with the Non B application. An initial 90-day B visa is given to the applicant during the application. These initial visas are then extended into one year retirement or one year or another 90 day B visas as long as the requirements are met. Thai Visa extension, therefore, is carried out to lengthen or extend current entry permits whose validity is due for extension. The extension is granted as long as requirements are met. Extensions are normally done at any immigration office across the kingdom. A 60-day tourist visa for example can be extended for one month at the at the immigration office for a fee of 1900 Baht. Thai Visa Conversion refers to the switching from one visa type to another. Say a business to a retirement visa. There are certain travel documents that can be switched without the necessity to leave Thailand. If you have a competent visa agent then you may need to go out of the country anymore when switching the said travel document into another type. Thai Visa renewal is another term you may need to wont yourself to especially if you are not a Thai PR holder in Thailand. Most long term entry permits are good for one year however they are subject to renewal with the proper requirements. A retirement visa for example is renewed for another year as long as you have the required funds. A marriage visa can be renewed as long as you are still married and you have the required funds. The good thing about this type of renewal is that it's simple and straightforward as long as you have the requirements. Thai Visa Validity refers to the entire period the visa is valid. This is normally stamped in your passport when you enter to Thailand so you have to be wary with this date to avoid overstay fine later on. This should not be confused with the validity of the visa (or the grace period) prior to entering Thailand once the visa is obtained from the Thai embassy abroad. This is normally indicated with the phrase "ENTER BEFORE (DATE)" in the visa itself. Thai visa terminologies are best understood as you do them or experience them in context. The next time you apply, extend, convert or renew your visa you should be able to know these differences already. Having yourself informed with these basic terms would make you feel at ease and confident in your next Thai visa application. Siam Legal International provides Thailand lawyer services to foreign nationalities who desire Thailand Visa services. You can also locate the location of the Thai embassies and consulates at the Thai Embassy website. George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm that provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Londob

The U.N. refugee agency said on Tuesday it had asked Laos to grant it access to more than 4,000 Hmong asylum-seekers deported from camps in Thailand. In a statement, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees also urged the Thai government to detail assurances it had received from the Laos communist government on future treatment of the Hmong, who say they face oppression if sent back. "The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has today formally approached the government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic seeking access to Lao Hmong who were deported from Thailand on Monday," the Geneva-based agency said. Some of those sent back were recognized by the UNHCR as having refugee status and needing international protection, it said. The expulsion sparked criticism from the United States and Europe. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was concerned about the expulsion of the Hmong, who "included individuals the Thai government had reportedly assessed to be in need of protection," his office said in a statement on Tuesday. Ban "regrets that these deportations have taken place in the face of appeals from the (UNHCR) and despite the availability of third country resettlement solutions for those recognized as refugees," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said. Ban urged Thailand and Laos "to take all necessary steps to respect the rights of those concerned and to facilitate humane solutions," Nesirky said. Known as America's "forgotten allies," the Hmong sided with the United States during the Vietnam War and many fled Laos in 1975 when the communist Pathet Lao took power. Tens of thousands have since been resettled in the United States. The UNHCR said that despite Thailand's "long history as a country of asylum," it had deported the Lao Hmong from two camps, one in the northern province of Petchabun and another in Nong Khai in the country's northeast. "UNHCR was given no access to people in the first camp, while those in Nong Khai were all recognized refugees," it said. A Lao government spokesman said on Monday the concerns were groundless and the Hmong being repatriated were illegal migrants who would be housed in resettlement villages. Thailand and Laos reached an agreement in March to repatriate the Hmong. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/29/world/international-uk-laos-refugees.html?_r=1

Visiting Thailand can be a exciting experience, there are wonderful beach's, lots of shopping and a never ending night life. With all of this though, does come the chance that you will run into some less then reputable people. The people in Thailand do not earn a lot of money, when compared to what we may make in the west so it is easy to understand why they feel the need to try and get every last dollar out of us they can. The following are a list of scams you may encourter while in Thailand, and how you can avoid it happening to you! These issues mostly happen in the major Tourist area such as Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. Tuk Tuk Scam: Transport in Thailand is very cheap, so cheap in fact it does surprise most tourists. If you are going to take a Tuk Tuk some where, please be aware that it is a unwritten rule in Thailand that any local trip (Less the 15km) is 200baht, for every 10km more it is a extra 100 Baht. Some Tuk Tuk Drivers will attempt to ask for up to 1000 Baht for a short trip, this is more common late at night and when it is raining. You can avoid this happening to you by seeking a Tuk Tuk in a area that has alot of drivers looking for work, this will give you a upper hand in finding a driver willing to take you for the correct price. Jet Ski Scam - Alot of tourists go to Thailand and end up renting Jet Ski's, the problem is that these operators do not have insurance and usually have no license to rent these out. The common sotry is, tourist rents Jet Ski, he returns Jet Ski to be told he has damaged it and must be a large sum of money. Tourists have been scammed up to 60,000 Baht over Jet Ski issues they did not create. To avoid this happening to you, ensure you rent a Jet Ski through a reputable company and if you have any issue regarding costs call the Tourist Police, they are there to help you. Massage Girl Scam - This is a new scam that has only been happening about 6months, massage girls will be on the look out for small groups of males of a young couple. The massage girl will go up, and either claim the man went with her for the night and he owes her money or try to tell the man he will cause issues for his girlfriend if he does not pay. - There is not a lot that can be done about this, as it is usually one persons word agent the other - the best advise anyone could give in this situation is to call the tourist police. Large Bills - When you walk into a Go-Go Bar, Or a Pool Bar, ensure to ask for a menu to see what the drink Price's are. Often, men will walk into a bar and order a drink with out checking, they will then find the drink the ordered was cost 1000 Baht, which is double the cost they would pay back at home. If this happens, the only choice is to pay the bill. www.bestphuketdeals.com By Joel M - http://www.bestphuketdeals.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joel_McHugh

Asian beaches have a much different character than anything in the Western world. The sand is clean and the water warm, ocean life is abundant for the exploring, and there are plenty of opportunities for surfing, scuba diving, and boating. Or if you have a more sedentary afternoon in mind, you'll usually find plenty of nearby places to lounge under a thatched roof or in a beach recliner, while people bring you tropical drinks in glasses made out of coconut shells. With much of the coastlines in the tropical regions of Asia, it's no small wonder that the beaches here are ranked as some of the most amazing in the world. Whether you're lounging on a beach on an island off the coast of Thailand, on the South China Sea, or on the banks of the Mekong, you're sure to have plenty to do. Beaches aren't just beaches in Asia. You'll see some great shopping with local craftspeople selling their wares, night markets, bazaars, and fabulous entertainment, along with some of the finest beachfront restaurants you could ever want. Beachfront Dining After a relaxing day on the beach, you won't have to go far to find something to eat, and in many cases, you won't have to move at all. Many beaches have food stands and rows of beach chairs, and people waiting to take your order. But beyond that, there's nothing like a good sit-down restaurant overlooking the water, so brush off the sand and head on over for some freshly-caught seafood! The variety is astounding. You'll find restaurants on the pier and on floating barges, restaurants in boats, and restaurants on the sand. In Kanchanaburi Thailand, you can enjoy some fresh crab at a restaurant overlooking the Mae Kwai, with a perfect view of the historic "Bridge over the River Kwai". For you youngsters born after World War Two, that's right, it wasn't just a movie, it's a real place. Feel free to walk across it while whistling the theme song from the film. Beachfront Accommodations Asia's stunningly pure beaches are so compelling, you won't want to leave. So why take a hotel room in town, when there are plenty of affordable, comfortable resorts right on the beach? There's nothing like waking up in the morning and walking right out onto the sand to have your morning coffee as you watch the waves roll in off the sea. And depending on where you go, you will find a range of accommodations, ranging from a simple thatched hut to a five-star hotel. Those on a budget can still enjoy staying close to the beach with an amazing array of quaint bungalows and backpacker guest houses that will leave you with plenty of extra money in your pocket. But while many regions are highly developed and feature luxurious accommodations, there are still plenty of unspoiled and undeveloped beachfront regions for those who want to rough it a little. Vietnam's China Beach, which runs between Danang and Hoi An, is still largely undeveloped, and is a rare and beautiful gem in this Southeast Asian paradise. Closer to Danang, you will find more upscale resorts, but you're just as likely to encounter a local spot with quaint grass huts to spend the night. Another rare and largely unexplored beachfront area is along the Sihanoukville coast in Cambodia, where you'll still find accommodations built in traditional architectural styles. Respect for Local Customs The beautiful beaches throughout much of Asia attract people from all over the world, and tourists (and tourist dollars) are always welcome. But your trip will be more pleasant if you understand a bit about local customs, and resist imposing your own on the locals. Most local Asian cultures for example, tend to be modest, and public skinny-dipping or topless bathing is mostly a Western phenomenon. Yet many mistakenly believe that it is acceptable on Asian beaches. Respect the local customs and find out ahead of time whether it's commonly accepted practice on any given beach before you drop your top. Some of the most breathtaking beaches are also close by to other sites you may want to see, including Buddhist temples. Most Buddhist temples are open to the public, and the monks in residence are always quite happy to welcome visitors who want to have a look around. But avoid the temptation to walk straight from the beach to the temple in your bathing suit-custom requires you to dress modestly, with long pants (or a skirt for women), and a modest top that covers your arms. Surfing Fun Asia has become a prime surfing destination for those who seek the ultimate wave. Surfers visiting destinations like Padang Padang, Indonesia, or some of the warm waters off the Maldives, won't be disappointed. If you're an old pro, the surf will be high and the excitement unbelievable. If you're a beginner or even a first-timer, don't be intimidated though, you will find plenty of spots with more mild surf and capable instructors to get you started. Beyond the Beach and Under the Water Asia's beaches are so spectacular you won't need to go very far to satisfy your vacation needs, but if you venture out a little, you can also take a boat ride to get up close to the sea life, or even go scuba diving or snorkeling to get a look at what's underneath the water. Asia has some of the most spectacular scuba sites, complete with places for training and for renting equipment. The Coral Triangle in Malaysia for example, offers incredible diversity and abundant colorful sealife; and world-famous Christmas Island offers amazing views of nature both above and underneath the water. The Perfect Getaway And the great thing about beaches in Asia is that no matter what time of year, you can find someplace warm. In the tropical regions, it is sunny year-round, so be sure to send a picture of yourself enjoying the warm waters back to your friends who are busy digging out from the latest snowstorm. At least one day at the beach when visiting Asia is recommended. Some of the more populous regions, such as Hong Kong, will have more crowded beaches, but you won't have to look far to find one that has room for you to carve out a little space of your own for the afternoon. Asia.com brings you travel experts that love travel and want to help you have the best trip to Asia. Asia.com has advice for all travelers including the frequent traveler, first time visitor, business traveler, and families. Spend the time to review our expert travel guide tips and articles about the best things to do in Asia. Also while exploring your trip to Asia, we encourage you to use all the Asia.com travel services, especially our flight and hotel comparison service which make it easy for you to compare prices from the best travel companies online. By comparing prices from different suppliers and different dates our users can save up to 70% on their trip. Visit Asia.com Now. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Blacharski

Thailand is slowly becoming a popular vacation destination simply because the country has opened its doors to everyone for a visit. If you have a passport, you can fly to Thailand and experience its beaches, interesting culture, natural wonders, and all its wonderful places of interest. Flying to Thailand gives you a 30-day tourist permit. Get in by land and you will get 15 days worth of vacation time. With that said, flying to Thailand becomes the better option to get there, especially if you intend to stay in the country for a month-long vacation. And as far as leisure time in Thailand is concerned, a great destination of choice is Phuket. Phuket is a major island of Thailand and it has the best beaches around. It a modern tourist island, so to speak, as it has got everything you need during your vacation. In fact, the Phuket International Airport is a very busy one, ranking a close second to the city capital of Bangkok. Millions of tourists flock to Phuket every year and they all want to see and experience the major beaches of the area, along with its secluded smaller islands. Phuket is a relatively large place. So it is best that you decide on your mode of transportation when you get to the vicinity. Renting a car is always the best option, if only for the fact that Phuket has limited public transport. Taxis may be plenty but they are extremely expensive and are not the safest vehicles for a tourist to take. There are shuttle buses operating within certain districts of the island too. They offer a good option for moving around town, although they aren't the most convenient mode of transportation either. Car hire facilities are highly available in Phuket and one has different options when it comes to the type of vehicle to hire. There are motorbikes and jeeps offered, aside from the regular sedans or 4x4's. Phuket is a nice place to spend your next vacation at. Thailand is located in Southeast Asia and visitors from the West and other parts of the world are highly invited. Enjoy swimming, boating, and island hopping in Thailand. It is indeed a great place for fun and relaxation for you and the whole family. Article was compiled by Eamonn Turley who writes for http://www.fastcarhire.co.uk specialized in car rental in Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. If you are thinking of visiting Phuket in Thailand for that once in a lifetime trip then http://www.fastcarhire.co.uk/phuket-thailand.asp for more information on car rental options available Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eamonn_Turley

Just off a muddy rutted-out road, it is nothing more than a handful of Khmer-style bamboo huts perched crookedly on stilts, tucked among a tangle of cornfields once littered with deadly land mines. Yet this spot on the Thai-Cambodian border is home to a form of malaria that keeps rendering one powerful drug after another useless. This time, scientists have confirmed the first signs of resistance to the only affordable treatment left in the global medicine cabinet for malaria: Artemisinin. If this drug stops working, there's no good replacement to combat a disease that kills 1 million annually. As a result, earlier this year international medical leaders declared resistant malaria here a health emergency. "This is not business as usual. It's something really special and it needs a real concerted effort," said Dr. Nick White, a malaria expert at Mahidol University in Bangkok who has spent decades trying to eradicate the disease from Southeast Asia. "We know that children have been dying in Africa — millions of children have died over the past three decades — and a lot of those deaths have been attributed to drug resistance. And we know that the drug resistance came from the same place." Malaria is just one of the leading killer infectious diseases battling back in a new and more deadly form, the AP found in a six-month look at the soaring rates of drug resistance worldwide. After decades of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and staph have started to mutate. The result: The drugs are slowly dying. Already, The Associated Press found, resistance to malaria has spread faster and wider than previously documented. Dr. White said virtually every case of malaria he sees in western Cambodia is now resistant to drugs. And in the Pailin area, patients given artemisinin take twice as long as those elsewhere to be clear of the parasite — 84 hours instead of the typical 48, and sometimes even 96. Mosquitoes spread this resistant malaria quickly from shack to shack, village to village — and eventually, country to country. And so O'treng, with its 45 poor families, naked kids, skinny dogs and boiling pots of rice, finds itself at the epicenter of an increasingly desperate worldwide effort to stop a dangerous new version of an old disease. --------- Bundled in a threadbare batik sarong, 51-year-old Chhien Rern, one of O'treng's sick residents, sweats and shivers as a 103-degree fever rages against the malaria parasites in her bloodstream. Three days ago Chhien Rern started feeling ill while looking for work in a neighboring district. So she did what most rural Cambodians do: She walked to a little shop and asked for malaria medicine. With no prescription, she was handed a packet of pills — she's unsure what they were. "After I took the drugs, I felt better for a while," she says. "Then I got sick again." The headaches, chills and fever, classic symptoms of malaria, worsened. Chhien Rern's daughter persuaded her to take a motorbike taxi past washed out bridges and flooded culverts to the nearest hospital in Pailin, a dirty border town about 10 miles from O'treng. Doctors say there's a good chance Chhien Rern was sold counterfeit drugs. People generate drug resistant malaria when they take too little medicine, substandard medicine or — as is all too often the case around O'treng — counterfeit medicine with a pinch of the real stuff. Once established, the drug-resistant malaria is spread by mosquitoes. So one person's counterfeit medicine can eventually spawn widespread resistant disease. Yet in most parts of the world, people routinely buy antimalarials over the counter at local pharmacies and treat themselves. A recent study out of neighboring Laos found 88 percent of stores selling artemisinin-based drugs, the same ones scientists are desperately trying to preserve, were actually peddling fakes. Worse, nearly 15 percent of the counterfeits were laced with small hints of artemisinin, which could prompt resistance. The researchers found indications that some were made in China, feeding smugglers' routes that snake through Myanmar and into Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The counterfeits, along with outdated drugs, are jumping continents. In Africa, where malaria is endemic in 45 countries, the fake drug industry is thriving. A 2003 World Health Organization survey found between 20 percent and 90 percent of antimalarials randomly purchased in seven African countries failed quality testing, depending on the type of drug. WHO and Interpol formed a task force three years ago to try to stop counterfeiters, seizing millions of fake malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and other pills in Southeast Asia and Africa. But officials say the work is only as good as the countries' legal systems. "One of the problems is that there's not really any enforcement, so what happens when they find a drug that's counterfeit or substandard?" says David Sintasath, a regional epidemiologist at the nonprofit Malaria Consortium in Bangkok. "The policy is to take it away from them. That's good until the next month when they get their next shipment, right?" Countless unlicensed shops in Cambodia sell artesunate, a single-drug therapy that has been banned in the country. Artesunate, a modified version of artemisinin derived from a Chinese herb, has been hailed as miracle treatment worldwide because it works so well with so few side effects. But Cambodian surveys have shown that many patients take artesunate alone instead of mixing it with another antimalarial drug, making it easier for resistance to build. "The drug has been around for a long time and misused for a long time and this is all encouraging the parasite to develop resistance," says Dr. Delia Bethell, of the U.S. Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Science, whose research has been at the forefront of identifying emerging resistance on the border. Back in western Cambodia a few miles from O'treng village, shopkeeper Nop Chen turns a flashlight on a glass case full of drugs he hawks from inside his cramped roadside house. He digs through the many boxes and produces two different types of artemisinin-based antimalarials. Both lack the full amount of a second required medication, mefloquine, necessary to treat the strain of malaria in the area and ward off more resistance. But Nop Chen, a former Khmer Rouge medic, points to a small Cambodian seal on the boxes and says he feels confident the drugs are the real deal. Still, he acknowledges he is not licensed to sell the pills and he's unsure where they originated. "I'm not concerned because it's got the sticker and the stamp," he says, squinting at the Khmer script on the labels. "Because of the logo, I trust it to not be fake — it was made in Cambodia." -- Walk past O'treng's cluster of sagging huts, cross another cornfield and hike a twisted mile on a dirt track to a wooden shack where a string of smoke is curling through the wooden floor planks in a largely futile effort to keep mosquitoes away. It's here that skinny 13-year-old Hoeun Hong Da wakes up on the floor nauseous and burning with fever. Hong Da recovered from malaria two months ago, but now the dizziness and headaches are back. He's been sickened by the disease six or seven times in his short life — too many to remember. He knows that if he doesn't get to a hospital soon, he could die. With no new treatments in the pipeline, normally reserved scientists are quick to use words like "disaster" or "catastrophe" when asked what might happen if they don't contain the disease that's ravaging young Hong Da before it spreads to Africa. There, malaria already kills an estimated 2,000 kids daily. For the past 50,000 years the malaria parasite has been evolving, and migrating, alongside humans. It moves within the huts of O'treng, and into neighboring towns when men like Hong Da's father and older siblings float from job to job. Some work is close enough for them to return home at night, but other jobs keep them away for stretches of time. They sleep in tight rows, sweating and weary, in disintegrating bamboo huts with workers who are also traveling, and possibly infected with malaria. The concept of containing drug resistance has never been tried before. Scientists wonder: How do you control the spread of a resistant parasite transmitted by mosquitoes that bite people who live and work in infested jungle areas, then scatter in all directions, all the time? This area, the former stronghold of the murderous Khmer Rouge, has a notorious history. Burmese migrant workers who once mined rubies and sapphires in these now deforested hills are believed to have helped transport strains resistant to the drug chloroquine back to Myanmar a half century ago. From there it spread to India and later over to Africa until the drug was useless worldwide. A decade later, history repeated itself when resistance to the drug sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine followed the same path. Now, in western Cambodia, scientists are concerned because the artemisinin-based drugs are taking longer than usual to kill the parasites. Earlier this year, an army of aid agencies and experts from the WHO began racing to this impoverished corner on the Thai-Cambodian border to divvy up a $22.5 million grant from the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed at stopping this virulent new strain. But grants haven't stopped lines of Cambodians, sick or not, from queuing up every morning at Thailand's border, charging past the checkpoints in search of work or goods. Some may carry resistant strains in, others may bring them home. And grants haven't stopped the parasite from spreading in the O'treng area, despite widespread bednet distribution, awareness campaigns and enhanced surveillance systems. Some scientists say the only sure way to fix the problem is to eradicate malaria entirely from western Cambodia. "It's really dangerous," says Dr. Rupam Tripura, who's conducting a study in Pailin for the Wellcome Trust-Mahidol University-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Program. "What will happen to the mosquitoes? Can you kill those living in the jungle? No, so you cannot kill the strain." ----- If O'treng is the epicenter of this emerging disease, Phoun Sokha is the point man aimed at controlling it. At 47, Phoun Sokha is the village malaria worker who lives at the mouth of the hamlet and proudly displays an orange plastic kit that resembles a tackle box. Phoun Sokha is serious about his packets of medicine and his rapid tests to prick blood from sick villagers' fingers to determine if they have malaria and if so, what type. He makes sure patients are taking their free medicines and checks to see if they're improving. If not, Phoun Sokha can even arrange transportation to the hospital. But treating O'treng's malaria patients can be frustrating. "Some of the patients, when they went to the hospital, after one month, maybe they get malaria again," he says. Today Hong Da, the village boy who has fought malaria so many times before, heads home from the hospital after a few days of treatment. He clutches a new mosquito net he hopes will prevent yet another infection. Together, the recovering boy and his weathered mom shuffle past sick neighbor Chhien Rern's shack before disappearing among the tassels of the cornfield toward their home. But all is not well. Under a tattered quilt, Hong Da's 9-year-old sister Hoeun Chhay Meth is curled on a thin mattress atop the wooden floor inside the family's open-air home. She had malaria alongside her brother two months ago. They share a mosquito net that she burned a hole in when she stayed up one night reading by the light of a makeshift candle. Her brother thinks that's how the mosquitoes infected them. "Very afraid of dying," says Chhay Meth, who has started taking medicine provided by the village malaria worker. "I feel worse than before. I cannot walk myself or stand up by myself and cannot eat well." Hong Da understands. He gently lifts his little sister's limp body, scooping her up, his strength returning. Chhay Meth reaches weakly for her mother. Like her big brother, this child doesn't know about counterfeit drugs or antimalarials. She only knows she's sick. And the medicines don't seem to work as well any more in this little village she calls home. http://airamerica.com/breakingnews/16645/

Anyone have a list of the really good private schools in Thailand? I have a friend looking for a private school teaching job. Not an English language school but an actual accredited private school.

While great progress seems to be made in USA and the world, I think things get more conservative as time goes by. What happened to free love of the 60's? That was over 40 years ago!

I wake up when the sun rises. I can be in Thailand on a holiday and my natural alarm clock goes off. I can be in Europe working and as soon as the sun rises, I am out of the bed. If I am home, the rooster usually beats me to it.

Heineken of course. Where are all the wonderful American beers?