mommymeow

Helloo......My hubby mailed DS 230 on February 18, 2009 (2008 Tax Papers submitted to be in the safe side). NVC should get it by tomorrow....Please pray for us....

Take care....

Sonia

Good luck, hope your case get completed soon.

thanks Mommy,

we are thinking about sending K-3 to embassy, because April interview is not sounding promising now and I can't wait any longer.. Have you heard why it takes so long to schedule an interview in thailand.. I only know of one person that has gotten interview 2 months after completion of case and I'm at 3 months now.

I just assume that Embassy has fully booked for interview for K-1 and K-3 since Embassy schedules schedule the interview for them. I think NVC has to follow the schedule of the Embassy about when there is the time available or left for the month for other kind of Visa like us.

Hello,

Our CR1 was approved in Dec 22, 2008. Still waiting for interview, was told by NVC operator that March schedule is full will have to wait until April??? Is anyone waiting for interview in Thailand? If so any luck,,, has anyone heard what the normal wait times are for interview in thailand?

From the tracking by DHL, only 4 cases for Thailand got scheduled for the interview in March. Few people that I know are still waiting too and their case got completed at NVC almost the same time as you did.

I did all the reading on the guidelines but still there is few questions remaining...

1. How long does each take, K3 and CR1. How soon will we be together?

2. On the poverty guidelines, do I have to show that I HAVE atleat 125% or show that I MAKE 125%?

3. IV Bill... Is this another payment? If so how much?

4. If we go on the K3 path, how lond for the AOS when he arrives?

Please let me know.

Thanks

1. CR1 is one or two months slower than K3 but you don't have to do the Adjustment of status and also it costs less for CR1. CR1 should take most likely at least 9 months. (Depending on case)

2. You should make 125%

3. IV Bill is the Immigrant Visa Fee, it costs $400

4. Adjustment of status could take around 6 months (im not sure)

congrats

Congrats. Wish you all the happiness

I just wanted to know where the DS230 is send to? At the NVC here in the U.S. or at the consulate where the beneficiary is from?

Thanks.

Johnny

If you are talking to the DS-230 that you are going to submit with other documents that NVC requires, you will send that package to NVC, please see the following address below

National Visa Center

ATTN: CMR

32 Rochester Ave.

Portsmouth, NH 03801-2909

And after your case is complete at NVC, and NVC schedules the interview already, NVC will forward those documents to the Consulate where you will have your interview.

Hope this helps

Hey to change this thread up does anyone know about getting a Thai drivers license and an international license for their fiance?

Its imperative my girl get an International License before her visa. She checked on this and believes its very easy to get a license in her home town when she goes back to get her "Verification of unmarried status / Bai Rub Rong Sod " She said it takes 1 day and 500b to get. After that she takes the drivers license to Bangkok (where she lives) and then gets a 1 year International license in 5 days.

Does anyone know about this?

I called them to get the information because that is what I will be doing too. They said bring in the driving license that is valid for 5 yrs and passport to their head office near Jatujak Market/Park (JJ/weekend market), that is the only place that do international driving license. The fee is 500 baht and you can get it the same day that you go to do. I do have my new driving license that have both thai and English but it is international driving license.

I am so confused about the different information I am reading. My girl has never driven before and its not necessary for her to learn to drive before she gets here. (I taught my daughter I can teach her) so we just need to have an international license (according to the Texas Department of Public Safety) because she can not obtain a Texas DL until she gets her green card. They said for many people that takes 1.5 - 2 years. The reason this is so important is that she will need to drive (in a limited way) about 3 months after she gets here. I really need her to be 100% legal and insured. I'm worried about grey area issues coming up if she gets into an accident.

As I said in my original post she told me she should be able to get a Thai drivers license "No questions asked" in her home town and then get the international license in Bangkok.

Since that time several people have with their information and some links. In reading through it I'm very confused. I have read that the "NEW" licenses come in Thai and English. Someone else said only a portion is in English. A link I read states if the license is in English it qualifies as an international license. Then there was the post concerning the 1 yr vs. 5 year license. Also the post about needing to have a license for 1 year to qualify for the international license. LOL,,, I'm really not that smart. Can someone spell this out for my situation?

She cannot get an international license. The only way they will issue an international license is if they have the 5 year license and you can only get that after the 1 year license.

I sent my fiancee to drviing school for 10 hours here and then paid for her to get her license (wink wink). My plan at the time was to do what you are doing, get her the international license and then teach her to drive in the US. However after she got her license is when I found out about the restriction on the 1 year license, that it cannot be converted to an international.

The 1 year license says:

Driving License at the top in Thai and english, then has a section with Thai (Dates, name, Thai ID etc), then at the bottom has the valid dates, name, birthdate, Thai ID in english. I think it will be suffiecient for teaching her to drive in the US. Plus it can be used for her ID, since it has her Birthdate and she won't need to carry her passport everywhere. In Vegas she will get ID'd everywhere.

I was quite confused myself with the entire international license, and we had several arguments about this, until I talked to another expat here, and then also the driving instructor which confirmed what I said above.

Well i just gave out the information that I got from the people at the head office of Driving License Department. I don't know if it is right or wrong but if the people at that office gave out wrong information then who else we can believe?

As from the different state rule, I don't know if they will accept my driving license that is not international so it wont hurt to just get it just to be safe as for my own case but I don't know about other people and other state. I myself do have the license that have both written in Thai and English and valid for 5 years.

May I ask a related question?

How many days from the date of payment (online) does it take for the AOS and IV bills to get marked 'PAID' so we can print the barcode sheet and download the packet

instructions?

It took 1 day for the payment of my AOS to show as PAID and my IV bills showed PAID on the same day that we made the payment because my husband paid the fee around midnight.

If a document is in a foreign language, do we need to submit that along with the certified translation, or will the translation suffice?

If you are talking about the documents that need to be send with DS-230 then you have to submit the certified translation with the original document but as for our case, we didn't submit the original but the true certified copy from our ministry of foriegn affair with the translation.

congrats, have a smooth process at NVC.

Hey to change this thread up does anyone know about getting a Thai drivers license and an international license for their fiance?

Its imperative my girl get an International License before her visa. She checked on this and believes its very easy to get a license in her home town when she goes back to get her "Verification of unmarried status / Bai Rub Rong Sod " She said it takes 1 day and 500b to get. After that she takes the drivers license to Bangkok (where she lives) and then gets a 1 year International license in 5 days.

Does anyone know about this?

I called them to get the information because that is what I will be doing too. They said bring in the driving license that is valid for 5 yrs and passport to their head office near Jatujak Market/Park (JJ/weekend market), that is the only place that do international driving license. The fee is 500 baht and you can get it the same day that you go to do. I do have my new driving license that have both thai and English but it is international driving license.

The operator told me they are no longer scheduling for March. Looks like we will have to wait a bit longer but at least February is the shortest month.

I don't get the interview in March too due the tight/full schedule at the USEM in Thailand. Few people who got their case completed before me still waiting too. Poor us i guesss.

Mommy,

I am in the same boat as yours. I have just talked to the operator around 11:30 p.m. Eastern. I am not in for March either. Look forward to April, 2009. Well, if we are counting the week, that might be short. That should be over eight weeks for me

Keep the hope float. We married with the person whom we love for the rest of our lives. I will trade a month delay for the happiness in a heartbeat.

Hopefully, Bangkok will give us the best month in April.

Take care.

Hi Nahathai_Ike, I hope you get your interview for April too, your case is completed before mine so you should get it first and also for some others too.

Good luck

The operator told me they are no longer scheduling for March. Looks like we will have to wait a bit longer but at least February is the shortest month.

I don't get the interview in March too due the tight/full schedule at the USEM in Thailand. Few people who got their case completed before me still waiting too. Poor us i guesss.

Well we did send in our Certified True copy documents, such as birth certificate, changing name certificate etc. to NVC and those documents that are not in English, i let the professional translated the documents and have the Ministry of Foriegn affair of my country to certify those docuements, they are steal stamps.

I think it is different in each country about where you have your documents get true copy certified.

grabe...ive been reading all your posts for hours now......Scary nman ng pagdadaan natin sa Visa noh?! Hindi pa nga fina-fiel ng hubby ko yung petition e parang gusto ko ng tumalon sa building....all those Scary Medical and Consul Interviews...whew! Goodluck sa akin.......

Well if you don't post that all in English so i don't think anyone can help.

i just checked the email and the i-130 has been approved. in just one month.

wow congrats

I truely doubt that I will get the interview in March. It seems like the US embassy is very busy here in Thailand. I have my hope up too high, i guess i would have to just wait.

Congrats.

Congrats and good luck at the interview.

Good luck at your interview

Thanks everyone! I can't wait for Hollis to join me, I need a date though NVC

Congrats, canadian_wife.

Hollis, I hope you get approved soon.

Congrats!

I think they have the same kinda places up-country. Probably cheaper.

The money thing is a pain. My first G/F bled me dry. At the end of it all, I ended up at Lat Phrao police station with a knife wound. Looking back on it, I'm glad it didn't work out with her, or I woulda never met my wife.

I never gave my wife's family 1 baht for sin sot. Maybe that makes me a bad farang, I don't know. Although when they need a few thousand baht my wife gives it to them from my account. It's never more than 3k baht or something like that. Usually 1k baht. Keep in mind, the starting salary for 4 year college graduate in Bangkok is 20k baht month. My wifes parents are rice farmers in Isaan.

I am actually going to stay in Si Sa Ket when I go to pick her up this time. Never been before, even though I lived in Thailand. I'm thinking I'll slip her mom 20k baht, and give her my wife's ATM card because it's cheaper to send money over there that way. Also, with the stipulation that she doesn't tell my wife's father or brother about it. Wife says they are gonna have a big party for me on my arrival. I'll probably pay for it in some way, which is actually fine with me. After reading on the stories on this site, it seems I am getting off light.

Back to the first girl, she totally took advantage of me. My farang friends in Bangkok all knew it, and didn't say anything. Even if they had, I wouldn't have listened. I am not saying you are in the same situation, but felt like I should relay a little of the 3 years I spent in Bangkok.

Wow! Seriously?? A Knife wound? I thought that stuff only happens in Dean Barrett novels? Glad it was apparently not serious.

My own view on Thai/Farang relationships is that they're like.... any other kind. Some are fabulous, made in heaven. Others are doomed from the outset. And others, well, they just limp along. Of course there's the culture gap and language gap. But I think that's not as big a deal as your basic male/female gap can be right here at home with an American spouse.

I'm just glad and thankful I found THE ONE. We clicked from first meeting, and have never looked back since. Never a shadow of doubt in 2 years of managing a long distance relationship. If I had any real doubts, I don't think I would have lasted this long. Nor would she.

hyena - based on your last posts, it seems like you don't have that certainty right now. If you're not 100% sure about her, about your ability to do the Thai/Farang relationship thing with all the 'family expectations' that may entail, perhaps you should really go slow. If your GF is giving you 2 hours of grief for "everything wrong with you", that could be a worrying sign about things to come. Then again, maybe you were just being obnoxious to her that day and rightly deserved her tirade? C'mon, 'fess up...

I'll fess up. I see a pattern; this time every month she does this but I can't endure this every month for years to come. To be honest, I did absolutely nothing. She started telling me her friend and my friend who just went there were kissing and her niece walked in and ran out embarrassed. I asked her the name of the person cause I didn't catch it and she refused to say it...it was strange but only after, I learned my friend had walked into the room. She blamed me telling him I was prying into his business or whatever...second time she got caught talking about him and blamed it on me. Not a big deal but I was quiet most of this conversation. Sure worrying about money, stuff I've said when I've been stressing about money and she started mentioning my past marriage, I must have rushed into it...my past gf, I must have rushed into it and we have nothing but problems and that maybe I rushed into this, too.

I stopped fighting...in the past, I agreed with her saying sure, maybe I rushed into it but I was committed and loved her, etc. It seemed she was trying to talk me out of it. I asked her what she wanted for her bday/v-day (same day) and she says Thais don't make a big deal and I've done enough already. I told her a little something would be in custom for me and I'd like to see her happy...she said she'd throw it int he trash. I asked her if she doesn't like romantic stuff...she says "Romantic is bagwaan" (romantic is a bunch of bs fake #######) basically. She's not bleeding me dry financially but the sin sod thing and wedding thing when at first it was one thing is growing out of my comfort zone because ego is big and I'm NOT an ego feeding person. I'd think Buddhism was the opposite of ego but somehow it got jaded terribly into a jealous, bigoted culture there. I did everything...stayed at their house, paid off debts for their neighbors feeding them at items they didn't have food, etc. I'm certain she's trying to sabotage it but at this point, I may just stop fighting it and agree with her I made a mistake and move on. I told her I didn't want kids...only after months along does she say she wants a kid and she can bring it to Thailand (like hell I'd let one of my kids live in an environment where 10 year olds are drinking booze and clepto maniacs with no focus on education).

So I'm supposed to build a house for her mom over time...I guess it makes sense cause they really are dirt poor (because every F*(&) person who marryies farang does it and ego and what people think, etc). Just sick and tired of ego feeding and lack of warmth from a would be spouse.

That's my fessing up. She has good qualities but I can't get her to see a therapist with me (which I think could help her see her past vs her actions now) which means no change and I'm not seeking to marry a lady with a muay thai man's heart.

I'm not going to give advice. That gets me in trouble.

My wife's family lives in Si Sa Ket. They have 7 Rai of rice fields. Which is 2.76 US Acres. They are dirt poor and have NEVER asked me for 1 baht. Her sister married a guy from England that I knew, who drank himself to death in Bangkok. I knew the guy, that's how I met my wife.

I know I'm going to take a pounding here, and that's fine. Maybe someone will get something out of it.

In between my first girl and my wife, I spent alot of time on Cowboy. I would help these girls write letters in English to whoever, because by that time, my Thai was functional.

I have seen it all. My father is in the hospital. My brother cracked up his motorbike. Our buffalo is sick. Whatever. Their purpose was to extract as much money as possible, as quickly as possible, from Farang men. They would write the same letters to 5 different farangs. Aussies, Brits, Americans, Dutch, you name it. It is the game. It's been going on for years, and it will continue to go on. Most of them had a Thai boyfriend or husband upcountry somewhere. Farang men like the fact that this beautiful Thai girl is paying all this attention to them. Hell, I loved it. At the end of the day, you are a walking ATM. It sucks. I went through it.

My advice. If you want to help them, give them the means to help themselves. Pay for some verifiable school. Something like that. You have all been to Thailand I'm sure. They lived there fine before they met you, and they will be fine after you are gone. Everyone wants to feel like they a rescuing someone from poverty, and doing the right thing. Having a beautiful girl to go with it doesn't hurt either. Things are not what they seem in Thailand alot of times.

If what you seek is a hot Thai girl, that is what you will get. Nothing more.

Most of the women in Thailand are very modest, and virtuous.

At some point you have to ask yourself, why did this hot young girl pick me? Was it my beer gut etc.? It's your wallet! These girls give the rest of the good ones a bad name.

I got lucky. I ended up unemployed in Bangkok. My wife supported me on 7k baht a month. It sucked, especially for her. She hung in there. She is a saint to me for doing that.

You can look up stickman bangkok on google, and see the real truth.

Like I said starting out, I will probably catch some kind of hell for posting this. But for all who come along later, I hope it gives them some insight.

Good luck to you all.

I second that. Very well said.

that was very well put. i will add that if you are going to be going around with those kind of girls, you have to remember what your doing and keep your wits about you. It is true that those girls are only interested in what you have in your wallet. i have seen some really nice looking girls with the ugliest guys, and I'm not saying i'm a chip and dale or anything like that. I did the same between my ex-wife and before meeting my current wife. i traveled all over the world so i have seen alot(mostly the inside of the bars). finally had to get out of the bars to see the real world and then thats when i met my current wife. i learned that you really have to get to know somebody and be straight forward before making a commitment. Don't let the other person get the idea that you are somebody that you really aren't. i waited three years after meeting my wife before getting married again and thought about it really hard. this is in no way any advice coming from me, just my own experiances.

I truely do agree with the fact that, both part need to be straight forward about themself before they really make any commitment. And for some fact, many people got to know each other online and having a long distant relationship, eventhough you might got to meet up in real but still you are still not truely know about how that person really is until you really spent amount of time with each other. I have nothing againts long distant relationship because I was doing the exact same thing with my own husband. It was kind hard when you really got to live together for real, there are alot more you need to learn about each other and there are alot of things you need to compromise and understanding in your relationship. Thai and Farang relationship isn't that easy becacuse both came from the different culture, religion and many more facts. You still have alot of works ahead of you.

Congrats