LOS, here I come !

[gobbledonk]

OK, for those who are tired of my incessant posts, please read no further. To the remainder, please be aware that I am litte wired right now.

 

A very wise board member once posted that he felt the second trip to the LOS was the trip that 'sunk' a Farang. I took heed, and visited other parts of Asia over the 6 years following my first visit, finally relenting for 6 nights last month. A flurry of posts followed, along with admonishments from several board members that those crazy 6 nights were a fantasy : definitely not something I could relive indefinitely.

 

Fast forward to my return to work today and a *very* tough morning wrestling with many things. I havent been happy in this job from day one, and I could really live without I.T. for 6-12 months (if you work in the industry, I suspect you'll know what I am on about). I convey this to my boss and we agree that I will finish this Friday. I now have less than a month to organise some type of visa, put everything into storage and so on. I will flog off as much as possible, including my car, because I dont want the hassle of worrying about crap I've left in Oz.

 

Long story short, I may be posting for help on things like Visas, but is there a general FAQ for those moving to Thailand ?

 

Thanks,

 

Gobble

 

PS to my critics, I accept that this hasnt had as much forethought as it should have, but them's the breaks. Mid-life madness, burnout - whatever, I 'd appreciate a tiny bit of restraint from those who feel that I've lost it. To the remainder, I hope to see you in BKK at some stage over the coming months.

[..]

Get a 60 day tourist visa, before the end of the 60 get it extended 30. OK, that's 3 months. Then you have 3 months worth of 30 entry stamps before (in theory) they get cranky. So that's 6 months. Go back to Oz, get a tourist visa again, and do it all over. That's a year.

 

Good luck. Bring money. And keep your skills up (i.e., maybe do some online courses so it does not look like you were just whoring around) or you'll never get a job when you get back.

 

Cheers,

SD

[devils reject]

Hey Gobble,

I'd be lying if i'd say that I didn't see this one coming. All I can say is that we all only live once and sometimes one has to take a punt in life. Could be the start of something great or could be a disaster. You'll never know if you don't try. I myself will be moving to Bangers indefinetly in august and I'm quite nervous about it but on the other hand also very excited at a new beginning. Good luck with it all.

[gobbledonk]

Thanks SD - will look at the 60 day visa as that obviously has to be my first priority. Not sure if doing a 'recognised' course in the Thai language is a good idea or not....

 

 

[Flashermac]

You can always do what a lot of foreign "students" do - sign up for a year long certificate course in "Thai Studies" at a government or even sign up for an MA programme at a private university, say Bangkok U or ABAC. Gets you your visa without any hassle, gets you onto a campus to meet non-BGs chicks and it may also do you some good!

 

 

[Julian2]

I don't know what state you live in but why don't you drop into the Thai consulate in your capital city and see what you need For a business visa?

12 month multiple entry for about $250.

Maybe your boss could make you the companies representative in SE Asia (Unpaid).

[gobbledonk]

I'd be lying if i'd say that I didn't see this one coming. All I can say is that we all only live once and sometimes one has to take a punt in life. Could be the start of something great or could be a disaster. You'll never know if you don't try

 

Very succinct summation, DA. Even if it is a complete disaster, I dont know how it could be worse than the last 6 months here in Oz. I just got off the phone with my (Farang) ex, and she is surprisingly supportive : I think she saw something like this coming 12 months ago.

[simie]

Gobbledonk, I don't know how strict the consulates are in Oz? But in the UK its quite difficult I believe to get a double or triple entry tourist visa from the embassy but several of the consulates do still give double or triple entry tourist visas. If thats the case in Oz it would certainly cut down the numbers of times you'd have to leave the country.

AS SD has suggested it would be a good idea to keep in touch work wise to make yourself more employable when you get back. I also think going to a Thai language school is a very good idea. I did when I lived in Bangkok and it will make your stay more rewarding.

Things like that will give you things to get up for in the morning and help stop you becoming a total piss head.

As I mentioned to you in a previous post by all means get an apartment in a reasonable location, handy for BTS/MRT etc but don't what ever you do get one in lower Sukhumvit. Just too easy to pop out on the piss or whoring all the time if your not working. Good luck.

Simie.

[Flashermac]

A certificate programme:

 

http://www.thaistudies.tu.ac.th/

 

http://interaffairs.tu.ac.th/thaistudy/ts_study_options.htm

 

 

[gobbledonk]

You can always do what a lot of foreign "students" do - sign up for a year long certificate course in "Thai Studies" at a government or even sign up for an MA programme at a private university, say Bangkok U or ABAC. Gets you your visa without any hassle, gets you onto a campus to meet non-BGs chicks and it may also do you some good!

 

Thanks FM - will look into it. Having previously worked in a university, I am a bit cynical re value for money (particularly when there is a poor lecturer/student ratio), but its all worth considering. 'Book' learning is one of the few things that I have done consistently well at throughout my rollercoaster ride :smirk: