Sapphire: A Gemstone of Wisdom and Purity

All corundum (aluminium oxides) that is not red is called sapphire. The word sapphire comes from the Greek ‘sappheiros’ meaning blue. However, sapphire does not occur only in blue color. Sapphires can be yellow, green, brown, purple or pink, depending on the presence of various types of minerals. For example, the presence of chromium produces pink sapphire and the presence of iron produces yellow and green sapphires.

Sapphires are mainly found in Sri Lanka, India and Burma. Indian sapphires come from Kashmir. They are cornflower blue in color and are regarded as the finest blue sapphires. Sri Lankan sapphires are the most common and are typically light to medium blue in color. The majority of fancy-colored sapphires available in the jewelry industry are from Sri Lanka. The most common of these fancy sapphires are yellow, or golden, and pink in color. The pinkish orange ones are the rarest and most expensive.

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Sapphires are also found in Thailand and Australia, and they are dark blue in color. The gems obtained from these two countries generally belong to the category of the inexpensive to average priced range of sapphire gems in the jewelry market. Montana is the only important source of sapphires in the United States. The sapphire produced is of an attractive metallic blue in color. China, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria have recently also become sources of sapphires.

Most of the sapphire gems being sold today have had their color enhanced, most commonly by heating. The purpose of heat treatment is to enrich the color and improve the stone’s clarity. With this method of treatment, colorless or paled-colored stones can be turned into brilliant blue or yellow ones. Depending on the original material and the type of heating process, heat treatments of gemstones can produce a variety of results. For example, sapphires that have rutile (titanium dioxide) crystals can be treated by heating and then being cooled rapidly. This would result in the rutile crystals dissolving into the corundum and the gemstone becomes clearer. Colorless or pale-colored stones after undergoing heating without the presence of oxygen would turn to rich blue color. However, if these stones are being heated in the presence of oxygen, they would turn into intense yellow color. Most yellow sapphires have been treated in this manner.

Sapphires have been of great significance to past societies. For example, the Mystical Jews considered the blue gemstones as a secret message from the beyond. The Persians believed that the world is resting on a giant sapphire and the sky is a reflection of the color of the stone. In Europe, during the Middle Ages, sapphires were believed to be an antidote against poisons. Although sapphires occur in a wide variety of colors, traditionally blue has been the most popular and valuable. The blue sapphire gem was widely used in jewelry of royalty and was considered the most appropriate stone for ecclesiastical rings. It is known to be the bestower of truth and good health.

Gemstones are considered beautiful, rare and durable. The beauty of a gemstone is undiminished with time. A gemstone could sparkle as brightly many years from now. It has lasting value and is well liked by many. Hence, beautiful pieces of gemstone jewelry are created and widely used for personal adornment as well as gifts for friends and loved ones. Presenting these beautiful items as gifts is always well loved and cherished.

Sapphire is the birthstone for the month of September. As such, a piece of jewelry with this gemstone makes a perfect elegant birthday present for those who were born in that month. Sapphire is also the anniversary stone for the 5th and 45th year. A piece of jewelry with this gemstone can also be a great anniversary present in these years. You will be amazed how this beautiful gemstone can be made into different jewelry items such as rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, brooches and pendants. With such a wide variety of items, you will never experience any shortage of gift ideas.

Some people buy gems for the purpose of collecting them. They find these gems fascinating and enjoy having a collection of the pieces that they like.

More information on gemstone jewelry can be found in =>Sapphire Gemstone [http://www.internetbizcenter.com/gemstone/Sapphire.htm]

Sapphire: A Gemstone of Wisdom and Purity

Unit Rates and Thai House Plans To Estimate the Cost of Building a House in Thailand

This article is based on my recent experience of actually going through the process of obtaining estimates of the cost of building a house in Thailand including getting quotations from builders in Thailand and also using unit build rates (how much square meter) to build a retirement house in Thailand.

It will be useful to anyone retiring in Thailand or planning to retire to Thailand and build a retirement house.

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The Two Main Two Ways To Estimate the Cost of Building a House in Thailand

There are basically two ways of pricing a building project in Thailand.

1. Using Unit Build Rates To Estimate The Cost Of Building A House

The first and simplest method is by using Unit Build Rates, i.e. how much per square meter it costs to build the house in Baht/m2. There are a range of Unit Build Rates for houses in Thailand and these vary according to the standard of the building and the location in the country.

There are other factors that affect the price of building a house in Thailand and these are not normally allowed for in unit build rates.

Just one example is that the cost of building depends greatly upon the particular builder chosen as quotations for the same property from different builders varies greatly.

Unit rates for use in estimating the cost of house construction are readily available where I live in the United Kingdom (UK). There are many websites that list these unit rates and also there are pricing books that give rate per square metre for a range of building types and sizes. This method is commonly used in Great Britain, and other Western countries to work out a budget cost for building a house.

However, in Thailand the situation is different. I have not seen any 'official' Unit Build Rates for Thailand but several websites, notably those Forums catering for expats living in Thailand, give some rough figures from people who have built their own retirement house in Thailand.

But that's all they are - a guide - and really barely worth using even for budgeting purpose.

Two Examples from Thai Websites of Unit Rates for House Build Cost in Thailand

From A1Real.com

Bangkok: "As of March 2006, buyers had to pay 81,975 baht/m2 in average to acquire a condominium unit in central area of Bangkok compared to 72,596 baht/m2 in the last twelve months".

From Thai-AirPark.com

Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand: "A house built to western standard will cost between 160 to 300 Euros / m2″ (At 45 Euros/Baht (Jan 2010) that works out at 7,200 to 13,500 Thai Baht per m2).

Notice how the unit rate for these two examples are so different.

Another way to get unit rates for Thailand is to approach Thai builders and architects. Unit Build Rates recently sent to me by one of Thailand's leading Bangkok-based design-and-build companies are in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 Baht/m2.

The method of application of the Unit Build Rates is simple. You work out the total floor area of the proposed building including all floors and multiply by the unit rate. There is no need to find or involve a builder for this method once you have decided on the the unit rate to use.

There are inherent inaccuracies in this approach because the mix of different types of usage will be different in different building.

For example, using my own proposed property in Pak Chong, Thailand, as an example, the house is a typical 'post' house and half of the ground floor is left 'open' to be made into usable rooms at a later date and the other half simply has blockwork walls to for a workshop.

Clearly the unit rate for these areas is different and different from the first floor that contains kitchen, bedrooms and other living area.

Another example of different type (and hence costs) of building usage using my Pak Chong house as an example is that on the first floor I have a very large (compared to the rest of the house) patio area and also another semi-open area both of which would be a much lower cost to construct than the living accommodation areas.

The fact is that new build houses in Thailand are very often of completely different style and layout to other houses. This is in comparison with the UK where new houses are often built in their hundreds all to the same design. Everyone knows what you will get in a '3 bed semi-detached house' in England. In this situation unit rates can be safely applied.

So what area is used in the cost calculation? Do you use the total area including the ground floor open area and workshop and the first floor patio and semi open area plus the living accommodation areas? Or do you use the unit rate just for the living accommodation and take a percentage of the unit rate for the lower cost areas?

The problem is that I don't know the basis for the unit rate in the first place. i.e. whether it was for a property similar to mine with the open areas included, or whether it was for a property with a greater percentage of actual living area.

In conclusion the Unit Build Rates method in Thailand can only be used to get a very rough idea of the likely cost and is really not accurate enough for establishing a budget.

2. Obtaining A Quotation From A Thai Builder For Building A House In Thailand

This method depends upon finding a builder to prepare a quotation based (usually) a set of drawings (also called house plans) for the property in question. (The house you want to build to retire to in Thailand) Obviously, the more accurate and detailed the house plans, the more accurate the quotation can be.

Other documents may also be provided to supplement the house plans and these include a Scope Of Works describing the scope of the project (not normally produced in Thailand) and Schedules. The Schedules are typically a schedule of finishes, schedule of doors, ironmongery etc.

There are three major difficulties with this method.

1. Obtaining The House plans And Other Documents

I'm lucky in that I can use the Autocad Computer Aided Drawings (CAD) software package and am familiar with building design so I was able to produce my own CAD drawings and schedules for my planned retirement house in Thailand.

Also, I didn't start with a blank sheet of paper, instead I downloaded some existing Thai house plans from the Thai Government website (Search for 'download Thai Government House Plans') and selected one to use as a starting point for my own Thai house design.

If you don't fancy this do-it-yourself approach you will have to find someone to make the house plans for you. Whilst this is easy in (if somewhat expensive) in the UK, if you try to find a Thai Architect to do this for you then you may have problems.

Firstly finding an Architect in Thailand is not easy although I did find an architectural and construction company in Bangkok and I subsequently appointed then to make the construction drawings for my own house - but that is another story.

Secondly, how do you explain to an Architect what you want? This is particularly difficult (impossible?) if you don't already have your own preliminary drawings as I did and if you aren't in a position to sit down in the same room as the architect and pour over ideas and concepts.

Doing that by email from starting from scratch from outside of Thailand is next to impossible.

2. Translation Of The Documents Into The Thai Language

This is not so difficult if you are prepared to pay for a translator in Thailand.

A translator can easily translate the schedules but adding Thai to CAD drawings in not easy unless the translator also knows how to use the CAD software! My own house plans and schedules are in English only and I was able to get a quotation from a Thai builder.

You might try English only and just get the translator to translate the technical phrases that the builder doesn't understand. Again, much easier to do if you are in Thailand alongside the translator and builder.

3. Finding A Builder In Thailand

This can be one of the most difficult tasks you have to do.

My wife has contacted at least six builders from within Thailand and only one has produced a price. That price was based on the house plans and schedules that I produced but was about double what we expected, at 2.1 million Baht, which works out at 16,000 Baht/m2.

The answer we get from most of the builders is that they are too busy to work on providing a price for a small house build job. It seems that many builders are engaged on large projects in the coastal resorts of Thailand (e.g. Phucket) and that our tiny little project in Pakchong is not worth their while.

The method I used to find builders consisted of knocking on doors "You have a nice house, can you tell me who the builder was?" I find it easy to approach people and one day I was chatting with the Security Guard at our hotel, "The Mansion" at 8/8 Soi Tedsaban 8, Mittrapap Rd., Pakchong, Thailand, and he announced that he could get a price from at least two builders.

We took him up on that offer but never received the quotations. One was too busy and the other wanted 5,000 Baht up front before preparing a quotation in case we didn't select him as our builder! By the way, the Security Guard said that his commission was 10 percent!

In this short discussion on how I obtained budget estimates for a retirement home in Thailand I have covered the two main methods, using unit rates and house plans, to secure a budget price and the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Also I have explained the three difficulties you will face when trying to get a builder in Thailand to give you an estimate for building your retirement house in Thailand.

Unit Rates and Thai House Plans To Estimate the Cost of Building a House in Thailand

The Illuminated Night of Loy Krathong

Loy Krathong is conceived as a renowned festival in Thailand. The word "Loy" means to float and "Krathong" is a banana leaf cup made of natural materials such as a banana trunk, banana leaves and lotus petals. It is laden with a candle, incense sticks, flowers and coins to ensure an auspicious life. People will flock to the river and then make a wish before drifting their Krathong onto the river. The floating of Krathong is intended to banish all sufferings and ask for apologies to the Goddess of the River in contaminating her waters. Some believe that the ritual is meant to worship the Buddha's footprint on the bank of the Narmada River whilst others say that it is to pay respect to Phra Uppakhut, one of the Lord Buddha's great disciples.

The illuminated night of Loy Krathong comes with various entertaining activities. Thai people of all ages and from all walks of life can marvel at plenty of delightful activities after gliding their Krathong away. There are folk entertainments, light and sound presentations, dance parades, local product fairs as well as many other genres of traditional and cultural performances. The highlight of the festival will be the most beautiful Krathong contest and beauty pageant set in memory of "Nang Noppamas", a legendary woman in the Sukhothai period. Significantly, the lighting of fireworks is always done in the same spirit as when lighting candles in an act of worship. Firework displays have become a quintessential element of this vibrant festival.

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The exact origin of Loy Krathong is supposed to begin more than 700 years ago in Sukhothai, the ancient capital of Thailand, when farmers held a lantern floating festival shortly after sowing seeds in their drenched paddy fields. One talented woman named Nang Noppamas or Thao Si Chulalak who resided in the palace of King Phra Ruang marvelously created special lanterns for this festival. Unlike other conventional lanterns, they were made of banana leaves devised in the shape of lotus petals. The lanterns so astounded the king that he commanded once a year on the full moon night a grand ceremony should be celebrated through floating lotus shaped banana leaf cups. This practice has been thoroughly upheld up to the modern day.

This year Loy Krathong is as always commemorated nationwide during 31 October - 6 November in a different manner especially in Sukhothai, Ayudhya, Chiang Mai, Tak and Bangkok. The theme of Loy Krathong accentuates Colorful Water-Loy Krathong Great Festival. Sukhothai, the site of origin of the festival, celebrates Loy Krathong and Candle Festival. The most interesting aspect of the festival is a light and sound show and the "Dawn of Happiness" activity that will be organized in the age-old setting of the Sukhothai Historical Park. Some more fascinating activities comprise firework displays, cultural performances and a procession of offerings carried by pretty girls to pay homage to the statue of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great.

"Loy Krathong Festival by Bangkok Guide"

Also a well-known place to celebrate Loy Krathong is Chiang Mai. The festival is called "Yee Peng" when the largest Krathong is marched along the city on an ornately embellished truck. At night the colorfully lit Krathong form a luminous parade as they make their way to the river. People also rejoice the festival with thousands of candlelit "Khom Loy" or floating lanterns consisting of "Khom Fai" - a fire lantern - and "Khom Khwan" - a smoke lantern that are released into the night sky based on the belief they are to pay respect to the Buddha#@*s holy relics and Phra Chula Manee in the heaven. These balloon-like lanterns are as well said to send away calamities. Ideal venues to visit are the Tha Phae Gate and the banks of the Ping River.

Tak similarly celebrates the festival of "Loy Krathong Sai" that is reflected through a long line of Krathong made of coconut shells lit with candles as well as threaded together as a string of floating lights on the Ping River. When the lit Krathong are floated onto the right current typically one after another they would wander along and make a breathtaking and twinkling curving line or "Sai" in Thai amidst the darkness of the night. This represents the accord and oneness of local people when they assemble on the river banks where they sing and dance with utmost bliss. Tourists will also have a mesmerizing occasion to relish the atmosphere of Krathong Sai contest and water curtain presentation relating to "The Legend of Krathong Sai". In "the City of Angels", the banks of the glorious Chao Phraya River are the prime location to celebrate the festival. So as to revive an old custom of the ancient capital, Loy Krathong is arranged to preserve the royal ritual of the early Rattanakosin period in which several types of traditional Krathong were set afloat onto the Chao Phraya River and its waterways. Many riverside hotels and restaurants also hold special celebrations for their guests. For a more stunning night of Loy Krathong in Bangkok, meticulous tourists are earnestly invited to partake in this yearly festival and join the crowds along the Chao Phraya River, the Rattanakosin Island, the Santichaiprakarn Park, the Rama VIII Bridge, the Taksin Bridge and the Krungthon Bridge.

Thai people from all walks of life are gathering on the nearest river with their hands holding a fine-looking banana leaf cup. The rivers and waterways are illuminated with glittering lights whilst the historical remains and commercial buildings along the banks of the majestic Chao Phraya River are adorned with electric decorations. The joyful festivities like firework displays, traditional performances as well as light and sound presentations are just around the corner.

These are the common scenes awaiting you on the colorful night of Loy Krathong.

The Illuminated Night of Loy Krathong

Thailand Tours - Explore Top Tourism Attractions

Thailand is lovingly called "Land of Smiles". It is amazingly beautiful dotted with scintillating tourism attractions, exotic beauty of the beaches, rich culture and traditions, superb fascinating attractions, throbbing nightlife and much more. It is home to some of the enticing tourism attractions and so it the reason why thousands and hundreds of tourists from across the nook and corner of the world come to Thailand to enjoy vacations in a delightful and memorable way.

Some of the enticing tourism attractions here in Thailand that you will ill to visit are listed below. More of all, Thailand Tours never fail to impress the heart of the visitors as they are truly unique and wonder in itself.

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Thailand Top Tourist Attractions

Chiang Mai
Known for its stunning natural beauty and charm, Chiang Mai in Thailand is one of the most beautiful places that are visited by scores of tourists from across the world. It is amazingly beautiful and its indigenous cultural identity is such that never fail to impress the heart of the tourists who come from across the world to Thailand. Here one can see and explore some exciting range of tourism attraction among which the most favored and scintillating are Chiang Mai Zoo, Chiang Mai River Cruise, Elephant Rides, Chaing Mai Speed Way, Gawila Boxing Stadium, Adventure Activities, etc. Apart from these there are many other exciting attractions that are worth to visit and explore on visit to Chiang Mai, the most favored place of tourists interest in Thailand.

Mae Hong Son
Mae Hong Son is a nature blessed tourism attraction and so it is amazingly beautiful blessed with astounding beauty of nature. Earlier used as the centre for training elephants today Mae Hong Son is visited by thousands and hundreds of tourists from across the nook and corner of the world. It is truly a wonder for nature lovers and so it is visited tourists from across the world. Come to this beautiful Mae Hong Son and surely you will love to treasure and relish in for a long time to go.

Ayutthaya
Served as the capital for 417 years, Ayutthaya in Thailand is a prime attraction of tourist that is visited by thousands and hundreds of visitors all the year round. It is amazingly beautiful and so is the reason why Ayutthaya has gained high importance among tourists and all the exciting Thailand Tour packages. Its boosts of historical ruins and more of all Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park is also a stretch of historical site which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Come here to Ayutthaya and take back home remarkable memories and magnificent sites in your eyes to relish in forever.

Apart from all these there are many other exciting tourism attractions in Thailand which are worth to visit and explore. Tourists apart from Thailand tour can customize their travel package for Thailand Singapore Malaysia toursand can see and explore many other great tourism attractions of these beautiful counties in a delightful and memorable way. Surely visit to Thailand and these exciting counties will be an exciting experince which is going to color the life with lots of memorable memories to relish in forever.

Thailand Tours - Explore Top Tourism Attractions

Liposuction Vacations Offer Cheap Options

As the demand for liposuction increases, so does its price. In the U.S. and Europe there is little competition for cosmetic surgeries, so with few practitioners, costs go up. However, competition has recently risen in foreign nations where doctors and governments have recognized the need for more cosmetic surgeons and devised the package deal of "liposuction vacations."

Underdeveloped countries such as India, Thailand, and the Dominican Republic offer cheap liposuction in order to lure Americans to their countries and spend extended amounts of time there. The allure of an exotic vacation combined with the low price of cosmetic surgery, often 60 to 80% cheaper than in the U.S., is a great temptation and business technique. Even Eastern European countries, such as Poland and Hungary, have invested in this medical tourism, becoming very popular among British women looking for cheap lipo.

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By undergoing surgery in an exotic place, patients have the benefit of a fun vacation while recovering from the procedure. Rather than lying around at home, they can lie out on the balcony of their ocean-view hotel or explore a quaint European town at their own leisure. This also allows time for scars and bruising to subside before going home to friends and acquaintances.

However, there are many concerns about having surgery in foreign countries. Many nations do not have the same guidelines as are set forth by the American government, so there is always the risk of the doctors not being as well trained or the equipment not being as high of quality. At the least there may be hidden costs that would not exist in the U. S.

For example, if there are any complications during or after the surgery that require hospitalization, a patient could pay thousands of dollars in hospital bills for not having the proper insurance for the facility they are treated at. Travel medical insurance is a great idea for anyone planning a liposuction vacation. This should cover any possible emergencies that may occur.

Patients should also do extensive research to determine if their doctor and facility are properly board registered, trained, and experienced, as with any cosmetic surgeon. If the particular procedure they are seeking is relatively new in that country, there is more risk of going to an inexperienced doctor. They should also plan the vacation part of the trip with their recuperation in mind. Some antibiotics that are required after surgery do not react well to great amounts of sun exposure, and a hot climate may be uncomfortable for healing stitches.

Patients should remember to put their health first and the fun second if considering a liposuction vacation. It may be a cheap option, but could also be risky as well.

Liposuction Vacations Offer Cheap Options

Water Pollution in Thailand - Size of the Problem

Thailand is one of the fast growing countries in Asia nowadays. Economic experts assure that the rates of Thai economic growth are quite impressive. However, the development of industry comes at another cost; pollution. Water pollution is increasingly recognized as a threat to the civilization that Thailand witnesses.

It has always been agreed that the degree of water pollution is directly proportionate to the degree of industrial development. Over the past 10 years, scientists have observed an increase in the level of toxic substances detected in water samples taken from Thailand shores. The surface water is now contaminated with more bacteria which can increase the possibility of infection. The possibility of bacterial epidemic outbreaks has never been higher. Water pollution in Thailand shows an increased incidence of typhoid, hepatitis C and cholera outbreaks.

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Sewage disposal is another element contributing to the water pollution in Thailand. Thailand witnesses an expanding urban community which yields more sewage disposal that is continuously polluting the water surfaces. Sewage disposal can pollute water with nitrite, sulfur and ammonium salts that can have serious health consequences. Moreover, sewage waste products have been proved to affect aquatic life as increased mortality of fish is recorded to result from sewage disposal.

Nowadays, Thailand is a country that is headed by tourists from every corner of the globe. However, littering of beaches and sea shores is continuously repelling tourists. Many beaches are crowded and this contributes to more littering which is affecting the health of both tourists and residents. A view that is rather annoying to almost everyone is a beach with cans of soda and candy wrappers almost on every square meter of sand.

The Thai government is putting now more effort than ever to combat water pollution which is increasingly recognized as a major health problem. Media are enlightening citizens about the problem and solutions they can offer to solve this national disaster. Laws are legislated to punish factories and business owners who insist on disposing their waste products in the sea. Youth and teenagers are encouraged to volunteer in anti- pollution campaigns and tasks. The government is even paying teenagers who participate in cleaning beaches.

Thailand pictures reflect a civilization that has been growing to become one of Asia's biggest industrial powers. However, industrial development is coming at a rather high cost which is water pollution. Water pollution has been increasingly observed in Thailand over the past ten years. Sewage disposal, industrial waste products and bacterial contaminations are amongst the biggest contributors to water pollution in Thailand. On the other hand, the Thai government is saving no effort to fight this disaster that is threatening the health of every Thai.

Water Pollution in Thailand - Size of the Problem

One Year Multiple Entry Visa to Thailand

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.

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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 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.

One Year Multiple Entry Visa to Thailand