How are you guys just going to move there? Is it allowed to just move to a different country?
Well, its sort of complicated and simple. Simply we are tourist and we have to stay within the rules of tourist visas. Currently there is a 6 month multiple entry visas that we can apply for. The visa is good for 6 months but we can only stay in country for 60 days at a time. So every two months we need to take a trip outside of the country. This should not be a problem for us as our plan is to use Thailand as a home base to explore Asia. Additionally we plan on going to the good old USA twice a year. We will make our travel plans around/within the visa rules and request extensions and reapply as necessary.
In January I plan on attending a Instructor Development Course for my Dive Instructor Certification and then take the PADI instruction examination. Once an Open Water Scuba Instructor then I will pursue obtaining a business license as a freelance PADI Instructor in Thailand. From what I have read, an attorney in Thailand will structure this business and then I can obtain a work visa which is good for one year. I really don’t want to work but if I have to teach a class here and there for a work visa so be it. A little extra spending cash to fuel my dive addiction couldn't hurt either. With me having a work visa I should be able to get the family a visa since they are my dependents. I say should because the rules are sort of vague when I look on the internet. I plan on going to the consulate in Los Angeles and finding out what exactly the rules are.
For our initial arrival we made a reservation at a condominium for a few weeks. This will give us time to find a house to rent and buy a van. We want a van so everyone has room to stretch out on road trips and enjoy the traveling. We thought about an SUV but it might be too cramped for the seven of us plus luggage, camping gear, and scuba gear. We are looking to purchase a Toyota Commuter, we rode in several last time we were in Thailand. We could take out the last row of seats and we would have more than enough space for our gear. One of the financial hurdles is as foreigners we cannot obtain a loan so we have to pay cash for a car. We don’t want a beater van, we want something reliable that will not strand us in the middle of no where. So this mean taking a significant portion of our saving to purchase a vehicle. Oh and I didn’t mention vehicle in Thailand new and especially used cost considerably more than they do in the United States.
All of our household goods were shipped from Guam to storage in California. It can remain in storage for one year which is part of my military retirement, but they probably will not be there that long. Planning a late spring return to the states in which our household goods will get delivered to us in Texas. We will either buy a small house or we will just put everything in a storage facility. Our Ford Transit Van is being shipped to Texas, that way we have transportation for all seven of us when we visit. We want to travel to Texas every summer and Thanksgiving or Christmas to visit friends and family. Plus take some trips around the US during this time. Great for the kids to see the world but they need to know the USA and its history.
So where are we at with our plans right now? I am typing this on my flight to San Diego to out process from the U. S. Navy. I will be there for three weeks in which I plan to visit the consulate in Los Angeles and do some diving in Southern California and Mexico. The family is staying in Guam until I return which is the last week of October.
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