Trip Overview
Vacation — Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco (re:Invent week in Las Vegas; conference attendance pending)
Route at a glance
| Segment | Dates | Focus |
|---|
| Las Vegas, NV | Nov 28 – Dec 5 | Sightseeing (re:Invent week; attendance pending) |
| Los Angeles, CA | Dec 5 – 8 | Santa Monica, Hollywood, Getty (personal) |
| San Francisco, CA | Dec 8 – 11 | Golden Gate, Alcatraz, cable cars (personal) |
Status (updated Sep 27, 2026) — 2 items to confirm first:
1) Interview date: the AppointmentManager page (Sep 22, 11:16) shows Wed Oct 21, 08:30, but the saved confirmation PDF shows Mon Oct 26, 07:45. Log in to ustraveldocs, view only, and download the current confirmation. Do NOT touch Reschedule/Cancel — the reschedule limit is exhausted.
2) re:Invent registration: AWS employees may not buy their own pass, and self-purchased registrations are being cancelled. Until a valid pass is confirmed, the trip is presented as a vacation and the re:Invent visa letter is not used.
Done: DS-160 for both · MRV $370 paid · employment letters · interview prep sheet (05-Interview-Prep/). Still to collect: Opal DS-160 confirmation + e-ticket, marriage certificate, leave approvals, bank statement, LA/SF hotels, $250/person Visa Integrity Fee.
Trip is self-funded, on approved personal leave (DS-160 "Person paying" = Self for Kajonsak, Spouse for Opal).
Use the Visa Prep tab to work through the document checklist — tick items as you gather them and your progress saves automatically on this device. The Travel Guide tab has the LA & SF day-by-day plan and food picks.
US Visa (B1/B2) Preparation
Interview: Wed Oct 21, 2026 08:30 (verify vs Oct 26 07:45) · Self-funded vacation on personal leave
1. Document Checklist
Essential Documents (per person)
Supporting — Kajonsak (Primary)
Supporting — Opal (Accompanying Spouse)
Supporting — Financial (both)
Supporting — Ties to Thailand
Travel Arrangements
2. Employment Verification Letter
Status: obtained (FINAL, Sep 12, 2026) — filed under 01-KT/Employment-Confirmation-AWS-Thailand-KT-2026-09-12-FINAL.pdf. Bring the original printout to the interview.
What the letter states: full-time employment at AWS Thailand (position, start date), that the trip is personal travel on approved leave, and that the applicant will return to resume duties. It does not state that the company sponsors or pays for the trip — this matches the DS-160 (Person paying = Self).
Opal's employer letter (True, Sep 5, 2026) is filed under 02-Opal/. Leave-approval evidence for both is still to be added.
Consistency rule: every document and every spoken answer must say the same thing — self-funded vacation, personal leave, employer approved the leave. Do not describe the trip as company-sponsored, and do not claim a conference registration unless a valid pass is confirmed. The re:Invent visa letter (Aug 13) states "registered, fee paid" — do not submit it unless that is still true.
3. DS-160 Key Information Reference
Kajonsak (B1/B2)
| Field | Information |
|---|
| Purpose of Trip | B1/B2 — tourism with spouse, on personal leave (conference attendance only if a valid pass is confirmed) |
| Employer | Amazon Web Services (Thailand) |
| Job Title | Senior Solutions Architect (since Oct 3, 2022) |
| Travel Dates | Nov 28 – Dec 11, 2026 |
| US Address / Point of Contact | Harrah's Las Vegas (hotel), Nov 28 – Dec 5 |
| Who is Paying | SELF (as submitted) |
| DS-160 status | Submitted Sep 12, 2026 — confirmation PDF in 01-KT/ |
| Conference | AWS re:Invent 2026 — attendance pending; visa letter not used |
Opal (B1/B2 — Accompanying Spouse)
| Field | Information |
|---|
| Purpose of Trip | Tourism, accompanying spouse (travel companion = Kajonsak) |
| Employer | True Move H — Senior Leader, Retail Sales (since Jan 2022; previously Sales Manager at NTT Thailand) — employer certificate Sep 5, 2026 on file |
| Travel Dates | Nov 28 – Dec 11, 2026 |
| US Address / Point of Contact | Harrah's Las Vegas (hotel), Nov 28 – Dec 5 |
| Who is Paying | OTHER PERSON — spouse (Kajonsak) (as submitted) |
| Marital status | MARRIED (even though passport says MISS) — bring marriage certificate |
| DS-160 status | Submitted Sep 12, 2026 — confirmation PDF still to be saved to 02-Opal/ |
| Spouse Name | Kajonsak T. |
| Spouse Employer | Amazon Web Services |
| Relationship to Applicant 1 | Spouse traveling together |
4. Travel Itinerary
| Date | Day | Activity | Location |
|---|
| Nov 28 (Sat) | 1 | Depart BKK → arrive San Francisco (EVA BR018) → connect to Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV |
| Nov 29 (Sun) | 2 | Free / Explore Las Vegas / Pre-conference prep | Las Vegas, NV |
| Nov 30 (Mon) | 3 | Las Vegas sightseeing (re:Invent week) | Las Vegas, NV |
| Dec 1 (Tue) | 4 | Las Vegas sightseeing (re:Invent week) | Las Vegas, NV |
| Dec 2 (Wed) | 5 | Las Vegas sightseeing (re:Invent week) | Las Vegas, NV |
| Dec 3 (Thu) | 6 | Las Vegas sightseeing (re:Invent week) | Las Vegas, NV |
| Dec 4 (Fri) | 7 | Las Vegas sightseeing (re:Invent week) | Las Vegas, NV |
| Dec 5 (Sat) | 8 | LAS → LAX — Personal travel begins | Los Angeles, CA |
| Dec 6 (Sun) | 9 | Explore Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| Dec 7 (Mon) | 10 | Explore Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| Dec 8 (Tue) | 11 | LAX → SFO | San Francisco, CA |
| Dec 9 (Wed) | 12 | Explore San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| Dec 10 (Thu) | 13 | Explore San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| Dec 11 (Fri) | 14 | SFO → BKK — Return to Thailand | Departure |
5. Timeline & Action Items
6. US Embassy Bangkok — Interview Tips
Location: 95 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
- Arrive 30 minutes early for the confirmed slot (Oct 21 08:30 or Oct 26 07:45 — verify) — security line forms early
- No bags or electronics (laptop, tablet, camera, power bank) — the Embassy has no storage. Mobile phones: check the current limit on the ustraveldocs Security Regulations page before the day
- Dress professionally — business casual is fine
- Be concise — answer only what is asked
Key points to emphasize:
- A fixed two-week vacation with your spouse, return ticket booked
- Trip is self-funded; both employers approved personal leave
- You have strong ties to Thailand (both of you employed full-time in Bangkok, home and family here)
- You return to Thailand on Dec 11 (arrive Dec 13) to resume work — travelling and returning together with your spouse
Tips for Wife's Interview
- If interviewing together, the officer may ask her questions separately
- She should know the purpose (vacation together) and the itinerary
- Emphasize ties to Thailand: her job at True (team lead), home and family in Bangkok
- Be ready to explain: "We are going on vacation together. We both took leave from work and we fly back together on Dec 11."
- Bring the Marriage Certificate (original + copy)
- Bring her own employment certificate and, if available, her bank statement
7. Estimated Costs
| Item | Estimated Cost |
|---|
| Visa Application Fee (MRV) ×2 | ~$370 USD (~13,000 THB) |
| Visa Photos ×2 | ~400 THB |
| Flights — Kajonsak (EVA, BKK–LAS / SFO–BKK) | Booked via agency — self-paid |
| Flights — Opal | Booked separately by Kajonsak — self-paid |
| Hotels | Harrah's Las Vegas Nov 28–Dec 5 booked (pay at hotel); LA + SF hotels not yet booked — self-paid |
| Personal travel expenses (Dec 5–11, both) | (TBD — personal expense) |
| Visa Integrity Fee ×2 (collected at visa issuance, per secondary sources — confirm at the Embassy) | $500 USD ($250 each) |
| Total Visa Fees | ~$870 USD (~28,000 THB) |
8. Practice Q&A (short answers)
| Who | Question | Answer |
|---|
| K | Purpose of your trip? | A vacation with my wife — Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. |
| K | Are you attending the conference? | No, I don't have a conference pass. This trip is a vacation. (Answer truthfully per the status on the day.) |
| K | Who is paying? | I am paying for everything myself. |
| K | Your employer is Amazon — is this a work trip? | No, it's a personal vacation. I'm on leave and my manager approved it. |
| K | Who booked your flight? | A travel agency a friend recommended. I paid the agency directly. I booked my wife's ticket myself. |
| K | Will you work in the US? | No. I will only attend the conference sessions. |
| K | Been to the US before? | No, this is my first time. I have never had a US visa. |
| W | Purpose of your trip? | A vacation with my husband in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. |
| W | What do you do? | I'm a Senior Leader in Retail Sales at True. I lead the retail enterprise sales team. |
| W | Who is paying? | My husband is paying. |
| Both | Why will you come back? | We both have full-time jobs in Bangkok, and our home and family are here. We return on Dec 11. |
Rule: answer in 1–2 sentences, only what is asked, and keep every answer consistent with the DS-160 (self-funded, personal leave). Never describe the trip as company-sponsored or claim a conference pass you do not hold. Full sheet with Thai translations: 05-Interview-Prep/Interview-Prep-KT-Opal.pdf.