Immigration irritation. A lot of foreigners gripe about visas and the long trek 25 km from downtown for getting or renewing visas. With 90% of visitors and much if the expat population in Silom or Sukhumvit areas, the choice of having the office in distant Changwattana was never going to be popular. But my gripe is the archaic system itself. Despite being a legal Thai resident, and having done this xx times in the past, it still took two half-days trips to get my stamp. Because I needed a new resident book, having filled the scant 8 pages quickly since I travel so much, and this required a document that is not posted on their website (the head of the department admitted), nor told to my secretary before I went out. And since to pick up my book requires no less than 5 times inking my right thumb and rolling it on papers (signature also required), I could not send out a messenger to pick the books up. And as my passport could not get a new multiple re-entry visa without my new resident book, that had to wait too. After causing a farang fuss bringing out several officials who I tried to joke with how we needed to chalern or progress, they all admitted spending 2-3 days at various government offices themselves to get drivers licenses, passports. To make a long story short, I bought several boxes of donuts to thank them for at least rushing my resident book from 4 days to 1 as Im leaving tomorrow to Singapore and cant leave without it (missing one stamp or one day late on renewal negates your residency permanently!). I noted that my double sides application form had no less than 10 hand stamps! (Yes, we do need to progress...)
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 06:15:27 +0000
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