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Bureacracy & Red Tape & Biscuits


panadolsandwich

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I had to extend a visa in Bangkok recently, in what was to me going to be an exruciating experience, I'd had the forethought to get utterly smashed on the previous night. I awoke like a startled animal. I nearly broke the fire alarm panel in my panic to take a lid off a stubborn Chang Export. Once I was on my way, I returned to my room no less than three times, to gather sundries like passport, keys, money - oh aye and kick some rainbow 4 girl out of there. I finally swayed onto soi 4 and managed to get a taxi to take me to middle earth pondering the significance of the number 4, nursing the kind of hangover that would make strong men weep....

 

I made it there and successfuly vaulted the obstacles after wandering lazily about some large atrium - you are apparently not meant to do that so an official ushered me, a ticketed number was given me and I entered the painful world of bureaucratic nightmare. I watched while the bureaucratic lazy bastards drank their coffee, and read their newspapers, and all together seemed totally insensitive to my needs - which appeared to be a good steak and eggs and a half a pint of good scotch. followed by 36 hours sleep. I watched them with an increasingly fuming anger. I looked around me and I was the only farang and a seemingly endless line of Indian / Burmese / Vietnamese / Cambodians all appeared to have a ticket of much lower denomination. My blood was boiling when a Immigration Colonel plucked me out of the line and took me to a cubicle. He turned out to be my saviour. We had a long and very friendly chat and my passport was stamped and dealt with in the space of our 15 minute chat. He seemed disappointed that our session was over as a very pretty girl brought him a coffee, and my stamped passport. We'd started in English, but then just ended up talking Thai - I'd gathered he'd soon be having to deal with the Indians, but ecstatic about this singular good fortune of being out of there by 9am I didn't comment. I thanked him very heartily and then he offered me kanom - a package of biscuits from this sack he had. I joked that I'd enjoy them much more if the thon lady that brought him the coffee could give me a cup too, to go along with the biscuits. Strangely his face contorted, in an almost rage - then he relaxed and just laughed and said something like (because it was no longer polite - I had a bit of trouble understanding him) - you young rascals will try anything on these days, but not unkindly and I sensed almost admiringly.

 

In the taxi enroute to soi 4 I opened the package of biscuits and found 5 condoms in there.

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What a load of Bollox, if you are going to try creative writing at least get your facts right.

 

Burmese / Cambodians / Vietnamese visa's are taken care of at Suan Phlu immigration office not at Chaeng Wattana.

 

 

It's a true story and I promise I didn't make it up, and that was my impression at the time. Perhaps they were all Chinese LOL. Perhaps in hindsight I imagined them too. Certainly all aliens...

 

Boy - try to tell a light hearted story and then watch the flak fly. :

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On a totally different note the last time I went there this last monday afternoon I was in and out in 30 minutes with my visa extended. No pain at all.

 

They just told me that they were disappointed that I was only in 2 episodes of a soap they watch :p I told them I was disappointed to as I could have used the money and work and they laughed.

 

Thai immigration in my experience really are very nice people if you approach them the right way :)

 

W

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It's a true story and I promise I didn't make it up, and that was my impression at the time. Perhaps they were all Chinese LOL. Perhaps in hindsight I imagined them too. Certainly all aliens...

 

Boy - try to tell a light hearted story and then watch the flak fly. :

...nice story! Thai Immi is always a story in itself!!

 

Of course I have never had occasion to grind my gears with Thai Immi :rolleyes:

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In the taxi enroute to soi 4 I opened the package of biscuits and found 5 condoms in there.

 

And then...? Keep going! I've stopped trying to differentiate truth from fiction, it's just about whether I'm entertained or not - and this may turn out entertaining!

 

(No more differentiating, that is, except when it comes to potential ladyboys, then I still put on my investigatory cap! One can't be too careful these days, I swear the post-ops are multiplying like rabbits...)

 

YimSiam

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