Fair enough, my views have changed over the years. I broke the law in Scotland for not paying the Poll Tax as I hate the Thatcher government. Is this a valid excuse for not doing something I don't want to do?
I do see the point of people saying 'well Thailand is corrupt, so I will be corrupt too'.
However, I think it is hypocritical when people use visa agents then complain about the corruption in Thailand, as they are contributing to it.
I also understand that some newbies here feel intimidated by the immigration police and use agents to secure their stay.
One of my good friends who is totally against corruption of any kind told me that he didn't have to travel to Bangkok anymore for his letter from the embassy as the IO asked him how much it would cost and suggested he pay 5000 baht to her and she could fix it. He would never even pay a traffic bribe but when it comes to something that helps him a lot, as he's old, he succumbed and what upsets me more is that he denies that he is taking part in corruption.
I hate immigration and have had run ins with them. I even contacted a former Minister of Finance to send a team to my local immigration to sort something out.
This guy is very concerned about corruption in immigration and his team are talking about what to do with the large-scale use of visa agents and how they are protected by senior police. This could all come crashing down at any moment, and I think it is responsible to warn all expats who live here with families. Do things by the book!