jaywalker

18 minutes ago, QuantumMech said:

If there's a huge queue, I'd like to avoid it if possible :)

I doubt it.

If you get lucky, they may have someone speaking Thai, directing Thai's to go to the Citizen's side of the mess.

My wife goes thru the US side with me in Chicago (or wherever) in the US, & I hit the Thai side in Thailand when I'm with her.

I stood in line with her (like a dumb-ass) in Chicago once in the foreigner's lane for half an hour. The IO looked at me like an idiot (I was) & told me to take her thru the US Citizen's lane next time.

10 minutes ago, BEVUP said:

& there lies another problem the incompetent staff that can't advice Tourists as to the most appropiate ramp to spread the influx 

I recall....it was maybe 2002/2003 or so, airport staff would flag everyone down AFTER they'd EXITED a flight, and want to see your BOARDING PASS????? This was in the jetway/walkway, about 10 meters from the aircraft door, nowhere near immigration.

Still trying to figure that one out. I was flying in/out of DMK once or twice a month & they did this for about 18 months.

The first two times it happened, half the (I was one of them) passengers had to go back and clamber all over the plane to look for our discarded boarding pass, as we were trying to GET OFF/LEAVE a flight!

2 minutes ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

I have a feeling many officers don't last long because the work is too hard and sustained. Plus, I believe many candidates simply don't have the head for visas and maybe don't have the cash to buy the job, too.

Methinks you hit the nail on the head there my friend.

I doubt many have ever even traveled and have no earthly idea how one feels after a 27-30 travel time, with 20 of those hours in a metal tube, and on a 12 hour time change feel....NEWSFLASH....It's not all that pleasant.

DMK was great 15-20 years ago.

Now the Chinese hoards have invaded, along with the Russians & they simply cannot keep up.

I doubt they pay for their positions though, as there's generally not much bribery going on at immigration = another reason for them to take another civil service job where they get a cut of everything.

12 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

It is a very small way of saying we are not capable of taking care of this task, and therefore we would like to show some humility to our valuable, incoming guests.

BWAHAHAHA!

I agree with your entire post, but the part I quoted will never, ever happen. Then again, once a (any) government is in control of pretty much any and everything, you can expect it to be mismanaged by unmotivated, lazy staff.

Immigration Departments the world over are the worst of the worst when it comes to bureaucracy.

2 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

Those who ever had to deal with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs know about the limits of its staff efficiency. 

I went to the MFA in BKK once to renew my wife's and daughter's passports once.

My US passport was not available to me, as it was tied up in getting a work permit. They wanted to see it so my daughter could renew her passport & is the only reason I was there.

Nice lady accepted my Florida driver's license. Took about 20 minutes total. I thought they were pretty nice.

Still trying to figure out why my wife wanted a Thai passport for our daughter, as she already had a US passport & Thai birth certificate.

I just say "Yes Dear" most of the time though.

1 hour ago, Misterwhisper said:

Unbelievable! Why is this department seemingly totally incapable of training - and deploying - enough officers at BOTH airports?

It's like double doors all over Asia. They have TWO doors, but they only ever unlock one of them.

What's the point of having two doors, when you only ever use one?

Been asking myself that for 20 years or so now. Maybe I tink too mutt.

3 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

I hope there is the same chaos next week when I come back from Singapore on business and waltz through the Priority Lane.

 

My smugness will be difficult to conceal, indeed. 

Definitely worth a business class ticket at least, or just "drag the bag" (Thai wife) with you everywhere you go so you can go thru the Thai's Only lane with her.

I always fly business class, & haul ass to immigration to beat my planeload of passengers at least.

Not so easy at immigration on the way out. I was stuck there for about 1.5 hours & almost missed my flight once. Luckily I had my copy of War and Peace with me.

7 minutes ago, tukkytuktuk said:

 

 

Jerome Taylor posted this on Twitter yesterday. It shows the queue for immigration at the arrivals area early yesterday morning at Swampy.

 

I wouldn't even have to pretend to be paralyzed if I were at the end of than line.

I'd be flopping on the floor with back spasms in about 20 minutes.

What I'm amazed at, is they are actually (more or less) standing in a line instead of a mob.

2 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

I can just hear the pitter-patter of little feet and giggling as the boys and girls chase each other up and down hotel corridors.

Reminds me of the Nana Hotel.

4 minutes ago, flynn said:

many empty booths and it was 1am, 

Bai kin khow! Nuay Maak!

They went to eat. Then they were sleepy.

I recall in 1999 when a druggie had a school girl (about 17) with a knife near Chatuchak & a large crowd, including cops were around him.

The druggie killed the girl & the cops did nothing to stop the crowd. They stomped him into pretty much a wet red spot on the ground.

Glad this one turned out OK.

1 minute ago, rkidlad said:

 I simply hate any criticism and strive to defend the inept. 

You picked the perfect country for that.

10 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

Wonder how much that junket cost the Thai taxpayers and how it would have been better spent on kidney patient care. 

Figure 180 or so countries, some of whom have more than one consulate (like the USA, so call it 200) X probably $3500 USD per business class return ticket X 2 people per consulate = about 400 X $3500 = $1,400,000 USD/46,493,200 THB.

2 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

 

Wish I could "Like" this post 20 times.

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Whereas Thai police take the suspect to the ATM before deciding whether to arrest them or not.

You could also say....."Whereas Thai police take the suspect to the ATM before deciding whether to investigate a crime or not."

12 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

this is what happens when you take all the immigration officers from BKK and move them to DM as a knee jerk reaction.

They remind me of the Dutch boy trying to stick his fingers in all the holes in the dyke.

I think I'll pretend to be paralyzed from the waist down on my next visit to BKK.

I DO have a bad back & standing in line (or even shopping with the wife) is absolute murder on my lower spine.

They probably thought it was a sex toy.

1 hour ago, trainman34014 said:

Solly....machine not work, similar to CCTV bloken !

Oh, it will work...when they want it to.

Kinda like their Superman abilities for DNA testing....when they want it to.

13 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Now if they genuinely introduced reliable technology to actually determine the absolute truth, when asked if they had ever taken a bribe, or been involved in activity that was profitable, but outside the law, I wonder who the hell in the BIB that passed the test, would be left to collect the brown envelopes every month? Especially since if they were telling the truth, they probably shouldn't know when and where to pick them up anyway!

To the BIB, whatever they do is deemed appropriate, because they did it.

No one will ever fail, because they'll smile real big as they are lying.

40 minutes ago, Dobredin Ghusputin said:

Nice pic. One big happy family, or is it ten?

They had a rash of complaints from the consular officers that they missed somtam and having to actually follow road rules wherever they were.

One said "It's incredibly difficult living abroad. THANK Buddha for diplomatic immunity on the roads! I have to live like a peasant. No soapies, no karaoke girls, no bugs to snack on, I cannot get in on any scams etc....It's pure hell."

9 hours ago, thhMan said:

I spent more time teaching and double checking staff work than doing my own job

When the time was right, management removed me and put the person I trained (Thai) to take my position

Never again... 

Been there, done that also. I was teaching them how to rebuild the engines on some 30 year old Air Farce trucks.

They had all the torque spec's laid out, laminated, in front of them in Pathum Thani.

I had to go see the Marines for 2 - 3 days in Sattahip (saltwater in their diesel).

Got back to BKK & there's a bent piston rod & ruined engine head & a bunch of blank looks.

Never again.

38 minutes ago, webfact said:

a seminar for Thai consulate officers from all over the world with the objective of developing their capacity to handle all aspects of their work. 

Errr...Should that not be a prerequisite for putting them on a plane in the first place?

2 hours ago, Dobredin Ghusputin said:

Factories and construction sites have "Safety First" signs, now karaoke bars have "Stop Human Trafficking" stickers.

 

What's next - massage parlours with "Mind Your Head" banners?

They'll probably put signs out at eye level telling you to mind your head as you walk under it.

Or.....

So Farcebook DOES have use!