hey ya'll, I'd like to share my experience of what just happened to me at phuket immigration this morning. I arrived at the office about 09:45 to renew my visa, got my ticket at 10:30 and sat down in the queue with my documents. My number was called just after 11 and I sat down with the IO. She didnt seem too friendly and demanded that I hand over my documents to her quickly. Accidently I included a paper that she didnt need and she basically threw it back at me. At this point I was getting a little agitated and so I asked her if anything was wrong. Without looking at me she said "you foreigners are so rude, no manners." I thought what the hell, what did i do? Then she said "you know I am police officer right? why you not wai me when you walk into my booth?' I replied "because I am not Thai or buddist, so I dont wai to people." She got really offended and her face started to red up like she was embarrassed. at that point she threw my passport back to me and told me to come back another time when I learn some manners. I told her I cant cos my extension expires tomorrow, at which point she stamped me with a 7 day notice period to leave the country.

 

<deleted> has just happened? i'm back in my appartment now. what are my options? Do i need to leave next week? can I apply for another extension again? what are my options? I have the 800K sitting in my bank and all documents are correct and up to date.

You can go back, Wai and apologise, it may help. 

 

Of course it depends what you are prepared to undergo to stay here. 

Oh goodness, perhaps return tomorrow and try again, hope that you will not be serviced by her

Are there rights of appeal?

 

16 minutes ago, kellersphuket said:

why you not wai me when you walk into my booth?

Probably because you are much older than her (800K in the bank), and she should've waied you first. That is if she wanted one in return.

Edited June 19, 20197 yr by Vacuum

pay another 15k to an agent and there wont be

complications stuck on informal formalities

My first thought upon reading the OPs post:

Why do bad things involving women and in this case Immigration

always happen to first time posters.

regards worgeordie

Just now, worgeordie said:

Why do bad things involving women and in this case Immigration

always happen to first time posters.

regards worgeordie

Because we long term guys know to avoid women in uniform here ????

Better be submissive to any uniform here. 

You should have just used an agent- far easier

If by some remote chance this story is true - you just learned a valuable lesson that you don't have to be Thai or Buddhist to wai people. You choose to retire here, it doesn't take much to show a little bit of respect by placing your hands together in front of your face for a brief second in accordance with local culture. 

Edited June 19, 20197 yr by SammyT

i thought we farangs are told not to Wai to Thais ?

Which position would be correct, and which one would be an insult ?

I was always told to say hello and give a polite nod of the head, rather than a Wai

 

21 minutes ago, SammyT said:

If by some remote chance this story is true - you just learned a valuable lesson that you don't have to be Thai or Buddhist to wai people. You choose to retire here, it doesn't take much to show a little bit of respect by placing your hands together in front of your face for a brief second in accordance with local culture. 

Just greeting good morning /afternoon  officer and a head not  would also bewelcomed I think .That is what  i always do .... automatic even when somebody enter the elevator  when I am in it

Edited June 19, 20197 yr by david555

If the Lady IO was on her time of the month and the OP did not wai for the reasons stated.....getting told to leave the country is entirely plausible!!!!

There have been a few reports through the years of similar experiences.   I believe the final straw was when the OP answered back by saying  non Thais do not wai.  He should have apologized and said he was sorry and then did a wai.  He let his anger get the best of him.

 

His next step- return with all documents and whomever he gets as an IO- do a wai at the beginning- mention nothing about the prior incident- and process the retirement extension. Don't speak unless someone asks a question.    if you get the same officer- and she mentions the incident- say sorry and wai again.

 

 

Where was this?

If this really happened...gross injustice! 

 

1 hour ago, SammyT said:

If by some remote chance this story is true - you just learned a valuable lesson that you don't have to be Thai or Buddhist to wai people. You choose to retire here, it doesn't take much to show a little bit of respect by placing your hands together in front of your face for a brief second in accordance with local culture. 

Which other parts  of the culture should  be  followed? driving thru red  lights? no helmets, fighting to get into an elevator first before  people have gotten  out.  The officer has a job to do and nothing more, its an abuse of her authority, if he met the requirements/

I had an  officer once throw some paperwork back at me and my Wife went to his superior to complain, worked wonders.

10 minutes ago, habanero said:

Where was this?

Did you read the OP?

11 minutes ago, habanero said:

Where was this?

Here's a clue.   "I'd like to share my experience of what just happened to me at phuket immigration this morning."

This topic just got a lot shorter after I did a major cleanup to remove the worst of the worst posts and replies to them.

Time to end the nonsense now.

Just because it is the OP's first post does not mean it is not true.

3 hours ago, kellersphuket said:

i'm back in my appartment now. what are my options? Do i need to leave next week? can I apply for another extension again? what are my options? I have the 800K sitting in my bank and all documents are correct and up to date.

Go back to tomorrow and try and sort things out. The 7 days to leave the country stamp can be canceled. She may of not had the authority to do it unless it was signed by a higher ranking officer.

The OP sought advice but hasn't bothered to come back online to reply or seek further clarification. Make of that what you will.

 

However, as the IO stamped his passport and gave him 7 days to leave the country, I'd say he's done his dash. Bye y'all.

Not your day and this can happened to anyone at any time. It is just a "Wai" gesture with an open heart. I am not an English man yet I have no issue learning English with open heart and forgot about how difficult it is at first and why should I speak English when I am not a Caucasian. I hope you get what I meant.

3 hours ago, kellersphuket said:

At this point I was getting a little agitated and so I asked her if anything was wrong.

At that point when you were getting a little agitated, you obviously forgot where you were, Thailand, different culture, and that is were you lost.

 

Hope you learn to wai and smile in the Land of Smiles in the future upon your return, i.e. if you return.

 

I dare say if your post is true, learn from your mistakes, however if your Ego is bigger than mine, perhaps try a neighbouring country might better suit you ?

 

As I said, if your post is true, and you have been given 7 days to depart, safe travels, and do learn the culture of other countries, and try to be courteous, it doesn't take much, I wai and smile all the time, and you would be surprised at the amount of times it is reciprocated ????

 

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Why do bad things involving women and in this case Immigration

always happen to first time posters.

regards worgeordie

Have you ever thought that maybe people just lurk on TV until something bad happens to them and then they post to share their experience with others.

 

This was exactly my situation when I was one of the first people to be given a hard time at Don Muang for too many visa exempt entries and was immediately accused of being a troll.

 

 

Have you ever thought that maybe people just lurk on TV until something bad happens to them and then they post to share their experience with others.
 
This was exactly my situation when I was one of the first people to be given a hard time at Don Muang for too many visa exempt entries and was immediately accused of being a troll.
 
 

The troll accusers are just reverse trolling 9 out of 10 times.

These IOs have too much power, seem to make it up, depends how they feel, based on my experience yesterday at Jomtien when the surly lady wanted 20,000 tea money

3 hours ago, SammyT said:

If by some remote chance this story is true - you just learned a valuable lesson that you don't have to be Thai or Buddhist to wai people. You choose to retire here, it doesn't take much to show a little bit of respect by placing your hands together in front of your face for a brief second in accordance with local culture. 

Couldn't agree more which is why I was so outraged when one of the Thai staff wai'ed me in a Thai consulate in Australian. Surely she knew she should have a shaken hands?

2 minutes ago, mngmn said:

Couldn't agree more which is why I was so outraged when one of the Thai staff wai'ed me in a Thai consulate in Australian. Surely she knew she should have a shaken hands?

Splitting hairs here, but the Thai consulate/embassy would technically be Thai territory. I don't know if I'd get outraged being wai'd in a foreign land, but what you do in your own time is absolutely your choice. 

 

I'd expect you might get rightfully angry if you put your hand out to shake her hand in some other Australian setting and she steadfastly refused to shake your hand because she's not farang and handshaking is a farang endeavour. That would probably be a more fitting comparison. 

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

This topic just got a lot shorter after I did a major cleanup to remove the worst of the worst posts and replies to them.

Time to end the nonsense now.

Just because it is the OP's first post does not mean it is not true.

Enough is enough after removing more posts.

This topic is now 

If the OP want the topic reopened he can contact me by sending a message.