Big hats off to Khon Kaen immigration :-)

With all the negative stuff here I thought I would post about the pleasant experience I had with KK immigration this morning.

Had to do my 12 month parental extension this morning. Last year, as it was the first one was a nightmare taking 3 people to vouch for me, pictures with the people etc, mountains of paperwork. First visit at least 3 hours and after Involved 4 or 5 trips to immigration to finalise.

Today, my second yearly extension. In the office at opening time. At the desk in 15 minutes and out the door in about 45 minutes. Still need to wait for HO to approve and send back but overall a very pleasant and efficient experience. No TM30's, no hassles. They even accepted my bank book which I updated this morning and the stupid ATM machine printed the latest balance and transaction all over preceding transactions. I am the first one to be negative and complain living here, and at times many things can be a challenge and even simple things seem hard to get done without some sort of stress.... but all in all I feel very welcome here, and as far as visas etc when you think about it it's not really too bad. Certainly not as bad as I imagine for a foreigner back in Australia and I am sure I am made more welcome here than say an Asian or Indian back home.

Maybe we should all have a step back and appreciate what we have here a little more. I saw an absolute pig of a man in immigration the other day, rude and abusive. Doing a marriage extension. He had deposited the required amount in his wife's bank for the two months prior and of course this wasn't accepted. He was demanding human rights, raising his voice, making up all sort of reasons for having the money in his wife's account including being near deaths door and did about the worst thing you could to a Thai police officer by asking for her supervisor. The boss did come over and stonewalled him as he deserved. In the end he said he would sit and wait until he was satisfied and she said "up to you". The stand off was still going on when I left 5555.