Thumbs up for Bungkan Transportation in Province Bungkan for a drivers license renewal. This is likely the first time in fourteen years I had an experience I could call "customer-friendly" at a government office of any kind. The office is no longer in the building facing Hwy. 212 and there's a note on the old location in Thai telling customers to go to the newish building around the back, Unit 5. As you enter the new building a receptionist gives you the correct application and a numbered ticket. Take the elevator up to the fourth floor and you're there. My wife and I got there late, about 11:30, so at noon the employees vaporized and went to lunch. We did too. I no sooner walked into the office at 1:00 when my number was called. Have read the blogs about how variously the rules are interpreted in other provinces but, had absolutely no problem with my passport, yellow house book and copies of those documents. During the process the polite clerk advised me that my passport would not be required on future renewals and I almost fell off my chair. She may not be taking into account that passports change too and need to be updated on government's data bases. She did however, wish to see my bogus, color pink, National I.D. card and put that number on the final imprint of my new D.L. Had to watch the "Death Race 2019" videos and take some quick reflex and color tests with my cohort of about ten other applicants. We were the last group of the day to receive our cards and we were out the door at about 3:15. The last time I remember doing this it took all day with a huge break until 3:30 or later in the afternoon when we got our cards. I'm convinced they weren't just being nice to me; I had plenty of chair time watching the general running of the office and these young women were working very hard to give the same efficient service to everyone without one supervisor in sight. I give them a 5 out of 5 stars. In the lobby on the fourth floor they advertise a new free app for your phone called "DLT Quick Queue" which claims to be a license renewal, QR Code, preregistration service of some kind. I have not used it and have no information on it but, if it's for real and it works they are centuries ahead of any other government department I can think of. I'm thinking about the giant fail at the immigration police for the 90 day internet check-in that never worked with any operating system nor any browser on two of my computers. Tip of the day: If you show up for your renewal a discrete few days after your birthday passes and your current card is expired, the computer rewards you with a six year card as opposed to the usual 5 year. I believe you have a one year grace period after the card expires to get a new one without taking the test again.

2200 in british embassy, plus a 3 week waiting list...

 

watched in 'horror' as dozens of blatantly colour blind/poor response time/literal failures, 'passed' their most basic of tests at the sukhumwit transport office.

 

#DAILY