10 minutes ago, Mr Dome said:

Eric, none of the things you mentioned here apply or were done by me. It doesn't fit here.

 

This is about ducking under the crowd-flow tape leading to the immigration booths, which in this case were 100% deserted. Nothing else.

Yes, I agree it is quite minor in western culture but I was stressing point number 4 which is Thai government officers are very strict.

8 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Would  you want their occupation? At times  dealing  with  obnoxious hordes  from wherever? And then you  come at a time of quiet and not  unjustifiably  do same as but are "corralled" by the  ability  to inflict personal authority . You provided an opportunity for  human nature to express itself. ???? Bad  doggy ! lol

 

Most can handle it fine.

 

It's about this one IO with the short hair and high testosterone.

 

If you use your job as an excuse to step on people and to rage at them because you can get away with it, you're just an AH.

 

Not saying these don't exist in the west also. BTW, I have nothing but good experiences with US IO's.

Outstanding work IO. nothing pisses me off more than que jumpers at airports  and I dont care if Im the only person in line !! 3 sides to every story and 100% OP cut someone off

 

They have a nightmare job with chinese and indians que jumping she was probably in shock to see stupid farang doing it`

 I bet thats the last time OP does that. I bet he was <deleted>ting himslef for a while there

 

55555555

Maybe PMT I get the same crocodile response in my house every 28 days especially if I duck something???? 

9 minutes ago, EricTh said:

Yes, I agree it is quite minor in western culture but I was stressing point number 4 which is Thai government officers are very strict.

Fair enough. I've been coming to Thailand since 1999, used to live there from 2001 - 2004, never had an issue.

 

I have, however once accompanied a monk from Bhutan to immigration, who had told me they had treated him very disrespectfully (a monk!) on a previous visit. It went much better with me there. I guess, she wanted to keep face and not do it with a witness being there. But that falls under the trait of "what isn't Thai doesn't reserve much respect" which *some* Thais have.

2 minutes ago, Mr Dome said:

 

Most can handle it fine.

 

It's about this one IO with the short hair and high testosterone.

 

If you use your job as an excuse to step on people and to rage at them because you can get away with it, you're just an AH.

 

Not saying these don't exist in the west also. BTW, I have nothing but good experiences with US IO's.

I  can say exactly the opposite. My  first experience with a US  female  I O  was bizzare !

In fact I would  say further in my experience is that Asian "officials" are mostly  very polite  although as  Authoritarian as they are permitted  to be. Not so  many western  officials  who  can b  extrordinarily just plain  nasty .

7 minutes ago, madmen said:

Outstanding work IO. nothing pisses me off more than que jumpers at airports  and I dont care if Im the only person in line !! 3 sides to every story and 100% OP cut someone off

100% untrue statement. Not a soul between us and the booths.

8 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

Yes but they did not use to do that.  They Are really going over the top.

 

BTW I was insulted, or made  snarky comments to in northern dialect when getting my reentry two months back. My long time G is form C Rai but she was sitting down and I was by myself at the counter. He figured hey just a little fun with the farang. It's a cultural thing. I said nothing and tight smiled but I stepped back from the counter and waited. It of course made him even more surly, BUT HEY. I'm actually dressed nicely, acting polite etc. and this is what I get.

One of my New Year Resolutions - Make sure you have an exit strategy/plan lined up, as we are on a downward spiral.  Better safe than sorry

A very wise move. 

 

Although I just holiday in Pattaya I have a room in a cheap hotel that I keep on 12 months a year. In 15 years I've accumulated a lot of stuff. I'm starting to sort out what I want to take home with me and that which will be of little use to me in the UK, I'll leave that behind.

 

Things like toasters, microwaves and kettles I will give to my ex pat chums when I decide to call it a day with the Land of Scowls which I don't think will be very far in the future.

 

I'm just glad that I never burned my bridges and came to live in Thailand back in the halcyon days like some of my more impetuous chums did.

1 minute ago, Mr Dome said:

Fair enough. I've been coming to Thailand since 1999, used to live there from 2001 - 2004, never had an issue.

 

I have, however once accompanied a monk from Bhutan to immigration, who had told me they had treated him very disrespectfully (a monk!) on a previous visit. It went much better with me there. I guess, she wanted to keep face and not do it with a witness being there. But that falls under the trait of "what isn't Thai doesn't reserve much respect" which *some* Thais have.

A person  wearing the costume  of a  monk  is  subject to  the  normal procedures  none less. That that  individual  was  disappointed  he  did  not  get  the reverence  he  presumed  is  his problem.

40 minutes ago, Mr Dome said:

Hers or ours?

 

The other two were in their 20's, I'm in my 50's, long sleeves & pants, no tats, look like a nerd ... I doubt it was our appearance.

Trousers too might have helped ( ???? )

7 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

A person  wearing the costume  of a  monk  is  subject to  the  normal procedures  none less. That that  individual  was  disappointed  he  did  not  get  the reverence  he  presumed  is  his problem.

It's not his problem. The problem lies with some of the rude ignorant pigs they've got working as IOs who are often the first Thai people visitors to the LOS encounter.

 

First impressions count and are not easily forgotten if they are unpleasant.

11 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

A person  wearing the costume  of a  monk  is  subject to  the  normal procedures  none less. That that  individual  was  disappointed  he  did  not  get  the reverence  he  presumed  is  his problem.

Not "reverence" mate. Everyone has the right to be treated respectfully, as you wrote yourself. Anyway, that's just a side story here.

Just now, yogi100 said:

It's not his problem. The problem lies with some of the rude ignorant pigs they've got working as IOs who are often the first Thai people visitors to the LOS encounter.

 

First impressions count and are not easily forgotten if they are unpleasant.

Not  really. The OP suggested that this  Bhutan Monk was  not  happy  about   the attitude  of Thai  Immigration as if he expected  some  greater recognition .

I once  witnessed a  young Thai "Monk" who was escorting a person I would assume was  of Indian  nationality at Swampy. This yound  monk in  very fresh  robes  was  enthusiastically attempting  to assist the  Other in obtaining a  re entry  permit as I was as wel as  two  young  Asians. This  "monk" asked  where to  get the  forms  for  re entry. In English. One of the  young   Asians pointed towars a door way and said  "in there". The person  needing the form went  to  get. In the meantime  this  young  monk berated the other  two about  having  "no respect"  for himself as a  monk.

I was  left  thinking  about  his  urgent  desire to make sure this  sucker  came  back to supply patent greed.

The  two  other Asians  were Malaysian  Muslims which is why they too  needed a  re  entry permit. But I doubt  that experience  enhanced  any reason for them to respect a pimply  faced  monkey in orange  robes  any more than  myself !

 

 

55 minutes ago, madmen said:

Outstanding work IO. nothing pisses me off more than que jumpers at airports  and I dont care if Im the only person in line !! 3 sides to every story and 100% OP cut someone off

 

They have a nightmare job with chinese and indians que jumping she was probably in shock to see stupid farang doing it`

 I bet thats the last time OP does that. I bet he was <deleted>ting himslef for a while there

 

55555555

This is a great point. If there is no one around, no harm to jump the tape. But if we are being honest with ourselves, when there are others, nothing pisses you off to see line jumpers. So the IO is only doing what is right. From their point of view, they either enforce the line jumping always or not at all. Don't expect some preferential treatment just because their was no one with you in the line at the time. Don't expect them to evaluate the entire breadth of the rope line to see if there is anyone else in there before jumping your ass. 

Thanks for sharing.  I always enjoy 1st hand reports of the Thai welcoming committee...

I ducked under the ropes once, again no one was in front of me and the IO went ballistic, made me duck back under the ropes and do the up and down the lines bit, they really have nothing better to do but when they have a very little brain if any  and no intelligence anything makes them spit the dummy, delusions of grandeur with all of them, they actually think they are important

IO did the right thing , you tried to cheat the systen  No sympathy here. 
 

10 hours ago, ukrules said:

You don't explain why or what you were visiting for so there's no context.

To  marry  her Sister?

9 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

A person  wearing the costume  of a  monk  is  subject to  the  normal procedures  none less.

Really so when I enter the fasttrack lane at the Airport why is there a  sign for Monks  to also use this lane for free...............normal procedure  eh

12 hours ago, Mr Dome said:

they had gotten humid & stinky while in storage

WHERE did you store them???

Ducking under the tape, not following protocol and stepping outside the very small box of convention here is frowned upon to the extreme. And never forget, the immigration officers care not one iota for western tourists, consider us a nuisance, and will flex their muscles, if given the most marginal of opportunities. They are some of my least favorite people in the country. So, best to not provoke them. 

* making mental note to duck under every tape i can find next arrival..

I jumped the rope once while on a visa run with a guide. The guide panicked and said the IO would beat him but fortunately they did not see me. 

12 hours ago, Mr Dome said:

I was there for a Buddhist course but this is just a minor detail here, hence me leaving it out.

 

But it is important in the context.

 

So, you should have pointed out that you were following the middle path.

 

 

You should know by now that there is a box, but people are not allowed to think outside of it.

So this crowd flow line is not to be crossed, not even with nobody else in front of you.

And if a Immigration officer was standing close to it , its also showing disrespect.

Adding to the fact you had money even from another country handled disrespectful also is asking for the same treatment you got.

13 hours ago, Mr Dome said:

After I went all the way left and right 4, 5 times, I decide to duck under the stretch tape, after all there is nobody and I'm not cutting the line. One of the other lads does the same. I do this one more time and then she appears:

 

If you do that entering Newark/New York airports these days you will be sent back without much fanfare. I've seen people pull out their phones after being told to put them away once and they get dragged out of line and interrogated....simply follow the rules when attempting to enter a foreign country and you'll have fewer issues.

And the Thais who rely on tourism wonder why tourists are not coming here any more.

9 hours ago, seajae said:

I ducked under the ropes once, again no one was in front of me and the IO went ballistic, made me duck back under the ropes and do the up and down the lines bit, they really have nothing better to do but when they have a very little brain if any  and no intelligence anything makes them spit the dummy, delusions of grandeur with all of them, they actually think they are important

Well clearly you recognized their importance as you complied with their directions. Im shocked you did not excersize your rights and refuse to do what they say, or call them idiots or something to show how RIGHT you are compared to them.

 

But no, just like a chastened little child you complied. Bet your cheeks were burning as the Thai IO (oMG maybe a woman) just chewed your ass out in front of people while you meekly begged for forgiveness.

Just now, legend49 said:

And the Thais who rely on tourism wonder why tourists are not coming here any more.

I do. Every year. Just stroll on in.

 

12 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

Singaporean IOs and the Arab countries that I've visited are generally the opposite. Smiling and courteous !! 

Strange but true ????

Try ducking under the walk around barrier at Immigration in Singapore coming off the ferry from Batam. You will soon see the smile come off the IO’s face. I did it once and never have again.