Immigration International Volunteers

[Sundown]

Those in white shirt doing customer relation at immigrations. How do you feel about them? Some are nice, but too many are arrogant, salty, almost mean. Never spoke to a Thai IO with an attitude like that.

What's their problem? They like playing the cop? 

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by Sundown

[Puchaiyank]

I find your description to fit most of the Thai population...some are nice, many are arrogant and mean...this is Thailand...???? 

[northsouthdevide]

Visiting immigration every 3 months can be a stressful experience for many, so imagine how those guys feel, having to do it every day... 

 Rather them than me. 

[Sundown]

1 hour ago, Puchaiyank said:

I find your description to fit most of the Thai population...some are nice, many are arrogant and mean...this is Thailand...???? 

I'm speaking about internationals not Thais. Usually these are grumpy retired people with a secret fetish for playing the cop. Especially the women.

[TooPoopedToPop]

38 minutes ago, Sundown said:

I'm speaking about internationals not Thais. Usually these are grumpy retired people with a secret fetish for playing the cop. Especially the women.

Don't let that obvious fact get in the way of a little gratuitous denigration of Thais.

 

[couchpotato]

44 minutes ago, Sundown said:

I'm speaking about internationals not Thais. Usually these are grumpy retired people with a secret fetish for playing the cop. Especially the women.

 

46 minutes ago, Sundown said:

I'm speaking about internationals not Thais. Usually these are grumpy retired people with a secret fetish for playing the cop. Especially the women.

Just gone back thru your posts. Your obvious distaste for Thai people is quite alarming, quite racist actually. If you are indeed in Thailand, then perhaps you shouldn't be.

As for the international volunteers, who help and give information to many many foreigners a day at immigration offices around Thailand. They give their time and are appreciated by most. So why the hatred??

[Sundown]

16 minutes ago, couchpotato said:

 

Just gone back thru your posts. Your obvious distaste for Thai people is quite alarming, quite racist actually. If you are indeed in Thailand, then perhaps you shouldn't be.

As for the international volunteers, who help and give information to many many foreigners a day at immigration offices around Thailand. They give their time and are appreciated by most. So why the hatred??

Question 1) matter of fact I'm just waiting to leave Thailand for good

 

Question 2) good that you appreciate their work. I appreciate it too. Sometimes I felt like not liking at all the attitude of SOME OF THEM 

 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by Sundown

[couchpotato]

34 minutes ago, Sundown said:

Question 1) matter of fact I'm just waiting to leave Thailand for good

 

Question 2) good that you appreciate their work. I appreciate it too. Sometimes I felt like not liking at all the attitude of SOME OF THEM 

 

 

 

Thailand isn't for everyone. But it's good to many of us.

[Puchaiyank]

1 hour ago, Sundown said:

I'm speaking about internationals not Thais. Usually these are grumpy retired people with a secret fetish for playing the cop. Especially the women.

Maybe they have been around the Thai immigration officers too long...????

[Why Me]

3 hours ago, Sundown said:

Question 1) matter of fact I'm just waiting to leave Thailand for good

The average attitude of farangs here should improve once that happens.

[samsensam]

6 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

I find your description to fit most of the Thai population...some are nice, many are arrogant and mean...this is Thailand...???? 

 

that's really sad to hear, maybe it's the circle/s you exist in or maybe a reaction to your own attitude. i have many thai friends, and many i have been friends with for many years, these and thais i meet going about my daily life are overwhelmingly friendly, happy, helpful, pretty laid back and pleasant to be with.

[blackcab]

Which immigration office(s) are you referring to please?

 

I haven't seen foreign volunteers at Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok.

[MisterTee]

12 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

that's really sad to hear, maybe it's the circle/s you exist in or maybe a reaction to your own attitude. i have many thai friends, and many i have been friends with for many years, these and thais i meet going about my daily life are overwhelmingly friendly, happy, helpful, pretty laid back and pleasant to be with.

That's pretty much been my experience too since first coming here in the late 1970s.

However, it can't be denied that there is a surly, resentful underclass here and they blame all their problems on the "rich" - and that includes us no matter how little money we may have.

[Sundown]

On 6/10/2020 at 11:53 AM, blackcab said:

Which immigration office(s) are you referring to please?

 

I haven't seen foreign volunteers at Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok.

These dressed in white in the picture. At Phuket immigration you cannot do anything without passing their "screening".  Usually the younger are nicer, the older ones especially the women treat you like a scum especially if you are a young they assume you are doing something illegal and ridiculously investigate making odd questions while their job should be just check if your papers are ok before going to the officer. Many times I've seen girls rejected rudely for the way they were dressed. I mean ok to reject if not compliant, but acting like a high rank officier of the Army looks ridiculous.

 

[blackcab]

Moved to the Phuket Forum.

[LivinginKata]

2 hours ago, Sundown said:

These dressed in white in the picture. At Phuket immigration you cannot do anything without passing their "screening".  Usually the younger are nicer, the older ones especially the women treat you like a scum especially if you are a young they assume you are doing something illegal and ridiculously investigate making odd questions while their job should be just check if your papers are ok before going to the officer. Many times I've seen girls rejected rudely for the way they were dressed. I mean ok to reject if not compliant, but acting like a high rank officier of the Army looks ridiculous.

 

Really. Last few retirement extensions at Phuket there were no volunteers in sight.  Don't recognise that photo as Phuket Immigration.

 

[beechbum]

Mods probably better off deleting the entire thread.

[drbeach]

22 hours ago, couchpotato said:

 

Just gone back thru your posts. Your obvious distaste for Thai people is quite alarming, quite racist actually. If you are indeed in Thailand, then perhaps you shouldn't be.

As for the international volunteers, who help and give information to many many foreigners a day at immigration offices around Thailand. They give their time and are appreciated by most. So why the hatred??

BTW I've never spotted any of these volunteers at immigration before. Must be a Pattaya thing. Coz in Bangkok and every provincial office like Nakorn Sawan, Tak, Mae Hong Son...only ever seen Thais.

[Psimbo]

I've never had a problem with the volunteers in Phuket (which the picture does not illustrate). I would have a bit of an attitude dealing with scruffy, ill-prepared erks who wander in with no preparation whatsoever, thinking they know the rules better than those who work there. How many times have I overheard 'you are wrong' or 'but I'm an American'. Not a great way to start the experience.

 

Attitude counts for a lot and by the tone of the Op's comments its pretty clear why he may have had issues with them. Personally, of all the different volunteers around I think they do a great job as a buffer between the public and the IOs. 

[KarenBravo]

They're not as bad as the Police volunteers............that's the nicest way I can put it.

[merijn]

19 hours ago, Sundown said:

These dressed in white in the picture. At Phuket immigration you cannot do anything without passing their "screening".  Usually the younger are nicer, the older ones especially the women treat you like a scum especially if you are a young they assume you are doing something illegal and ridiculously investigate making odd questions while their job should be just check if your papers are ok before going to the officer. Many times I've seen girls rejected rudely for the way they were dressed. I mean ok to reject if not compliant, but acting like a high rank officier of the Army looks ridiculous.

They are NOT immigration volunteers but old tourist police volunteers.

And they have completely nothing to do with the immigration volunteers.

There is always a possibility that somebody is grumpy or has a bad day but if you see what they have to handle with on a daily basis i'm not surprised.

Lot of the tourist / expats can be a pain in the ass and behave they are the most important person on the whole world.

And i know many immigration officers who can be much worse ????

 

[Myself]

Which volonteers do you mean? There are two different groups at Phuket immigration. The original PIV (Phuket immigration volonteers) are only upstairs, dealing with business and marriage visa, but are also contact persons for all visa questions and difficult issues. They are very helpful and also try to find a solution in seemingly "hopeless" cases. My favourite there is the German lady called Carmen. For me it´s unbelievable to be always friendly and have a smile when dealing with a lot of morons who think they know everything better.

For the second group downstairs I agree. Often rude (mostly the women) especially the tini french lady with her barrack yard tone. They are all adviced not to give visa information but nevertheless they do it, and because they are not updated with new rules they often give wrong informations. So better ask upstairs.

And one example for the two different tones I witnessed. A young lady dressed in not much more than beach wear arrived at the office:

Carmen: "Hey girl, I see you have a body most women would die for, but unfortunately you are in a government building and you have to cover this beauty."

The french lady shouting: "DRESSCODE!! GO OUTSIDE!!"

[Sundown]

Yes i meant those at ground floor. And yes I mean especially women, I cannot say personally who since I go there once a year and I cannot recall. One time one of them made unnecessary remarks looking at my travel history (she is not an officer, should not question and sneak into my passport for anything but Thai visa stamps), I also argued with her for this and she actually behaved like she was an important officer just to show off in front of the other bystanders. Another time, still a woman (cannot tell if the same) questioned my wife (who is on spouse visa) like she was an investigator trying to understand if she worked illegally.

Both times I had all papers and everything in place, of course.

 

The picture I posted was just an example taken from Google. They have the same exact shirt. (Phuket logo on right sleeve and flags for language spoken on right chest).

 

Good that it was just my problem and few others. As the user with the "smart" car on the avatar suggested, probably it's because I'm scruffy, unprepared and I have bad attitude!????

 

Peace!

Edited June 11, 2020 by Sundown

[zaZa9]

I think they do a great job ... 10 years back a visit to that IO was dreaded , there was a free for all ,   no order  , and agents with 20 passports came and pushed in. These guys fixed all that and started the number system , and their advice is CORRECT. Give them the credit they deserve...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[merijn]

16 hours ago, Myself said:

Which volonteers do you mean? There are two different groups at Phuket immigration. The original PIV (Phuket immigration volonteers) are only upstairs, dealing with business and marriage visa, but are also contact persons for all visa questions and difficult issues. They are very helpful and also try to find a solution in seemingly "hopeless" cases. My favourite there is the German lady called Carmen. For me it´s unbelievable to be always friendly and have a smile when dealing with a lot of morons who think they know everything better.

For the second group downstairs I agree. Often rude (mostly the women) especially the tini french lady with her barrack yard tone. They are all adviced not to give visa information but nevertheless they do it, and because they are not updated with new rules they often give wrong informations. So better ask upstairs.

And one example for the two different tones I witnessed. A young lady dressed in not much more than beach wear arrived at the office:

Carmen: "Hey girl, I see you have a body most women would die for, but unfortunately you are in a government building and you have to cover this beauty."

The french lady shouting: "DRESSCODE!! GO OUTSIDE!!"

Thanks for the explanation yes you are right to say that there are 2 group of volunteers at Phuket immigration.

The original volunteers who work upstairs in room 204 and who are doing all the long term visas and other (difficult) stuff.

They are in close contact with the immigration officers and are kept up to date with all the rulings.

They are also the one who have the website and email address for all immigration issues.

The volunteers downstairs in room 101 are there to help the tourist and other room 101 related issues.

They are not allowed or have information about any other visa issues as they are not kept up to date by the immigration officers.

[thesetat2013]

On 6/9/2020 at 9:00 PM, couchpotato said:

 

Just gone back thru your posts. Your obvious distaste for Thai people is quite alarming, quite racist actually. If you are indeed in Thailand, then perhaps you shouldn't be.

As for the international volunteers, who help and give information to many many foreigners a day at immigration offices around Thailand. They give their time and are appreciated by most. So why the hatred??

You need to learn English. Nothing he said was racist. He's talking about those foreigners who volunteer to help and abuse their position and create an atmosphere in immigration that makes you want to hit them before you go speak to the nice Thai officer. 

I'm most curious as to why so many people want to jump on the racist bandwagon as keyboard warriors? 

[recom273]

On 6/9/2020 at 7:59 PM, northsouthdevide said:

Visiting immigration every 3 months can be a stressful experience for many, so imagine how those guys feel, having to do it every day... 

 Rather them than me. 

Luckily, We don’t have any of this don't have any of western volunteers down here - police or immigration- but these people don’t have to do this job - so if they have an attitude, they should move on.

[Keesters]

Learn to speak Thai and you can avoid them. 

[merijn]

13 minutes ago, Keesters said:

Learn to speak Thai and you can avoid them. 

Doesn't work as you have to use the volunteers to get a queue number.

[Keesters]

Just now, merijn said:

Doesn't work as you have to use the volunteers to get a queue number.

Try speaking Thai to them then.