4 hours ago, Natai Beach said:

It is an English term description from their corrupt system.

Probably more accurate to say "corruption within their system".

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

4 hours ago, Natai Beach said:

Good morning, nice blue sky morning here on beautiful Natai Beach.

 

Since I joined this forum I don’t think a day has gone by where I haven’t read about the “brown envelopes”.

 

I have lived in Thailand for a while and have paid “smoothing over” or “fast track” fees four times that I can recall, not including traffic infringements and “petrol money” which have only been small amounts and always cash with no brown envelope.
 

 

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So you admit there is corruption going on, and you are aiding and abetting it, not good.

 

When in Rome...

 

PS: Your panties are showing.

4 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Ezzra did not state when BEJ started.

Correct.  But the implication is that they were providing the origin of "brown envelopes" referring to bribes.

6 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

4 hours ago, Natai Beach said:

So it is basically a Thai Visa Forum often repeated myth.

Not really a myth.  More of a turn of phrase.

 

Like most figures of speech, it simply explains something easily while creating a visual image.  People could just as easily say "bribes", but I guess they prefer the words "brown envelopes".

 

A popular but ultimately short-lived variation from a few years back was "cake box".

4 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

A popular but ultimately short-lived variation from a few years back was "cake box".

 Yes, I remember the million baht brought to court in the cake box. 
It wasn’t accepted and three lawyers were jailed for 6 months because of it.
Funny stuff.

T'ain't just the English.

 

How about "Baksheesh" from the Persians or "La Mordida" from the Spanish.  Every culture has some form of "grease" to make the wheels of the local civilization turn. 

I find that it's usually not too expensive and it is as amusing as a Vegas floor show