Netizens debate: Why are people in Thailand still being asked for so many photocopies?

 

Thai caption: How can this still be (necessary)?

 

The habit in Thailand of people being asked for countless paper photocopies is once again in the news.

 

Thais complain that they have "smart cards" but are still asked for paper photocopies wasting valuable resources for no reason.

 

Expats in Thailand have similar gripes; they are often asked to reinvent the wheel by constantly being asked for the same copies of passports and the like despite the fact they are all on record.

 

Now the issue is up front again after a Thai called Suvipan Jampa posted online.

 

The poster was involved the best part of two decades ago in creating the specs for the smart Thai ID card (bat prachachon) that contains all the data for things from driving licences to social security.

 

Yet still people are asked for paper photocopies when doing government business.

 

Suvipan intimated that it was ridiculous after a Twitter post came to their attention in which a person had had to get photocopies in relation to getting benefits related to the pandemic.

 

Everything should be electronic but still the photocopies are done with every one having to be countersigned for "authenticity".

 

Often a special ink color is demanded - go figure! 

 

Soure: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-01-27

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

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Easy answer. To keep the paper factories running and create jobs for messengers, photocopy shops, ink and copy machines manufacturers. Many would lose jobs if paper consumption are reduced. 

It's an easy money maker for everyone involved.

I wonder where it al goes? Is it scanned and stored digitally or after processing in the waste bin?

Someone has to buy TW's eucalyptus.

4 minutes ago, Henk Langeweg said:

I wonder where it al goes? Is it scanned and stored digitally or after processing in the waste bin?

Several years ago I was given a printed "flyer" at the Imm Office, on the back was the main page of a Farang's passport!!!

They fade away after a couple of years so they have a few extra.

6 minutes ago, spiekerjozef said:

They fade away after a couple of years so they have a few extra.

Is that the copies or the bureaucrats?

21 minutes ago, bdenner said:

Someone has to buy TW's eucalyptus.

The price of eucas at the present is 1100 baht a tonne.

 

Keep it going guys.

I live next to bangkok bank main office on Silom

Should see the extremely huge plastic bags filled with snippered paper to be collected. Easily a 1000kg a month. Just one building. 

Crazy. When I opened account they needed many documents. In front of me they scanned them. Passport copy scanned. Even they had my passport there so could scan directly. Same ID card 

I'd always assumed the Generals or their friends owned the paper mills and it was being sold to the government agencies at inflated prices.

 

That would be my guess anyway.

48 minutes ago, Henk Langeweg said:

I wonder where it al goes? Is it scanned and stored digitally or after processing in the waste bin?

Correct, filed under "G" for garbage ............LOL

Labour saving procedures don't go down well in Thailand. They might save you or I effort but that's no good to the Thai population who need a job. Dealing with it all amounts to 'busy work' and is self serving. The minimum number of employees in the workplace is protected by law.

 

It also gives some officious bureaucrat a chance to assert their authority by asking for extra copies/copies you don’t have yet. Gives them a sense of importance when all they really are is a boneheaded paper pusher.

Technology has advanced dramatically over the past years, unfortunately Thai bureaucracy has just emerged from the jungle, so please go easy - they just don't understand. 

 

The 1985 movie ‘Brazil’ by Terry Gilliam seems to mirror the “paperwork” done here.  I’m just curious when we will need to fill out a form in order to get a form.

 

 

There's even smartcards for travelling offshore in Thailand now. Some of our guys got refused boarding last week because they didn't have the smartcards! 

You don't know the half of it, complicated court cases are postponed by judges for typos in court documents as little as an wrong spelling and incorrect apostrophes and other pronunciation marks as i'm told by my friend who is a court lawyer, sending all parties to retype in recopy everything...

Because we are originals ????

14 minutes ago, Airalee said:

I’m just curious when we will need to fill out a form in order to get a form.

 

I kid you not, I got into a somewhat heated argument not that long ago when "improvements" where i worked resulted in me having to fill in a purchase order requisition form to get a purchase order form! And no, not in Thailand.

 

1 hour ago, bdenner said:

Several years ago I was given a printed "flyer" at the Imm Office, on the back was the main page of a Farang's passport!!!

They defiantly 'recycle' them like this. The form I was given once for proof of address was on the back of a passport and visa photocopy. 

U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Service does the same thing.  Every time a form is submitted they require copies of documents already on file. And sometimes multiple copies. 

I just applied for my annual marriage extension, 2 x 72 docs, funny thing is they have all of this information on file.

 

I guess it would be too hard for them to accept a letter from the bank with an updated bank balance, recent photos of me for the TM 7 application, photos of the wife in and out of the house, an updated Kor Ror 2 from the local Amphur, a letter from mayor and pay the 1,900 baht fee.

 

I suppose with technology, it's one thing to have a scanner, but its another to know how to use it and think outside the square. 

 

So will keep the repetitive annual thing going until someone actually thinks outside the square, but won't hold my breath. 

1 hour ago, Henk Langeweg said:

I wonder where it al goes? Is it scanned and stored digitally or after processing in the waste bin?

I know immigration re-uses it by passing you a paper which contains other peoples

private information on the reverse side of it!

Make sense?In Thailand?Your call.

To get rid of paper would mean they would have to get off of Windows 98 and XP, and stop using Internet Explorer for everything. That’s simply not going to happen in our lifetime.

 

There will be colonies on the moon before Thailand gets its **** together. 

I just posted the same grievance in another thread related to an experience I had at immigration extending my visa where I was "missing photocopies" The fact is they HAVE digital copies of most things they are photocopying but it's like some officious bureaucrats don't feel the job is complete unless a photocopy is made.

  

17 hours ago, wasabi said:

 

With the exception of air pollution I love most things in Thailand. But going to immigration is often where my happiness goes to die:

 

While Thailand lags my home country the USA in some ways -- technologically they have come a long way. Therefore I cannot understand the government's and in particular immigration's obsession with paperwork and photo copies. If they need me to be there in person to sign the TM7 form, that I can accept. But the rest of the entire process should be possible to do online and digital. So many forms, so many copies. What do they do with all of this paper? I sincerely want to know?

 

9 minutes ago, Hawaiian said:

U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Service does the same thing.  Every time a form is submitted they require copies of documents already on file. And sometimes multiple copies. 

 

This has decreased in recent years, but yes they sometimes engage in the same nonsensical photocopying requirements.

They simply don't have available in government the C21st technology required for them to abandon their 1960s bureaucratic habits.

 

And they're not the only ones. Just look at the wonders of Usofan voting in federal elections. Or the UK inability to track their Covid-infected people. And no doubt myriad other examples worldwide. In general, unless it's for Defence & security purposes, governments always lag way behind the private sector in their use of technology.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Netizens debate: Why are people in Thailand still being asked for so many photocopies?

 

Thai caption: How can this still be (necessary)?

 

The habit in Thailand of people being asked for countless paper photocopies is once again in the news.

 

Thais complain that they have "smart cards" but are still asked for paper photocopies wasting valuable resources for no reason.

 

Expats in Thailand have similar gripes; they are often asked to reinvent the wheel by constantly being asked for the same copies of passports and the like despite the fact they are all on record.

 

Now the issue is up front again after a Thai called Suvipan Jampa posted online.

 

The poster was involved the best part of two decades ago in creating the specs for the smart Thai ID card (bat prachachon) that contains all the data for things from driving licences to social security.

 

Yet still people are asked for paper photocopies when doing government business.

 

Suvipan intimated that it was ridiculous after a Twitter post came to their attention in which a person had had to get photocopies in relation to getting benefits related to the pandemic.

 

Everything should be electronic but still the photocopies are done with every one having to be countersigned for "authenticity".

 

Often a special ink color is demanded - go figure! 

 

Soure: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-01-27

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

People trust paper copies, can hold them, touch them etc. I have a back up photo copy of my whole passport..

Now you know why houses here are mainly built from cement blocks and steel roof frames........all the trees go to make paper for useless multiple copies of everything.