Corruption by locals outside Ministry of Foreign Affairs

[WEBBYB808]

I am not sure where to put this, but I feel I must put this out there if it can help another individual.   What I am about to write does not relate to or point the finger at the Thai Ministry  of Foreign  Affairs,  but to the individuals that are hanging outside and targeting  tourist, locals, out of towners, and anyone needing to get in to get a simple stamp from the MFA.  What should be a simple process has now turned into the next scam.  Let me back up a second.  Having read and been privy  to witness 3 other scams in the last three days, I can tell you how this all is the normal.  I would think any tourist or anyone wishing to visit should understand  the grafting and racketeering that takes place at every turn.  First I read in the forums that there were individuals at bali hai extorting money to park and the authorities  got involved.   Next a lady friend of mine parked her truck and a local decided to chain her tires, tow it away, errect no parking signs after the fact, snd tried to extort money from her, she went to the police and of course they made the criminal  give her truck back, next we are riding through toll station and her sticker has expired.  I felt of course she should be ticketed, but the individual  that pulled her to the side asked for a small amount.  She refused and asked for a ticket.  The individual  promptly handed her license  back and we were on our way, which brings me to the latest  that I wish someone would do something  about.  I know the country continues  to preach anti corruption,  so when I see it happening  right outside  the MFA I cant help but think how large of a facade is that statement.   Ok so, today I have an appointment  at my Embassy, in and out less than 20 min.  Got the stamp.  We drive to MFA for translation  of documents,  easy enough and then we should be able to walk to window hand in documents  to get the stamp and return a day or so later to pick up, but thats not the case.  We went up to MFA window, not a person there waiting to been seen.  No one, not one person.  The ladies were sitting at their window waiting.  I attempted to hand in my documents  but they said I needed a cue.  Are you hearing this there was no one there, and the cue is a QR code.  So I walk over to scan to get a cue and it says next available  10 March, two weeks out.  We drove from Issan, not one person there.  What has happened  is the locals that live in Bangkok have applied and taken the cues and are holding them for ransom.  How do I know this? Because its fact, they have the cue and have you sign a peice of paper giving them the authority to turn in a document for you.  It cost nothing for the stamp.  You pay them to translate, and to turn in and give back to you.  You cant get the cue unless you physically  walk in and scan the qr.  I approached the supervisor, who played the, "I dont know" card.  He dont know and he's the supervisor.  Not one person was there to walk to the window.  It's all the criminals outside, extorting money from Thais and foreigners,  and no ones doing anything about it either  they dont know or dont care.  It's the same kind of extortion thats happened  for Parking at Bali hai, and seems to be growing.  These four criminal  activities  all happened in less than three days.  If anyone needs to go to MFA, or anywhere do your diligence and find out in advance  if there is walk in or a cue.  If there is a cue you just might run into extortionists,  and its not being curbed at the facility.   So when I seen that I couldn't be seen for 14 days and we drove down from Issan.  The criminal  told me she could get it done in three days, and mail to me.  500thb for the cue! How does one fight corruption  like this that should lot be happening  in first place?  Why are they allowing or ignoring  it at MFA?

[mtls2005]

Paragraphs, please.

 

I mean unless you're Jack Kerouac.

 

 

This style is very disrespectful for your reader. I gave up after the first two sentences.

 

 

 

 

 

[Tropicalevo]

18 minutes ago, WEBBYB808 said:

How does one fight corruption  like this

Don't Panic. Uncle Tu is on the case.

 

"When Thailand's current PM assumed power the best part of eight years ago he promised to end corruption in Thailand in 20 years."

[WEBBYB808]

4 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Paragraphs, please.

 

I mean unless you're Jack Kerouac.

 

 

This style is very disrespectful for your reader. I gave up after the first two sentences.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, I was actually  affraid of that and too wordy.  Bad habbit of mine.  Too much to say.  I shall edit

[scubascuba3]

Doesn't surprise me they are all looking for backhanders, i found out in the last few weeks that the yellow book is ridiculously difficult to get because they want you to use an agent and pay 6k.

 

Maybe someone can suggest who you report the scam to, maybe also contact Pattaya News

[WEBBYB808]

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Doesn't surprise me they are all looking for backhanders, i found out in the last few weeks that the yellow book is ridiculously difficult to get because they want you to use an agent and pay 6k.

 

Maybe someone can suggest who you report the scam to, maybe also contact Pattaya News

Does one just go to police or is there an internet site, or a corruption  hotline

[Will B Good]

What a nightmare......I avoided all that by pure chance......last time I used an agent (another for of rip off I guess) or wouldn't have had a clue what was going on.

[orchis]

I had it at Chaeng Wattana Imm. once, in 2017 a floorsweeper offered met the number one in the queue for 500 thb.
I told her to put it where the sun didn't shine.
However that was the only instance in 26 years here.

 

[bbko]

Unless something has changed with translating paperwork, when I had paperwork that needed an official stamp, the MFA didn't do ANY translating, I had to find and pay an outside source to translate then submit that translation + original to the MFA for their stamp.

As for traveling from Issan, I feel your pain, there's always the mail in service, no scamming there (that I heard of).

http://m.mfa.go.th/main/th/services/1303/24762-Procedure-of-Document-Authentication-by-Mail.html

[problemfarang]

Please call 1111

They speak very good english and they are very helpful. Tell your story and see the respond and please update us.

 

Actually i need to do some stamp thing there in a few weeks. I will also post about this and see if its same as your situation.

 

Also how much is it to translate 1 or 2 papers in english to thai for the stamp? Do i have to translate it in any special place or.. where?

 

Thanks

[WEBBYB808]

10 hours ago, problemfarang said:

Please call 1111

They speak very good english and they are very helpful. Tell your story and see the respond and please update us.

 

Actually i need to do some stamp thing there in a few weeks. I will also post about this and see if its same as your situation.

 

Also how much is it to translate 1 or 2 papers in english to thai for the stamp? Do i have to translate it in any special place or.. where?

 

Thanks

The same ones extorting are the transportation experts.   One quoted 400 a sheet.   So if you want to get in cue I took a photo of tge qr code so you can make an appointment  and not need to pay tge extortionists.   I will attach it here for you.  Its about two weeks out.  So go do it now.

[The Hammer2021]

5 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Paragraphs, please.

 

I mean unless you're Jack Kerouac.

 

 

This style is very disrespectful for your reader. I gave up after the first two sentences.

 

 

 

 

 

I gave up at the first hint of outraged self righteousness..

 

[The Hammer2021]

28 minutes ago, WEBBYB808 said:

The same ones extorting are the transportation experts.   One quoted 400 a sheet.   So if you want to get in cue I took a photo of tge qr code so you can make an appointment  and not need to pay tge extortionists.   I will attach it here for you.  Its about two weeks out.  So go do it now.

I rely on people helping me and don't mind paying people to queue and assisting me in these administrative buildings. That's why I like living here

[Maestro]

8 hours ago, WEBBYB808 said:

Does one just go to police or is there an internet site, or a corruption  hotline

[email protected]

 

opm in this email address stands for Office of the Prime Minister.

 

There is also

[email protected]

and the report form on the website

www.1111.go.th

 

Whichever route you chose, make your report in an objective, factual and non-belligerent manner.

 

Please keep us posted about the outcome of your report. I have seen news reports about common people getting positive action.

[WEBBYB808]

4 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I rely on people helping me and don't mind paying people to queue and assisting me in these administrative buildings. That's why I like living here

For evil to triumph  all it takes is for good men to di nothing.  What theyvare doing is wrong andvtheyvare doing it to theirvown people.  The stamp is free.  I dont mind paying for translation, but they because they live in the town, are taking the cues and exploiting the customers.   You actually think thats ok?  

[nightfox]

Why go through all that headache when any translation service in Bangkok will go to the MFA and get the stamp on your behalf for a few hundred bhat. Corruption is like Covid OP, its never going away. 

[bbko]

3 hours ago, WEBBYB808 said:

For evil to triumph  all it takes is for good men to di nothing.  What theyvare doing is wrong andvtheyvare doing it to theirvown people.  The stamp is free.  I dont mind paying for translation, but they because they live in the town, are taking the cues and exploiting the customers.   You actually think thats ok?  

The stamp from MFA is NOT and never has been free, best to get your facts straight before you start calling out corruption.

[PaoloR]

 Why not take your own cue if you wish to play pool at the MFA?

[PeachCH]

Living in Thailand, people should know, how things are done. Most problems just go away, when you pay some tea ???? money. Some other countries are not better. Why get upset, when spending some bucks to speed up things. ????

[jvs]

Corruption and extortion?Very bad of course but i do not think you can consider this is what

happened to the op.

Remember we are not in Europe or Kansas,we live in Thailand and things like this are the norm here.

good or bad,this is the way the system functions over here and it has been this way for a long time

and it will not go away in a hurry.

We all have things we do not like here from time to time but it comes with the territory.

[ubonjoe]

9 hours ago, WEBBYB808 said:

 So if you want to get in cue I took a photo of tge qr code so you can make an appointment  and not need to pay tge extortionists. 

Just did a little digging on the Department of Consular Affrays website and found where to make an appointment online. See: https://qlegal.consular.go.th/

Found it here and had to type it in: https://consular.mfa.go.th/th/publicservice/ขั้นตอนการรับรองเอกสาร?page=5d68c88b15e39c160c008183&menu=5d68c88d15e39c160c00825c

[worrab]

14 hours ago, bbko said:

Unless something has changed with translating paperwork, when I had paperwork that needed an official stamp, the MFA didn't do ANY translating,

When you enter the building and go up the stairs there are two kiosks next to each other. They will translate, present to MFA for stamping and post back to you EMS. It was always best to let them translate then if it was wrong, they would correct it there and then. Whereas if you used an outside source that could present problems if incorrect.  

[klauskunkel]

5 hours ago, WEBBYB808 said:

taking the cues and exploiting the customers

I assume you will be reporting this in one form or other to some authority. When doing so, I guess in English language, be sure to write correctly. For example: it's called "queue number", not "cue". If you use "cue" in your report, they will not understand you, it's a word with a different meaning but sounds similar. 

[WEBBYB808]

I'm sure it doesn't  cost thousands  of baht.  We already know by your own statement,  " you're willing to pay others for cue", which the cue shouldn't  cost, that you enjoy being exploited.  These people are criminal plain and simple, and I won't sit idle and let it happen  to others.  You actually  siad, "You dont mind being exploited, extorted, or services held for ransom."  Sheep in a field do nothing when the fox comes.  Furthermore  you said, "You like getting shaken down and pay for a free cue, that's why you live here."  You're funny, but thats why they keep doing it.  People do nothing and dont stand up for themselves.  Much like the ones at Bali Hai pier charging people for free parking, it would still be happening if no one stood up to stop them.  It sure didn't get stopped by someone  who has the character  to enjoy paying a criminal  for parking.    So, now you'll write how it's your chooce to be happy to be exploited, It's ok people like me will keep fighiing for people like you, so you wont have to settle for being taken advantage of.

[WEBBYB808]

14 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

I assume you will be reporting this in one form or other to some authority. When doing so, I guess in English language, be sure to write correctly. For example: it's called "queue number", not "cue". If you use "cue" in your report, they will not understand you, it's a word with a different meaning but sounds similar. 

Lol, yes you are correct.   Thanks for the advice.

[WEBBYB808]

2 hours ago, PeachCH said:

Living in Thailand, people should know, how things are done. Most problems just go away, when you pay some tea ???? money. Some other countries are not better. Why get upset, when spending some bucks to speed up things. ????

It would only take 24 hours to do it oneself if one could get a queue.  Speed things up!   No, a normal 24 hour process now takes three days and five if you arrive on Thursday, and have to pay for a Queue that is free.

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, WEBBYB808 said:

It would only take 24 hours to do it oneself if one could get a queue. 

See my earlier post. About the online que page I found.

 

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Just did a little digging on the Department of Consular Affrays website and found where to make an appointment online. See: https://qlegal.consular.go.th/

 

[swm59nj]

You will find dishonest people all over the world. You just have to use common sense.  Don’t just give money to someone that just gives you a story.  Official looking or not. 

[jimn]

15 hours ago, WEBBYB808 said:

Sorry, I was actually  affraid of that and too wordy.  Bad habbit of mine.  Too much to say.  I shall edit

Disgraceful. Its queue by the way not "cue"

[MadMuhammad]

I got my marriage translation certified and stamped at The Klong Toei MRT MFA office, if that helps. D