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OPINION | by Michael Bridge

Recently I re-applied for my work permit for another year in Thailand.

This was my 12th time, so you would have thought the process would get easier, but no, still numerous signatures required on many pages.

Now there have been some steps forward to digitization, as we can now complete our 90 days reporting online.

However, with the global need to protect our planet, it seems almost criminal that the process of actually applying for a work permit in Thailand should involve so much paperwork.

In my case, they wanted a copy of every page of my passport which amounted to 42 pages.

In addition, I had to provide a medical certificate stating I was healthy, plus proof of my residence too.

As I had recently moved, I also had to copy my landlord’s contract and then take it to my lawyer for her to endorse my signature.

Then they were other forms regarding the Company I work for plus my tax returns.

Once complete the wad of just my own paperwork was enough to write a paperback.

At the work permit office, you could hardly see the staff’s desks as they were weighed down by stacks of other people’s applications.

It was the same at the local inland revenue office where staff had to use trollies to wheel around the paperwork from department to department.

And let’s not forget what we need to provide to get the annual visa at the immigration offices around the country.

It is starting to get out of hand and yet everything could be simply dealt with online.

We would not need to waste fuel driving to these offices as well.

The Labour, Immigration and Inland Revenue offices would be saving on paper, printing ink, and massive storage too.

So what is stopping the government from implementing digitization on a grand scale?

I suppose the staff at these departments would be concerned that half their colleagues would overnight lose their jobs as digitalization would reduce their workload dramatically.

Also, it would do away with a lot of the interaction between the customer, visa agents, and the staff at these offices too and we know what that means!!!

And so, it is not surprising that they continue to chop down forests to feed their paper requirements.

 

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The Thais certainly like their paperwork, everything copied and multiple times, too.  Sometimes one feels like having travelled through a wormhole back to the 1960s when there were only few computers...

12 years and the OP still doesn't get it. 

"So what is stopping the government from implementing digitization on a grand scale?"

 

Common sense, intelligence... I'll stop there ????????

2 hours ago, webfact said:

It is starting to get out of hand and yet everything could be simply dealt with online.

It's not "starting" to get out of hand, it's always been out of hand...!!! Thailand professes to be a 1st world country but as many long termers here know, it isn't!

Year 12.   I have a feeling during years 1 to 4, this article wouldn't never be published.  Don't rock the boat!!  Be nice about everything......Year 12, time to complain.   lol

 

pretty normal, but I'm guessing it's only 2 years for most.  

Everywhere in Thailand the same.. I needed a proof of adress at immigration and did my 90 days report.... I needed copy of my rental contract, copy of my passport to get my proof of adress.. Whatam I doing than every 90 days?? I had already a Tm form for my address, I do 17 years on the same addrees a 90 days  reports I renwe with all copies of everything my visa, and still they don't have a digital file???? How many passportpics they have already? Now I need an re entry visa so I am copying again everything..... So much waste of paper...and everywhere, taxoffice, Government offices, and just everywhere in THailand copies copies copies  

If you book something or have business here seems they always ask: you have paper?  Even if you have emails or photos they ask for paper.

Same with immigration extensions hey;  it's the same as last year you want 20 pieces of paper again? 

All seems a big waste.

I'd look at who owns all the photocopying shops near the offices you need to provide them too before making a decision !

3 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

So much waste of paper...and everywhere, taxoffice, Government offices, and just everywhere in THailand copies copies copies  

Very true, and as you say not just immigration in on this.... the banks need to have a copy of many things too. (I got a new passport). 

Bureaucracy equal mountains of forms and more forms, double and triple of everything, Oh and don't forget the rubber stamps, every form must have few red/blue chops, all run by an army of pencil pushers.. remanences of the communist style books and record's keeping...

I just wonder where the Thai government is hiding this Mount Everest sized pile of old paper copies that we 'fuh-langs' have all been contributing to for years and years and years... and years?  Inquiring minds want to know.

Everyone who is walking around there has a job,so jobless statistics look better,besides that I guess 80% off government employees are voting for ruling government,it is a win win Situation. Immigration could ask you every year if you still stay same place,if you still married,retired and bla bla and print it out,and give you your extension,but then many people would lose their job,on top of that big boss must sign  to show he is the boss,if the normal officer could sign it then no need for big boss.Thais in general think we are all criminals,so better check documents everytime,I also think most government officers have no idea how to use a computer

With the state of most computers in Thailand with more viruses than programs on them, it might be a blessing in disguise. 

27 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Everywhere in Thailand the same.. I needed a proof of adress at immigration and did my 90 days report.... I needed copy of my rental contract, copy of my passport to get my proof of adress.. Whatam I doing than every 90 days?? I had already a Tm form for my address, I do 17 years on the same addrees a 90 days  reports I renwe with all copies of everything my visa, and still they don't have a digital file???? How many passportpics they have already? Now I need an re entry visa so I am copying again everything..... So much waste of paper...and everywhere, taxoffice, Government offices, and just everywhere in THailand copies copies copies  

Thailand loves copies, just check the luxury brands at the markets ????

26 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I'd look at who owns all the photocopying shops near the offices you need to provide them too before making a decision !

Who owns the papermills??

Looking on the bright side just for a moment. Each piece of paper has carbon locked up in it which the tree collected over the years so in a way Thailands love affair with paper is helping to save the world ????

Thailand -4.0 all day long.

Same, Same, but Same.

 

4 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

The Thais certainly like their paperwork, everything copied and multiple times, too.  Sometimes one feels like having travelled through a wormhole back to the 1960s when there were only few computers...

They have a complete floor dedicated for my paperwork in Thailand somewhere. 

Even takes 4 people to look at the computer whilst entering & retrieving data.

TIT Sadly. 

Someone I know well works for a Thai Govt department doing admin. Her job could be done completely from home but there is no remote connection available to their records system, plus all her work arrives on paper, not electronically.

 

The quality of the IT professionals employed by the Thai Govt can be seen in the on again/off again online 90 day reporting, the inability to submit a tax return online in English (only in Thai) and the paper only visa/extension system.

 

There is little incentive to computerize as people would lose their jobs for life with medical and pension benefits. This goes through Govt, including land offices, banks and utilities which all rely on people processing paper. The only parts that have been developed efficiently online are payments to get the money in quickly.

 

There will be no changes whilst the education system discourages questioning of officialdom, and that will not happen soon.

Walk to the rear  inside wall of Pattaya Immigration Office , there  is paperwork stacked  floor to ceiling  all along that wall  ( 3 months ago)

"The bureaucracy is expanding to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy."

Oscar Wilde

 

Thailand technology hub?!

4 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

The Thais certainly like their paperwork, everything copied and multiple times, too.  Sometimes one feels like having travelled through a wormhole back to the 1960s when there were only few computers...

Soon we will run out of trees. One would think that in these days of computers there would be a lot less paper being used. Just look at purchasing something, most people are using their credit cards and not cash. Save the trees!

I’ve always maintained they have another country to store all the paper.

I did one annual report and it was 66 pages, they then told me to go across the street and make copies of everything…..absolutely ridiculous. There should be one piece of paper with my address, copy of visa, I sign it, and BINGO!

No surprises there. I constantly point out to my wife in New Zealand how uncomplicated everything is here  next to the time wasting bureaucratic nonsense that every government department is wedded to in Thailand

12 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

Soon we will run out of trees. One would think that in these days of computers there would be a lot less paper being used. Just look at purchasing something, most people are using their credit cards and not cash. Save the trees!

Plastic trees in Thailand? 555.

Let’s face it everyone wants a Civil Service job in Thailand,

regular income , pension, nice uniforms, air conditioned offices, lunch breaks

and the best bit all those Monk’s Days paid holidays off while all the other buggers have to carry on working! It don’t get any better, oh yeah bet they all drive nice cars as well.

Is that the holdup for 6 month to 6 year old vaccines? ????

The only Department that seems to have got their act together is the Department that issues passports, whatever they want you to produce is scanned into their system, the same applied with the now defunct Thailand Pass all done on line, I think it it is the same Department

However it is not only Thailand, my daughter holds three passports. When we renewed her UK passport we we had to produce copies of every page of the other two even though they were blank.