I don't think the village headman has much say in it. The bribes are normally paid to someone in the military. Best if mom goes so they don't know there's a foreigner involved, if possible. That would likely raise the price significantly. Standard pricing depends on province, village, connections, etc. I've seen everything from 20,000 - 50,000 baht. I've also seen different ways to achieving resolution of the requirement. The simplest is paying and then getting a letter of exemption for one of the approved reasons like a medical issue. I've also seen paying and still drawing a card, but somehow they ensure that it's black, perhaps with some sleight of hand. Both of these are not anecdotes, they are actual experiences from my close friends within the last 3 years, but different provinces.
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