Immigration In Bangkok A Living Sitcom

[sanook2me]

Spent 4 hours sitting around for a visa at immigration in Bangkok today if you want to see the sort of aliens that Thailand attracts then go here for a real live sitcom.

Pearls of wisdom from an American guy to an Italian sitting behind me waiting for the 30 day extension

" Keep talking to them until you get the visa you want....last time they only gave me 7 days!!" so it worked then !!

Some dopey young farang walking around with 2 pizza boxes talking Dom Jolly style "where are you!" while stinking the place out with lovely smelling pizza..

(his mates were outside) how he didnt get arrested from the Thais twitching their noses at the smell i dont know...

The obnoxious black bloke who tried jumping the number queue - the officer checked his number and sent him to sit down again and just as his number should have been called out...she put the "at lunch" sign on the counter and sat there while he fidgeted, huffed and puffed in his chair

lastly the odd ball 50 year old none native English speaker with greasy hair and worn out shirt collars been told by his English schools chaperone " are you feeling nice today - all you have to do is smile and be nice you can do it" So he's normally a scruffy/angry/nasty/teacher/person what weirdos get to teach in Thailand (he's probably some serious academic - but i doubt it)

What a kaleidscope of people at immigration everyday...no wonder the Thais want to clamp down on certain types of long stay aliens....

[Jingthing]

Except for your Thai-ier than thou comment at the end, that was very amusing. I think there is good material here for a documentary, feature film, or reality tv show.

[OxfordWill]

Dont forget the monks, walking in all in a line, immediately served, completely oblivious to the chaos around them.

[Moonrakers]

Except for your Thai-ier than thou comment at the end, that was very amusing. I think there is good material here for a documentary, feature film, or reality tv show.

You are proud of you're new word aren't you JT

Mine is the drunken old bloke with his 'thai in tow' GF.

Must have been 10.30 AM at immigration, quite an official thing yet he clearly had to have a beer or two before going anyway.

He was blabbering away to all and sundry with nobody paying much attention, and after a while he took offence to me because I wasn't listening to him. Well it turned out that the guy wasn't talking to everybody in the place, rather he was just drunkedly rabbiting on at me in particular but I didn't realise because he had a lazy wandering eye. I thought that he was looking at other people.

He did much shouting, I diverted my eyes and walked away and was grateful that my number was called up soon.

I wonder weather or not he got his extension or not.

Edited March 30, 2009 by Moonrakers

[thithi]

and those people are racist too!!!

[petedk]

Saw some American guy in his fifties banging on the desk and shouting something about "I'm doing a very important job here educating your children so stop fXXing me around and give me the visa." He must have used those words about 4 or 5 times.

He went on for a good ten minutes and hadn't finished by the time I left.

[kiakaha]

"visas" and "permit of stay extensions" are not the same thing people. It aint that hard to get the terminology correct.

[neverdie]

"visas" and "permit of stay extensions" are not the same thing people. It aint that hard to get the terminology correct.

Just what Thai Visa needs another upstart teacher .....I mean "Yes Sir".

[LennyW]

Except for your Thai-ier than thou comment at the end, that was very amusing. I think there is good material here for a documentary, feature film, or reality tv show.

Pattaya immigration would be the XXX version then!!!

[sanook2me]

Except for your Thai-ier than thou comment at the end, that was very amusing. I think there is good material here for a documentary, feature film, or reality tv show.

Pattaya immigration would be the XXX version then!!!

I didn't even know there was a Pattaya version..... crikey.. bet that one is all quiet/calm and smells of roses

Are you given a free tattoo and a shaved head before entering with dark skinned shorty and curly haired bairn?

[TheWalkingMan]

What a kaleidscope of people at immigration everyday...no wonder the Thais want to clamp down on certain types of long stay aliens....

I thought that was kinda of a crappy comment... As long as the paper work is legal, correct and the person is not involved with criminal activity then all should be welcome.

Anyway, I am of the belief that immigration offices in many countries have a cast of characters also. The immigration offices in Tokyo (the ones I have been to) also have a variety of individuals which can present a good show.

TheWalkingMan

[webfact]

Go and visit Manila Immigration... very good for case studies too how not to behave in front of an officer who can kick you out of the country at any time...

Edited March 31, 2009 by webfact

[Boater]

Saw some American guy in his fifties banging on the desk and shouting something about "I'm doing a very important job here educating your children so stop fXXing me around and give me the visa." He must have used those words about 4 or 5 times.

He went on for a good ten minutes and hadn't finished by the time I left.

Very Stupid thing to do, esp after Simons case in Phuket !

[Mobi]

Believe it or not, from my personal observations, most of the folk at Pattaya immigration are quite well behaved.

There is a notice requesting people to dress appropriately when coming to the immigration office. Although I personally would not wear shorts, many do, but it is a beach location and many of the attendees are genuine holiday makers wishing to extend their stay, as opposed to the pot bellied, bald headed brigade, who either do visa runs (and therefor hardly ever go to immigration except for 90 day reporting, which takes a couple of minutes), or they have sufficient money to have annual extensions.

The office is run very efficiently, albeit with an "iron fist", and the attitude of most officers is not particularly friendly. This seems to instill a modicum of politeness and discipline into most farangs, and on any given day you will see them all sitting in rows waiting patiently for their number to come up, or industriously filling in forms in the form filling area.

As for the "dark skinned shorties" (which smacks of racism!!), well I would imagine on the whole they are welcomed by the officers, as the act as interpreters etc, and also occasionally as vehicles through which "back handers" are requested.

Al in all, maybe the sex tourists, and dregs of western society who inhabit Pattaya have a thing or two to show in the way of behaviour at Thai government offices to their "betters" In Bangkok.

(PS Somehow hit the post button before I was finished - hence the edit)

Edited March 31, 2009 by Mobi