A Public Thank You

[Andrew Hicks]

Today we went to the Thai Passport office at Bangna Trat armed with wads of documents to get two new passports, one of them potentially quite difficult for varous reasons.

It was little over a half an hour before we walked out again clutching receipts for passports to be collected in two working days after perhaps the most pleasant bureaucratic experience of my whole long and complicated life.

There were no queues and everything was clean, cool and calm. There were no glum officers lurking darkly behind glass screens but instead we sat comfortably at the desk of a delightful woman who saw her role as to make things as pleasant as possible and to do whatever she could for us. She took great care to produce a pleasant photo and there was even a rail of smart jackets to be borrowed for the picture.

All the documents were quickly scanned into the system and there were no demands for photocopies of everything to be clipped together and stored away in useless paper mountains. It was a superb and efficient administrative machine and I really hand it to whoever has been responsible for this considerable achievement.

Forums are places for grumbling but today I'd like to express my thanks to the individuals who received us and did their job so well.

Thinking of my own British bureaucrats, I wish life was always like this.

Andrew Hicks

PS Has anyone any similar bouquet for any particular office in Thailand?

[Scott]

I have a number of them, but they all involved a 500 baht attached to an application.

[noahvail]

The officers in the office in Chiang Khan are brilliant. It's a small office on the banks of the Mekong, a very pleasant setting. There are four people in the office, and they're very professional and helpful. And they refused to accept a 'gratuity' for their excellent work. My only wish is that they would accept the 90-day report by mail, instead of me driving a couple of hours each way. Oh well, next time I'll ride up on the new Kawa ;-)

[bridge]

I had to get some fingerprints at Police HQ in BKK last Monday. Very positive experience - very friendly, and super organised. Was in and out in less than 30 min's.

[anothertorres]

you're welcome.

[spacemand]

Had the same experience when I went with my girl to the passport office in Ubon in and out in 30 minutes everyone very friendly and got the passport via EMS mail 4 days later.

[Andrew Hicks]

I had to get some fingerprints at Police HQ in BKK last Monday. Very positive experience - very friendly, and super organised. Was in and out in less than 30 min's.

Yes, in fact we had to get police reports from there and I agree. They were extremely good and were obviously concerned to give us good service. I filled out their feedback form and gave them top marks.

Thai bureaucray at its best can be excellent!

Andrew

[heykki]

I had a similar experience at the Bangkok Immigration, both the previous one and the one nearby the airport. No fines for my overstay and very little waiting.

[mca]

Nong Khai immi have always played it straight with me. Courteous and helpful with the queries I had and even managed to crack a joke with them.

I've found with Nong Khai immi it's a case of treat them as you'd wish to be treated and it's fine. Nice and polite to them and you'll get it back. The folks I've seen having major probs were usually big mouthed scruffy <deleted> who turned up with no photos or hadn't realised their visa had expired and got all offensive when the officers tried to explain things to them.

As an aside talking about the British Embassy I've got to speak as I find but years ago when I got my affirmation to marry the oldish guy behind the counter was the most polite and helpful "service" staff I've ever come across anywhere. It was an absolute pleasure dealing with him.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

I have no complaints about Hua Hin immigration friendly and efficient.

[BSJ]

As a public service officer explained to me many years ago you don't know what happened with the person before you, so if you get a grumpy public servant to deal with just keep smiling no matter what. They have sh1tty customers to deal with every day, your only there once every year or so, you can deal with it!

And one from dad "You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar!"

[mca]

Unless they're the Albanian Lesser Spotted Vinegar Eating Fly . Apparently the most perfectly evolved of all the insects with one flaw in their genetic makeup which means if they ever come in to contact with honey they explode.

www.wikipedia.org_Albanian_Lesser_Spotted_Vinegar_Eating_Fly

[CWMcMurray]

My last renewal for my Thai drivers License in BKK. The staff was all really nice and super helpful...

I made the mistake of forgetting to get my medical form and asked the person at the information desk if she new of a nearby clinic where I could get one done. She said come with me, I am just getting ready to leave I will drop you off on the way.

I said that I really aprreciate the offer, but it really wasn't necesary for her to take me. She said really no problem, I will be passing right by it...

Once I got back with the form everyone else seemed to be geneuinely happy, helpful and was in and out within 20 minutes.

[samran]

I've lived in Australia, UK and Thailand and at some stage have had to go through the burecracy with each of those countries (visa's, taxes, bank accounts etc etc etc).

The Thai passport office is probably the best experience you'll have anywhere in the world. As you said, fast and efficient and extremely high tech. Compared with getting Australian passports sorted for me and my daughters, the Thai system is more secure and more efficient.

Surpisingly, we've also had a good experience at police special branch when applying for Thai nationality for my wife (though that application has fallen into the black hole of the ministry interior for the past 2 years or so). So both ends of the spectrum there I guess.

Great experience at the tax office to pay my taxes, to the extent they'd fill in my tax return for me.

Great experience at my local Ampur for a number of things, including getting my first Thai ID card at aged 30, getting wifes yellow Tabieen Baan sorted and (along with the local labour office) getting our burmese maid registered and legal.

The one slight 'grrr' has been my wifes yearly visa extensions at Suan Phlu, but I've put that down to overcrowding. Hopefully the move to Chaengwattana will sort that out (same complex as the passport office!!)

All in all though, simply cannot complain with my experiences to date.