Selling Queue Numbers At Vientiane Thai Consulate

[thomo]

We can chose to stand fast to our principles because we have the financial means to.

Others chose to be realists and recognise that world is not perfect and chose not to concern themselves with the smaller issues.

Others are saying that its these smaller issues that are the thin end of the wedge and lead to many of the major issues facing many developing countries.

Some are happy to respect those in the queue, and choose to sit and relax without further issue.

Bizarre concept, I know.

[richard_smith237]

How would you feel If this was organized by the consulate themselves?

Many people get fast tracked through immigration on arrival at many airports - They have paid a premium for it. Simply because this is widely accepted as normal does it make is any more fair to those in the non-fast track cues ?

Is it disrespectful when someone is in a nice and comfortable car when others have to take the bus?

Surely the issue here is about the legality of this ticket selling? While I agree with you and see this occurrence as disrespectful to those already in a cue we all live in a global society that is set up towards favoring those who consider time and convenience a commodity.

[bendejo]

Once a European guy tried to sell me a lower number while I was filling in my forms. From the look and smell of him I'd guess he slept outside, probably in the field across the street. Even worse was he would light a cigarette, take a few puffs, then put it out, re-light a few minutes later etc. Man he stank!

[HerbalEd]

What is the going rate for a low number ?

Your integrity.

What's the big deal? If you end up in a long queue and have a chance to buy yourself to the front, why would you make your decision based on integrity? Do people think that taking an individual stand on these matters will do away with these type of scams?

It's simply a matter of what your time is worth. If the price is right and I had better things to do with my time than wait for hours in the tropical heat, I'd buy it. It's a bit like choosing to fly to Vientiane or catching a bus. I prefer speed and convenience which always comes at a price.

Sounds like you don't have any integrity to lose.

[surayu]

Once a European guy tried to sell me a lower number while I was filling in my forms. From the look and smell of him I'd guess he slept outside, probably in the field across the street. Even worse was he would light a cigarette, take a few puffs, then put it out, re-light a few minutes later etc. Man he stank!

...are you suggesting that somebody is defending the "low" act because it is making a living out of it? maybe...i have seen and read some many weird story happening, however a EU citizen in those desperate condition would be much better off in EU, where he will be granted free assistance for at least his basic needs, i can't say the same is applied here in LOS and often it make me laughs on how the government insist on long term foreigners residing here cannot be granted the same rights of a thai residing in EU, like if they are providing some sort of better help for their fellow country men, how pretentious, like if people nowadays cannot find out how things are working out around them, but hey!...maybe that incredibly expansive firewall kinda things they purchased recently can help somehow to save face.....not

[ozzieovaseas]

The last time i was at "the factory" there was quite a large number of people waiting. So many in fact, that boredom drove some of them (gasp,horror) to actually converse to each other..

Ive found this in itself is a VERY foriegn concept among foriegners, but yeh, I was one of the few that joined in.

After some time it became known that some people had multiple tickets for reasons unknown, and sometimes the tickets had number differences in the 100's.

I ended up with four tickets and the smallest one got processed in less 20 minutes..i then gave my other tickets to other people who had come later and had bigger numbers..no doubt they might have done the same for others further in the que..

Did'nt cost anyone a dime and everyone was respectful and showed gratitude.

To bad, actually im thinking more along the lines of sad, that due to the attitudes/personalities of a lot of posters on these pages they would never allow themselves to be open to such an experience

[bangkokburning]

Richard Smith: You analogies defy me and have little or no application to this situation.

Tod: The Laotians are essentially stealing something and then selling it on for a days wage+ per ticket. People most certainly will try to make easy money and capitalize on "it". That's why ticket scalping (pls note, these people actually buy tickets) is illegal in many states in the US.

It is a personal crusade for me, and it takes ZERO effort. You can bet that if these guys were allowed to hoard all the tickets and sell each and every one for B500, there would be hew and cry on this board. Just a matter of degrees, as we see the price can be as high as B200. That is a fact.

Another fact is that its a scam, it doesn't save time. There is no better service.

If it is not corruption, what would you label the following action as> Thai staff allow the theft of large lots of tickets which are then sold on to lazy and or unsuspecting punters (who think they are getting over on the rest of us) a ticket for the queue = to double the avg wage of a Laotian worker. They have no claim to this ticket, it is not as though the person needed the ticjet, stood in line and then did not need the ticket. They stole the tickets!

Your rant on Econ 101 is not applicable, this is not a supply/demand argument.

Seems like most of the people who lecture me (us) on Asian values are new arrivals with wallets bursting with money. They would not be here if it were not for the western standard that Thailand provides. Take away the mod-cons (aircon, western food, television, car/moto, toilet paper, etc...)- and the ability to not sit in the "hot sun", not pay an agent - and you're all gone tomorrow.

Its one thing for some guy to offer you a form and to fill it out. That is a far cry from stealing tickets.

"At the end of the day it all comes down to how much money is your time worth."

If that is your sole judgment, I think you have missed the point entirely.

If you're doing nothing but killing time by floating around S/E Asia in an effort to embrace all the oxymoronic cultural aberrations the indigenous natives do in 'this neck of the woods'; please by all means take the moral high ground; stand in line.

I don't know...after 17 years most of it makes sense to me. I may not agree with it all, but I do have a sense of understanding the place(s). Does not appear you've hit that point yet.

Everyone here is killing time Tod. Don't fool yourself. There are few people indeed that need that visa ASAP and what did they do when it took a week to process their visas? They waited. The people that need visas have back channels to expedite their visas. No, I am not talking about some slouch agent. I'd estimate the number of people with really important matters of business and or state, that front up to that office at about .5 per day.

I really have to laugh at people who are not willing or able to take the heat. Asia is hot and getting hotter. If you can't deal with that, maybe this is not the place for you. If you see the lives of people as "oxymoronic cultural aberrations" and modern Asian people as "indigenous natives" maybe you ought to do a rethink here as well. Oompla-Loompa dude.

[ozzieovaseas]

I see both sides of the argument here..

If people didnt actually buy the tickets then the "scam" would'nt exist.

However, when i am there i couldnt care less what anyone else does or where they are in the cue....Im more worried about whether i will actually get granted my visa....and/or get dreaded red stamp.

I dont think the people who buy the tickets would be feeling "smug" that they "got one over on everyone else"

I suspect a very small number of people would be buying these tickets anyway, so in reality the differance in time saved ahead of the que wouldnt be worth worrying about, unless of course there's 500 people lined up and waiting.

For me i would'nt be agitated about it, more so, i'd consider them fools for paying for something that everyone else is getting without the added cost.