Educated Immigration Staff

[needforspeed]

Arrived at the airport last week with 2 passports, old one and my new one issued at the Embassy in Bangkok.

Nothing wrong accept that the girl from Immigration stamped me out of Thailand on page 24 on a brand new passport.

Doesn't immigration staf get anny education, in every other country immigration staff looking for the first available space in your passport accept in LOS.

I have to say this isnt the first time, 2 months ago they stamped me in on the childrens page.

First i would go to see a official but why they just smile and next time same same.

[sillyman99]

It makes a difference by being on page 24?

I've been given stamps in many countries all over the passport, they tend to flick through the pages then stamp anywhere, I'm sure education has little to do with it.

I did actually ask once for a stamp to be placed in a certain place as I only had 2 free pages left for full page Visas and they obliged.

Also another time in Don Muang I asked the IO if I could remove the Cambodian sticker from my passport to free up an entire page, he said sure, I removed the sticker in front of him and he stamped right over the telltale ink left over from the Cambodian stamp.

Maybe he just didn't like Cambodia, and I don't know if things have changed, that happened a long time before 9/11, but it did happen.

[needforspeed]

It makes a difference by being on page 24?

I've been given stamps in many countries all over the passport, they tend to flick through the pages then stamp anywhere, I'm sure education has little to do with it.

I did actually ask once for a stamp to be placed in a certain place as I only had 2 free pages left for full page Visas and they obliged.

Also another time in Don Muang I asked the IO if I could remove the Cambodian sticker from my passport to free up an entire page, he said sure, I removed the sticker in front of him and he stamped right over the telltale ink left over from the Cambodian stamp.

Maybe he just didn't like Cambodia, and I don't know if things have changed, that happened a long time before 9/11, but it did happen.

I have to say very funny to remove a Visa out your pasport in front of the Immigration official and he is happy to stamp there, that are the funy things about LOS.

And going to miss things like that in Europe.

The countries where i am traveling always use the first available space in my passport for stamp or any Visa.

I just like to have it organized as i am traveling around the world every month.

Thanks, funny story

NFS

[contemplating]

Yes, very funny indeed, to remove a visa from your passport. I wonder if that will create problems somewhere along the line. Most countries dont really like you to make changes in your own passport, even if an immigration official is looking, especially a Thai official. TiT

[BangkokHank]

Interestingly, I also removed a not-very-well-stuck Cambodian visa from my passport. in order to clear space for more stamps. But when I asked the Thai immigration officer to stamp my passport on the page of the removed Cambodian visa sticker, he refused to do so - saying that the page had already been used. (A little bit of ink was visible around the edges of the page outside of where the visa had been stuck - from when the visa had been stamped by the Cambodian authorities.)

[neverdie]

Regarding your statement,

"Doesn't immigration staf get anny education, in every other country immigration staff looking for the first available space in your passport accept in LOS."

Generally when you intend to rip someone else off about their education, it generally pays to have all your ducks in line. In regards to your use of the word accept, I assume that you actually mean 'except' in LOS?

In regards to the issue of passport stamping, just about everywhere I've been including my home country the stamps tend to fall just about anywhere theres a clear spot, I'm yet to see an immigration official go to any great length to find the first available spot.

edit to add the smiley

Edited September 29, 2010 by neverdie

[tigerfish]

on a side note to the topic. i frequently travel to cambodia via the aranyaphratet/poi phet border.

its is actually amazing to see what lengths the thai authorities will go to when looking after their own kind. my wife who goes with me on most occasions and pays only 1000 baht for her passport gets five stamps in and out to a page when coming and going through thai immigration. sames as all the other thais, i know because i have also asked to look at friends passports that travel the same route. plus they dont have to pay for the cambodian visa because they stay in the no mans land area where all the casinos are.

me on the other hand am lucky if i get three - four stamps to a page in and out. add to that that i have to fork out the charge for the cambodian visa, plus a new british passport costs somewhere in the region of 7,500 baht a time. it gets a little bit pricey to say the least.

i have on the odd occasion asked politely if they would be so kind to stamp my visa in a certain place, but to no avail. same old story, just looked down their nose at me like i was something fowl they had just stepped in and ignored the request. and whats the point of taking them to task over it at the risk of things getting out of hand and losing out on a re-entry stamp back into the kingdom.

Edited September 29, 2010 by tigerfish

[loong]

Every time I have asked a Thai immigration officer to place the satamp in a particular place, they have always done it.

I was a bit perplexed when I had a visa transferred to a new passport at Khon Kaen immigration. They turned the passport upside down and put it on the last page. Not really a problem though.

[random]

I came back fro Vietnam last week with my new Non Imm B Visa, I handed to the Imm officer with page open with the new visa, also my arrival card in same page, all filled in with visa number, then he gave me 30 days, i didn't notice how long he gave me as I could not see and he handed me back my passport, then he said "oh, 90 days" and asked for the passport back and corrected his mistake, it must have taken a few seconds for into register in his head that he did it wrong , luckily he noticed it although I would have checked anyway before leaving the desk, some people don't check though. I wonder what would happen if I turn up at the airport in 90 days with him stamping that I need to leave in 30 days, i wonder if I could show them the Non Imm B at the airport and claim he made a mistake, I guess his stamp would take precedent over the valid non imm B.

[creck]

Regarding your statement,

"Doesn't immigration staf get anny education, in every other country immigration staff looking for the first available space in your passport accept in LOS."

Generally when you intend to rip someone else off about their education, it generally pays to have all your ducks in line. In regards to your use of the word accept, I assume that you actually mean 'except' in LOS?

In regards to the issue of passport stamping, just about everywhere I've been including my home country the stamps tend to fall just about anywhere theres a clear spot, I'm yet to see an immigration official go to any great length to find the first available spot.

edit to add the smiley

Yes I was surprised at the lack of ducks - koold hav got a lot mor erors n hs sentenc - must try harder. I don't remember any 'looking for empty space' lessons at my school either!!

[NanLaew]

Some people can be very anal about stamps in their passports.

For example, my brand-new virgin UK passport was presented on arrival in the US and they stamped it in the middle of the middle pages with their stamp staddling the centre seam!

I think the Thai stampers are pretty good at maximising the stamps/page and I have a couple of years of multiple entry/exits (4 neatly done/page) to prove it.

[Hitch22]

Thai immigration staff at BKK ar eamong the most obnoxious, arrogant , rude people you will ever come across in Thailand.

A very bad introduction to LOS .

[NanLaew]

Thai immigration staff at BKK ar eamong the most obnoxious, arrogant , rude people you will ever come across in Thailand.

A very bad introduction to LOS .

Qualify that assessment please.

(this should be good for a classic whinge)

[theoldgit]

Thai immigration staff at BKK ar eamong the most obnoxious, arrogant , rude people you will ever come across in Thailand.

A very bad introduction to LOS .

Certainly not the ones I have come across, maybe you have just been unlucky - wonder why?

[random]

Thai immigration staff at BKK ar eamong the most obnoxious, arrogant , rude people you will ever come across in Thailand.

A very bad introduction to LOS .

Certainly not the ones I have come across, maybe you have just been unlucky - wonder why?

ah, the old 'it must be your own fault' argument, pointless and pathetic.

as a frequent flier I have to say that more often that not the immigration officer is rude and obnoxious, and that has nothing to do with me, I greet them with a smile and a nice good morning/afternoon/evening, very rarelt do they even acknowledge you are standing there.

maybe theoldgit just has lower standards than the rest of us.

[theoldgit]

^^^^^^

Didn't think, or suggest, that was all your fault, hadn't even crossed my mind.

I just wondered why, "that more often that not", Immigration Officers are rude to you, didn't seem like an unreasonable question.

As a fellow frequent traveller I have encountered nothing but courtesy from IO's across the world, though some are more cheerful than others.

As I said before, maybe I am just lucky.

Comments like "pointless and pathetic", your words not mine, could possibly be the root of your problems.

[Hitch22]

Thai immigration staff at BKK ar eamong the most obnoxious, arrogant , rude people you will ever come across in Thailand.

A very bad introduction to LOS .

Qualify that assessment please.

(this should be good for a classic whinge)

I have been using BKK at least 30 times a year since it opened, so I think I know what I'm talking about .

[harrry]

Thai immigration staff at BKK ar eamong the most obnoxious, arrogant , rude people you will ever come across in Thailand.

A very bad introduction to LOS .

They may be but they are some of the most polite and helpful Imigratin staff I have met in many countries.

[geriatrickid]

Thai immigration staff at BKK ar eamong the most obnoxious, arrogant , rude people you will ever come across in Thailand.

A very bad introduction to LOS .

Maybe you have the misfortune of landing just after they have cleared a jumbo jet arriving with yobs from the UK or Russian/Ukranian first time travelers that have not filled in their visa forms? Try dealing with idiots on a daily basis and see how long you are able to keep a smile. Yes, the folks can be snotty, but I'll take that over the nasty belligerent pr*cks at LAX or angry judgemental kids at YVR. On the other hand, the nicest immigration people I have come across were in AMS and FRA.

[Genericnic]

Thai immigration staff at BKK ar eamong the most obnoxious, arrogant , rude people you will ever come across in Thailand.

A very bad introduction to LOS .

They may be but they are some of the most polite and helpful Imigratin staff I have met in many countries.

I'm with you on this one Harry. I'll take Thai immigration staff over any that I have dealt with in the U.S.

David

[Grant61]

Happens in Australia too! Immigration don't normally stamp Australian citizens passports, but I recently got a new passport and asked if he would mind stamping it. He looked down his nose at me, opened it to the middle page and promptly stamped it square in the middle of the page. On arrival in Bangkok Thai immigration placed the stamp in top left corner on the opposite page to my Thai visa, so very organised...lol

[erikr_]

Regarding your statement,

"Doesn't immigration staf get anny education, in every other country immigration staff looking for the first available space in your passport accept in LOS."

Generally when you intend to rip someone else off about their education, it generally pays to have all your ducks in line. In regards to your use of the word accept, I assume that you actually mean 'except' in LOS?

In regards to the issue of passport stamping, just about everywhere I've been including my home country the stamps tend to fall just about anywhere theres a clear spot, I'm yet to see an immigration official go to any great length to find the first available spot.

edit to add the smiley

Brazil is worse, they use on epage to stamp you in and decide to stamp you out on yet another page

[Spoonman]

I have been using BKK at least 30 times a year since it opened, so I think I know what I'm talking about .

Dayum, BKK "opened" in 1782, how old were you on your first arrival ??

Edited November 7, 2010 by Spoonman

[random]

^^^^^^

Didn't think, or suggest, that was all your fault, hadn't even crossed my mind.

I just wondered why, "that more often that not", Immigration Officers are rude to you, didn't seem like an unreasonable question.

As a fellow frequent traveller I have encountered nothing but courtesy from IO's across the world, though some are more cheerful than others.

As I said before, maybe I am just lucky.

Comments like "pointless and pathetic", your words not mine, could possibly be the root of your problems.

not at all old timer, I am politeness personified when I am in front of these people, I smile and hand over my passport, I thank them when it is returned to me, maybe we have differing views on what is polite.

To me politeness would be to return my smile, or even acknowledge that I am there, to you politeness may be to just be ignored or at least not snarled at. If you saw me in the street and smiled an acknowledge me and I ignore you I would guess that you would think I am rude. Well these people are the first port of call for everyone entering Thailand and a little politeness would go a long way, I am not expecting a riveting conversation and an invitation to their house for dinner, a simple smile or acknowledgment would be nice, especially since I am very polite to them.

The 'pointless and pathetic' comment is aimed at your pointless and pathetic argument that is someone is impolite then that must be the fault of the other person.

[theoldgit]

The 'pointless and pathetic' comment is aimed at your pointless and pathetic argument that is someone is impolite then that must be the fault of the other person.

Save that I never made that arguement and nor did I imply that if someone is impolite then it must be the fault of the other person.

[random]

The 'pointless and pathetic' comment is aimed at your pointless and pathetic argument that is someone is impolite then that must be the fault of the other person.

Save that I never made that arguement and nor did I imply that if someone is impolite then it must be the fault of the other person.

Comments like "pointless and pathetic", your words not mine, could possibly be the root of your problems.

added to the 'I wonder why" comment, I am saying that in your opinion and is clear from your posting that when people say the immigration are impolite to infer that this is the fault of the abused rather than the abuser.

anyway no need to argue about it, the immigration staff are on the whole miserable and rude so no point trying to dress it up any other way.

[theoldgit]

Well I'm sorry you have taken offence, but as I have said a number of times I was not saying it was all your fault.

I agree that there is no need to argue, life is far too short.

[CarlBkk]

Come on let's be honest, Thai immigration staff have a terrible reputation amongst foreign travellers for being unfriendly, unhelpful and abrupt. If they've got better in the past year or so it's only because senior airport staff have trained them after so much poor press. Incomers asking for help are often met with an abrupt reply, finger pointing in a direction and no eye contact. Basic international manners for officials and professionals. Going out of the airport is often worse especially if (God forbid) someone fails to fill out the departure card properly. Two words and finger pointing, sometimes even desk tapping and raised voices. Big queues don't worry them even with the Thai National queue being quiet. Too many other observations to list, but they're probably not the worst in the world. They just seem to communicate like lower society here do - minimally with few basic human manners or etiquette, which is in complete contract to hotel staff or even average restaurant staff here ironically!

I think most regular travellers don't even bother to acknowledge them (play them at their own game) and just get the job done as quickly as possible without trying to be friendly, smile or have any form of chit chat. Unless you're with a young child, then you may see a glimpse of their nicer side.