Contacting Government Department

[DisparateDan]

Since April 2010 I have been trying to get a response from the Social Security Department in Rayong, regarding an appeal. 2 Ministries, one Minister, 2 Government lawyers have become involved and responded in a timely manner. I am advised to go back to square one and "discuss" with the original officer, the grounds for my appeal. An EMS and a Registered letter over the last 10 weeks has not elicited any response. Both items are logged as received by ThaiPost. I was given a phone number, which is virtually unobtainable, When it is the officer is always at a meeting. All my correspondence is professionally translated into Thai and the few calls which got through were made by the same professional. I am persistent if nothing else, and feel that I am only left with making an official complaint. Incidentally the article 39 I am appealing under when translated shows that what I am requesting is a mere formality. Anyonyelse here coped one way or another with this type of run-around ?

Edited February 1, 2011 by DisparateDan

[random]

If you are in Thailand then I suggest you turn up at his office with one of these lawyers and sit there until seen.

[NancyL]

Yes, we've found that polite, but firm and persistent physical presence gets things moving. If nothing else, the staff doesn't want you sitting around their offices all day. It helps that Hubby and I are retired and don't really have much to do. We took turns sitting around the Amphur office until they figured out how to make their computer system handle executing an Amphur Thai Will between two foreigners when the ID number on our drivers licenses have one less digit than the ID numbers on the drivers licenses of Thai nationals.

Admittedly, our "problem" doesn't sound as serious as that of the OP. But in our case, they'd moved to a new computer system about a week before and had never handled a foreigner/foreigner Will with the new system. Initially, when they couldn't figure out how to make it work, they told us to go see a lawyer for a Will and he'd file it with the Amphur (using his ID number). When we balked, pointing out that other friends had used their old system to do foreigner/foreigner Amphur Wills, they realized that they had to solve the problem (eventually). Our persistent physical presense just moved them along faster.

[DisparateDan]

Coincidence or the power of ThaiVisa.?..within a few hours of my post, an appointment was arranged early next week. Mirabilis Dictu.