Keep Smiling – This Is Isaan At It’S Best.

[Jezz]

On Thursday, at 8.30am, I reported to my immigration office – I won't be specific because normally no problems at all – to obtain the final stamp for my renewed one year extension based on marriage. There was space enough on the final page of the passport for this, the idea then being to get a replacement passport by postal application to the British Embassy, Hong Kong, as Bangkok no longer process them. The officer shook his head. "Sorry, not enough room. Stamp bigger this year." He showed me an example. There is now a small extra stamp, only a few centimetres deep, reminding of the need to get a re-entry permit if leaving The Kingdom during the period of granted extension. I pointed out if he carefully positioned the main stamp close to the 'Under consideration' one, there was still enough space for the small, new one. With much shaking of heads, consultation with colleagues and general chitchat, eventually he easily managed to fulfil the requirement. Success so far.

At ten o'clock, I visited a photo shop to have new passport pictures taken. The young lady confirmed they'd be ready at 12 noon. I paid for them up front and returned at noon. At 1.15pm, the photos were finally ready – in completely the wrong size! After showing the exact requirements in my existing passport, she confirmed she understood, however, they'd not be ready until 7pm, and required an additional payment for their error. If the wife hadn't been with me, and forked out the extra money, I would have exploded. As I live out of town, and the missus had to go back to town on Saturday – today – I opted to have her collect them. Yes, you've guessed, still the wrong size – even after printing two more alternative sizes.

I then discover there's a photo shop in the smaller market town just up the road from home. In fifteen minutes, I become the proud owner of acceptable passport photos. Next stop, the photocopy shop next door, for various document-copying, and printing. Unfortunately, the lady doesn't know how to process this order – advising I need to go back on Sunday at 8am, when her husband will be able to handle the task. If you don't hear anymore from me after Sunday, you'll know I got everything okay – or got blind, rotten drunk to calm down.

[Sandgroper1066]

As you said "keep smiling". Oh,and have another beer.

Cheers

[Jezz]

As you said "keep smiling". Oh,and have another beer.

Cheers

Wonderful idea! And before anybody has a go, yes, I know 'suceed' is spelt 'succeed'. Also, it’s ‘its’, not ‘it’S’. Wanna swop – or swap my day?

[zzaa09]

It takes far less muscles to smile than to frown.

Keep on keeping on.....

[Jezz]

It takes far less muscles to smile than to frown.

Keep on keeping on.....

So true! I'm feeling better already. Glad you spelt muscles correctly. We have some kinda mussels for dinner tonight.

[micksterbs]

It takes far less muscles to smile than to frown.

Keep on keeping on.....

So true! I'm feeling better already. Glad you spelt muscles correctly. We have some kinda mussels for dinner tonight.

Yep, he certainly did. But muscles are a countable noun so it should be "fewer", not "less"...

[kimamey]

It takes far less muscles to smile than to frown.

Keep on keeping on.....

So true! I'm feeling better already. Glad you spelt muscles correctly. We have some kinda mussels for dinner tonight.

Yep, he certainly did. But muscles are a countable noun so it should be "fewer", not "less"...

Great story. I'm still living in the UK at the moment but it's stories like this that make me want to move to Isaan straight away.

On the spelling and grammar topic I've got to say this.

Kinda!! KINDA!!! What sort of word is that from someone who knows how to spell muscles?

[Jezz]

It takes far less muscles to smile than to frown.

Keep on keeping on.....

So true! I'm feeling better already. Glad you spelt muscles correctly. We have some kinda mussels for dinner tonight.

Yep, he certainly did. But muscles are a countable noun so it should be "fewer", not "less"...

Great story. I'm still living in the UK at the moment but it's stories like this that make me want to move to Isaan straight away.

On the spelling and grammar topic I've got to say this.

Kinda!! KINDA!!! What sort of word is that from someone who knows how to spell muscles?

I guess it is kind of easier and kinda nice to break the rules in a different way! Anyway, I finally got all the bits and pieces required this morning. Tomorrow, when the post office reopens, I can at last send the application off to Hong Kong. Considering the saga started last Thursday, and will hopefully be over on Monday, five days to get photos and documents processed and dispatched is worthy of an entry in the Guinness records.

[isanbirder]

I guess it is kind of easier and kinda nice to break the rules in a different way! Anyway, I finally got all the bits and pieces required this morning. Tomorrow, when the post office reopens, I can at last send the application off to Hong Kong. Considering the saga started last Thursday, and will hopefully be over on Monday, five days to get photos and documents processed and dispatched is worthy of an entry in the Guinness records.

I think you're doing pretty well, Jezz; it took me much longer. The first set of photos were the right size, but my hair came out a delicate shade of blue (queen I may be, but blue-rinsed queen I am NOT). Then the British Passport Office couldn't draw money on the card number I gave them... and of course this happened over Chinese New year, which is almost as long a holiday in HK as Songkran here. But it all came out right in the end

[tartempion]

Buy yourself an all-in-one cheap printer (2k baht?), that will solve the copy problem.

[Jezz]

Buy yourself an all-in-one cheap printer (2k baht?), that will solve the copy problem.

I have considered buying a printer, but the infrequent use, probably resulting in dried-up ink cartridges, hardly makes even a couple of thousand baht or less a good investment.

[Stjohnm]

Just as well you're getting your new passport now, The IPS & FCO have caught Thailand fever and its all change soon all British passports are to be issued in the UK by the IPS in "an effort to reduce costs and increase customer service"

[Jezz]

Just as well you're getting your new passport now, The IPS & FCO have caught Thailand fever and its all change soon all British passports are to be issued in the UK by the IPS in "an effort to reduce costs and increase customer service"

As I understand it, expats will still be able to make postal applications to regional centres such as Hong Kong, who already forward the application to the UK for processing. That's why it takes four weeks or so to receive it.