I work in an office.

When I started, I asked where they put paper that was to be recycled.

They showed me a box to put used paper into.

I asked how often the paper was recycled.

" we use the backsides to print on. That's recycling isn't it?

Is here any real recycling ( processing it into "new" paper) of paper in Thailand?

'

Edited December 4, 201411 yr by willyumiii

The only way that they could have copies they don't want is if you give them more than is needed for your application. Don't give them anything more than is needed. If they want it they will ask for it.

They keep everything you attached to your application if it is required for it.

what would worry me more is,what if i had a 48page uk.passport that had 30plus full pages and you have to give them a copy of every page,that is a lot of info,where some of it could fall in the wrong hands.

do they not have paper shredders here in thailand.

i dont remember having to give them a copy of every page before.

this is something that definately needs addressing[oops].

As someone from the UK who understands the value of data protection and having worked in an industry where this kind of approach to data protection could get you sacked or worse (is it a criminal offence in the EU?), I was very worried when I first went to immigration last month and the very first time this happened to me and I received a copy of someone else's passport. Probably enough information to give me a good start in stealing their identity.

I wonder if the solution is to obfuscate the back side of all pages before printing the copies required. Have a look at the attached PDFs. The first is quite "in your face" and maybe a bit overkill, but the second one, do you think immigration would object to copies with this printed on the back?

Would appreciate it if someone in the know would comment and if anyone tries this what reaction they got from immigration?

Thanks

Confidential 1.pdf

Confidential 2.pdf

I think both would be a bit over the top. Immigration might object to them. I think a single line from corner to corner would be enough and immigration probably would not object to that.

As someone from the UK who understands the value of data protection and having worked in an industry where this kind of approach to data protection could get you sacked or worse (is it a criminal offence in the EU?), I was very worried when I first went to immigration last month and the very first time this happened to me and I received a copy of someone else's passport. Probably enough information to give me a good start in stealing their identity.

I wonder if the solution is to obfuscate the back side of all pages before printing the copies required. Have a look at the attached PDFs. The first is quite "in your face" and maybe a bit overkill, but the second one, do you think immigration would object to copies with this printed on the back?

Would appreciate it if someone in the know would comment and if anyone tries this what reaction they got from immigration?

Thanks

Last week I did my 90 days reporting for the first time by mail. Everything O.K. so far.

On the back of the confirmation slip was an ED visa of a Chinese guy!!

Following this thread quite a while I decided to pretent the use of the back of my copies. Simple.

Ariel Narrow 7pts. "LONGLIVETHEKINGLONGLIVE....." printed in grey all over the back like the micro print on bank notes. Well not that small......

Can they reject such a message?

This is not the first time this has been reported.

Many of my 90 report receipts have had something on the backside.

It is immigration's way of recycling paper.

Not only immigration's way of recycling paper......in most (Thai) companies this is normal practice.

I tried to explain once, that copiers and printers get very dirty because of the used paper (dirt and paper-particles) and the life-time of the equipment will be reduced significantly, but hey.........that's for tomorrow and saving 15 satang on a sheet of paper........that's today.

They do this in the gov't hospitals, too, when they make copies. I think they consider this a form of recycling and not a violation of personal data protection.

Not just public hospitals, either: the Bangkok Rayong Hospital, for example, are the proud possessors of multiple copies of my passport pages which they have accumulated over the years and which may now have ended up goodness knows where.

But I cannot recall Maptaput Immigration ever having provided me with a 90-day confirmation slip printed on the reverse side of somebody else's personal details. Indeed, both my current slip and the previous one were printed on pristine paper - or at least the reverse side of blank parts of "recycled" sheets.

This thread would, however, appear to dispel the urban myth that the reams of paperwork we provide Immigration eventually end up getting shredded and then stuffed into seat cushion covers for the comfort of IOs' bums. If individual offices are too cash-strapped to afford supplies of pristine paper there is clearly no way in which they will be able to lash out on acquiring shredders!

Edited January 24, 201511 yr by OJAS

Received my 90 day receipt from Chiang Mai a few days ago. On the back was another receipt where the person was filling in the Officials Only section with his name/passport/etc info.

Did my 90 day report Monday, used the link you provided and printed my own tm-47CM.

Got my receipt on Friday which was the bottom of said tm-47CM I printed.

The only way that they could have copies they don't want is if you give them more than is needed for your application. Don't give them anything more than is needed. If they want it they will ask for it.

They keep everything you attached to your application if it is required for it.

Phuket immigration (and i presume all other immigration offices) only keep the papers for the period it is required for them, after that all papers are getting recycled in the copier.

For example when you do a extension of stay for marriage or business and they have to send one set away, all papers are getting recycled as soon the papers are returned and the extension is finalized.

Last time i received the financial papers from my friends company which he used for his business extension. (he was not impressed with that)

I don't know if they accept papers when they have 2 stripes and "for immigration" message written on it.

I do this normally always but have to check if immigration accept this.

Phuket started now (sometimes) with stamping the used copies with a big red CANCELLED stamp but unfortunately they are not very consisted with this practice.