Bangkok Immigration Announces New Dress Code

[tropo]

This wasn't a routine visit. I'm on 'Retirement extension'. Please enlighten me where it says in the rules it's 'routine'?

Are you watching too many American movies? I live in a village where, due to the two witnesses in attendance, people will know who my visitors are in advance, uniform or not. And why should uniformed IO's draw 'unwelcome attention'? Are they low life?

Thai immigration putting thought into a farangs feelings? You're deluded..

Perhaps you're somewhat paranoid in all matters concerning the Immigration Office. Another member had you summed up fairly well in a reply above when he made the following remark: quote: "You left school 50 years ago but it appears by your remarks you have never grown up either....was that high school or primary school by the way ?" Your prolific use of roflmao emoticons highlights this observation.

You never mentioned what the purpose of your visit was, but it was still routine for them. You wouldn't know this because you don't know how often they visit people on retirement extensions.

It doesn't matter if you live in a village or not. This is not about you, but about how they conduct home visits in general, no matter where people live. If I had uniformed IO's visit my house, some heads would turn and I would find the experience somewhat unsettling. No one would know in advance as I live on a soi.

Turning up in civilian clothes is a soft touch, one which you obviously don't appreciate, but many of us would.

Edited October 18, 2015 by tropo

[Billy Bloggs]

Just before they close this I hope, funny how the wearing of long pants is seen as a sign of maturity by some here, the wearing of shorts being what primary school only, I spent 20 years in uniform and loved it each year when regs said we could wear shorts.

So go up to some in a uniform wearing shorts and tell them they arent mature, go on just once.

[sinbin]

Perhaps you're somewhat paranoid in all matters concerning the Immigration Office. Another member had you summed up fairly well in a reply above when he made the following remark: quote: "You left school 50 years ago but it appears by your remarks you have never grown up either....was that high school or primary school by the way ?" Your prolific use of roflmao emoticons highlights this observation.

They serve a purpose, because experience has shown, many fail to possess the ability to discern the difference, between something posted in jest, and something serious.Go figure. Putting LOL instead of confuses many because of their lack of understanding abbreviations. A picture speaks volumes.

Edited October 18, 2015 by sinbin

[farang000999]

wait, you can't wear shorts?

it is bloody hot outside for a digital nomad...

[metisdead]

An off topic political deflection post has been removed as well as a reply.

[hawker9000]

wait, you can't wear shorts?

it is bloody hot outside for a digital nomad...

Hmmm, maybe that's why they hand out the visas inside ...

[tropo]

wait, you can't wear shorts?

it is bloody hot outside for a digital nomad...

Hmmm, maybe that's why they hand out the visas inside ...

They're rather frugal with air-conditioning. The comfort of the staff is of utmost importance and as you probably know, Thai people don't like it cool.

[hawker9000]

wait, you can't wear shorts?

it is bloody hot outside for a digital nomad...

Hmmm, maybe that's why they hand out the visas inside ...

They're rather frugal with air-conditioning. The comfort of the staff is of utmost importance and as you probably know, Thai people don't like it cool.

True. One of life's little (very little) speed bumps. I'll probably be there somewhere along the line for a 30d extension. I think I'll be able to manage in jeans.

[chubby]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fUTSOhTEIYk/S74QAMCf1_I/AAAAAAAABx4/6u-5QJrJYfQ/s1600/noshirtnoshoes_lg.jpg

[smotherb]

I once arrived at a 5 star hotel in Bangkok and at reception was

a tall skinny guy holding a glass of red wine welcome drink, had

a white T-shirt that had seen better days and looked dirty, a pair of

small shorts and thongs (flipper flops) a real quality tourist, saved

up his loose change for a holiday in Thailand, i was very embaresed

to be a westerner, the reception girls looked really beautiful and smart,

probably had more money than this high quality tourist.

I spent a long expat career flying first-class and staying in 5-star hotels; frequently wore shorts and t-shirts, never had a problem. However, entering Claridge's, Mayfair, London wearing cut-off blue jeans, t-shirt and clogs; the concierge did look askance, until I rummaged through a wad of 100 pound notes looking for my credit card.

[Soutpeel]

I once arrived at a 5 star hotel in Bangkok and at reception was

a tall skinny guy holding a glass of red wine welcome drink, had

a white T-shirt that had seen better days and looked dirty, a pair of

small shorts and thongs (flipper flops) a real quality tourist, saved

up his loose change for a holiday in Thailand, i was very embaresed

to be a westerner, the reception girls looked really beautiful and smart,

probably had more money than this high quality tourist.

I spent a long expat career flying first-class and staying in 5-star hotels; frequently wore shorts and t-shirts, never had a problem. However, entering Claridge's, Mayfair, London wearing cut-off blue jeans, t-shirt and clogs; the concierge did look askance, until I rummaged through a wad of 100 pound notes looking for my credit card.

But isnt the key difference here in these examples one is paying for that service, in other words they want something off you ?

In the case of immigration...the punter wants something off them ie the visa or extension, so its their rules....and thats the difference

[IMA_FARANG]

Well, I always wear long pants even in Thailand.

If I did wear shorts people would be running away screaming as my lower right leg is not a pretty sight after a motorcycle accident in Greece back in 2007.

It is healed now, but still it is not a pretty sight.

[tropo]

I once arrived at a 5 star hotel in Bangkok and at reception was

a tall skinny guy holding a glass of red wine welcome drink, had

a white T-shirt that had seen better days and looked dirty, a pair of

small shorts and thongs (flipper flops) a real quality tourist, saved

up his loose change for a holiday in Thailand, i was very embaresed

to be a westerner, the reception girls looked really beautiful and smart,

probably had more money than this high quality tourist.

Are you really that concerned about how the whole of the Western World is dressed? That's a lot of people to worry about. It must be quite a burden to travel the world feeling "very embaresed" any time a poorly dressed Westerner is in your midst. I'm sure there are plenty of poorly dressed people in your own country - why would it be any different when you travel?

Do you think that the "really beautiful and smart" reception girls are so ignorant that they can't distinguish one Westerner from another? If you present well do you think she will treat you with disrespect because of the other poorly dressed Westerner standing next to you? Rather than being "embarased" you should feel proud because he makes you look even better.

Edited October 19, 2015 by tropo

[arunsakda]

Some of these scumbags dressed in rags are millionaires who flew in on business jets.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[oncearugge]

I once arrived at a 5 star hotel in Bangkok and at reception was

a tall skinny guy holding a glass of red wine welcome drink, had

a white T-shirt that had seen better days and looked dirty, a pair of

small shorts and thongs (flipper flops) a real quality tourist, saved

up his loose change for a holiday in Thailand, i was very embaresed

to be a westerner, the reception girls looked really beautiful and smart,

probably had more money than this high quality tourist.

I spent a long expat career flying first-class and staying in 5-star hotels; frequently wore shorts and t-shirts, never had a problem. However, entering Claridge's, Mayfair, London wearing cut-off blue jeans, t-shirt and clogs; the concierge did look askance, until I rummaged through a wad of 100 pound notes looking for my credit card.

May I ask where this "wad" of £100 notes was obtained?

English banks do not issue £100 notes

[tropo]

I once arrived at a 5 star hotel in Bangkok and at reception was

a tall skinny guy holding a glass of red wine welcome drink, had

a white T-shirt that had seen better days and looked dirty, a pair of

small shorts and thongs (flipper flops) a real quality tourist, saved

up his loose change for a holiday in Thailand, i was very embaresed

to be a westerner, the reception girls looked really beautiful and smart,

probably had more money than this high quality tourist.

I spent a long expat career flying first-class and staying in 5-star hotels; frequently wore shorts and t-shirts, never had a problem. However, entering Claridge's, Mayfair, London wearing cut-off blue jeans, t-shirt and clogs; the concierge did look askance, until I rummaged through a wad of 100 pound notes looking for my credit card.

May I ask where this "wad" of £100 notes was obtained?

English banks do not issue £100 notes

(thanks for the info - I didn't know there weren't £100 bank notes in circulation)

That's the beauty of the Internet and forums. You can live in fantasy land.

Edited October 19, 2015 by tropo

[mamypoko]

Went to CW today wearing khaki shorts and a button down shirt. Not a problem,,,not a sideways

glance from anyone. Counted some 10 others also wearing shorts. Saw a few men wearing sandals, too.

Dress code sign is prominently placed at the entrance.

[hawker9000]

Went to CW today wearing khaki shorts and a button down shirt. Not a problem,,,not a sideways

glance from anyone. Counted some 10 others also wearing shorts. Saw a few men wearing sandals, too.

Dress code sign is prominently placed at the entrance.

Yeah, I somehow didn't think it would be enforced. Sooner or later, some luddite who thinks he has a bone to pick will find a way to force the issue though...

[overherebc]

I once arrived at a 5 star hotel in Bangkok and at reception was

a tall skinny guy holding a glass of red wine welcome drink, had

a white T-shirt that had seen better days and looked dirty, a pair of

small shorts and thongs (flipper flops) a real quality tourist, saved

up his loose change for a holiday in Thailand, i was very embaresed

to be a westerner, the reception girls looked really beautiful and smart,

probably had more money than this high quality tourist.

I spent a long expat career flying first-class and staying in 5-star hotels; frequently wore shorts and t-shirts, never had a problem. However, entering Claridge's, Mayfair, London wearing cut-off blue jeans, t-shirt and clogs; the concierge did look askance, until I rummaged through a wad of 100 pound notes looking for my credit card.

May I ask where this "wad" of £100 notes was obtained?

English banks do not issue £100 notes

(thanks for the info - I didn't know there weren't £100 bank notes in circulation)

That's the beauty of the Internet and forums. You can live in fantasy land.

Never say never.

Still issued and still legal tender.

[smotherb]

As I get older and crankier I cannot, for the life of me, see any purpose in a customer required dress code instituted by a bunch of minor bureaucrats, except to prove that they have the power and the ability to hassle the Falangs. I am also amazed at how many in this forum are so willing to justify, rationalize and generalize about how this is right and correct and fair and why we should be thoroughly happy and willing to jump when those bureaucrats, who often seem to enjoy making up rules and costs on the spot, tell us to hop.

So whats your solution? Should we take strike action or a have a massive demonstration outside every immigration office ?

My solution is easy; leave. I learned long-ago to not bury myself in commitments in any place. I have grown quite weary of Thailand and all its trials and tribulations. My wife and I would have gone already, except for the fact our grandson, son, and daughter-in-law are here. My old grand pappy used to say, "If it feels good do it, if it doesn't, do something else." Thailand doesn't feel as good as it did.

That's a pretty extreme suggestion - to avoid having to wear long pants and shoes on a visit to the immigration office once a year (if you're on a retirement or marriage extension) one should pack up and leave the country. You can report online these days and save yourself 4 extra visits.

I'll give you some better advice... It's always greener on the other side of the fence. No matter where you go there will always be things that irritate you, so rather than move, just don't sweat the small stuff. Utopia doesn't exist, so save yourself the stress of trying to find it.

Not looking for utopia, just a bit of sense. Ever hear of, "the straw which broke the camel's back"? If the only thing Thailand did with which I was not happy was to make me wear long pants, I might, repeat might, buy a pair. However, any picayune requirement such as this simply adds to the Thai offensiveness I perceive. Since I have no commitment to Thailand, leaving is a viable option. Sorry if you have buried yourself here.

[smotherb]

I once arrived at a 5 star hotel in Bangkok and at reception was

a tall skinny guy holding a glass of red wine welcome drink, had

a white T-shirt that had seen better days and looked dirty, a pair of

small shorts and thongs (flipper flops) a real quality tourist, saved

up his loose change for a holiday in Thailand, i was very embaresed

to be a westerner, the reception girls looked really beautiful and smart,

probably had more money than this high quality tourist.

I spent a long expat career flying first-class and staying in 5-star hotels; frequently wore shorts and t-shirts, never had a problem. However, entering Claridge's, Mayfair, London wearing cut-off blue jeans, t-shirt and clogs; the concierge did look askance, until I rummaged through a wad of 100 pound notes looking for my credit card.

May I ask where this "wad" of £100 notes was obtained?

English banks do not issue £100 notes

Aberdeen

[sinbin]

No they are not legal tender. Money issued by The Bank of England is the only legal tender in the UK.

Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes are unusual, firstly because they are issued by retail banks, not central banks, and secondly, as they are technically not legal tender anywhere in the UK – not even in Scotland or Northern Ireland – they are in fact promissory notes.

[smotherb]

No they are not legal tender. Money issued by The Bank of England is the only legal tender in the UK.

Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes are unusual, firstly because they are issued by retail banks, not central banks, and secondly, as they are technically not legal tender anywhere in the UK – not even in Scotland or Northern Ireland – they are in fact promissory notes.

Might have been the reason the concierge wanted a credit card

[speedtripler]

Scottish and Northern Irish bank notes are widely accepted throughout the UK, some places will even accept euro now at their own rates obviously..

Anyone who's ever been there will confirm

They might "prefer" bank of England notes but pubs, restaurants, shops etc will accept all UK notes... Especially if they're making a profit from whatever your buying...

Changing a £100 for a pack of gum maybe refused however because of the fraud/risk ratio....

Its just not worth their while to do something like that because they're are some very good fakes in circulation...

[smotherb]

I once arrived at a 5 star hotel in Bangkok and at reception was

a tall skinny guy holding a glass of red wine welcome drink, had

a white T-shirt that had seen better days and looked dirty, a pair of

small shorts and thongs (flipper flops) a real quality tourist, saved

up his loose change for a holiday in Thailand, i was very embaresed

to be a westerner, the reception girls looked really beautiful and smart,

probably had more money than this high quality tourist.

I spent a long expat career flying first-class and staying in 5-star hotels; frequently wore shorts and t-shirts, never had a problem. However, entering Claridge's, Mayfair, London wearing cut-off blue jeans, t-shirt and clogs; the concierge did look askance, until I rummaged through a wad of 100 pound notes looking for my credit card.

But isnt the key difference here in these examples one is paying for that service, in other words they want something off you ?

In the case of immigration...the punter wants something off them ie the visa or extension, so its their rules....and thats the difference

I fail to see the difference. You think Thailand doesn't want something off you; or that hotels don't have their rules; or that the punter doesn't want the hotel room?

[tropo]

But isnt the key difference here in these examples one is paying for that service, in other words they want something off you ?

In the case of immigration...the punter wants something off them ie the visa or extension, so its their rules....and thats the difference

I fail to see the difference. You think Thailand doesn't want something off you; or that hotels don't have their rules; or that the punter doesn't want the hotel room?

The difference is fairly obvious and the illustration was clear. Just to make it clearer, substitute "want" with "need". People need the visa or extension. Nobody needs any particular hotel room as they have a wide variety of choices.

You need a visa extension, you play by their rules.

[smotherb]

But isnt the key difference here in these examples one is paying for that service, in other words they want something off you ?

In the case of immigration...the punter wants something off them ie the visa or extension, so its their rules....and thats the difference

I fail to see the difference. You think Thailand doesn't want something off you; or that hotels don't have their rules; or that the punter doesn't want the hotel room?

The difference is fairly obvious and the illustration was clear. Just to make it clearer, substitute "want" with "need". People need the visa or extension. Nobody needs any particular hotel room as they have a wide variety of choices.

You need a visa extension, you play by their rules.

You miss the obvious. I don't need Thailand; therefore, I don't need the visas. There are other countries to go, just as there are other hotels to go.

I reiterate, too bad if you have buried yourself here and "need" to stay.

[Soutpeel]

But isnt the key difference here in these examples one is paying for that service, in other words they want something off you ?

In the case of immigration...the punter wants something off them ie the visa or extension, so its their rules....and thats the difference

I fail to see the difference. You think Thailand doesn't want something off you; or that hotels don't have their rules; or that the punter doesn't want the hotel room?

The difference is fairly obvious and the illustration was clear. Just to make it clearer, substitute "want" with "need". People need the visa or extension. Nobody needs any particular hotel room as they have a wide variety of choices.

You need a visa extension, you play by their rules.

You miss the obvious. I don't need Thailand; therefore, I don't need the visas. There are other countries to go, just as there are other hotels to go.

I reiterate, too bad if you have buried yourself here and "need" to stay.

And of course thats your right to leave, but seems rather silly bailing a country cos immigration want a person to dress properly while visiting their premises....

And the last sentance wasnt needed btw

[smotherb]

Soutpeel Posted Today, 14:41

smotherb, on 22 Oct 2015 - 14:30, said:

tropo, on 22 Oct 2015 - 01:56, said:

smotherb, on 22 Oct 2015 - 00:47, said:

Soutpeel, on 19 Oct 2015 - 14:30, said:

But isnt the key difference here in these examples one is paying for that service, in other words they want something off you ?

In the case of immigration...the punter wants something off them ie the visa or extension, so its their rules....and thats the difference

I fail to see the difference. You think Thailand doesn't want something off you; or that hotels don't have their rules; or that the punter doesn't want the hotel room?

The difference is fairly obvious and the illustration was clear. Just to make it clearer, substitute "want" with "need". People need the visa or extension. Nobody needs any particular hotel room as they have a wide variety of choices.

You need a visa extension, you play by their rules.

You miss the obvious. I don't need Thailand; therefore, I don't need the visas. There are other countries to go, just as there are other hotels to go.

I reiterate, too bad if you have buried yourself here and "need" to stay.

And of course thats your right to leave, but seems rather silly bailing a country cos immigration want a person to dress properly while visiting their premises....

And the last sentance wasnt needed btw

__________________________________________________________________________________

Yes, it is my right.

And, I've already addressed what you called "rather silly" when I said, "Ever hear of, "the straw which broke the camel's back"? If the only thing Thailand did with which I was not happy was to make me wear long pants, I might, repeat might, buy a pair."

I believe the last statement, to which you refer, to be especially pertinent. tropo's point was the "need" to get a visa extension for Thailand.

[tropo]

But isnt the key difference here in these examples one is paying for that service, in other words they want something off you ?

In the case of immigration...the punter wants something off them ie the visa or extension, so its their rules....and thats the difference

I fail to see the difference. You think Thailand doesn't want something off you; or that hotels don't have their rules; or that the punter doesn't want the hotel room?

The difference is fairly obvious and the illustration was clear. Just to make it clearer, substitute "want" with "need". People need the visa or extension. Nobody needs any particular hotel room as they have a wide variety of choices.

You need a visa extension, you play by their rules.

You miss the obvious. I don't need Thailand; therefore, I don't need the visas. There are other countries to go, just as there are other hotels to go.

I reiterate, too bad if you have buried yourself here and "need" to stay.

I missed the obvious? It's obvious you are a confused individual with a chip on your shoulder...

Even if you or others decide to bail Thailand because you don't want to dress appropriately when visiting the Immigration office, you still go there because you need something. Why else would you go?

If you don't want to stay - then clear off and find another country where everything is perfect for you. There's no need to make veiled insults to others who are quite content to live here despite the "inconvenience" of having to dress up to visit the Immigration Office.

Edited October 22, 2015 by tropo