Just recieved my 'last' VOA, no problem from Ban Laem.

I noticed that they have a new system in place to work out how many days someone has stayed in Thailand on VOA's.

It goes like this:

1. Receive passport
   
2. Find VOA's
   
3. Note how many days used for each entry
   
4. Scratch head
   
5. Call superior
   
6. Both scratch head
   
7. Jot down the amount of days used on each VOA
   
8. Proceed to add the numbers together
   
9. Loads more head scratching
   
10. Call another officer
    
11. Communual head scratching
    
12. Take out mobile phone
    
13. Find the calculator function
    
14. Shout at each other
    
15. Throw dirty looks at the grinning falang
    
16. Finally get the total number of days
    
17. Realize that they didnt have to count my days until the next run
    

So for those that have said that they will not be able to keep track of the number of days used you are wrong. Thai ingenuity will always come through in the end

That'll be interesting if they utilize the same hi-tech method at the airport with several hundred passengers arriving on each plane.... and still keep to their promise of having people clear immigration in 20 seconds.

Just recieved my 'last' VOA

Everybody: to avoid any possible misunderstanding, in the OP’s post, for “VOA” read “visa-exempt entry stamp”.

Regarding the amusing experience of Losdsux, it shows that when there are not enough hands with enough fingers to go around to count the accumulated days of visa-exempt stays the officials do have recourse to higher technology. Underestimate their resourcefulness at your own risk! It will not take long for these mathematical exercises to become routine and thus to be accomplished faster.

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Maestro

To simplify things and add to employment levels in thailand, may i suggest the following.

Each Immigration checkpoint for inbound passengers should have 9 staff.

This would allow them to use the time honored "count it on your fingers" method.

This does not allow for those who are on a break, eating, sleeping ect, so the actual number of people required may be higher than 9.

All joking aside, as maestro said, they will get it worked out soon enough...

We will all eagerly be watching the forum on the 30th of this month(90 days from the 1/10/2006)

We will all eagerly be watching the forum on the 30th of this month(90 days from the 1/10/2006)

I believe somebody on this forum has already offered a prize for the first man brave enough to do a new visa-exempt border run after having already stayed in Thailand 90 days on visa-exempt entries after October 1, 2006.

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Maestro

We will all eagerly be watching the forum on the 30th of this month(90 days from the 1/10/2006)

I believe somebody on this forum has already offered a prize for the first man brave enough to do a new visa-exempt border run after having already stayed in Thailand 90 days on visa-exempt entries after October 1, 2006.

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Maestro

Could you be referring to my post? http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=97185

I don't remember offering a prize but I will certainly contact my uncle, Ebeneezer Scrooge, to see if he can provide one. After all, he is the philanthropist of the family

Could you be referring to my post? http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=97185

No, gpt, it’s not that one. If I remember correctly – and I probably don’t – somebody offered the dare-devil all the free beer he can drink during the 7 days he is expected to get to clear up his affairs in Thailand and leave the country.

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Maestro

Knowing the officers in Ban Laem I would say they are trying to count correctly.

Nothing will prevent them , in future , just to count each entry as 30days and wish you "Have a nice stay in Cambodia".

Immigration head office will prevent them.

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Maestro

That'll be interesting if they utilize the same hi-tech method at the airport with several hundred passengers arriving on each plane.... and still keep to their promise of having people clear immigration in 20 seconds.

:D

The airport is computerised, which should make the system easier................

If the alarm bells go and the light flashes you know you are in trouble...........

There miight even be a reporter waiting to catch the first 7 day rejection stamp.

That'll be interesting if they utilize the same hi-tech method at the airport with several hundred passengers arriving on each plane.... and still keep to their promise of having people clear immigration in 20 seconds.

:D

The airport is computerised, which should make the system easier................

If the alarm bells go and the light flashes you know you are in trouble...........

There miight even be a reporter waiting to catch the first 7 day rejection stamp.

But even if the airport is computerised.. Until EVERY border is computerised with 100% uptime and all passports tracked into and out (a pretty large undertaking) then its still back to manually counting..