Americans are given a free 30 day visa upon entry. However, flying on frequent flier miles as I do, it's not always easy to get precisely 30 days. So my tickets this year are for more than the allotted time. To protect my good standing I decided to go the local immigration office for an extension. That's an experience in patronage, nepotism and a mini-adventure.
Mistake #1; arriving at 12:30 when the office is closed at noon.
Mistake #2; not bringing a passport photo.
After returning to the house to retrieve a photo there were 6 forms to complete. With those complete and checked I was given a queue number and sat down to wait. Sitting next to me was an elderly monk waiting his turn and passing the time playing games on his I-Phone.
With about a half hour wait I has at the desk of an immigration officer who took my forms, typed on his computer and used fourteen stamps on the paper. He collected 1900B...about $25...told me I needed a new passport, had me sign two papers and sent to me to the next desk.
At the next desk a woman took my passport and papers and left. Ten minutes later she returned them and said I could go. It was now 3:00.
All of my immigration records are in their computer system. Why all the steps? Jobs are given on the basis of patronage and nepotism. Were the system simplified electronically what would all those immigration staff do? Who would feed their families? During the depths of Depression the American government created the Works Progress Administration, WPA, to give people work and accomplish civic projects. The Thai Immigration bureaucracy is a Thai version of WPA.
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| 5th grade girls |
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| 5th grade boys |
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| Neighborhood goats. |
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| Neighborhood water buffalo. |
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