Even Immigration Officers are at it

[landofsmiles]

This was a new one on me! Flew Phuket - KL this afternoon. Young immigration officer on the desk at HKT stamps me out and gives me back my passport then put 3 plastic containers on the desk with a bhudda casting in clay with a bit of gold leaf on and an inscription in Thai and asks if I wanted to buy one!

First says 500 baht, then says, "ok for you, 300 baht. Will be good luck for you". He said they were from a temple in Phnang Nga he's trying to help.

I didn't buy one!

I wonder if they'll start using them for people entering..."if you buy one you have 90-day stamp. If you no buy you have 30day!!"

[Mai Chob]

Originally Posted by landofsmiles

This was a new one on me! Flew Phuket - KL this afternoon. Young immigration officer on the desk at HKT stamps me out and gives me back my passport then put 3 plastic containers on the desk with a bhudda casting in clay with a bit of gold leaf on and an inscription in Thai and asks if I wanted to buy one!

First says 500 baht, then says, "ok for you, 300 baht. Will be good luck for you". He said they were from a temple in Phnang Nga he's trying to help.

I didn't buy one!

I wonder if they'll start using them for people entering..."if you buy one you have 90-day stamp. If you no buy you have 30day!!"

Already happened to me...I arrived late at HKT to fly and imm officer starts painfully looking at all my LOS stamps and hands me a brochure talking about the penalties for overstayers. I try to explain and he pushes fwd the buddha and says same same. I 'm worried about missing the flight so I say 'Good Idea" and buy, 500tb.
Yes I know , but if the imm officers of the world would only stamp the P/Pt in ORDER...!! Just made the flight so they really do work! 555

[landofsmiles]

You bought one!!!!!!!!

They'll all be at it now then. What's next?

"Do you want to buy some peanuts sir?"

Do you need a room?

"Do you want to meet my daughter?"

[dennisinkamala]

Photos?? Dont knock it, you save a BF

Originally Posted by landofsmiles

"Do you want to meet my daughter?"

[Mai Chob]

Originally Posted by landofsmiles

You bought one!!!!!!!!

They'll all be at it now then. What's next?

"Do you want to buy some peanuts sir?"

Do you need a room?

"Do you want to meet my daughter?"

Yes los...its made a lovely reminder for me to be on time...
What about this one..
I need to extend a 30 dayer and my GFE ( Laos) needs to renew, so we make a lovely 3 day tour, stopping at Khoa Lak for a romantic interlude...
Get to Ranong and the FEMALE Imm officer (wearing gold) starts to question me closely on my marital status. Im long seperated but not yet divorced and some of the Q's are difficult to answer as the address on my passport is still the marital home and I dont want to sound a liar.
I think, "Gee the Thais are thorough here!"
Finally she says , " I am sinlge lady , kon diow ( alone ie lonely). you look for wife Thai ?, I look for huband Farang. you want we go eat?"
Not wanting to wreck things, i chose to marvel how a suai lady was all alone and sidetrack ...
Laos lady is livid back at the car and says " That lady no good, want take my man. But I Laos, what can I say?"
A very different immigration system and alone myself I woulda ate with her and tried to pot a 'special' visa...555

[Hobbsy]

one immigration guy wouldnt let my ex-GF in unless she gave him her phone number.

[The Loop]

Originally Posted by landofsmiles

They'll all be at it now then. What's next?

"Do you want to buy some peanuts sir?"

Do you need a room?

"Do you want to meet my daughter?"

Masssarge!!

[sishow]

Originally Posted by Hobbsy

one immigration guy wouldnt let my ex-GF in unless she gave him her phone number.

Thats better than asking for yours I suppose!

[jingjai1]

And all I got on my departure last time was an offer to re-stamp me in with a new 90 days without needing to fly. Of course that comes at a time when I needed to make the trip anyway.

[landofsmiles]

I nearly did buy one because when he started asking if I wanted to buy one I was thinking maybe he's seen something in my passport he didn't like...like the tippexed out stamp Patong Immigration did last year that gave me real problems before...and to avoid any hassle maybe I should buy one to please him and he'd let me on my way. But he wasn't very pushy that it would be in my interest to buy one so maybe he is really trying to help the wat in Phnang Nga...cough.

[Saffa]

hey all... some funny stories on here...hahaha.. but where would you rather be .. stuck in a office.. or some similar boring environment... isnt it these weird and ...ok not always wonderful stories.. that makes life a hell of a lot more interesting.... even i have had my fair share of run in with the officials here... but find a smile and pleasant demeanor usually go along way... i know it doesnt always work... even i have run out of patience sometimes.. but still always good stories to tell about our adventures when we all sit around having drinks or socializing.....

[richone]

You should have offered to sell him one of yours!!

[Nicke]

One of my friends is staying here on a double entry tourist visa, strange enought when he left last time for his visa run, one immigration officer asked him if he had a work permit. He said no, and they asked him to step aside. He was worried, why did they say that. He said he didnt work and he was just a tourist, after explaining many times he was just a tourist on tourist visa, they let him go.

It is still strange, I never heard of anyone having this problem with a tourist visa before when LEAVING Thailand.

[Simbo]

Problem is they can't grasp the fact that some of us are able to retire before 50 and make the assumption that we are working a fiddle. Just glad I got the O visa now- lets see how long before they change the rules on that one!

[fireysteve]

Is this all true, corruption in a Asian country? Who would have thunk it.