 |
ความคิดเห็นที่ 294 |
OK back to the story. Eventually a female officer took pity on me and asked why I was there. I held up my queue ticket number and pointed at officer 1.
She said "Oh I can deal with that" and she gestured for me to take a seat in front of her. She performed a few stamping duties and then told me I had to go and see officer 2 sitting behind her.
This is it I thought - the final stage. At last! Just a quick friendly chat with officer 2 and I would be on my way.
Officer 2 looked at my passport.
"Where is your 90-day reporting receipt?" he said.
"I don't have one" I said "I never thought about it. I came in to see officer 1 on the 24th July with my wife to apply for the one-year extension. I totally forgot that the 24th July was my 90th day in the country
"So you didn't do your 90-day reporting" said officer 2
"No I didn't" I said
"So you will have to pay a fine of 2,000 baht said officer 2
I'm not asking for your sympathy here. I failed to do the 90-day reporting correctly and I guess I had to be punished, but can I make two points?
1) I think most people would have done what I did in the heat of the moment. I was sitting in front of officer 1 applying for :-)-year extension. I think many people would have forgotten the 90-day reporting rule in such instances. I automatically assumed that officer 1 would advise me on the situation and whether being put under consideration for one month would constitute the 90-day reporting
2) On that day the 24th July - what was stopping officer 1 giving me a friendly reminder that today was the 90th day and I needed to fill in a 90-day report form or I would face a fine? Now that is what you call service mind
Instead he watched me and my wife get up and walk out of that office knowing full well that I was now breaking the law. And he said nothing. That's what makes me angry about this.
Back in front of officer 2, I had now filled in the 90-day report form and I held 2,000 baht in my hand to pay the fine.
"Would you like a receipt?" asked officer 2
I said yes, I would like a receipt for the 2,000 baht fine
Officer 2 then reached for a receipt book, filled out a receipt. And then put a big stamp in my passport. The stamp took up half a page.
"May I ask what the stamp is for?" I said.
"It's a stamp to show that you have paid the fine and requested a receipt"
"So let me just get this straight I said If I had not wanted a receipt, there would be no stamp or black mark in my passport. And that's what this stamp is - it's a black mark. It says that I have broken the law"
Officer 2 nodded to suggest that that is how the system worked.
Think about this for a moment. If you request a receipt, you have a black mark put in your passport. If you don't want a receipt then nothing is stamped in your passport at all.
I cant see one bit of logic in that system. It just doesnt make sense.
I could see that officer 2 had already stamped my one-year extension in the passport. I was almost at the journey's end. But I decided to say a few final words.
I simply said "I think the fine is harsh. This was a genuine mistake. Do you understand what I mean by 'genuine mistake'. I have lived in Thailand for 20 years and I have never forgotten to do a 90-day report until now. Not only that, but I now have a black mark in my passport. It says here is a man who broke the law. Here is a man who doesn't care about the rules. And that simply isn't true. All I asked for was a receipt - and the black mark is my 'punishment'. I think that's very unfair"
Officer 2 smiled but I dont think he really cared.
And I walked out with :-)-year visa.
Have I learned any lessons from all this - apart from 'never ever marry a Thai person? LOL
Well, the main lesson I've learned is that it just doesn't pay to follow the official line. You can get all your documents in order and you can prepare yourself well. It doesnt matter. To the immigration office you are just a distraction. You're a fly in the ointment.
Far better to pay a Thai lawyer or visa agent and get it done with far less pain.
| จากคุณ |
:
คนดีผีคุ้ม  
|
| เขียนเมื่อ |
:
3 ก.ย. 53 19:03:25
|
|
|
|
|
คุณสารวัติกบ ซะจริงเชียว ทำให้ความเครียดที่มีกะพี่ตุ้ม เอ้ย ตม. ในกระทู้นี้หายลงไปเย้อออออ
... เข้ามาดู
จขกท. และ สว.กบ ด้วยคนค่า....