Went to Immigration in Korat yesterday for my annual Extension of Stay and a Re-entry Permit. First time I'd actually had to visit the office in a couple of years. They have a new office with a tiny cramped waiting area and a big table where interns (?) check your papers before you proceed to the actual interview. We had prepared everything, we thought, before arriving, but there was one new paper that I had to fill out. I did it by hand, but the intern rejected my handwriting and did it all over again. (He also seemed to not like the fact that I wrote Mueang instead of Muang. Oh, well.)
The interview went quickly. But, there was something new. The officer typed all the info from the TM7 and TM8 into his computer, took 2 photos using the USB camera on his desk, printed out the forms and had me sign them again. So, the rather thick stack of papers on his desk now included two signed copies of both the TM7 and TM8. I can see the value of entering the data into their computer system, but printing out again when there was already a signed copy in the file? Well, this is Thailand, isn't it.
(I should note that the photo he took was not at all flattering. I was wearing a very nice pink seersucker shirt which looked awful in monochrome. And, the aspect ratio of the printout did not match that of the camera causing my face to be stretched vertically and squished horizontally and rendered almost unrecognizable.)
There is, perhaps, one glimmer of hope. If the forms are online, is it possible that there is something in the works allowing us foreigners to fill them out at home and only print them when we arrive at the office? OK. I apologize for the unwarranted optimism. It would be nice, though, if Immigration could aspire to the information technology heights already reached by agencies like Revenue and PEA. Not in my lifetime, I guess.
The interview went quickly. But, there was something new. The officer typed all the info from the TM7 and TM8 into his computer, took 2 photos using the USB camera on his desk, printed out the forms and had me sign them again. So, the rather thick stack of papers on his desk now included two signed copies of both the TM7 and TM8. I can see the value of entering the data into their computer system, but printing out again when there was already a signed copy in the file? Well, this is Thailand, isn't it.
(I should note that the photo he took was not at all flattering. I was wearing a very nice pink seersucker shirt which looked awful in monochrome. And, the aspect ratio of the printout did not match that of the camera causing my face to be stretched vertically and squished horizontally and rendered almost unrecognizable.)
There is, perhaps, one glimmer of hope. If the forms are online, is it possible that there is something in the works allowing us foreigners to fill them out at home and only print them when we arrive at the office? OK. I apologize for the unwarranted optimism. It would be nice, though, if Immigration could aspire to the information technology heights already reached by agencies like Revenue and PEA. Not in my lifetime, I guess.
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