I find the small print at the end of the article the best part!
This totally defines so much of what I write and how I write it in my blog. Like you, I've got eyes to see, and ears to hear. After traveling for so many years you see the good, the bad, and ugly of so many things. Including how a country treats it's visitors.
For the first time in visiting Thailand in 15 years, last year I was partially harassed by an immigration officer upon leaving. I couldn't believe it!
It's so unfair to the Thai People who rely on foreign dollars to survive. In so many places all over the country all you see are travelers spending money. 20% of their GDP is that! Now they are shooting themselves in the foot.
On the other hand, I hope this is just a business cycle where we are on the crappy end of it right now, and things change for the better. I would love to suddenly be allowed 3 month entry visa free like so many other countries around the world, and maybe that will be a result in a down turn in tourism....would you agree?
But yes, that is really crappy how they have abused the Chinese Tourist to the point of souring them to visit all together.
Almost remind me in my time in Bali last year, I felt like nothing but a walking dollar bill there. I got shaken down by the police, and immigration twice! To stay another month is a huge expensive hassle that so so many foreigners do.
I recall you are planning on leaving, closer to a decision yet?
Anyway, hope you are well. I'm leaving Lima Peru this Sunday. Stopping in Florida to see family then to Bangkok for Steemfest! Regardless of the topic, I still love Thailand in a big way and can't wait to be back!
yeah, i am pretty much all set on leaving here in Jan or Feb of next year. Not sure exactly where yet, I should probably get cracking on figuring that out.
Multiple times since i have lived here the country has offered free visas for extended periods of time.... we called them "ooopsie!" visas because they were basically offering them as an apology for prolonged periods of being dicks. Then they almost immediately revert to being dicks. I don't understand what is going on there with the mentality of being as abusive of their power as possible.
Immigration can have rules, that is fine, but there is no reason to be such jerks about it. I know multiple long-term residents who still qualify for visas over here but got fed up with being treated like a child and / or criminal every time they go to get / renew a visa.
Keep it professional and have easy to understand, concrete rules and then enforce them, equally. It really isn't that difficult but there seems to be this animosity in most immigration workers as well - almost like they despise foreigners... good thing you don't have to interact with them all day long as part of your chosen profession!
I meet people that fall into the category of your Koh Phangan friend on a regular basis. People with substantial amounts of money and as you might expect, these powerful people don't take very kindly to being treated like children by government officials. Many of them have already moved over to the Elite VIsa, which as you may have heard is basically a "pay to play" system.
I think that this was the government's intention all along: To frustrate the rich folks into paying a fee to be left alone.