Meth: a Ticking Timebomb Gone Viral

When in Rome

As far as being a Farang is concerned, Thailand has its ups and downs. There is a definite bias that leans towards the Thai people. I've mentioned before the unfair situation when it comes to wearing motorcycle helmets. An example is if I'm a pillion on Nada's bike, and neither of us is wearing a helmet and the police pull us over, I'm the only one who will get fined.

Yesterday, I had to report my new address to immigration. When my number was called, I approached the female officer and greeted her with a bow (Wai). She didn't look up from her screen and completely ignored me, so I sat down and waited for her to acknowledge my presence. Eventually, she indicated for me to give her my paperwork, and as she looked over the pages, I could tell her demeanour wasn't great.

Dot the i's and cross the t's and hope for the best when dealing with officialdom in Thailand...or, do what most foreigners do and pay an agency to handle it for you. Yes, it costs a lot more to go down that path, but the process is so much easier and you are guaranteed to get what you came for.

Admittedly, my application wasn't straightforward. The fellow I signed the lease with doesn't technically own the property. The deeds for both his and the house I am renting are in his dead wife's name. Because of this, the immigration officer point-blank refused to accept my change of address.

I was finding it hard to understand what she was saying (hence her reluctance to deal with me in the first place), so I called Nada over, and from that moment on, everything changed for the better. I sat quietly listening to the two Thais talking (without understanding what was being said). I cannot express how relieved I was when I sensed the cold I had felt just a few minutes earlier beginning to thaw.

Long story short, Nada arranged for my landlord and me to have a follow-up meeting with the same officer today. My landlord was told to bring 20000 baht (or US$600...which was discretely passed over the counter inside a plain white envelope) to ensure a smooth process. All it took was a little money to help grease the machine that is Thai bureaucracy. What appeared to be an impasse the day before, became an easy fix today. Call it what you will, but unless you are willing to get with the program, Thai style, then getting through these barriers will invariably be a much harder undertaking.

I must admit that I was worried for a while there. I've invested quite a bit of money in this house, and the possibility of having to walk away was making me feel anxious. However, not having a legitimate address to report to Thai immigration (the only solution I thought of was to get a hotel room until something was sorted) made me feel even worse.

And now, thanks mainly to Nada and my landlord's willingness to work with the immigration officer, I have my passport stamped so I don't have to report again for another ninety days, and the issue of legally renting the house has also been solved. We had blinds fitted to the windows and doors in the house this morning, so we no longer feel exposed to the world. All in all, it's been a good day in paradise.