FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Amazing Thailand never ceases to astonish

Amazing Thailand never ceases to astonish

Not the merriest of Christmas messages arrived for me yesterday courtesy of the Thailand Post.

Would I come to the post office and pay Bt1,000 in tax on a pair of new sports shoes (price Bt2,500, including EU taxes and postage). I had ordered the footwear from Britain after the shoes on which I arrived quickly wore out on Thai sidewalks and replacements for my farang-size feet were unavailable.
The sports shoes were made in Thailand – making a home run, so to speak.
Why impose such huge taxes on essentials like clothing? And why should I pay taxes again on shoes that have already been taxed twice before? No taxation without representation!
I love Thais; they may very well be my favourite people. But do the Thais love me too? Or is it still “Thai rak Thai”, while foreigners like me are tolerated merely for their wallets?
Why do I so frequently have trouble understanding Thai ways?
I am a government-proclaimed Friend of Thailand for what the Thai authorities call my outstanding contributions to the Kingdom. A Cabinet minister was gracious enough to present me with the decoration in person, and I feel honoured when Thais call me their friend.
Alas, when I recently visited northern Thailand to stay at the house of a Thai friend, first filling out all the official forms with his full address, obtaining my visa at the Royal Thai Consulate and again at Bangkok’s international airport, I was greeted with a Bt1,800 fine for not reporting to the Immigration police within 24 hours of arrival.
When I shared my amazement about this rather “unfriendly gesture” via email with the same authorities that apparently see no contradiction in presenting a decoration with one hand and a fine with the other, I am summoned to the police station to explain my amazement and to receive a lecture on Thai regulations.
I have indeed still a lot to learn about the amazing Thai, certainly when it comes to relations and mutual respect. However, in my humble view (which I am always ready to change for the better), maintaining a friendship is like dancing the tango: it takes two!
Joe Argusoog

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