Smile School for airport Immigration Officers

by **arjay** » January 23, 2007, 10:50 am

A quote from the Bangkok Post:

Airport immigration scowlers sent to Smile School

The first thing you see when you arrive in Thailand is a frowning, unhelpful, airport immigration officer. Their new boss says he'll change that.

Immigration officers at Suvarnabhumi airport are being sent to etiquette boot camp to learn how to greet and thank visitors, after travellers frowned on their lack of courtesy.

Pol Maj-Gen Chaktip Chaichinda, commander of the airport immigration office, said the "wai and smile" training followed complaints from tourists.

About 30 per cent of travellers surveyed complained that immigration staff at the airport were not only unsmiling but downright unfriendly.

They were also unhappy with the slow queues at immigration.

Pol Maj-Gen Chaktip said the office had joined with Rajabhat Suan Dusit University to offer 1,200 immigration police officers a training course in personality development to improve the service.

The Sawasdee Project provides instruction on appropriate greetings, such as a wai and saying thank you, to polish their tarnished image.

However, Pol Maj-Gen Chaktip said immigration formalities still need to be strict to prevent people using fake papers.

The Sawasdee Project will be extended to staff at other major airports nationwide, he said

Special extended "residential courses" for Nong Khai officers??!!

.

by **cookie** » January 23, 2007, 1:41 pm

Thank God

by **fatbas***d** » January 27, 2007, 10:16 am

I believe the sour faced bundle of lard under a khun Nai big hair do was quite the rudest official I have encounted, during my departure from Thailand last year. I went to the "Thai" desk on departure, where this sour puss told me "can't you read Thai only!"
She spat out "Foreigners over there" I replied my two girls (with me) are Thai, so she stuck out her fat hand and I handed all three passports, she said with a pig snort, "are these your daughters?"
Fairly obvious even to a thick thai official I would have thought, as all surnames are the same. She then processed the two for my daughters and handed me back mine. I said you are joking right? you want me to leave my 4 & 2 year olds by them selves and make me stand in line again. So as ungraciously as she could manage out came the fat hand again as she said, gimme. What a cow !

Just because her old man stayed over at his Mia noi's place last night, she was determined to make everybody she came across as miserable as she was.

by **valentine** » January 27, 2007, 10:46 am

fatbas***d wrote:I believe the sour faced bundle of lard under a khun Nai big hair do was quite the rudest official I have encounted, during my departure from Thailand last year. I went to the "Thai" desk on departure, where this sour puss told me "can't you read Thai only!"
She spat out "Foreigners over there" I replied my two girls (with me) are Thai, so she stuck out her fat hand and I handed all three passports, she said with a pig snort, "are these your daughters?"
Fairly obvious even to a thick thai official I would have thought, as all surnames are the same. She then processed the two for my daughters and handed me back mine. I said you are joking right? you want me to leave my 4 & 2 year olds by them selves and make me stand in line again. So as ungraciously as she could manage out came the fat hand again as she said, gimme. What a cow !

Just because her old man stayed over at his Mia noi's place last night, she was determined to make everybody she came across as miserable as she was.

I think rudeness must be a qualification for an immigration job. I have experienced it all around the world, but then again , I have met some very helpful one as well. :lol:

by **BKKSTAN** » January 27, 2007, 11:23 am

I hate it when gov't officials are arrogant and rude :!:

I don't pretend to understand why individuals act the way they do,but I know that if I was a Thai immigration official and a Thai citizen,I might have a hard time maintaining a smiling receptive welcoming attitude at all times.

I have seen so many Westerners(including myself) that don't remember that they are in Asia,that the culture is different,that loud impatient demanding expectations are considered rude and become tiresome to an agent dealing with multiple non-Thai attitude displays!

by **Paul** » January 27, 2007, 3:20 pm

Why then , when one displays the upmost courtesy and good manners towards them - do some of them still speak to you like something off the bottom of their shoe?

Roll on charm school

by **BKKSTAN** » January 27, 2007, 3:36 pm

Good question,especially if you have never done that!Frankly,I have met few people in the world that have not acted in a negative manner towards someone that at the time seemed undeserving of their attitude!
It is the classic,held resentments that spill out at inappropiate times!
It might just be a developed predjiduce of Westerners or people who are more affluent than the officer.Hard to tell really!
Could simply be the fact that they feel rushed and resent having to work at a more than leisurely pace(mai sanuk)!Maybe they feel powerless in all other forms of their life and overcompensate on the job!
I know it would not be my choice of occupations,I have seen some obnoxious acting Westerners(Thai Standards) dealing with immigration because of communication problems and different cultural standards! :roll:

by **beer monkey** » January 27, 2007, 5:47 pm

fat/b wrote:I believe the sour faced bundle of lard under a khun Nai big hair do was quite the rudest official I have encounted

fat/b wrote:so she stuck out her fat hand and I handed all three passports, she said with a pig snort, "are these your daughters?"

fat/b wrote:So as ungraciously as she could manage out came the fat hand again as she said, gimme. What a cow !

just to think that will be or is someones mother-in law. :shock:

by **papaguido** » January 28, 2007, 4:54 am

Just arrived, I guess the officers working tonight haven't gone through "smile school". On the other hand, the customs gal was all smiles and very friendly...a real
cutie too.

by **Miruku** » January 28, 2007, 9:19 am

When leaving Bangkok recently, a nasty older male emigration official rudely demanded my departure card. When I gently pointed out that it was in my passport he was holding open at the page, he loudly demanded to know who had stapled the card into my passport (he must have known it was stapled in the passport by the immigration official who stamped my passport when I arrived in his LOS). I think he is too sour for any charm school make-over.

by **Dakoda** » January 28, 2007, 9:43 am

I find thai immigration people mostly indifferent, treat you like you are not standing there, and some just plain friendly.

While on the other hand, american immigration people are just plain nasty :!:

Talk about someone that needs smile school :!:

Maybe, they just need an enema :shock:

by **Garnet** » January 28, 2007, 10:57 am

After flying from Canada to Thailand and using my first U.S. connecting flight in early 2003, followed by my second connecting U.S. flight in early 2004, I vowed that I would never again fly to -- and back from -- Thailand via a carrier that made a U.S. stop over.

Yes, it makes an economical Western EVA flight entirely out of the question now; but the flights that are still possible are Asian, and the plethora of Asian female flight attendants make it a very choice option!

by **beer monkey** » January 28, 2007, 8:24 pm

The Sawasdee Project provides instruction on appropriate greetings, such as a wai and saying thank you, to polish their tarnished image.

wow.. how many "wai's" is that in one day on duty at the int airport. ?

Smile School for airport Immigration Officers

Smile School for airport Immigration Officers

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