Two Days of Thai Bureaucracy 

Okay, let me catch you up on a crazy two days. 

On Wednesday morning we got up at 6:00 am, showered and had our free breakfast and got to the American Embassy at 7:00 am for our 7:30 appointment. Very interesting getting through security. We had an appointment and there is a separate check in for U.S. Citizens so we got in with relative ease. Thais were cued up probably 50 deep when we got there and longer when we left at 8:15 am. After passing through screening (much like at the airport) we went into a room and waited for the check in window to open. Then we were directed to another window to pay our $50 to get our documents notarized and 15 minutes later we were on our way across the street to the Thai company we contracted with to get Pha Sai a Visa. After they translated the documents they had a woman escort us via taxi to a large government building at least twenty miles away. We got almost there when traffic came to a complete halt for about 20 minutes. When it finally started moving again we realized the hold up was a large Red Shirt protest at one of the Government facilities. They estimate somewhere around 50,000 and 100,000 protesters. They had formed a large procession of vehicles and were headed to another spot to continue their protest. It was very peaceful and almost a party atmosphere from what I could see. There are two major political parties here and rather than an donkey and an elephant they are red shirts and yellow shirts. The red shirts won the last election and they want some changes in the structure of the government. I will go into detail on Thai politics for those interested at a future time.

Well, we turned in our paperwork which is to update our family status so we are legally married in Thailand and to Change Phai's last name. She will use her former last name as her middle name so she will be Phraiyiam Ammarin Smith. We had to get checked in at one window and get a number. After about 30 minutes our number was called and a supervisor, who simply looked at the papers for about 30 seconds, stamped them. Then we waited another hour to be called to a window to pay the processing fee and were told they should be ready to pick up about 2:30 pm. At 2:30 not ready. At 3:30 they got mad because we checked again and told us to stop bothering them, they would call us over the P.A. when they are ready. At 4:30 they announce some computer problems were delaying things (since there were probably 80 people in the waiting area with us it was a loud collective groan). Finally at 5:30 they called us and we picked them up. All that to get them stamped for them to key them into the computer. Because it was so late we couldn't go to the next government facility we needed to take them to so Phai got up early this morning and went. By the way, the woman who took us out there stayed the entire time getting some other papers processed for the company and took us back to our hotel in a taxi. Luckily they had a cafeteria and we were able to eat some lunch and even laid down and took a nap on some chairs in another waiting area. We went out on the street last night and bought fried chicken and sticky rice from a street vendor and ate in our room. 

Phai got back from her paperwork run this morning about 11:30 just in time for us to move to a bigger room at noon. It is really nice and we have a balcony overlooking the street and a entire wall of window with a "view" of the city. See photos below. We back to the company after I called them because we were confused on the next steps and then to the largest park in Bangkok. It is really nice and on the weekends is a major attraction for the Thais but during the week it was almost empty. It is kind of like Central Park in New York in terms of being in the middle of the city. More photo ops. Turns out there is one more run we need to make that we felt it was too late to do today so we have basically lost most of our time we had planned on doing tourist things like the floating market and visiting temples. If you do not do those early in the morning it is too hot, too crowded and no good for photos with the bright sun overhead. Oh well, I have done all those things but had looked forward to sharing them with Phai and Fa Sai. By the way, she is an amazing 13 year old and has been so patient through all this with no complaining. When we shop she will see something she likes but if she feels the price is too high she will not let us buy it. I think she gets that from Phai. 

If all goes well, You will get to meet her. We have a lot of barriers to cross first before she can get on the plane with us but it could happen. 

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Lumphini Park Bangkok Thailand

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Just one of the interesting buildings in the park.

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A nice view of Bangkok Skyline from the park.

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A Chinese type building in the park.

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One of May Monitor Lizards roaming the park.

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View From our Balcony

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View from our balcony

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Looking down from our 5th floor balcony.


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