Big Joke going after his own incompetent men: Chiang Mai immigration under fire

The new chief of immigration has responded to claims that Chiang Mai immigration is a mess.

Maj-Gen Surachate Hakparn was preparing to temporarily transfer the local immigration chief in the northern Thai city after online complaints, reported Thai media.

Many people on Thaivisa have said that the Maj-Gen, who took over the top job at immigration just over two weeks ago, should investigate what has been going on at the Chiang Mai office.

Now they have a response from the new chief and his new broom of progress.

People complained of having to arrive early in the morning and wait all day to be seen.

Thai media said on Facebook that complaints came form the foreigners including Chinese.

Some people were even left waiting overnight from “9pm to 3am”.

Surachate intimated that the suspension may be just for two or three weeks and is not necessarily connected to any wrong doing.

It may be just a case of training being needed to improve bad service.

He has been trying to improve services since his appointment and there have been transfers in the south too connected with delays experienced by tourists.

Surachate – known as Big Joke in the media – also warned tourists about not making false claims for insurance in Thailand.

He showed evidence that one young tourist – described as “just a student” – had bragged online about getting 20,000 baht holiday money by making a false claim to Lumpini police. The tourist said they had lost a camera in a taxi.

He produced evidence that showed the tourist had left a restaurant and not even got into a taxi with their friends.

Big Joke stressed that most tourists were fine people and that he was only targeting the bad apples.

Thai Visa /  Komchadluek

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