‘The Thailand Bureaucratic Megaplex’ – Amidst every government office in a massive, pristinely white interior, that is me standing in the center of the floor.
It was a regular day of going into work when I was told I wold be spending the morning in immigration. Since the Thailand school I was working for already had my passport in their possession, I had no need for any additional preparation. So, after giving a list of the classes I needed and their subject material to the head of the foreign teachers, I was in a minibus with 2 Chinese teachers and a Filipino office worker.
Approaching the Megaplex.
There is an immigration office less than 2 kilometers from our school. However, because of the gradual withdrawal of the worst flooding Thailand had seen in 50 years, the river-crossed flatlands surrounding Bangkok were still in a state of partial devastation. This included the office. We were headed to the central Bangkok Immigration office instead.
As big and sprawling a city as Bangkok is, their immigration office is located in a relatively obscure and unfrequented area, at least by newcomers. Despite the short distance, traffic necessitated over an hour-long drive. I fell asleep on the way.
Waking up when we neared the building, I was amazed at what appeared to be some space-aged bureaucratic megaplex Inside is an immensely voluminous area, which all the departments surround. The idea of how much it would take to air-condition this place was mind-baffling. One or two employees slowly were going around, cleaning the floor. I think it’s one of those situations like the Golden Gate or Mackinac Bridges, as soon as the finish cleaning, it’s time to start all over again.
IT’S SO BIG HEY??