Why Do Thais Make Everything So Complicated?

[Ratsima]

I went to Bangkok Hospital in Korat today to get my annual influenza vaccination. They had a "Father's Day" special so I prepaid for a "coupon" online for which I had an electronic receipt. In the end, this caused no end of confusion.

During my visit I had to see the following people:

• The receptionist on the fist floor
• The registration clerk
• The receptionist on the fourth floor
• The woman who told me to sit in a different part of the room
• The vital signs nurse who looked for me where I was originally sitting. I had to get up and fetch her so she could take my height, weight and blood pressure.
• The nurse who took me to the doctor
• The doctor who listened to my heart and erroneously told me that the influenza vaccine involved two doses two weeks apart. I set him straight to which he readily agreed.
• The nurse who gave me the flu shot
• The cashier

This took about an hour and a half.

(Note: I didn't actually encounter a cashier. I sat where I was told for quite some time, but my name was never called, so I just left and went to The Mall to check on the beer. I have no idea what's going to happen with the coupon I purchased or with the fact that I left without settling the bill.)

When I had my flu shot in California in 2017 at CVS pharmacy I had to see the following people:

• The cashier
• The nurse practitioner who gave me the flu shot

This took less than ten minutes.

Amazing Thailand

[handdrummer]

If something is simple and easy, Thais will make it difficult and complicated. Maybe they think that it's a sign of their intelligence. It is!

[HHTel]

The title is a phrase that is used almost daily. Not more so than my Thai family!

[buksida]

I reckon its all an elaborate scheme so that they can keep bods in jobs - even if those jobs are meaningless (how often do you hear "mai mee"/"mai dai").

Someone once described Thailand to me as an aging tanker afloat on an ocean of paper.

[Ratsima]

Immigration: Last week I had to go to Korat immigration to request a residence letter for my driver's license renewal. Another bureaucratic nightmare. My wife had called in advance to ask what we needed. It wasn't until we got there that they mentioned I needed photographs. So, off to the shop across the road to have a photo taken. Then it transpired that we needed not one copy of each document, but two. Back to the shop across the road. Then we were advised that there was no record of my wife having registered me as a resident of her home (we've done this many times) so off to a different station to do that. Then back to the shop across the road to have two copies of the registration receipt copied. Then we finally make the request for the residence certificate after which we are told it will take a week. Turns out this can be expedited in the normal Thai way.

Local Health Clinic: I went to the local health clinic yesterday to get the medical certificate that I need for my driver's license. Although I ended up having to wait quite some time, this place was a model of efficiency and good organization staffed by genuinely helpful people who clearly cared very much for their patients. One woman in particular, who seemed to be in charge, spent her time roaming the clinic making sure everyone was taken care of and that things went expeditiously and smoothly. As soon as I appeared she made sure that she and the staff knew exactly what I needed and that I, poor Thai speaker that I am, would be given appropriate assistance. My guess is that this woman is part of the reason this clinic is so well-run.

When I finally got to see the doctor it was clear that she understood that this health certificate was a useless and pro forma exercise. She had completed the form before she saw me and only asked if I was in good health and whether or not I spoke Thai. (She scolded me about not being able to speak Thai even though I've lived here sixteen years.) But, this was the right thing to do on both counts. Why waste her valuable time on an obviously healthy individual in no need of actual health care?

In any event, my time spent waiting there was a real pleasure as I very much enjoyed watching a well-run operation that clearly attempted to achieve its mission by keeping everything as simple and efficient as possible.

[buksida]

Here is a good example ... I'm sure this is done just to deter people from bothering, though no idea why a school would do it as we'll be paying them handsomely.

Background: We're planning to move our youngest to a better school for his M4-M6 years, the current school refuses to open (its been closed since October 2020 aside from the odd week or so) grades across the board have slumped, and teachers have quit.

The process for applying to a new school is so mind-numbingly complicated, you'd think you were working at CERN on particle physics.

1) Go to the target school website and complete forms
2) Upload ID and photo documents (3 attempts as website does not function properly)
3) Go to old school and get a release document (this one they do not want to give out as they know they're losing a customer)
4) Two separate physical trips to the school (45km away) to get this paper as "nobody could sign it" on the day we went
5) Back to target school website to upload release form and apply for entrance exam
6) Only one day window to do this so time is of the essence
7) Forms uploaded - now need to pay 100 baht for the "registration"
8 ) Cannot just send 100 baht - have to go to the blue govt bank, pay it in manually and upload paper receipt
9) Drive to town with 100 baht in hand
10) Govt bank closed due to covid, cannot do via ATM as we dont have an account there
11) Phone target school to explain this
12) "Mai Dai" was the answer when asked if we could send from another bank or payments app
13) Entrance exam registration window missed
14) Look for another school
15) Rinse and repeat the entire process

You really get the feeling that an office full of pedants dreams up these processes purposefully to make life difficult. The school just lost several hundred thousand baht over 100 baht - only in Thailand.

[Robinhood]

I know it's a popular theme on here to say how difficult Thais make things, but I have found things pretty easy here - dealing with immigration, hospitals, shops, bars and even ladies.

[Nereus]

As has been said many times: "Thailand was never occupied by foreigners".

And maybe that is the reason they are so stupid about so many simple things! A good arse kicking over a few years in the past just may have instilled some common sense in them!

Vietnam is a good example. Belted from pillar to post over the years, today they have morphed into a model of industry and production, despite the political party.

There are many other examples around the world.

[handdrummer]

Thais have to do things their way, even if it's an inferior way and doesn't accomplish what they want. It's all about "face." If you don't know something, you lose face, so if you don't know, you pretend to know and go ahead with your own methods. There are a lot of very spiritual people with highly developed egos running around like headless chickens making decisions about things they know very little about.

[bigston]

Worldwide..
and a lot of them are more than well lubricated with spirit.