Another first in Thailand,

Today, I went to Immigration for my regular 90 day reporting. I discovered to my surprise that I had miscalculated the days and that I had overstayed. So I was fined. I know that I last came into Thailand in April but I figured that by renewing my visa in July that served as reporting to Immigration but I was told not so as they are two separate requirements. Just report every 90 days that you are in the country, no matter what.

I am sure this had worked for me before but maybe they have changed the rules and so I just have to leave the country every 90 days or report to Immigration. My take is that this reporting is all about control. This was confirmed for me when the Immigration Officer counselled me today and spoke with these words - "You have stayed too long in my country".

I am thinking that I am here to do good work in her country but that does not seem to matter. All I could do was to smile, apologise and pay the fine. What else can you do in the face of a bureaucrat and a bureaucracy? Or that is my take.

Then I had another first. On the bus back from Immigration, the bus stops at a bus stop. A passenger is about to get off but the bus starts up and the passenger yells out at the driver. Whatever the passenger said, the driver yelled back, got off the bus and got stuck into the passenger, just throwing punches into the passenger's face. Everyone gets off the bus. I am the only foreigner and just watch in shock. I have never seen this anywhere in my life. A bus driver getting stuck into a passenger and when he is finished, just jumping back onto the bus and speeding off with just himself and the conductor on board.

What is all this about? Are we losing the plot here? It does make you wonder about what really does go on here in gentle Thailand. That is the image but what is the reality? It is not all about gentleness and loveliness, that is for sure.