Ten days before the due date ,my husband realizes he'd lost his passport.This alone is driving us crazy.We don't do this,we're just not that sort of people who lose a passport.
For three full days,the house and office are strip-searched..nothing!
I search my office too,what would his passport be doing in my office?Still I search,nothing!
I search my parents house,he seaches his parents house,Nothing!
So now,we put our confusion aside and decide it's time to apply for a new one.
He goes to apply and asks what needs to be done.
He stresses the fact that this is urgent,and what can he do to make the process go faster.
"Nothing",is the reply he gets;"inform the police station,put an ad in the paper,come next morning and get it ready."

Piece of cake,next mroning he goes,does all the procedures,which include looking through all the files that belong to his family,from the days of his grandfather,to check that he has not applied for a lost passport before,after 7 minutes of searhing through the files,he asks the employee,which year are you in now and he says 1968,my husband was born in 1971!Procedures also included paying an extra 5 jds to send a fax to the mokhabarat  for approval and make things faster ,"and thankyouvery much,come back in three weeks "is the answer he gets this time!
"What?No one mentioned I had to wait,what am I waiting for?"
"You have to wait for the Mokhabart approval,it will come in two to three weeks."
"But,you said,he said ,she said,and no one mentioned ,and ,....."
"Well,that's not our problem,if you know someone with a wasta in mokhabarat,maybe they send you the reply earlier."
"I can find someone",he says;someone must know someone who knows someone bimoon 3ala someone in the mokhabart.
Phone calls start."Is so and so still in his post?""No trammaj min sit tosh-hor...""what about so and so?""well he died din't you know."
Eventually,the missing link is found,and someone makes the connection and we are promised that the reply will be at the jawazat following morning .
Every day I call the Thai Consulate,and explain our situation.Every day they promise me it will only take half an hour to get the visa,on the same day we apply.
Following morning,with only 2 more days to go,the fax is at the jawazat !Thank God.

My husband is running around from one room to the other.At one point,he is redirected to go the filing section.Along long corridors and down dark halls he runs,only to discover that the filing section is the person sitting right next to whoever gave him instructions to go to files.In fact,the filing section is an armstretch away!
"Go the committee's office" he is told,they have to approve your file..And off he goes,but the head of the committe is discussing his iftar plans with his colleagues.

"Sorry,can't help you,we meet twice a week,once on tuesday and once on sunday.We already met for today so some back on sunday"

".But,wait,it's,no one,you see..."

"Can't you see I'm done talking to you? "headofcommitte exclaims?

Angry at the rude way he was addressed,and yet not wanting to make a fuss for fear things might get more complicated,my husband leaves,it was nearing 2 o'clock anyways ,and in Ramadan,it's bye-bye time for government employees.
I make a last attempt and pull one final string.I call him up and ask him to go to so and so who will really have the final say in this,but he's already in the office and no way can he make it before two.
"So next morning,at ten thirty,let him come to my offic"e,our last string says.
Next morning is the due date,where we're supposed to leave at midnight.
It's not going to happen,I say.The consulate has one employee,it seems.And tomorrow,she will have diarhea, and not show up,I bet.
While my husband was headed to the jawazat,I called the consulate to make sure it won't be a tough task with such a short time.
Diarhea or not,she did not show up!!!!
"But,you guys promised it won't be a problem,"I scream on the phone,but this is just the janitor who can only assure me that ,tough luck,you will need to take a rain check on your trip.After minutes of negotiations,the only glimpse of hope he gives me is that I can call after half an hour,maybe someone can help me.
Then I call and grovel for some assistance.
This nice guy who is probably the secretary or something promises to help.You just come over and I will do my best.
"Well we will",just as soon as we have the passport in our hands.There will always be the possibilty that our trip downtown to the consulate will be a complete let down,but we just have to try.
So ,ok,lets wait and see what happens with husband down at Jawazat,I'm thinking and waiting for his phone call.

He calls me around one,passport ready.The guy from yesterday signed! he is obviously THE committee..he can't hide his dismay that he did not have the final word.

I call the people in the consulate again.."make sure you're here before one thirty" they say,the lady came to the office but she's leaving at one thirty,you know it's Ramadan and she has to cook,"I'm informed!

Well,we made it,no one asked for names or photos,"give me passports and 15 Jds each..here's your stamp and on your way!!"

 

The trouble was worth it!You see,it's a long anticipated vacation,short,but that's just as good,can't be too late for the kids...and it seems we will make it afterall!!

 

Bangkok, Baby!Here we come!

 

Better start packing!