Phuket Poll: Should foreigners “pay’ for visa runs with blood?

PHUKET: Last month a contributor to the Phuket Gazette‘s online forum raised a very interesting suggestion concerning blood donations in lieu of visa runs.

Even the Acting Director of the Phuket Regional Blood Bank, Pornthip Rattajak, saw merit in the idea, especially considering that foreigners with Rhesus-negative blood groups are especially welcome to make donations, as those types are very rare among Thais.

Foreigners involved in accidents are the most frequent recipients of donated Rh-negative blood, and during the high season and Vegetarian Festival many tourists visit Phuket and accidents tend to occur more often, she said.

However, there are other ways foreigners living in Phuket might be of help to society.

Which one of the following options would you think acceptable for a foreigner to earn an official extension to their stay in Thailand?

1. A blood donation once every two months.

2. Volunteering for community projects for one morning a week.

3. Being available to undertake translation services for public and private-sector organizations.

4. Paying an official fee of 2,000 baht to the Immigration office.

5. None of the above as the current system works well and doesn’t need amending.

To have your say in our latest poll, click here.

If you have already voted and want to check the latest results, click here.

To view the results of the previous poll, asking whether record-breaking events such as the Go Eco Phuket’s ‘Dive Against Debris’ underwater cleanup actually achieve their intended goals, click here.

To expand your views on this issue, leave a comment in the readers’ forum below. The Phuket Gazette welcomes any input that meets our House Rules.