Stranded in Thailand without a new Passport

Let me explain my situation;

I have lived in Thailand for 10 years. On the 18th September 2017 I returned home to South Africa to renew my passport as it is full, although it is still valid for 5 more years. The reason I went home was that when I app**** for my existing now full passport in Bangkok it took 5 months to arrive. My full name is Damian Paul Johnston and my Passport number is M ********** 5, my ID number is ********** 254083.

I arrived back in SA on the 18th and went directly to the home affairs department on the 19th to apply for a expedited maxi passport as I needed to return for knee surgery and to have my Thai work permit renewed. I was told I would have it probably within 5 to 7 days. The application was captured electronically with the new system.

When i went back the following week I was told it was not ready yet and i should come back on the Friday (The day I was flying back to Thailand). En route to the home affairs office in Randburg I received a text saying that i needed to go to the office. I called the call center and they informed me that my finger prints did not match.

The supervisor, Ida, who has been extremely helpful throughout this nightmare then took manual fingerprints on a special green form and sent them via the internal mail system to head office. She issued me a one time emergency travel document good for one entry into Thailand and valid for a month.

Since then I have made a call to the call center almost every second or third day. It is now two months later and guess what they have still not received my fingerprints. In that time Ida the Randburg supervisor has sent another two copies albeit they are photo copies to the Head Office and at this point not one of the three sets has been received. In 4 days I will be an ******* alien in a foreign country that I live and work in.

I cannot spend another R30. 000.00 to come home and do this all again. I will not be able to due to work commitments. My only point of contact is Ida in Randburg and her hands seem as tied as mine. The embassy in Bangkok telephone number no longer works so cannot ask them for help and have emailed them a number of times requesting help with no reply. . All we can do is communicate with the call center who refuse to help and refuse to give me a telephone number or contact higher up this circus' s ladder. I am at a loss as to what to do.

Since this time I have put my story all over the Home Affairs Facebook page and have submitted my story on their web site. I have emailed countless people and have just been passed on to someone else via email and have until now received no response from anyone. I did get an offer from a Helen Ditaba apparently from Home Affairs via Facebook who offered to help me if I sent her "cold drink" money to the tune of R3. 500.00 which I obviously did not do. Where to from here God Alone knows.

Please someone at home affairs please help me. I am sending this on to as many South Africans as I know looking for anyone that can offer a contact or some help to get this issue resolved. I do hope Hello Peter can help me and I look forward to your reply with eager anticipation. Thanks and Kind Regards Damian Johnston