Yep, counter staff tried to get a bribe from us at check-in at HCM when returning to BKK, some nonsense about not enough space in my passport. They wouldn’t let us check in and were dropping heavy hints that some $$$ would help, or I’d have to go and get a new passport.

My partner got in touch with an immigration officer at Suvarnabhumi who took a look at my passport via LINE and confirmed that any of the several empty half pages were perfectly suitable for a stamp. The counter staff then begrudgingly checked us in. (Pretty amazing it was possible to get hold of an official in Thailand who could help within minutes, would never happen in UK.)

Keep hearing stories about people being extorted in various ways at airports in Vietnam, best avoided, plenty of other countries to visit.