** snap **
You don't suppose that particular officer was tendering your money to the government coffers, do you?
Do you really think I thought the money was going to the government? Or where do you see me being ripped off? I was talking about me, myself getting ripped off, by locals, the people. I still don't see how I got ripped off in here, as I paid 5k THB where it would have been 20k or more.
Even worse. That you can't see it is rather confusing. Some person was using the fact that he/she was employed by the local government as a tool with which to steal money from you. And you were oh so happy to have him/her do so.
How on earth can you interpret this as 'not getting ripped off'?