Visas and the Hated American

I wanted to go to Laos really badly. Prior to coming here, I knew nothing of it, nor has many other Americans for that matter. Laos? Do you pronounce the 's' or is it silent? It seemed like nothing worth looking at in the South-east Asian area. But I learned of how great it was very quickly. It is described as a country very hip in culture and deep rooted, and better yet, much less developed than Thailand (if you can imagine). Anyways, it was raved about enough for me to want to go. Typically, travellers go into the north of Thailand and visit the northern hotspots, then go from Chiang Mai into Laos, spend some time up there, dip south-west into Cambodia for a bit, then circle back around into the lower islands and beaches of Thailand.

Sounds like a great plan, right? Well I am an American, and I am the one held responsible for all the world's problems, as if me and George W. shared a bunk bed in the White House. Flashing my passport earns me nothing but snarles. We make our visa situation very difficult for foreigners, so they proudly return the favor. Here's the deal on the visa situation...

Upon arrival via plane you get a free 30 day, single entry visa. You would get the same 30 day, single entry stamp if you arrived by boat, train, or bus as well. But two weeks before I got to Thailand the rule changed, and if you arrived by land or sea you would only get a 15 day visa. Previously, people would travel on their 30 day visa, and if they wished to stay longer, would do what is called a 'visa run' the day before expiration. A visa run is a completely legal and acknowledged method of renewing visas, in which one goes to an official border crossing, (a handful are scattered throughout the country) cross into Burma, Cambodia, or Malaysia (not Laos because you must cross via river and the process takes too long), get an official stamp that you've left Thailand, then turn right around and re-enter Thailand, earning a fresh 30 day visa.

But Thailand did away with the over-land 30 day visa and now only grants 15 day stamps, and because there's only a handful of border crossings around a large country, it makes it difficult to plan your every move around being close to an official border every two weeks. Thailand's motivation for this new policy was to encourage more revenue via air traffic, but this was foolish becuase they alienated the demographic that brings in the largest influx of revenue: the backpacker. How does this all relate to me and being a hated American?

Citizens of other countries that apply to Thailand for a 60 day, single entry visa, get them for free. I am an American, so I pay $35 for mine. Not a big deal. Keep in mind, with these visas I am not permitted to enter and leave and enter and leave. I am only allowed one entry. So if I went up north, like I did, for the 34 days that I did, then went into Laos... upon my return to Thailand I would have ended up eating the rest of the days that I paid for and have been left with 15 days. Furthermore, entering the southern parts of Thailand, there are only two sanctioned border crossings to do border runs, and 15 days from one to the other is way too slim a margin. And there is way too large a fine if you are late on your visa. If they kept their 30 day gig this wouldn't be an issue, beacause it leaves plenty of time to do what you want to do, then take your two, maybe three days if you're in dead center of the country to get to a border. I knew I wanted to see alot of Thailand, and I wasn't interested in jumping the border every two weeks, it's a bigger hassle than it seems. I'll dot on the map the official border crossings so that you, too, can see. So I went to the immigration office and extended my visa for a third month, paid $55, and saved a bunch of headaches and sweaty bus rides, which would have added up to the same amount anyway.

So, yeah, after all that mumbo jumbo, that is why I wasn't able to go to Laos. I guess I can after I'm done with the south, but I'm 1,200 miles away and I would like to get to Australia by the end of April. But it's no sweat, it'll still be there.