The Visa Run
Anybody who spends more than 30 days in Thailand is familiar with the “visa run”. This involves a trip to the nearest border – which is often not so near - to stamp out of Thailand, cross the border and return to the Kingdom to enjoy another 30 days. In southern Thailand the 30-day visa run is usually to the Burma or Malaysia border.
When 90 days in Thailand have expired the visa run becomes a major undertaking to a Thai Embassy or Consulate in a neighbouring nation. A common place to attain an embassy/consular visa is Penang, Malaysia. According to the official Thai immigration website express visas are processed on the same day. A service charge applies.
I stay in Ranong Province and the 30-day visa run is close by to the Burma border. I have done the consular visa run to Penang before and it has been quite easy and fast once you reach Penang Of course, getting there is the long part.
I knew this particular visa run would be interesting when my friend Pon, owner of Pon’s Place in Ranong, told me the train was full and I would have to go by bus. I boarded the 8pm bus to Had Yai to find myself seated beside a large and unyielding woman who occupied her seat and half my seat. I squeezed in and established a little space in about ¾ of the allotted area She seemed to care little about proper seating and had no problem sitting half on top of me, thigh on thigh.
As the bus departed we were treated to the typical Thai karaoke videos. Fortunately the volume was not the customary ear piercing level, a small bonus. After a few stops to collect the remaining passengers we headed south toward Phuket and then east through the mountains to Surat Thani. I managed to keep most of my ¾ space but was unable to get any sleep from the combination of discomfort and loud chit-chat and cackles from the driver and crew just in front of me.
I squirmed around so that my neighbour and I were now butt to butt, she facing the window, me the aisle and caught a few minutes of shuteye before the attendant decided to crank up the music. It took some time for him to realize he had turned it up for the whole bus and not just the front cab. He finally turned it down but not until most of the people on board were awake. The squirming game with my neighbour continued for the next 7 hours until we finally reached Had Yai.
In Had Yai the only open place at 3:30am was, not coincidentally, where they hawked minivans to Penang. The initial price of 450 Thai Baht (TB) was reduced to 350TB after lengthy discussion. My Thai is not strong, but good enough to negotiate. I sat for the next 5 hours waiting for the 8:30am departure desperate to catch a few moments of unsettled sleep before the next leg of the journey.
The minivans rarely leave on time and today was no exception It departed late and immediately stopped at head office to register the passports of each passenger. Around 9:30am the van finally left Had Yai and in spite of a delay at the border arrived in Penang on Tuesday around 2:30pm. Malaysia is one hour ahead of Thailand.
At N.J. visa service on Chulia Street, Mr. Muhammed Haji Jabar advised me to pay the 100 Malaysian Ringit (MR) for the express service as Chinese New Year was two days away and the regular service would not return until the 11th because of the holiday. Hoping to return to Thailand as quickly as possible I paid the fee happily. Mr. Muhammed then explained that the regulations had unexpectedly changed Feb. 1st and the application required an air ticket out of Thailand. Fortunately, I had my laptop with me and printed the e-ticket to fulfill the requirements. Next, Mr. Muhammed said the consulate required proof of a hotel receipt in Thailand something I definitely did not have.
“Don’t worry,” he said, “I will take care of that for you.” I thanked him and went to one of the dozens of nearby cheap hotels to sleep off 16 hours of travel.
Wednesday morning I went to the visa service to check on the status of my application and Mr. Muhammed advised me the vice-consul, Mr. Panurit Chamrasromram had informed the staff at the consulate that he might not sign any applications that day. There was a 50% chance I would not get my visa until Monday! I told him that if there was anything I could do to see that I got my passport - like pay more money - I would be happy to do so. After all, I just paid 100MR for the express service which might not be. Mr. Muhammed said it was not about money. His contacts had told him the vice-consul simply wanted to start his holidays early and to check back in one hour. When I returned, Mr. Muhammed said the chance I would get my passport that day was now 30%.
“Please check in one hour,” Mr. Muhammed advised. An hour later the odds were reduced to zero and Mr. Muhammed returned my express fee and apologized.
“There is nothing I can do, I am sorry,” he said as he counted out 100MR.
“Is there anyone in the consulate I can talk to?” I asked of Mr. Muhammed. He dialed a number and handed me the telephone. The voice on the other end told me there was no way I would get my visa that day. I pointed out the official website advised a one-day service was available for a fee. The man on the other end said “the website is not correct.”
“How can the official website be incorrect?” I asked.
“It’s not my problem, it’s yours,” he responded and hung up the phone. To add insult to injury, the vice-consul locked my passport as well as those of dozens of others in the same situation inside the consulate and there was no way to access them until Monday - 5 days later. I could not leave Malaysia to apply in Indonesia or Singapore and thus became a “prisoner of Penang.”
A young French woman overheard my conversation with the consul staffer and asked what I had learned. “Nothing,” I said as my irritation increased.
“I came here for a work visa,” she explained. “I have been hired as a manager by the Hiatt Hotel in Hua Hin and the company lawyers prepared all the documents. They advised me to come to Penang where I was assured I would get my visa the same day. I am supposed to start work Monday and I will not even receive my passport until Monday afternoon,” she said on the verge of tears.
We decided to drown our displeasure in alchohol. By coincidence, I met another Canadian in the bar who had just been to Kota Baru. She informed me that the consulate there does not require the ongoing ticket or a hotel receipt in Thailand. She had received her visa in one day without any problem. This further increased my irritation as I knew that I would remain a prisoner of Penang for the next five days.
Next time you go to Malaysia, I recommend Kota Baru. Perhaps the Consul Mr. Surapon Petch-vra and his team will treat you better than the Penang prison masters.
Copyright, Tim Morch, 2008
