The Visa Run

I jog around the corner and already see the waiting silver van – I check the time: It is 06:50 a.m. I am right on time and the van of the tourist company is earlier than me. Surprisingly, I already expected some waiting time. The driver waves at me: "Mr.Felix?" - "Krub!" I answer (this is the Thai way to say yes). He opens the sliding door of the small van and I find a seat in the first row behind the driver. How wise this decision was, I will realize later.

Approximately one hour later, after picking up eight others, we are on our way up north. Unfortunately we are not going to have a vacation – we are taking a four hours ride. Then get off the bus, walk a few hundred meters, turn around and walk back, do some paperwork, get back on the bus and head back to Chiang Mai. What sounds a bit confusing is what we have to do to keep our visas. If you stay longterm in Thailand, you have to leave the country, depending on what kind of visa you have, at least every three months. "To leave" means to get a stamp and turn around to enter again with another stamp. Do not ask me who invented this law and why!

The landscape is hilly, the streets are winding and the driving style is typical Thai: The road markings are more a suggestion where you could drive if you want to. Most of the people do not care... to be honest, literally they do not give a #%?&. Driving through bends in the road through the oncoming traffic? No problem. Passing before and IN bends of the road? No problem. Attempting to pass over a long row of cars with a minivan before a hump? Well, most of the time not successful, but the attempt – no problem.

I think I have to thank this monk who took care of us during the ride – he kept watch over us from the top of the dashboard.

Actually it was not that bad nor was I in fear of my life (maybe sometimes). But if you are sensitive with rapid car rides, you should definitely get a place in the front row.

While I could enjoy the landscape during the ride, the visa run is a slightly annoying procedure. First waiting in a queue then showing the officers at the immigration office my passport and the departure card (You get this one when you arrive in Thailand, it is important to keep it!). And here it is: The stamp that proves that I left Thailand. I am happy that I have the stamps necessary and just go to the next line to re-enter Thailand again. After waiting a while they tell me that I have to enter Myanmar first to get some more stamps.

Okay - I cross the bridge, enter a small, stuffy room with a few plastic chairs and an old table. A few soldiers are sitting around and laugh and chat. Behind the table sits a corpulent officer in a way too tight uniform. I greet him smiling - "Passport" he grunts. I give him what he asked for – "Sho pin?" he mumbles. While I am still trying to figure out if this was supposed to be Thai, English or even Burmes, he repeats it even more unclear but louder in the same effortless mumbling voice. Anyways, it helps. He asks if I want to go shopping on the market on the other side of the border. I answer no and he presses two stamps on my passport "500 Baht!" - two expensive stamps but at least I get them easily.

Then I walk back to the Thai immigration office and fill in another pair of arrival and departure card. A big Sign says in red "Death sentence for drug smugglers" – even if it is very unlikely that anyone put anything in my bag, I still check it. I do not want to end up being executed (and the Thai government is serious about drugs, no matter where you are from). When I open it everything looks fine, I take a closer look and spot something: A plastic cup filled with white powder. In my backpack? First I am confused, then I am stunned and then I am alarmed, realizing what happened: I forgot to have my protein shake. Damn it. Have to do that before we leave.

I get all the stamps I need and am allowed to stay in Thailand for another three months. Awesome. If you know what to do and the lines are not too long, the procedure can be easy.

Finally I even get a little bit of Christmas feeling while buying some roasted chestnuts. You only get them on the Christmas Markets in Germany – and they are totally overprized. I really recommend getting them; they definitely make the ride back to Chiang Mai more interesting.