April 2019, retired (63) and living life to the fullest with wife and daughter in the back blocks of Nong Bua, surrounded by Bikes, cars, tractors and a 10 acre rice and Sunhemp farm. Living the dream. Then in comes one of those phone calls, "Mate have we got a job for you", Mongolia, build a couple of Plants, 18mths work, average money but good on site conditions.... That's how it started... So packed a bag, kissed the wife and Pumpkin (daughter) and hit the frog and toad.
Then along came COVID- 19!!
After a break at xmas I went back to site, Thailand +25C into the Gobi desert at -30C, ready to do next stint. Kept watching the papers and internet as it looked like the world was about to go pear shaped. And it did, middle FEB Mongolia shut all borders, in or out and I was in. No panic, still had internet, line, messenger etc, hot showers, good food, heater in the room and a couple of really good mates to talk to. With the borders closed relief was not going to happen so we knuckled down and did what we were paid to do, work. Skyped family every night and sent video clip every morning for the next 245 days, but who was counting..
Fast forward, 10 mths in Mongolia and another one of those "phone calls" - Hi J this is the Thai Consulate in UB and there is a connecting flight via Seoul and a repartition flight from there to Bangkok on 16th October if you want us to try for a seat.... Yea Ha!!! after 10mths in Mongolia I am chomping at the bit to get home for cuddles and Pad Thai, in that order. WAIT, WAIT, Visa expired in July, COE and all the documentation required could slow me down, today was 30th Sept so had 16 days to get this together. The Consulate was just that, a consulate so could not issue new visa, sticker yes but approval needed to come from Thai Embassy. Within 15mins applied online via Beijing (already had documentation on my computer) and they said it would take 2 weeks, ok better start then. Oops forgot Golden week in China smack bang in the middle of the 2 weeks I needed.. oh well it is what it is so I started to collect all the documentation for COE, booked ASQ with flexible dates ( based on consulate flight details) and then submitted all documentation to MFA in Beijing. 6 days out still no visa and no COE and flights could not be confirmed via both Govt's without those 2 items.
13th COE approval came in, Consulate rang and said Visa approved bring passport in... off to MIAT to pay for tickets, off the Korean air to pay for tickets, make appoint for COVID to 9am 14th, pick up result 15th and fly 16th, that'll work.... Collected more paper work, copies and approvals that a pine forest in NZ could produce as paper.
The flight was uneventful, Transfer desk in Seoul gave me a heart flutter when they said can not see my name on the approval list but we sorted that after it we found out it was the previous flight list of a couple days earlier... more grey hair. The process at BKK was painless and I was in the hotel car 40mins after landing
Presently now sitting in my ASQ room sending my 1st post to Thaivisa.. Was it hard to get all this to come together in such a short time frame, yes however reading notes and downloading attachments from experts like UbonJoe made the steps alot easier to follow. Without his advise on Thaivisa I think it would not have been so free flowing. Thanks Joe
I feel for others that are having issues getting back to loved ones, but hang in there and dont give up, stay positive, there is light at the end of the tunnel albeit only 40watt.
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Saturday's Short Story, returning from Mongolia
in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
Posted
April 2019, retired (63) and living life to the fullest with wife and daughter in the back blocks of Nong Bua, surrounded by Bikes, cars, tractors and a 10 acre rice and Sunhemp farm. Living the dream. Then in comes one of those phone calls, "Mate have we got a job for you", Mongolia, build a couple of Plants, 18mths work, average money but good on site conditions.... That's how it started... So packed a bag, kissed the wife and Pumpkin (daughter) and hit the frog and toad.
Then along came COVID- 19!!
After a break at xmas I went back to site, Thailand +25C into the Gobi desert at -30C, ready to do next stint. Kept watching the papers and internet as it looked like the world was about to go pear shaped. And it did, middle FEB Mongolia shut all borders, in or out and I was in. No panic, still had internet, line, messenger etc, hot showers, good food, heater in the room and a couple of really good mates to talk to. With the borders closed relief was not going to happen so we knuckled down and did what we were paid to do, work. Skyped family every night and sent video clip every morning for the next 245 days, but who was counting..
Fast forward, 10 mths in Mongolia and another one of those "phone calls" - Hi J this is the Thai Consulate in UB and there is a connecting flight via Seoul and a repartition flight from there to Bangkok on 16th October if you want us to try for a seat.... Yea Ha!!! after 10mths in Mongolia I am chomping at the bit to get home for cuddles and Pad Thai, in that order. WAIT, WAIT, Visa expired in July, COE and all the documentation required could slow me down, today was 30th Sept so had 16 days to get this together. The Consulate was just that, a consulate so could not issue new visa, sticker yes but approval needed to come from Thai Embassy. Within 15mins applied online via Beijing (already had documentation on my computer) and they said it would take 2 weeks, ok better start then. Oops forgot Golden week in China smack bang in the middle of the 2 weeks I needed.. oh well it is what it is so I started to collect all the documentation for COE, booked ASQ with flexible dates ( based on consulate flight details) and then submitted all documentation to MFA in Beijing. 6 days out still no visa and no COE and flights could not be confirmed via both Govt's without those 2 items.
13th COE approval came in, Consulate rang and said Visa approved bring passport in... off to MIAT to pay for tickets, off the Korean air to pay for tickets, make appoint for COVID to 9am 14th, pick up result 15th and fly 16th, that'll work.... Collected more paper work, copies and approvals that a pine forest in NZ could produce as paper.
The flight was uneventful, Transfer desk in Seoul gave me a heart flutter when they said can not see my name on the approval list but we sorted that after it we found out it was the previous flight list of a couple days earlier... more grey hair. The process at BKK was painless and I was in the hotel car 40mins after landing
Presently now sitting in my ASQ room sending my 1st post to Thaivisa.. Was it hard to get all this to come together in such a short time frame, yes however reading notes and downloading attachments from experts like UbonJoe made the steps alot easier to follow. Without his advise on Thaivisa I think it would not have been so free flowing. Thanks Joe
I feel for others that are having issues getting back to loved ones, but hang in there and dont give up, stay positive, there is light at the end of the tunnel albeit only 40watt.
Cheers