Piopet Border Story

[Som _Tam]

Well speaking of stupid border runs and the idiotic things we have to do to stay in Thialnd...you know they gotta keep the bad people out right?

Well this was a few years ago but the memory still is in my mind making me upset. Anyway I had to do a visa run since my visa was expired. This is where they make you cross the border for 30 seconds. Cross the barbwire and the fence. Look at the Cambodian Flag turn around and see the thai flag and you magically can stay another 30 days!! Great system....

I was standing in line like some cattle waiting to be slaughtered with a bunch of other English teachers, not paying taxes and getting another 30 days....It was awful. the sun was beating down on the top of my head and these two guys in front of me were discussing the differences between beer Chang And beer Sing.. I just wanted to go over to the border guard grab the machine gun and start shooting into the air ordering eveybody to take down the supid flags and the barbed wire.....and proclaim the land Anarchy Island....Even though it isn't an island...but we would all be free to do as we like......

So I am standing there like some jerk with my passort in my hand. and 4 photos of myself in my pocket....Waiting and waiting and waitng. As I am stanging there one of my Camboidan Visa's falls out of my passport.....The sticky stuff on the back of the sticker came off......I picked it up and stuck it back in.........Wating and waitng and it fell off again.....So I just cumble it up and toss it on the floor. Not really thinking about it.. After all it is just a peice of stupid paper right? I did mostly out of boredom. I had nothing to do but stand there getting burned by the sun so why not throw a paper on the floor?

They stamped my passport saying I left Thailand....So I go into Cambodia....I get to the gate and they notice that one of my previous visas had fallen out.. They asked where the visa was... I said it was an old one. It fell out by itself.. They said that I couldn't go into camboida because the old visa was missing. I said WHY? I got a new visa. They said NO, I had to go back.. So i quicky run to where i remember it falling out...And I can't FIND IT!! I am looking all over the place...Nowhere to be found......So i try to go out the thai side. But they say I can't go to the thai side because I have to get it stamped in my passport that I did enter and then exit camboida.......ARRRRHHHHH! So i go back to Camboia and they still won't let me in.. I tell them I can't go Foreward and I can't GO BACk.. I ask them if they will build me a house to live in the middle they say NO!! I run back and forth many times trying to get somebody to help me NOTHING....Eventually of course the Border Guard on the Camboidan side says if I give him 1,000 baht He will let me go in and out.......So Of course I DO....So I go over the border for 10 seconds get my stamp and then go back into thailand and get another 30 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IS THIS SANE?

DAMMMM IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But sometimes I dont' mind paying bribes to border guards.. I mean at least you get to see the face of the person that takes your money....I mean they steal money from us all thetime.. They call it TAXES.. Then they go and build bombs and kill for their own profit using our money!!!!! At least this border guard probably bought lot's of cheap whisky and maybe some Food..........oh well...................

[Khutan]

Effectively you removed a visa from your passport. Removing a visa from your passport is a very serious thing to do. There are many things you could have done, like ask to have it stapled in etc.

Think of it from the point of view of the Cambodians, so many border-walkers, make a convienance of their country with little regard to anything other than the visa stamp and the re-entry to Thailand.

[Som _Tam]

yeah don't know. I have gotten Vietnamese visas on a sepereate peice of paper. Not even in my passport. Isn't that supposed to be an option?

I think it was just an excuse to get some money from me....As usual..

[350torana]

Effectively you removed a visa from your passport. Removing a visa from your passport is a very serious thing to do. There are many things you could have done, like ask to have it stapled in etc.

Think of it from the point of view of the Cambodians, so many border-walkers, make a convienance of their country with little regard to anything other than the visa stamp and the re-entry to Thailand.

I am sure Cambodian immigration scoff at the thought of 1000 baht plus for every walker