Owen Jones

Laos Again for a New Thai Visa

The people buying my house back home have let me down more times and in more ways than they realise in the five months since they promised to buy it. This will be the second time that we have to go to Laos again for a new Thai visa.

These Thai visas only last three months. To get a twelve-month extension, the foreigners needs to have had either 400,000 or 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank at least two months before applying.

I had the requisite sum for eight years but started to spend it, when they offered to buy my house. This will be the second time that my wife and I have had to travel the 700 kms to Vientiane by bus for a new Thai visa.

Or I should say buses, since it involves three taxi rides and three bus trips to get to the Laos capital and then two extortionate taxi rides to get to the Thai embassy and back to the hotel.

One of the problems is that the first bus makes its journey at nigh. Our bus tomorrow will leave Phitsanulok at 11 p.m. which means that we won’t see anything and I am sure that there is plenty to see, since the route takes you through the mountains of northern Isaan, the province to the east of Thailand bordering with Cambodia and Laos.

We have made this trip for a new Thai visa perhaps five times over the years and don’t really want to go again. My wife does not like travelling in Asia too much unless we are going to see family, although she loves the UK and would like to see more of Europe too.

I, on the other hand, have seen a great deal of Europe and love to travel in Asia – it makes for a little conflict sometimes. However this trip to Laos for a new Thai visa is necessary or I will be deported, so against our wishes we will have to set off tomorrow night for Laos again.