Bangkok Visa Trip

TBWG

TBWG

New Member
Hi Sinners

I should have known things would go wrong when a silver VIP Toyota people carrier (Why are they always silver?) turned up for our trip to Bangkok to apply for my stepsons visa. I know it was VIP transport because it had it plastered in large letters along the side. However this term should be applied in the loosest possible manner when you saw the dubious collection of individuals on board, allied to the fact that this Executive transporter had at least a quarter of a million kilometers on the clock and was in bad need of a new windscreen which had large arcs scratched into it from wipers that needed replacing decades ago. Still it did pick you up from your door and drop you at your hotel in Bangkok.

Oh dear, this door to door service meant that we had a tour of further villages to pick up other VIP's! So it was about another hour before we were actually Bangkok bound! It also meant that on arrival in Bangkok I had a free tour of various housing developments, Soi's, Hotels etc. Still it did mean I slept soundly when we finally arrived at the Hotel about 3 in the morning.

Well it was then up for an early start for the visa office, now this was a real ball tightener considering I need at least 8 hours beauty sleep each night to be at least half human.

A bit of explanation about this Visa lark, my eldest UK son is getting married in October and has invited Turbo my stepson to his wedding, bearing in mind that the Boss Lady has held a UK passport for the last 5 years, as offspring he has an automatic right to settle in the UK. Why anyone would want to settle in the UK at the moment defeats me. It's overcrowded, bankrupt, overtaxed, over legislated, over speed camered, political correctness has gone barmy to the extent that a parent cannot take a photo of his own kids in a public place and the weather is crap to boot!

Despite his automatic right we still have to supply a shed load of documents and schedule an appointment ~~~~~~ which brings me onto the next dilemma! .... to be continued

TBWG
 
:Grin_Jump1:You will need a holiday after all this, David
 
You are spot on David. UK Has had it Hung Paliment:Agree:
 
They ought to be bloody well hung !, the shower of shite that they are. :Grin_Jump1:

I'm looking forward with anticipation to the next thrilling installment of ...............'The Bangkok Visa Trip'. :GrinNod1:
 
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Your wish Baz is my command...............

Part II

Let me explain, to get an appointment at the VAC (Visa Application Center) you apply online and they give you various dates a few weeks hence. OK, we book a suitable date. The VAC is based in Rajdamri Road, Lumpini, which between booking and appointment has become "World HQ" of red shirt movement.

Now I am not a political animal but why they get worked up about having a non Thai born, so called non elected leader beats me. They (the movements) are bringing the country to it's knees by the actions of the masses, in the UK we also had a non English born, non elected leader who has achieved the same effect all by himself! Quite an achievement really! As an aside, I am soooooo pleased to be in Thailand while all the UK election Bull**it is going on.

Having spent lord knows how many hours on 'tinternet' getting this appointment it is going to take more than civil unrest to put us off. Besides it does have its plus points, Hotel to oneself, half empty BTS and restaurant's with few diners!

However, the website has been saying that during the disruption they are running a limited service, so please call before visiting. So when we get through, surprisingly easily, we are told yes they are currently open, but please ring on the day to check. Now that is quite difficult as they open 8.30 appointment is 11.30 and we are 400 kms from Bangkok! So its go for it the day before and hope for the best.

In conversation it comes up that only the applicant is allowed into the VAC, but as a minor we will be able to accompany him. Great as I did not fancy hanging around for hours on end in the middle of a war zone!

I don't wish to get dragged into the rights and wrongs of this dispute but as we make our way through the red-shirts encampment I can't help but think that 90% of these people are being used and that the financiers/decision makers have got a lot of cannon fodder for a few baht a day and as much sticky rice as they can eat. Although I have to admire the logistics behind it, there are rows and rows of portaloos, large galvanised water tanks for showering purposes and most impressively a large tent equipped with half a dozen or so laptops where the foot-soldiers register and collect and record their days pay. Apart from this it is like any other day-market in Thailand, food vendors, bars, people selling T shirts (mainly Red) as well as catapults and other trinkets.

At no time did we feel intimidated and life went on as normal as can be expected under the circumstances.


Wait with bated breath for next thrilling instalment!............................


TBWG
 
You've got me hanging on by a thread here, it's like when I was a kid at the Saturday matinee, 'Dont miss next weeks thrilling installment of'............ 'The Bangkok Visa Trip' starring TBWG.:Grin_Jump1:
 
Hey Baz ~~~ wait no more!

Part III


Well we arrive at the VAC on time and with minimum of fuss, so far so good. After being searched we are now pounced upon by various visa agents who try to re route us to their offices and think they can fill in a form for a complete stranger better than the applicant who surely must have some grasp of his own date of birth, name, address etc. If not he should not be on the streets unaccompanied and unsedated!

Now we take a number and are told that only 1 parent can accompany my stepson, so the boss lady is in like a rat up a drainpipe and I am left to my own devices, but far from me being left in a warzone for hours on end I can now depart to the coffee shop to ponder on the wisdom of allowing so many visa agents to rent property next to the VAC. The coffee shop has free wi fi so I can now play with my Iphone for a few hours in peace with only the odd interuption to autograph some other photocopy that they require for a visa that they are duty bound to grant by virtue of his mothers UK citizenship. Bureaucracy don't you just love it.

Well 2 hours and a few thousand baht later and step one is done and dusted, paperwork will be forwarded to UK embassy and visa forwarded by post within 10 days and really there was no need for me to attend!

So now it's off to Jim Thompson's house for a celebration nosh up and surprise, surprise we have choice of whatever table we would like as the sole diners!

What I failed to mention is that as a minor he needs to be accompanied by an adult family member so a niece will travel with him, he needs to supply a copy of all her details and paperwork with his application. She as the accompanying adult needs to supply all his details and paperwork with her application, result 2 grands worth of ink and paper from Big C.

Bureaucracy don't you just love it..........................to be continued


TBWG
 
Baz said:
You've got me hanging on by a thread here, it's like when I was a kid at the Saturday matinee, 'Dont miss next weeks thrilling installment of'............ 'The Bangkok Visa Trip' starring TBWG.:Grin_Jump1:
Click to expand...

He's a legend in his own Lunchtime. our TMWG
 
Part IV



The Boss Lady now informs me that she and Turbo will stay in Bangkok for a few days to look for a dress for her to wear at the wedding. (The cost of this bloody wedding is fast mounting up).

I just want to get out of the place so will get a bus from Mo Chit to home ASAP. The Boss lady accompanies me to Mo Chit as I am incapable of buying a bus ticket unaided. It's about 3pm there is a bus at 6 o'clock but it stops everywhere and I am advised to go for the 8.30pm VIP (That over used phrase again) bus. This is sold out, thinking back this should have started alarm bells ringing, but never mind there is one at 9pm and I am given a choice of seats via the computer screen and opt for 3A So 6 hours to kill! I lost count of how many
doughnuts and coffees I consumed in Dunkin Donuts and daren't ever venture back there as I think the Katoey on the till thinks I was hanging around cos I fancied him!

I foolishly thought that as the bus is scheduled for 9.00 pm that it would be there for boarding prior to that time, so ventured down to the station area about 30 minutes early. Jeez I have never seen so many people in such a small area in all my life, what it is like at Songkran does not bear thinking about! I then have a brain fart, it's Friday 30th April surely the Thais don't celebrate May day. I should know better the country with the most public holidays in the world? Thailand! Any excuse for a beer up and party! They are all going home for the weekend . Well less than 30 mins and I'm on my way....err NO.

To cut a long story short we finally leave at 11.00pm the bus guy is getting peeved with me asking every 30 mins is this it? but then he only has himself to blame he has told me many times over the last 2 hours that its next bus or in 5 minutes! When I finally board the bus a pock marked surly youth is sitting in yes you guessed it 3A. Now no big deal BUT why ask me what seat I would like and enter it in computer, print a card with it on if you just sit anywhere. So I point out he is in my seat and make him move to 3B he promptly goes to sleep and lolls all over me with various body parts. Still I need not have worried as this situation was not to last long.

Upon leaving Mo Chit we head off in an unexpected direction, but what do I know I am only a Farang, maybe everyone else knew but not speaking the lingo I assume the late arrival was due to some mechanical problem, anyway we now go down completely unfamiliar roads and very narrow sois where we finish up in the Bus depot. All change, judging by the bemused expression on a lot of faces they had no idea what was going on either.

I board new bus only to find pock marked surly youth in my seat again, make him move. This time however a lot of passengers are demanding their correct seats so its like musical chairs , I am now joined by a much more amenable youth so no problems there.

It's now past midnight so I must have dropped off whilst we retraced our route and made our way out of Bangkok. For those of you unfamiliar with the route it involves going through Saraburi (spl) and onto Khorat. This part of the route is quite hilly with some steep inclines to be negotiated, this has the effect of reducing the speed of those heavily laden double trucks to a snails pace, this is not normally a problem, but with the sheer amount of traffic this has caused a tremendous tail back. Don't know how long I slept but when I woke we were already in the jam which then lasted at least 20 kms before clearing itself. During this jam most of the Thais were fast asleep including the amenable youth who was now talking animatedly in his sleep, he was also grinding his teeth really hard and loud so much so that I thought he might do himself some harm, what with the driver grinding the gears every time he downshifted on the hills it was getting quite musical.

What was now pi**ng me off was all the pickups driving up the inside and then forcing their way back in lane every time they encountered a parked or abandoned lorry of which there were many. They invariably had a lot of Thais laying in the back and consuming beer and having a good time which rubbed salt in the wound. I must have now dropped off again as I was then awoken by the sound of rain pi**ing down, think the pickup Thais not quite so smug now!

Whilst we passed through this traffic mayhem I thought it ironic that I had not seen 1 police car or officer. Even the middle of road police stations were lit but devoid of life. Now I think those police stations are a good idea...... quick access either way in event of an emergency surprised they have not appeared in UK.


Well I eventually arrived home at 7 am, and I suppose the moral is being a cheap Charlie bit me in the arse, I should have coughed up for a taxi. Also NEVER NEVER EVER go by bus again from Mo Chit.


TBWG
 
I am writing this for the fourth time, and hoping my computer doesn't 'timeout' on this site again, I must have a word with Danny. Plus a storm here in Prasat had taken my Internet out. :ShitHappens1:

Well I got to read the last two installments together today (monday) as on Saturday it was welcome home Baz by the family in the village, then Sunday lunch at Staffords (good to see Gary again), then back to the village where it was time to 'wet the new baby's head' my wifes cousins - not ours.

The final two episodes TBWG were just as captivating as the first two, things like this get you out of the house anyway.
Are you going on another jaunt soon? I hope so. :GrinNod1: :Grin_Jump1:
:001_Thank_You5: it made great reading. (Hurray finally got it posted).
 
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Me & the Bean having trouble too, Baz
Its the weather, Too hot then too wet (bit like Wigans Defence last night) :Grin_Jump1:
 
Dave The Dude said:
Me & the Bean having trouble too, Baz
Its the weather, Too hot then too wet (bit like Wigans Defence last night) :Grin_Jump1:
Click to expand...

Not wanting to get of the topic Dave, i'm going to answer that last remark in 'The Shout' :GrinNod1:
 
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