Visa run blues

Posted by admin on May 20th, 2010 filed in Living here, tourist tips

The hastily imposed curfew actually came at the best time for my girlfriend and I this week, as we were forced to embark on a visa run to Mae Sae at 07:00. This chore is not the most enjoyable experience in the world, and normally we choose to hike down to arcade bus station in the week, booking tickets to Mae Sae and returning on a appointed morning for our departure. Then you must jump in a Songthaew for the last part of the journey and battle through the mechanisms of Burmese bureaucracy at the other side.

But this time we decided to take the express visa run minibus which promised to pick us up from our apartment, ferry us directly to the border and then transport us swiftly back in plenty of time for a shower and leisurely dinner. But raising our rum-addled heads at the ungodly appointed hour, we were forced to wait 90 minutes outside our home before the bus decided to turn up. Cue four hours of listening to an annoying Kiwi rabbit on to all and sundry in the most conceited of tones (thank heavens for iPods!) and the bumpiest journey in recent memory.

The border crossing itself was a breeze and we managed to pick up enough duty free booze to pickle a hippo, but when annoying Kiwi returned he (despite previously proclaiming to be an expert on all things) hadn’t managed to read the date stamp on his passport properly and had overstayed his multiple-entry visa, registering it null and void. After spending an hour waiting for him to return we were finally on our way. Needless to say I doubt these minibus express vans are  worth the hassle, and we shall be doing the journey via public bus next time.