7 Month Thailand Update — Part 2— Operation Don’t Get Deported
This is Part 2 in a series on my life in Thailand thus far. If you’d like to check out Part 1, here’s the link.
As I mentioned in my last post, one of my major reasons for getting a job here was to obtain a long-term visa that will allow me to stay indefinitely rather than for only a few months. It seemed like a straightforward process: find a job, have them complete the necessary paperwork, leave the country to apply for the new visa, and come back.
Well, this is Thailand. Nothing is straightforward.
Those first steps went exactly as planned. I found a job and they were more than willing to help me fill out the necessary forms. I did have to go to the police station to get a quick background check, get a copy of my degree sent over from the states, and find a copy of my college transcripts, but none of that was too difficult.
Once all the paperwork was ready, I booked a flight to Malaysia to apply for the new visa at the Thai consulate there. I had been there a couple of times before, so I wasn’t expecting any problems.
You know what they say about assumptions.
After standing in line for about 20 minutes, I finally get to the counter and turn in my paperwork. The man behind the counter was someone I had recognized from my previous trips. He looked through my paperwork, read the letters from my school and the government, found my Thai background check, and then asked me where my American background check was.
My American background check? What?
The man looked at me, handed all my paperwork back, and said can’t do it without a certified FBI background check from America.
I called my boss back in Thailand and we both tried to scramble to figure out what to do. They only accept visa applications between 9 am and 11 am, so I was in a rush. She called the consulate but wasn’t able to help. I quickly purchased and downloaded one of those online background checks that are advertised all over the internet and had the guy outside the consulate print it off for me.
Knowing people often don’t have everything they need, there’s a man in a van just outside the consulate with the most impressive portable office you’ve ever seen. He has wifi, a color printer, a digital camera for passport photos, and a copier. He makes a killing helping us ill-prepared foreigners.
Knowing the application window was closing for that day, I quickly ran back inside with my “background check.” The same guy looked through it and said, “No. I need one with an FBI stamp on it.”
Okay. Well, it was worth a shot.
This might not sound like a major issue. I could just go back to Thailand, get the background check, and make another trip. The problem is, I was unsure if I could get back in at all.
I had already used my two tourist visas and I had read the immigration officers were cracking down on visa-exempt entries. The written law does not limit the number of times Americans can enter the country without a visa, but the officer you meet at the border sometimes does.
I was going to be in Malaysia a couple of days anyway, so I did as much research as I could on what to do. I posted my predicament on a popular forum and they told me I should be able to get back in based on others recent experience coming in with multiple entries. That was my primary concern, so I started feeling a little better. As long as I could get home, I would have a little time to figure what to do next.
The next thing I had to worry about was getting a FBI background check in Thailand.
The interwebs said I could have my fingerprints taken at the Bangkok police station and have them sent from the American embassy back to the US where they would be processed. The results would then be returned via mail to Thailand. Estimated time: 12 weeks. Not helpful. If I got back in the country, I would only be allowed to stay 30 more days.
Back to the forum, I went. Again, the people there were quite helpful. It seems the consulate in Laos does not require the American background check. Why their rules are different, I have no idea. So I just needed to get to Laos.
Maybe I could go directly there and not risk getting turned away at the Thai border? Nope. All my visa paperwork was addressed to the consulate in Malaysia. Great.
So here’s the plan:
- Try to get back to Thailand.
- Have my boss update all the paperwork.
- Make another trip to Laos and pray they don’t ask for an FBI background check.
With my plan in place, I decided to just relax for the rest of my Malaysian trip. I met a really cool guy that showed me around and fed me a bunch of local food. I also got a 2-hour massage on each of my remaining days there. It ended up being quite pleasant.
The flight back was uneventful. There was no line at immigration, so I walked to the officer as calmly as I could and handed him my passport. He looked through it and saw my previously used visas and asked what I was doing there. I told I was coming for tourism. He said you can only come in twice…
I did my best to explain that I was trying to come in visa exempt. He did not look pleased and called his superior over to look.
The manager looked over my paperwork and spoke with the officer for a few minutes. He eventually came back with my passport and stamped it.
Whew.
I made it home. Step 1 complete.
And that gets us up to date. I’m currently home, waiting for my boss to change all the paperwork so I can make another trip to Laos. She also did a bunch of research and is confident I’ll be able to get my long-term visa there.
Keep your fingers crossed for me…
