Its New Years day now. So the plan was to fly Bangkok air from Koh Samui to Bangkok, then switch to Qatar to fly to Hanoi after a 3.5 hour layover. My baggage was checked straight through Hanoi already - perfect. All I needed was my boarding pass at Bangkok... So I thought.
I fly in and have a Singha beer and some noodles before the Qatar desk opens. When I gave him my papers, he asks if I have a visa for Vietnam. Well, it is a visa on arrival of course. So I'll get it there. In his forced accented English he asks, "Sir do you have the preauthorization form?" After struggling to decipher his words, he showed me what it was. Shit. That's right. For Vietnam you need to apply for a visa on arrival online and pay some money and they give you this print out. I knew of this of course, and I did it when I was planning my trip back when right? I gotta check my email stat.
Then he tells me go online and apply and get the letter if I don't have it. Uh. Dude. It's 6pm on new years day. My flight leaves in 2 hours. Do you really think I can get a visa approval? He smile and gives a little chuckle. That's Thai for - "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, but I am going to try and come off as polite and giggle because maybe you cracked a joke to make light of the situation?"
I run back down backward through security and got online. No email in my gmail. I checked my credit card to see the date i bought the visa but no dice. Did I forget?! I googled again to get to one of the many 3rd party websites that offer visa service. One actually said they. Could do it within 4 hours! But alas. The embassy is closed till the 3rd for holidays. That's it. Im stuck.
Bangkok has me now...
I even tried to claim a ticket I had bought for Chiang Mai that departs the same day an hr later. I wasn't going ot use it as my plans had changed, but I could use this flight perhaps and just go there? However now, because of my situation, I had to get my Bangkok exit stamp revoked from my passport and get my bag all of which took forever. Oh well.
Luckily I knew someone there in Bangkok the first night so could hang out a bit. I soon got a text from my friend Jen, who I am supposed to be I'm Vietnam with, telling me the Hanoi dinner plans and gettin ready for going to Halong Bay trip the next 2 days. Well. Guess Jen is on her own now! Now what??
Looks like its 2 nights in Bangkok, and then plan B?
We will have to see... First lets see if I can escape Bangkok....
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