Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cdnmatt
Of course I'll avoid Bangkok, but was just saying I can't possibly see it being a problem. They're not going to grab me upon deplaning unless I'm wanted for criminal charges. They would prefer not to throw me into IDC, and that would only happen if I tried to pass through immigration.
Nonetheless, Nanaimo -> Vancouver -> Seoul -> Ho Chi Ming -> Vientiane looks good.
The trouble is that especially with different airlines involved, that blacklist stamp is probably enough reason for an airline to deny you boarding, as especially if you do not transfer with the same airline, they are not going to take chances with you.
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
Oh shit, I didn't even think of that. Unsure, as my parents can't tell what stamps are from what country, but I have 4 on March 25th. If one of those happens to be from Laos saying refusal of entry, I probably can't even board the plane in Canada.
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cdnmatt
Oh shit, I didn't even think of that. Unsure, as my parents can't tell what stamps are from what country, but I have 4 on March 25th. If one of those happens to be from Laos saying refusal of entry, I probably can't even board the plane in Canada.
No... a blacklist stamp is bad news, a refusal of entry stamp won't be, it just that you have been refused entry at that time, it gives no guarantee you will be refused again, the blacklist stamp does, it is 100% sure you won't get into Thailand, and that IS a problem for any airline flying to Thailand.
If I were you, I would get a Lao tourist visa just in case.
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
Quote:
Originally Posted by cndmatt
Oh shit, I didn't even think of that.
Oh god what a drama queen this boy is. I can't keep up ... could any sane person keep up?
He's gotten 5 pages -- my settings -- so far. Not a record mind you but obviously we are not finished, just slower.
Our Board loser par excellence.
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
justaguy
...If I were you, I would get a Lao tourist visa just in case.
This is what's called hitting the nail on the head.
Technically you can still be refused entry to any country even with a pre-approved Visa, but given that you'd be sending your passport in to the Laos consular authorities and thus they'd be aware of any and all blacklist/denied entry stamps - if they still issue you a Visa I think you could be as confident as it's possible to be that you'd get through.
It could also go a long way in avoiding difficulties with boarding.
Finally, who the fuck invented the very ugly term "deplaning"? What was wrong with "disembarking"? :p
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
Nah, fuck the tourist VISA, as that doesn't mean anything obviously. I had one when I crossed into Laos at Nong Khai, and still got refused entry.
That, and nowhere in Canada issues tourist VISAs for Laos. Vancouver only has a Laos consulate, not embassy. I'd have to mail my passport over to Washington to get a tourist VISA, and fuck that. Doesn't seem to matter any anyway.
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
So, are you GOING or not then, my god you could be there by now man - or by back home again, either way you'd know instead of just sitting there going round in circles.
And Justaguy is correct that a big refusal of entry stamp does in no way preclude you from entering a country again later, if merely states you were refused entry on that occassion. I was stopped going to the US ( there was a technical issue with the flight AFTER I'd cleared US Immigration here in Ireland) and so they "deplaned" me and sent me back "into ireland" ( i.e through a door in the airport in my case) I then went through the same boarding process the next day and YES I was asked "what happened you were denied entry" I told them, they simply shrugged their shoulders, said ok and away I went on with my journey, no big deal.
So, as ou now been told numerous times by many people - you've got a valid passport, you've got no legal reason to be denied into Laos and the only thing holding you in Canada it seems is yourself so please, do us all a favour, either decide to go or dont and then do either and give over moaning about a problem that doesn't actually exist perhaps,
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
Having to mail your application and passport to a third party country is a bit of a first world problem, others are quite used to it - but you seem determined to rock up at a Laotian immigration desk with little or no preparation - so all anybody can do is wish you luck.
:drink:
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
Oh he made up his mind already of course, he never listens to people offering advice. If he would have, he might now just be in Lao for several months already. Some people never learn.
I don't think he is in any hurry to get to Lao, he is making excuses to not go. Some of these are just ludicrous. Like the new passport thingy, I would have that passport already months ago...
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
The favourite best laugh I've had during the never-ending Cndmatt Chronicles was the
delicious juxtaposition of Matt now living in the highly middle class comfort of west coast British Columbia, bitcoin sale at the ready . . . and just some months ago insisting he would soon be in Laos and he-himself will be hunkered down in a mini-tent -- all by himself -- in the mosquito infested, humid and waterlogged jungle: the dogs barking for a return to the easy going Khon Kaen stroll, the family arguing loudly on the other side of the rice paddy (talking about "that Ting Tong"), snakes a-crawling, and he a-claiming that all he needed was a sleeping bag and a machete ... writing a book.
(Yep ... that's one sentence!) :(
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Smiles
.
(Yep ... that's one sentence!) :(
NIrish guy would be proud of you, Smiles.
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
Spot on ! Welcome to the dark side Smiles ! :-)
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Nirish guy
Spot on ! Welcome to the dark side Smiles ! :-)
Just FYI ... I have always been on the dark side sir. Have you not noticed?
And Sawatdee,
The perfect harbinger of darkness,
A dank home within a home,
In the basement,
Behind the cauldron,
The witch's brewing
That dark and dreary post.
Re: Reverse Culture Shock?
During my absence from active membership (two black ribbons and now I’m back I’m looking forward to Jellybean doing his censorious best; arsenal’s already rejoined the Foes list), the posts that had me pumping my fist in the air and shouting “Yes” were all from the Forum’s entitled millennial. Fancy the Canadian government, to whom Matt has faithfully paid taxes all these years, refusing to make an exception for him, and replace a perfectly good passport with almost two years’ validity with a new one because it is more convenient to Matt. Outrageous behaviour towards a dutiful taxpayer, don’t you think?
Personally, I’ve always found a strategically-placed red wine or milky coffee spill works wonders to replace a passport with inconvenient information in it, and being legally blind would give Matt the perfect cover (my excuse is Parkinson’s, the wanker’s friend). Failing that there’s the variant of “the dog ate my homework” ie. the dog chewed my passport, or the little kid next door who thought he would colour in some of the passport information with his crayons. Matt once told us he was transitioning to being a management consultant, so you’d think he could work those strategies out for himself
Then it was prudent of Matt to back up his computer(s) to the Cloud before he left Khon Kaen, so he can continue working (and paying taxes) while he’s stranded in Vancouver, presumably on his Mum’s computer, kitted out so quickly after his arrival in Canada with the software he uses to “read” text from the screen (within hours, it seemed). After all, how else will he continue to earn his Bitcoin from those criminal gangs who form his clientele (criminals favour Bitcoin for transactions)?
But it does raise the question of where Matt’s own Bitcoin wallet is. I’m often reading stories about people who lose their Bitcoin fortune because their wallet is on a hard drive on a computer that got trashed or a USB flash drive that got lost. Mind you, Bitcoin has dropped 53% in value since the beginning of the year. But then I realised what he must have done. Where is Matt’s Bitcoin wallet? This is a competition – members can PM me with suggestions. Readers will recall a similar competition of mine twelve months or so ago about announcements in an elevator at an MRT station. Only Matt and I know the correct answer
I note that he’s whining (again) about there being no legal route for him to stay in Thailand which is why he didn’t bother to keep his visa up to date. Perhaps he forgets the number of posts he made a few months ago about how he was indeed planning to go legit through the Thailand Elite programme? A million baht and he could stay for 20 years (the Elite Superiority Extension package) as I pointed out several times in response to his posts. He could have done it any time in the past few years, but I guess that doesn’t suit his narrative of always being the victim. Here’s a tip for you Matt, absolutely free of charge – take a tab of LSD, it will completely change your outlook on life. A single tab is not addictive. No Buddhism necessary