If you thought it is all fun and frolic to be
in Thailand, you are mistaken atleast to begin with; the later bit of Thailand
is definitely what you expect and perhaps more; unless otherwise you have the
wherewithal to be a priority flyer with pre-stamped VISA in your passport!
My most painful was that despite all the preparations, such as E-VISA by VFS, tickets from India to Bangakok and back and pre-destined locations to visit with hotel reservations etc.,. I had to go through the mess of dealing with unknown horde of masses standing in line for their VISA-On-Arrival stamps. The reason for this turbulent experience is- "Don’t understand English!" Agape I stand with an Oh my god! expression- A country known for its tourism, thriving on its world-wide tourist visitors and a country that has everything naturally available in abundance, lacks in ENGLISH?… Obviously I wasn’t expecting them to know Hindi or any other commonly used international or Indian linguistic expertise. Nonetheless, I went through a complete 20 minutes drama for a first timer and most painful indeed. 20 minutes of non-stop request trying to explain them to look into my documents or give me internet or let me talk to superiors or better help me with a alternate channel blah blah..,. was futile eventually resorting to helplessly look around for someone from India or an English speaking folk or a frequent traveler perhaps who can guide me through. Had I only known that I would be ridiculed to seek such fundamental help as this! A group of young friends, perhaps Punjabi folks could only manage to laugh at me with statements like “What!” or pout their lips and giggle or just walk away too. In all this I was nearly breaking down in tearful despair whilst scanning the place around me- until I found a delicate young mother with her two kids, sitting around the corner of one of the lots of chair benches, certainly waiting for the father of the child. Hesitantly and with tears filled to the brim of my eyes, I walked up to her, but couldn’t, gather enough courage to communicate- What if she was local too? and to add much to this lop-sided flop story she was indeed a traveler but from China who we all know could beat the world if only they spoke in English that their now famous "Mandarin". Within no moment her husband arrived and to my relief gave me a smile, I was touched and instantly thought I might get him to help me. With some ease of mind- just for the fact that someone acknowledges me as a human in distress was indeed a blessing, but for my bad luck he just happened to smile at me and sadly there was no help. My heart sunk in dark solitude amidst the bustling morning crowd, with some still rubbing off their eyes and trying to sense their arrival in the most famous holiday destination. As I sit there, I watch more and more visitors joining the line, certainly they are all "Just Arrived". From now where in my head there was a sudden swift through my life sitting there in the waiting area and I was amazed that I could breakdown so easily even at this point in life. A complete mental and emotional spin of how I had reached this far in life was truly awakening, the horizon - my lifetime goal- To Travel around the world. Oh wow! How could I breakdown? No way I'm giving up to these less realized people around me to bully me with their half-backed English and arrogant tantrums.
My most painful was that despite all the preparations, such as E-VISA by VFS, tickets from India to Bangakok and back and pre-destined locations to visit with hotel reservations etc.,. I had to go through the mess of dealing with unknown horde of masses standing in line for their VISA-On-Arrival stamps. The reason for this turbulent experience is- "Don’t understand English!" Agape I stand with an Oh my god! expression- A country known for its tourism, thriving on its world-wide tourist visitors and a country that has everything naturally available in abundance, lacks in ENGLISH?… Obviously I wasn’t expecting them to know Hindi or any other commonly used international or Indian linguistic expertise. Nonetheless, I went through a complete 20 minutes drama for a first timer and most painful indeed. 20 minutes of non-stop request trying to explain them to look into my documents or give me internet or let me talk to superiors or better help me with a alternate channel blah blah..,. was futile eventually resorting to helplessly look around for someone from India or an English speaking folk or a frequent traveler perhaps who can guide me through. Had I only known that I would be ridiculed to seek such fundamental help as this! A group of young friends, perhaps Punjabi folks could only manage to laugh at me with statements like “What!” or pout their lips and giggle or just walk away too. In all this I was nearly breaking down in tearful despair whilst scanning the place around me- until I found a delicate young mother with her two kids, sitting around the corner of one of the lots of chair benches, certainly waiting for the father of the child. Hesitantly and with tears filled to the brim of my eyes, I walked up to her, but couldn’t, gather enough courage to communicate- What if she was local too? and to add much to this lop-sided flop story she was indeed a traveler but from China who we all know could beat the world if only they spoke in English that their now famous "Mandarin". Within no moment her husband arrived and to my relief gave me a smile, I was touched and instantly thought I might get him to help me. With some ease of mind- just for the fact that someone acknowledges me as a human in distress was indeed a blessing, but for my bad luck he just happened to smile at me and sadly there was no help. My heart sunk in dark solitude amidst the bustling morning crowd, with some still rubbing off their eyes and trying to sense their arrival in the most famous holiday destination. As I sit there, I watch more and more visitors joining the line, certainly they are all "Just Arrived". From now where in my head there was a sudden swift through my life sitting there in the waiting area and I was amazed that I could breakdown so easily even at this point in life. A complete mental and emotional spin of how I had reached this far in life was truly awakening, the horizon - my lifetime goal- To Travel around the world. Oh wow! How could I breakdown? No way I'm giving up to these less realized people around me to bully me with their half-backed English and arrogant tantrums.
Sitting there, I took my moment to view the
surroundings yet again, but with an open eye and confidence. I observed what people where
doing; I walked up to all the officers check point one after the other and understood
what are the duties they performed; still further I tried to figure out who were
the other few desperate souls like me who dared to travel to other nations alone? Who is that other Shakila around me?
Just then my eyes picked a handful, not really alone but guys who made friends while “in-line” or “during wait”. We exchanged glances of glee and smiles. I then managed to get to the usual process and walk past a shorter line called “Pay for online VISA”. Once I got there, I told her to try and find my details online through my passport, she couldn’t help me yet again and I was sent to another officer for E-VISA (I thought maybe something different to online VISA). The technology buff that I am I know the basic difference between E-Governance and M-Governance, but in an unknown land, you dare not expose your knowledge unless you know who you are dealing with. Thankfully, that counter had too many windows I was sent to one for discussion immediately guided by an officer . However, the man I was talking across too had no clue about what I said or rather asked, but this time around I got lucky, with a young working Indian along with his friend on an other line (paid) was going through this long process made space for me with dignity and chivalry, waited for me to finish my discussion until the officer thoroughly scanned all my documents- thanks to a few good ones still holding on to their chivalry and manners.
Thus I felt like I've made some progress- an eagerly waiting anxious girl hoping for some good news in form of quick resolution to the now 30 minutes drama. But there was yet another irritating part coming ahead- He scans through the documents (everything from bills, to tickets to printed VISA copies to hotel bookings etc, etc.,.) knows fully well that I carried an E-VISA valid from VFS (Only valid source) and was one the traveler who is all meticulously planned and prepared for the trip, however he clearly denied to pass it to the right team and said “This counter VISA on ARRIVAL only”. You know, sometimes you don’t want to be abusive but your mind says “WTF” and your body is like “Who the hell are you?”….. But mind you, I was alone and not the least of help except for myself in the most holy land for Buddhism and Hindu primitives ofcourse. I pushed it hard on myself to keep mum in the given scenario and subtly yet with grit asked him "how long?" He said “wait!” sternly, as if I was eating up on his time or his morning coffee- whatever! I starred right through his eyes and said- “Where?”… He showed me to the waiting area for my passport.
The most stressed moment at this point in time. What if I never got my passport back for starring at him? Good Lord, I would never achieve my goal for lifetime and the least, wont even be sent back to India perhaps. Just about a handful people know where exactly I was at that moment of my life. My desperation to get my passport was more than my desperation to see India again. The fear of losing myself in this Thai speaking nation, the non-vegetarian foodies, close to Indian culture but nothing close to Indian women's helplessness, no common communicating language and to beat it all no one willing to help, what would be my future? Would it all end on the Soi in Thailand?
Yet again, our eyes met- The boy who conversed and waited along with me giving me all that yes and no for my statement while at the counter made place for me to to be seated awaiting his passport to be returned too, I now had a company. However before I could sense the company with me he got his passport and went to join one of many lines for immigration. I got panicked and immediately went to the desk and said, “give my passport I wish to pay again and get in there”. He said “No”!... Yet another scary moment, I surely did not want to argue, no matter how much I wanted to really shout, scream and create a ruckus over there. Shake the entire airport management and call for some Indian embassy's help for the hot headed chick that I can be. But, I kept my cool, managed to compose myself and did not want to behave rude- simply because I dreaded that they will then capture me, check on me, question my countrymen for being obnoxious Indian, especially women and to top it women entrepreneurs… I laugh at it now.
Really, I could actually think on toes and while one non-communicating set of brutes dealt with me the way they did. Whatever happened to my “Get your supervisor” attitude? Hahaha… Eventually, my passport was in my hand and still in my head I was the one holding a valid VISA and waited in the line that said “E-VISA”. Trying my luck if at all- “Maybe my name would appear in her system that says- Miss Shakila Makandar, our mistake ma’am, please come this way” and gave a cup of hot coffee/tea perhaps! My bad, no airport drama of that sorts happened, she was just as rude in her body language as were the lower level officers at the entry. Nonetheless, got my VISA-on-Arrival from E-VISA, counter number 4. Right at that moment, while I made my best effort to get through the immigration, to my relief I see a friend of mine, passing by. Oh my God!
I told myself, this S**T actually happens in real live, not just in Bollywood fictions. That is it. Stupid process in THAILAND, they need to re-model their immigration into integrated systems… But, I’m not the one tying the bell to the cat, indeed not! I was through the immigration and said S̄wạs̄dī to Thailand in Thai to myself!
Just then my eyes picked a handful, not really alone but guys who made friends while “in-line” or “during wait”. We exchanged glances of glee and smiles. I then managed to get to the usual process and walk past a shorter line called “Pay for online VISA”. Once I got there, I told her to try and find my details online through my passport, she couldn’t help me yet again and I was sent to another officer for E-VISA (I thought maybe something different to online VISA). The technology buff that I am I know the basic difference between E-Governance and M-Governance, but in an unknown land, you dare not expose your knowledge unless you know who you are dealing with. Thankfully, that counter had too many windows I was sent to one for discussion immediately guided by an officer . However, the man I was talking across too had no clue about what I said or rather asked, but this time around I got lucky, with a young working Indian along with his friend on an other line (paid) was going through this long process made space for me with dignity and chivalry, waited for me to finish my discussion until the officer thoroughly scanned all my documents- thanks to a few good ones still holding on to their chivalry and manners.
Thus I felt like I've made some progress- an eagerly waiting anxious girl hoping for some good news in form of quick resolution to the now 30 minutes drama. But there was yet another irritating part coming ahead- He scans through the documents (everything from bills, to tickets to printed VISA copies to hotel bookings etc, etc.,.) knows fully well that I carried an E-VISA valid from VFS (Only valid source) and was one the traveler who is all meticulously planned and prepared for the trip, however he clearly denied to pass it to the right team and said “This counter VISA on ARRIVAL only”. You know, sometimes you don’t want to be abusive but your mind says “WTF” and your body is like “Who the hell are you?”….. But mind you, I was alone and not the least of help except for myself in the most holy land for Buddhism and Hindu primitives ofcourse. I pushed it hard on myself to keep mum in the given scenario and subtly yet with grit asked him "how long?" He said “wait!” sternly, as if I was eating up on his time or his morning coffee- whatever! I starred right through his eyes and said- “Where?”… He showed me to the waiting area for my passport.
The most stressed moment at this point in time. What if I never got my passport back for starring at him? Good Lord, I would never achieve my goal for lifetime and the least, wont even be sent back to India perhaps. Just about a handful people know where exactly I was at that moment of my life. My desperation to get my passport was more than my desperation to see India again. The fear of losing myself in this Thai speaking nation, the non-vegetarian foodies, close to Indian culture but nothing close to Indian women's helplessness, no common communicating language and to beat it all no one willing to help, what would be my future? Would it all end on the Soi in Thailand?
Yet again, our eyes met- The boy who conversed and waited along with me giving me all that yes and no for my statement while at the counter made place for me to to be seated awaiting his passport to be returned too, I now had a company. However before I could sense the company with me he got his passport and went to join one of many lines for immigration. I got panicked and immediately went to the desk and said, “give my passport I wish to pay again and get in there”. He said “No”!... Yet another scary moment, I surely did not want to argue, no matter how much I wanted to really shout, scream and create a ruckus over there. Shake the entire airport management and call for some Indian embassy's help for the hot headed chick that I can be. But, I kept my cool, managed to compose myself and did not want to behave rude- simply because I dreaded that they will then capture me, check on me, question my countrymen for being obnoxious Indian, especially women and to top it women entrepreneurs… I laugh at it now.
Really, I could actually think on toes and while one non-communicating set of brutes dealt with me the way they did. Whatever happened to my “Get your supervisor” attitude? Hahaha… Eventually, my passport was in my hand and still in my head I was the one holding a valid VISA and waited in the line that said “E-VISA”. Trying my luck if at all- “Maybe my name would appear in her system that says- Miss Shakila Makandar, our mistake ma’am, please come this way” and gave a cup of hot coffee/tea perhaps! My bad, no airport drama of that sorts happened, she was just as rude in her body language as were the lower level officers at the entry. Nonetheless, got my VISA-on-Arrival from E-VISA, counter number 4. Right at that moment, while I made my best effort to get through the immigration, to my relief I see a friend of mine, passing by. Oh my God!
I told myself, this S**T actually happens in real live, not just in Bollywood fictions. That is it. Stupid process in THAILAND, they need to re-model their immigration into integrated systems… But, I’m not the one tying the bell to the cat, indeed not! I was through the immigration and said S̄wạs̄dī to Thailand in Thai to myself!
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