1. An umbrella comes handy. You are lucky if it rains because you can put the umbrella between you and the visa touts. This makes them give up quickly.
2. If still persistent, you can shake the wet umbrella at the tout – accidentally of course. (I admit having done this once.)
3. Tease the corrupt border official. When he says “no photo?” you say “no photo”. When he whispers “100 baht” show him that your photo is tucked inside the passport.
4. Lie to avoid paying bribes. When the border official asks if you are on a visa run and going back to Bangkok, say no. You are going to Cambodia to see the temples.
5. Lie more avoid paying bribes. Don’t stop at the table where they sit waiting for visa runners. When they say, “where are you going?” you say “Siem Reap” and keep walking.
6. Get ahead of the backpackers in line.
7. To fit in with the backpackers, say loudly “There are too many tourists in Thailand. I am not a tourist. I am a traveller”.
8. When middle-aged white ladies give you disapproving looks because they think all middle-aged white men are sex tourists, give disapproving looks back because you know they steal the best moneyboys.
9. Reject all offers of rip-off busses.
10. Say no to any offers of Cambodia lady boom boom.
11. Keep five year old pickpockets away.
12. Regardless of what you make per year, tick “Over 80 000 US dollar” on the Thailand entry form. You want to keep Thaksin happy.
xxx
August 16th, 2006 at 11:14 pm
@12: now I know what I do wrong all the time…
September 2nd, 2006 at 5:02 am
Watch out for the “LA” by the adult Khmer male prostitute in Phnom Penh Cambodia!
What is LA? It is a street word, popularly used among male prostitute in Cambodia. LA means trick and extort money by the Khmer male prostitute, usually from the male homosexual customers, local and foreigners, who are in the closet. Place that happen most of the time is at the park right across the parliament and Hong Kong Center infront of Wat Botum Temple and body gard departmet near the royal palace in Phnom Penh Cambodia, there have been many groups of Khmer male prostitute invent bad plot to extort money and other value materials including watch and cell phone from local and foreign homosexual customers who are in the closet . Here are some of the following tricks they do:
• When you pick up one of them to have sex at a hotel, motel or your own house, he has his group ride motorcycle behind you to quiet and secretly follow you w to wherever the place. They allow you time to at least undress or take shower and begin to have sex. Then, they break in the door taking picture of you, pretending beating up the prostitute you bring with and accuse him as thief. At the same time, they turn to you and extort you the big money. If you don’t pay them, your homosexuality will be revealed.
• Similar method as above, the different is that the prostitute can call and report to his group the location of the hotel.
• You just could get LA from the individual prostitute and end up with loosing all your money and things you bring with. Once you pick him up with you in your car or in the hotel room. He will demand you to pay him much higher amount of money than the amount you agree to pay. If you don’t pay he will scream out loud to out side and lie on you that you don’t pay him the right amount as promised
Why they can do it: Your weaken point is that you are homosexual in the closet. You may be a dignity people in Cambodia. Or you maybe a married man with some kids. You have reputation. Those male hookers don’t have reputation and don’t care about it. Homosexual between two adults males is not illegal and Cambodia. However, it is not socially well enough accepted by the over all people. Plot and extortion is illegal in Cambodia.
Please share this report to all the necessary stakeholders for the purpose of fighting this dangerous issue. Those male prostitutes could be strait, bi and or gay themselves. Not all prostitutes who dare to LA their customers, you can design method of survey and conduct the survey by going to the place mentioned above to interview some number of them to learn more about it.
September 15th, 2006 at 10:06 pm
Thailand tightens visa regulation
Bangkok (dpa) - Thailand on Friday announced visa regulations for tourists limiting visitors to a maximum stay of 90 days every six months, in an effort to put prevent foreigners from remaining in the kingdom on a long-term basis.
Immigration Police Chief Lieutenant General Suwat Thamrongsrisakul said the new enforcement was aimed at blocking foreigners who created social problems and posed internal security treats from living in the country indefinitely.
“Some people were using the loopholes in the old regulations to work in Thailand, while others were staying here to engage in criminal activities,” said Suwat.
Under the old system, foreigners from 41 countries that have good relations with Thailand, were granted 30-day tourist visas that could be extended twice within the country.
With a quick trip abroad, one could pick up another tourist visa and thereby live in Thailand on an annual basis.
There is a heavy flow of foreigners living in Thailand to neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia on cheap “visa runs.”
Under the new system to go into effect on Oct 1, nationals from the same 41 countries will be allowed 30-day tourist visas which may be extended twice, after which the tourists will have to stay out of Thailand for at least 90 days before returning again.
The 41 favoured countries include most European nations, China, Japan, Canada, the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations among others.
“Tourists (from the 41 countries) will not be allowed to stay in Thailand more than 90 days every six months,” said a statement issued by the Immigration Department.
Nationals from other countries are only allowed 30-day tourist visas, non-extendable in the country.
The new regulation will likely affect hundreds of English-language teachers who work semi-legally in Thailand, and other foreigners working in Thailand without the requisite working papers.