Gay Boy Thailand

I am in the Islamic Republic of Malaysia again. Is it really six months since last time?

Air Asia is so cheap now that they could not lend me a pen to fill in the immigration form while we were in the air. I was supposed to buy one at 70 baht.

The cabin crew warned over the loudspeakers that stealing safety equipment was a serious criminal offense. They mentioned inflatable life jackets specifically. Who steals life jackets?

I had never thought that was something people wanted to nick.

I looked with suspicion at the mainland Chinese guy who sat next to me. A dubious type. I was sure he was of the life jacket stealing sort. I imagined he would steal one and wear it down the main street in Xianming as the latest fashion.

Arriving at the small airport in Penang I went with the flow, in this case some Malaysians in front of me. I went down the escalators and through some doors and then I was on the outside where the taxies are. Wait a minute, what happened to Immigration? I was on the outside of Immigration, seeing the back of the heads of the officers at their desks.

I was now an illegal immigrant. How did this happen? I saw no signs, I broke no doors, I did not crawl through windows or hide behind corners. I just walked right out of the airport as if it was supposed to be like this.

I considered pretending all was fine and continue to Penang. But what when I had to leave the country? Then I would have no arrival stamp and there would be trouble.

I tried to sneak back in past the Immigration counters. But a grandmotherish woman in the blue government uniform stood there, watching me with increasing alarm.

- Did you come from Bangkok? she asked.

- Yes.

- Why are you coming this way?

- I don’t know. I must have taken a wrong turn.

She measured me carefully but must have decided I was harmless, as she waved me over to a counter. With considerable relief I handed my passport to an officer. I was now back in the system.

I thought about what could have happened if I did this in a less relaxed country. The US, for example. I could have ended up in Guantanamo bay.