a "visa run" to Laos

I wasn't really in the mood for it but it had to be done.

When I went to Cambodia I was stupid and used my working visa up and entered Thailand with a tourist visa, which isn't good for very much if I want to get paid. There are SO many rules concerning visas and they changed recently too. It's crazy for expats that deal with this every year...

So I pack up and take a trip to the Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Laos. After it all, I'll end up back at where I started when I first got to Thailand with the work visa. It'll only take 5 days and a little bit of cash, right?

Actually, right.  

• I tried to save some money by taking a 20 hour bus ride from here to the border, which actually went smoothly.
• The bus showed all 3 LoTR movies in Thai. Gollum sounds so strange dubbed over in another language.
• but the flight back was delayed and I had to spend a night in Bangkok at the most price inflated crappiest hotel that makes money because it's close to the airport. They served the weirdest rubber eggs for breakfast, I seriously don't know how they made them.
• I got screwed at the border b/c the Laos visa costs $35 US, and if you don't have USD, it's ridiculously more. Oh well. 
• Laos seemed like a more expensive, less friendly, slightly slightly less developed version of Thailand. But what do I know, I was there for 48 hours and the only Laos people I talked to were trying to sell me things.
• I didn't buy shampoo b/c I would just have to discard it on the flight back. 5 nights of soap in your hair makes it feel so strange.
  

at the zoo. here's what hundreds of waiting visa-hungry expats, teachers,  and tourists look like.  drop off your passport in the morning, pick it up the next day.

it's funny how everyone works so hard just to get a stamp on their passport, that allows you to cross some line between countries.  

It's midterm exams at the school now, and proctoring for 3 hours at a time is probably the most boring thing I've ever done. There's 4 teachers in a classroom doing the work of 0.5 teachers. 

hope all is well wherever you are!

-Brian