visa blues : destination hatyai, thailand

well en route to hatyai, thailand to get my wife's visa done and also for an unofficial holiday. i choose to go by bus since it's cheaper than driving and flying wasn't a option for me since i had to get my wife out fast. anyways i bought bus tickets with Konsortium Bus Express as i was fascinated by their snoozer seat and i'm very pleased. each seat is motorized and have ample leg room to sleep in. each seat also has their own entertainment system where you can choose different movies and music to your liking. I found it at a great value for money at only RM 50 per person as the other buses cost RM 45 and the leg room is shit. we setted off at about 11pm and reach the bukit kayu hitam border at around 5am and waited till 6am to get the immigration. ah yes back to immigration, fuck again as just because my wife's a vietnamese, they made me go to the office to get her passport stamped. the officer then asked me many questions about how long i going to thailand, am i really married, where's my marriage certificate while in the midst of talking to many other bus drivers there (very friendly too during working hours and in the office). anyways after about 20 minutes for the officer to finish his morning chats with his peers, my wife's passport was stamped and i had to line up again to get my own passport stamped as the officer refused to stamp for me even when i said please help as the bus is waiting for us a long time. there was no smile, no friendliness or whatsoever. all these unnecessary loss of time even when my wife is leaving the country and not entering it.

Now to many angry eyes in the bus i was finally back and the driver could continue our journey. when i was at the thailand immigration and i would like to really give my two thumbs up to the immigration there. all the officer asks me is the reason for entering thailand and i told him holiday with my wife. ask me for marriage certificate and i produce and then the officer stamped the passport and you know what, he was courtesy, friendly and smilling all the time. he even added please enjoy your stay in thailand. now it seems to me the new thai government and the immigration are really doing their job.

i mean who in the world would want to go to a country where you basically be made feeling uneasy. would that be the best first impression we want to give tourist entering our country ? whilst many immigration officers at klia and lcct have been really courteous and great (in my experience), bukit kayu hitam really has to get their act together.

well i'm finally in hatyai and i'm in a very cozy hotel with wifi services in the rooms. in fact many of the hotels now in hatyai have FREE wifi in their rooms. i will update on that later. in the meantime, som tam here i come !!!!!