The Six Month Visa Deal!

https://www.elance.com/s/teacherbrenda/?rid=34KXV
Val informed me that all I had to do to get a visa was to go and visit a travel agency and they would take care of the whole thing! What an amazing discovery! This was so unlike Malaysia where you are required to either (A) leave the country and re-enter again after a week or so, or (B) visit your local Immigrations, fill forms, que in long ques, answer questions in an interview, get photocopies of your documentations and pay a lump sum.

In Siem Reap, all you had to do was to hand in your passport and a small photo and pay the fee of $155 for a six month visa! It was a joy to imagine being able to avoid the entire Immigrations experience. Apparently, Cambodia is welcoming Westerners who can afford to pay for the visa!

It took me several weeks to decide whether to stay on or not. One morning, I woke up with staying on my mind! AND, to my surprise, it was raining! No rain had fallen since my arrival and none was expected during "dry season". But, it was raining right outside my window!

On this special occasion, I gladly boarded one of the tuk-tuks stationed outside of the hotel close to my room. The driver was wearing his rain slicks and the carriage was covered in a plastic protector. How lovely to feel the wet. The morning was almost cool and it was so early that some of the shops hadn't opened. Traffic was minimal. I thought, "This is the best time of day to have a look around town. So quiet." By 8 am, I was let off at the travel agency which was closed, so I stood outside a bit under the awning.

The shop keeper next door offered to call the travel agent and let me talk to her. She advised me to buy two pictures for the visa and hand my passport to the shop-keeper. (I preferred to wait for the travel agent.) So, after breakfast, I showed up with the pics and handed her my passport. She looked at it and said,

"Oh. You cannot renew because you came in on a visitor's pass."
"WHAT."
"You cannot get six month visa. You can get only one month for $45," she announced calmly.
"But, "

What's the point? Did she actually think I'd gotten myself a business visa and was going to her to have a one month business visa extended? Who would do that?

Of course I came in on a visitor's pass!

She looked at me, expecting the $45 and I looked back at her with a blank expression.
"Let me think about it."

So, after a bit of thought, I decided it was useless to buy a one-month visa for $45, when I would have to leave at the end of the month anyway. Thailand, here I come.

I went and bought a bus ticket that morning to Bangkok.