Big Adventure - 16

So here I sit, contemplating this moment.

I got here by Boing 707 from Koh Samui at seven o'clock this morning. Six hours ago. The first two hours were spent sitting around the airport, wondering if someone was coming to get me. The next two hours were spent in the back of a taxi - no, nobody was coming to get me - driving to our Silom Road office. Next came the two hours sitting here, waiting for something - anything - to happen. The plan was to go to the immigration office with Gai and get my long stay Visa - my 90 day Visa from Singapore expires today. So Gai asked me for my Health Certificate. The one I got last week that Ju mailed to our Silom Road office. Seems now that wasn't the best idea. Discovered after I have been flown here for the sole purpose of getting my Visa that it did not arrive yet.

Now we're up to date. No health Certificate (or 4 passport sized photos mailed with it) so no new Visa. I cease to be in Thailand legally at midnight tonight. I am wondering if this will now mean that I must leave the country again. I want to suggest that I go shopping, to see the new Central World (500 stores and 50 restaurants), but I'm guessing that wouldn't be too popular, especially with Kris who is paying for all of this. I'm thinking it would be better for office moral for me to be gone instead of sitting here with my thumb up my butt, but I will try to look busy for 5 more hours, till I can leave here for the two hour taxi ride back to the airport.

I guess this is still better than a minibus, so I ain't gonna whine. Yet.

Oh - one of the women in the office shared her lunch with me - totally delicious.

So at 2 pm, Kris comes out of his office and throws a little fit. I don't know much Thai, but he sounded upset over the situation.

In an instant, I am up following Oh to the elevator. We hurry downstairs to a medical clinic, blood pressure (a little high), then run across the street avoiding 6 lanes of moving cars to a photo shop for a photo (with their tie and jacket on - a bit small), then run back through traffic to the same clinic, retest of my blood pressure (now a lot high), then while the doctor is grilling me on family history of high blood pressure, a call from upstairs - the certificate and photos (without a tie or jacket) have now arrived from Koh Samui (my blood pressure was fine when tested on Koh Samui amazingly). We pay for the certificate showing high blood pressure as an exception, rather than wait 20 minutes to see if it will go down, and head back upstairs. I sign the application forms. I'm offered a drink of water - I don't need to go to the office in person apparently. It is 2:30 and the crisis is over. A days work done in a half hour. So now I sit here with only 3 hours to kill. Sweet.