TheLoneRider
a seeker in search of Easter Eggs
Mae Sot, Thailand

Full-Body Ocular by the Immigration Officer in Mae Sot, Thailand Feb 5, 2020

Full-Body Ocular by the Immigration Officer in Mae Sot, Thailand

Location Google Map: Immigration Office, Mae Sot, Thailand

Window 9
Lining-up in Window 9 at the Immigration section of Mae Sot upon crossing the Friendship Bridge from Myanmar, a late-thirty-ish Immigration officer smiled at me as I walked up to her window. I handed her my passport and she started flipping the pages. After a while, she put my passport down and looked at me in a funny way. She was scrutinizing me with a suspicious look. She wasn't smiling anymore. Then she asked:

Full-Body Ocular by the Immigration Officer in Mae Sot, Thailand
Mae Sot Immigration Office, Thailand

Immigration Officer: How old are you?

TheLoneRider: [I gave her my age, as stated in my passport]

Immigration Officer: [She looks at me again and this time, she stepped-out of her office and came out to get a better look at me from head to foot.]
You can't be that old.

TheLoneRider: I do yoga. I'm a yoga teacher. With yoga, you won't get sick, you become strong and you won't get old...or the ageing is slow. That's why I look and feel young.

Immigration Officer: I'm fat and old already. It's too late.
[She was just in her late 30s or early 40s. She wasn't old and she wasn't fat. Also, while we were talking, there were already other people lining-up behind me and they were looking at us.]

TheLoneRider: You can start yoga at any age. It's never too late. And you are not fat. Let me show you one thing you can do.
[I leaned my back on a wall while my legs were on a 45° bend, like I was sitting on a chair]
While doing this, breathe slow, deep and steady. Put your mind into what you are doing. As you maintain this pose, it will become increasingly difficult. Observe that difficulty with a relaxed mind. Do not react. Hold it until you cannot.

Immigration Officer:
[She followed my instruction very briefly, while the people lining up were also curious and attentive]
Ah...I can't. It's too hard.

TheLoneRider: it's always hard in the beginning but it gets easier. Keep doing this every morning and you will notice some improvement after a few weeks.

Immigration Officer:
[She returned to her office, stamps my passport with a 30-day stay, and smiled]
Thank you for sharing what you know.

Thought Bubble:
Hmmm....I didn't see that coming. That was both flattering and validating.

--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit Yoga by Gigit | Learn English Learn English | Travel like a Nomad Nomad Travel Buddy | Donation Bank Donation Bank for TheLoneRider



Reader Comments:

Nick LianNick USA
(Feb 7, 2020) Awesome story! I loved it. I could imagine seeing you getting all into it with the immigration officer and having a awesom time. Sweet, buddy!

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Time on my Hands in Mae Sot Mae Sot, Thailand

Time on my Hands in Mae Sot

(Feb 5-10, 2020) With 30 days on my visa and no itinerary in mind, I was in no rush to leave Mae Sot. Time to explore this place most people just pass through with in crossing into Myanmar.....more »»

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Public Display of Affection verbatim

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Mae Sot Travel Information / Tips

Chiang Mai to Mae Sot by bus

There is a Green Bus line that departs from the Bus Arcade and drops you off at the Mae Sot bus terminal. Departure: 08:30 and 13:10. Return schedule (Mae Sot to Chiang Mai): 6:15am and 10:00am. Duration: 6 hours/30 mins. Cost: wide seats B490, regular seats B315(agencies or hotels may charge a small commission)

Mae Sot Attractions
  1. markets - Saturday Street Market, Burmese morning market, Border Market, gem market, night bazaar
  2. waterfalls - Tararak Waterfall (the nearest at 25 km), PA Wai Waterfall, Namtok Pha Charoen National Park, Khunpawor Waterfall, Phueng Luang Waterfall
  3. elephant camp tours - Retro Elephant Camp & Good Morning Maesot (only 3 km away)
  4. Burmese food exploration - mostly at the Burmese Market (Mae Sot Divisional Market)
  5. temple tours - Wat Manee Praison (temple sauna), Wat Chumpol Khiri, Wat Aranyakhet, Mae Soon Chuen Thai, Wat Mae Sot Na Dan (Wat Ngiao Luang)

Mae Sot Blogs by TheLoneRider

  1. Teaching 'Marketing English' to Hotel Staff Feb 17-19, 2020
  2. Post-Umphang Mae Sot Feb 15-20, 2020
  3. Time on my Hands in Mae Sot Feb 5-10, 2020
  4. Full-Body Ocular by the Immigration Officer in Mae Sot, Thailand Feb 5, 2020
  5. Mae Sot (Thailand) - Myawaddy (Myanmar) Border Crossing Jan 23, 2020
  6. Visiting Mae Sot Dec 27-30, 2019

Travel Tips for Thailand

How to Get a 60-Day Thai Tourist Visa and then Extend by another 30 Days

This process is BEFORE Covid 19. Not sure what it is now.

    60-Day Thai Tourist Visa

    NOTE: There is no need to go back to your country to get the Thai tourist visa. Any major city with a Thai Embassy will do. Apparently there is also no need to have an invitation from a Thai establishment to justify the visa.

  1. Bring the following to the Thai embassy:
    a) proof of money (bank statement will suffice)
    b) flight booking to Thailand
    c) onward flight back to your country from Thailand
    d) filled-in tourist visa form
    e) 2 passport pictures
    f) hotel booking in Thailand (they didn't ask me for this but better be safe)
    g) passport with at least 6 months validity
  2. After handing over all the documents, they will ask you to come pick your passport with the visa the following day from 4 to 5pm. That's it!
  3. NOTE: after 2 successful attempts, I was already questioned the 3rd time.

    30-Day Extension

    NOTE: When your 60-day visa is close to expiry and you want to extend your stay. No need to leave Thailand.

  1. bring the following to the Immigration Office:
    a) passport (make sure your Tourist Visa hasn't expired yet)
    b) Baht 1900
    c) photocopy of your passport + visa duration date stamp + TM6 card (white immigration card) and sign all the copies
    d) completed TM7 visa extension form (available at the Immigration Office)
    e) one 4cmx6cm passport picture
  2. submit the above to the Front Desk. They will give you a stub with your number on it. Take a seat and wait for your number to be called
  3. when your number is called, your picture will be taken. Then go back to your seat. They will call you again.
  4. when they call you again, they'll give you your passport with your extended visa. That's it!
  5. when there are no lines, the whole process can take only 10 minutes
Book Train Tickets in Thailand

Book Train Tickets in Thailand Online by Train36.com

General Travel Tips
  1. arrive early - in case there is a snag (visa snag, documentation snag, transport ticket snag, etc.), you will have ample time to troubleshoot the problem if you arrive early (to the airport, to the bus terminal, etc.)
  2. put detailed itinerary on the Calendar apps of your smart-phone according to timelines - this is where you do all your thinking and planning. Once written down, you don't have to think anymore while you are on the journey...you just follow the steps. This frees your mind for something else that might happen while you are already en route
  3. avoiding scams - as a general rule, I ignore the touts or anyone I don't know who call out to me. The calling comes in many forms - "Hi! Where are you from?", "Excuse me! Excuse me!", "Where are you going?". I don't look them in the eye and I remain non-verbal with them. If you reply to them, you just gave them an 'in' to hound you. In order not to look rude, I smile and wave the 'not interested' hand to them, without looking at them.
  4. power bank - hand-carry your power bank. Do not check it in. You can be called in when you are already inside the plane to go all the way to the loading dock so you can personally remove the power bank...and chances are, you'll have to surrender it to them. And you might delay the plane departure!
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