by who » Fri Mar 18, 2005 5:34 pm
This thread seems dated but it touches upon the timeless debate about what constitutes a visa.
When citizens of the US and many other countries arrive at Don Muang airport in Thailand without a visa, thier passports are stamped with a rectangular stamp that says "imigration Bangkok Thailand" and has blank lines labeled: visa class; Admitted; Until; Signed. The visa class line is filled in by hand with some writing that must mean Tourist. The Admitted line is stamped with the current date. The Until line is stamped with a date that is 29 days later than the Admitted date. The Signed line is initialled by the issueing immigration officer.
What seems to confuse everyone is that there is an office upstairs at the end of and before the immigration area. It has a sign over its several windows that reads "Visa on Arrival". In front of and facing these windows are 20 or 30 chairs that face the office windows and are obvioulsy for waiting ones turn at a window. This operation is for citizens of countries that don't qualify for the automatic 30 day visas referred to above. The chairs are generally sparsley populated by Arab and Indian looking people, non of them appearing very happy.
