Barreling to the Border

I had to renew my visa to get a few more precious days in paradise. I had been here two months already and apparently almost overstayed my welcome in Thailand. No worries though, the ink is still drying on my new stamp which buys me more time to wander the streets hunting for the best fruit shakes and noodle soup carts.

This was accomplished with a visa run.
When I think of a visa run I imagine a group led by a coyote (like the Mexican border) carrying their bags across the border fence. The trek would be dangerous and lives would be risked. Of course this would be during the middle of the night with search lights circling in the distance. Unfortunately (or fortunately!) my visa run didn't go quite like this.

Calling it a visa run makes it sound so risky, but I'm sorry to report there was no running through fields in the middle of the night avoiding security spotlights, though that would have been a lot more fun than reality. 

I just took an air conditioned van to the border of Thailand and Myanmar and was led not by a coyote, but just a normal guy who was in quite a hurry.

We just left the country for a few moments and came right back over to Thailand. Kinda silly, but that's what needs to be done. Earlier I had tried going to the immigration office instead, but the reservations were full before they even opened. Besides, a border run sounded more exciting than sitting in an office all day. And it definitely had me on the edge of my seat!

Every time I take a new mode of transportation it gets wilder and wilder. Overnight bus, a rickety old school train, a motorbike with my luggage, but nothing beat the border run van. That driver put a whole new meaning to the phrase pedal to the metal. When all you see is brake lights ahead he's flooring it and weaving through the cars, trucks, motorbikes like no other, you know it's going to be a fun ride!.

I should've paid more attention to the older fellow from the first few minutes of the trip. He has lived in Chiang Mai for years and has to do border runs every 90 days. The first thing that came out of his mouth when he sat down was I can't wait to be out of this van. I now understand those words.