Krabi town

While you're allowed to stay in Thailand for up to 3 months on a tourist visa, it has to be renewed every month. At least, this is what my Lonely Planet and government websites say. I met some guys in Koh Phi Phi who claim to have renewed their visas 5, 6, even 7 times now. Regardless of how long they've stayed for, every month they need to cross the border into Myanmar or Malaysia and get a new stamp.

I arrived in Thailand on March 3rd so I need to cross the border by the first of April. Unless fines have been raised, its 500 baht per day that I overstay my visa. That's only $15 or so, but I'm ready to go anyway.

I checked out of my guest house this morning on Koh Phi Phi and took the 2pm slow boat to the coast. I got to the center of Krabi town by 4:30pm. It started to rain on the way in the taxi (a red pick-up truck with a canopy over the back) so I got out and went into a convenience store for a beer. The rain didn't last long and it gave me time to check my guide and see where the cheap hotels were located. While walking I met a girl from Sevilla, Spain who took me to the place she was staying. It's only 100 baht a night (just under $3) and they have a good internet connection. I don't really have any direction right now and since I have 3 days to get to the border (which is 4 hours away by bus) I can take my time. Checking out of my hotel was sort of on a whim. The guy who screams in his sleep played a part, as did my sunburn, but it was a weird interaction with the owner that pushed me over the edge. The day before I gave one of his employees 1000 baht and told her to get the change to me whenever. Well, she understood what I asked her to do but it took 15 minutes of playful arguing with the owner to get my 500 baht change. That was annoying, but then again today I accidentally bumped into him and he wanted to know when I was leaving. He touched my knee a lot while we were sitting together (Thai guys are really really effeminate) and I said I was leaving either today or tomorrow. He told me to stay for another night because he wanted my money. He explicitly said that. 'Stay one more night because I don't have anyone in that bed and I want your money.' If his delivery had been a little bit better it could have been funny, but it wasn't. So I decided to check out right then and come here to Krabi. There is some rock-climbing in the area but I might just skip it and head south to Hat Yai. From there its a short bus ride to the border, where I can just get another quick stamp to get into Malaysia.


The plan was to travel through Myanmar but to get the visa I need to go back to Bangkok again and I'm not crazy about it. It's a 12+ hour bus ride and I've already been through that city 3 times now. It might have been possible to get the Myanmar visa in a single day at the embassy but it would be expensive and I would have to take another 12 hour bus to Ranong to get across the border. It all sounds exhausting and I'm not in love with Myanmar. What do I care? I haven't been to Malaysia either and THEY have banks.