(Daniel) With papers in hand we arrived early at the American Embassy.  Both dressed smartly and prepared for some serious questions, but fully expectant to get Nii’s Visa.  We waited for two hours until the interview number was displayed on the windows inside.  We had selected a Thai language interview, and I was keen to see the embassy official speak, as apparently they are almost fluent, an impressive sight to see a westerner speak the difficult tonal language  like a native.   The interview had meant paying $100 for the processing fee.  If refused we would loose that and any other money which we had spent on applying.

At the window I was surprised to see a young American girl, maybe the same age as me at 28 years old.  She looked very serious, immediately asking Nii to explain about her schooling etc.  She then asked me what the Expedition was all about, which I explained in brief.  I went to pull some newspaper clipping from the file when she stopped me.  She asked what employment Nii had, I explained that Nii was assisting me with Charity efforts, that was her work, and what we intended to continue around the world.  The Girl stopped me dead.  “If she has no job then she can’t get a visa.  That is the law.”  Now, my understanding from many hours of research on the internet, was that Nii should have either work or Family ties to the country.  I tried to explain this, but was told flat that the law was clear, she handed me the passport back telling me that she had no time to listen to me.  We had stood at the window for less than five minutes.  This blatant rudeness and dismissive tone left me dumbfounded.  I noticed that the passport had been wrapped in the refusal letter all the time.  They had made the decision before we even stood up.

We turned around and left, Nii burst into tears as we got into a taxi outside.  She was so strong and proud that she never let them see how much they had just destroyed her.  I was furious, here is a girl who is probably better educated than the one who had just dismissed her like a beggar in the embassy. Nii’s prospects as a clever, attractive university educated person here in Bangkok were far higher than anything she could hope to achieve in Americas sinking and obese leviathan.  I felt the cold helplessness of stereo typing for being on the wrong side of the economic fence.  As we drove away, I unwrapped and read the letter from the passport in my hand.  The law, as it was stated from their letter and our official refusal read “The applicant must prove Employment and/or Familial ties to Thailand sufficient to ensure return.”  I couldn’t believe it, here it was written in plain English.  Why didn’t I look at the paper in the embassy?  I could have thrown the application back at her and demanded someone who knew what they were doing.  Salt for the wounds as I tried desperately to console Nii with plans of our travels to Cambodia and Vietnam.

Leaving Bangkok the next day, we headed first to Koh Chang.  All the way my mood was so incredibly low.  I realised that my travels and achievements in this Expedition had grown in me a feeling of invulnerability, I felt like I could just walk into that embassy, talk them into giving us a visa and walk out again.  Instead I dragged this wonderful girl up from her normal life, gave her hopes of amazing travel, adventure and a real relationship, now in my ignorance I had dashed her on the rocks, shattered and heartbroken.  My mood sank lower.

We checked in at the same bungalows again where I was pleased to find the Wolf safe and intact. We ate dinner trying to cheer each other up, the retired for an early night before our journey to Cambodia tomorrow.    

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