Disaster on my Non-Singapore Trip Yesterday
I stood in this line for an hour and a half yesterday to get to Singapore Immigration, where they then did not let me in to the country.
This happened at 4 pm yesterday after I had started out at 7:15 am.
Since then I:
- Went to the secondary check in Singapore Immigration and got denied as I cannot use Singapore for a "U-turn." I have never had a problem there in the past trips.
- Returned to Malaysia Immigration and obtained only a 7 day visa extension, as they can do no more without an entry/exit stamp from somewhere else.
- Got on a return bus to Kuala Lumpur. (The bus company accepted my original return ticket for Thursday with no additional cost and let me board the bus just leaving!)
- Arrived at the Kuala Lumpur TBS main bus station at 2 am and stayed until 6 am, trying to rest on the chairs.
- Took the first public transport trains back to my condo at 6 am.
- Slept for 6 hours.
Now I trying to get a grip on what is next.
The 7 day extension means I need to leave Malaysia again on or before Sunday Aug 4.
The only place that has cheap airfare at this late date is Bangkok. A trip leaving Sunday and returning Wednesday, Thursday or Friday is:
RM 322 (USD 82).
$34 to get out and $48 to get back.
All other close countries have much higher cost for airfare now.
But, as noted on my post for steemfest about Thailand entry requirements, I will also need to have $300 usd in cash on my person to be allowed entry to Thailand.
With the current mess of stamps in my passport, I am certain I will be asked to show that money.
I have not contacted them yet, but I know my Thai friends will help me find somewhere cheap to stay near them.
And what after this? I had the plan to move to Cambodia as my next stop. I thought I would go in late Jan 2020, but maybe I will move in November after SteemFest.
I am so tired and worried now, that I am not thinking well. Between little sleep, walking through the guts of immigration checkpoints, carrying heavy bags, and resting in metal chairs, I am a wreck at the moment.
I'm tagging you in this post because I think you will want to know this has happened, you are familiar with travel in the region, or you are a supporter on my posts or otherwise.
@happydolphin
@smallearth
@majes.tytyty
@danielwong
@maarnio
@iamjadeline
@world-travel-pro
@giantbear
@mariannewest
@crypto.piotr
@sultan-aceh
@thekitchenfairy
@reonlouw
@khimgoh
I am sure I have forgotten people here - not really thinking straight right now. Once again, I really need help, and this seems endless recently.
If you read this and want to help me:
Send my plea to anyone you know who might help. I have a lot of new auto-voters now and they are voting with 95%+++ power.
I know there are more auto-votes who could help since fewer people are posting at all.
And if you can help:
Please upvote
- any current posts or comments on any or all of my blogs; especially the older ones.
@fitinfunfood
@bxlphabet
@fitinfun
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Middle of the night pic from TBS:
Singapore can be super sticky
The last trip, they even pulled my MIL aside for questions, going in and then again going out
And she is Singaporean
So sorry you are having such a rough time
Really hoping things will ease up for you
Hugs 💗
Dang! Even the locals have trouble? I had no idea. Per my expat groups, the overland trip Mal/Sing was supposed to be a good one. I guess it was for me until this last time!
Thank you so much for your support and vote, Sheila @kaerpediem. I really appreciate both.
<33
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Oh shit!! Hey I will send you some Ltc later when im back at my ledgerwallet in a few hours..
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Thank you so much, @movingman. I appreciate this so much. I am pretty much in shock right now and your support means the world to me. TY for the resteem too.
Just breath 😁
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Thank you, great idea. I am about to lie down again and will do some deep breathing. I know that will help me stay calm. Thank you again for everything, @movingman.
Do the body scan trick if you know that idea! Ill let you know when ive sent you something
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I will look that up, @movingman. Just by the name, it sounds good :) You are awesome. Thank you for everything.
Just sent you some LTC :) It will help out there for sure!
You are so, so generous, @movingman. Your transfer gives me hope and strength to carry on. I will succeed in this trip and more to come on steem.
I just woke up again now and got up with more energy and will be posting on my blogs now - I believe in steem and you are one very good example of why.
Damn, I thought it was OK since you have been doing all along.
So, I guess we are off for tomorrow.
Yes we are off, @happydolphin. I was going to ding you if you did not see this post. I am so disappointed! I guess it will have to be Bangkok where we meet. I'm about to get couple more hours of sleep now - this is doing a number on my brain.
I'm just wondering if you told the immigration guy something different than before.
There are many people coming to Singapore and back everyday for work but I guess that's different.
I knew there was a lady who came all the way from KL to join our sports volunteer work.
I met her in April when where are doing the HSBC Rugby 7s.
You could check https://www.volunteer.sg/ and see if there is any opportunities when you come.
If not, maybe you can go Bintan or Batam in Indonesia
Ok - thank you, I will look, @happydolphin.
I do not think it was anything I said. The first officer pulled me out just be seeing my paperwork and asking how long I will stay - that info is on the paperwork already.
The workers are under a whole different scheme, and they are either Malaysian or Singapore citizens, unlike me. I'm a foreigner on a tourist visa.
I got to ride in the free worker border crossing bus which was very nice. Normally I am in the bus I paid for.
I am sorry to hear about your troubles my friend. I hope you will be able to clear the problems with paperwork soon and get to the place where you want to go.
Wish you all the best, keep us informed, have a blessed day. 😃
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Thank you, @awakentolife - I appreciate your support and good wishes so much.
I'm so glad to see you here. I hope you are doing well these days. I know you have your own issues and I am hoping all is resolved now.
You are more than welcome. 😃
I am doing well now. Much better than before. Things are close to resolving. Thank you for the concern. ♥️
Keep is informed on how you are doing. 😃
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I will for sure, @awakentolife. This will be daily until I leave Sunday and then while gone.
I'm so glad to your situation improving. Keep posting about it too.
So sorry to hear what had happened today. I hope you can have a smoother journey to Bangkok soon to settle all this mess.
Thank you @joelai. I plan on it. I have had enough trouble! I see your votes on older posts - thank you so much for helping me.
No worries. Glad to help although not much.
Yes, it is more help than you know. TY @joelai.
You are most welcome!
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What a mess, indeed
Voted at 100%
Good luck, Sharon !
Thank you so much, @thekitchenfairy. I appreciate your help so much.
Fuck borders! Stay strong!
Haha! Thank you so much, for your support, @vthor. I never imagined to the stress of this when I started traveling internationally. Thank you for the great boost with your comment and your vote. I will get through this with your help :)
We had once some trouble in Turkey, they did let enter my wife because here passport was to expire in 87 days. So she had to pay a visa (which normally head not applied for the nationality of the documents she used) which had to be paid in Turkish currency. Unhappily you could do exchange money only after crossing the border. The fun part was that airport personal let us cross the border without border control to exchange the money to pay for the visa. Around 2 hours later we crossed the border. We planed only to stay for 48 hours there and return. On the flight back my wife got on the gate (after waiting 2 hours) rejected because of her passport having not at least 90 days to expire. On living Switzerland the border guard ensured me that my wife will have no problem at all to enter Schengen again (like we are married, and I have a Europen passport). So because of Turkish Air, we had then 3 hours trouble simply to find out that we will not succeed leaving Turkey without my wife gets a new passport. So we took a flight from Istanbul to Ankara and stayed there more than a week till she got finally her passport to fly to Germany. We were so happy the nightmare ended.
Arriving in Frankfurt, there were faggots(police) with automatic guns all over the landing field and parking field of the airplane. I thought if there would be a serial killer on our plane. Only to find out on leaving the airplane that they were there to pick me up. They detained me for 2 hours only because these stupid idiots can not believe that there are people in the world who have no residence anywhere. (another story) In this, to hours my wife was with my daughter alone, without glue what happened to me. Border control making stupid questions because of my daughter traveling with a different nationality.
Fuck I hate border, government, border control idiots, stupid laws and bureaucracy and finally that there exists something like countries (as "authority" entities). I can imagine how you feel.
Wow! You have quite a tale. The border people want a fixed address for sure - anywhere. You are not the first traveler to tell me not having a residence is a problem. .
So many nightmares at the borders. I have always been a person to wish we did not have them at all, and I now feel even more like this. But we all have to deal with "the system." I thought I was doing well until recently.
So far, men with guns have not been there to greet me! That must have been so traumatic!
Okay, in this case, it was not the border faggot who wanted my address, but something similar to the FBI, so they can surveil me to get leverage over m customers. And it looks like they were desperate because I had no fixed place :D
A bigger problem without residence is at the moment to set up some accounts for financial transactions. Like Payoneer etc. Government is simply a fucking oppressing nightmare.
On the border is worse for me how they want to treat my daughter and her beverage and food.
Most traumatic for my daughter that some faggots can simply take you away. But I am glad that with 5 years she trusts nobody in uniform. Hate when people say they are your friends to kids. Fucking no, they are adversaries. Do people have Stockholm syndrome?
However. Relax, the world is sometimes a fucked place, but most things pass and you come out stronger of the situation. Question all ;)
Got it, @vthor. Thank you so much and best of luck to you too. It sounds like you have found a way to get through this, and I will too.
OMG! I just caught up with reading your post. I am so sorry Sharon that this happened to you. I wonder why they stopped you from entering Singapore?
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They said it is a "policy." Unpublished and never was told to me on the last three trips out. I have not had a chance to go to my expat groups, but I will soon to see if I missed this and also to let people know it happened to me. I do not think it was ME so much as that they were looking for it on this day. I will never know I guess.
I saw your votes, @khimgoh - thank you so much! I will get through this newest trial with the help of good friends like you.