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Visas can be one of the more stressful parts of travelling. I found this out the hard way when applying for a Chinese visa in Chiang Mai, Thailand. They are expensive, take up a large amount of space in a rapidly filling passport and if all does not go according to plan, can end up forcing changes to your trip you did not wish to make. After reading online that the Chiang Mai visa office was quick and easy to deal with, I made the choice that this is where my girlfriend and I would apply for the visa. After arriving on the overnight train from Ayutthaya, we dropped our bags off at the hostel and made our way through the old city to the Chinese Consulate, located just outside the South Gate.
We arrived at 08:45, 15 minutes before the office was due to open. There was already a sizable queue at this time. We went through security, made our way to the office, picked up our lengthy form and started filling them out. They wanted to know everything. Every step we planned to make, how long we would be in each place and so on. At this point, I was thankful that I had a vague plan made out for the country. We were applying for a multiple entry visa, this would allow us to leave for Hong Kong and then re-enter, a total stay of just under 7 weeks. Nothing I had read online suggested that this would not be possible, so it was the best option for us.
As we were filling out the form, the first red flag cropped up. At the counter was a German girl, she was planning, from what I overheard, to go from Chiang Mai to Laos for a couple of days. Then she planned to travel overland to China to spend a few days there, before taking a flight home. She was being told she would have to apply for the visa in Laos. Something which was not possible with the number of days she wished to spend there. This was a worry for us, as we were planning on doing similar, with a lot longer in China of course.
We went ahead with our original application, took a number and waited. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long before our number was called. We handed in our forms and passports and stood there waiting. The official read through our forms extensively asking questions about our plans. All going well so far. Then she asked for proof of each place we were staying and proof we were leaving the country. The first of many bombshells, these plans were open to change and nothing was booked. She told us to go back, book it all, bring in proof of these bookings and all would be good. The visa office closes at 11:30, so we would have to return the next day. This was not a problem. The visa only takes 4 days to process, so we would still get it the same week before we were due to leave for Laos.
We walked back to the hostel, stopping for breakfast, a delicious Khao Soi, and proceeded to book 7 weeks worth of hostels. This was going to really limit our options for the country, having so much set in stone. We went through our original plan, changing parts of the trip with little consideration as we booked our accommodation. We found a flight out of the country. August 5th to the Philippines, just under 7 weeks later as our application said. A lot of money spent but it was all done. Now, all stressed out and pretty tired, we had no choice but to wait until the next day. With more than half the day already over, we went back to the internet cafe that we had visited earlier when photocopying our passport and Thai entry stamp. We printed out the huge stack of bookings to save time the next morning.
Bright and early the next morning, we walked back across the city to the consulate. Met by a similar queue as the day before, we waited. We went through the usual proceedings, took two new forms and started writing. We filled in the new itinerary, attached what was needed and took a number. Finally, we were called to the desk by the same woman as the day previous. She asked questions, looked over everything and told us to take a seat.
Two hours went by, waiting to be summoned. The chaos in the room constantly building with certain people going to the desk at every opportunity to ask questions, interrupting people mid-sentence if needed. Long after the office should have been closed we got the call to return to the window. We were met by an older woman, presumably a supervisor or manager. The woman we originally dealt with was standing over her shoulder, this was not good.
Again, questions were asked. Why didn’t I have a job? Why did we need multiple entries? and so on. Then she hit us with the news. As it was our first time applying for a Chinese visa, multiple entries and a visa for the length of stay we had just booked was not possible. Fantastic. I asked why, after looking through our application the previous day, where we told to book everything if we couldn’t get the visa we asked for. As in most cases when dealing with people in this position, I was met with a blank look. It seemed she couldn’t care less.
As anger levels began to rise, I stood back so my girlfriend could try to reason with the woman. The official told her she could then give us a multiple entry visa but for only 15 days at a time. This was no good for us, as the flight out of China was a lot later than this date. She then told us we could extend our visa at any police station in China, she was sure of this. A word in the ear from the woman behind her, she then told us she was wrong and this was not possible. What were we dealing with, I was beginning to wonder.
After what seemed like an age, going back and forth, we reached what seemed like a best-case scenario. A 20-day visa. This would give us enough time to get to Hong Kong. There we could apply and pay for the second visa and hopefully finish our trip in China, making our way to Shanghai for our flight out of the country. Blood boiling at this stage, I accepted. We were not getting a better offer. Then we were hit with the last little dig. After seeing people all morning being told to come back Friday to pick up their passports, we were given a little slip saying to return the following Tuesday, 6 working days later.
These unexpected days that we had to spend in Chiang Mai seriously messed up our time in Laos. We needed to be in China by a certain date and now our time in Laos had been almost halved. Not good for a country with roads so bad it takes an age to get from place to place. We had no choice though. All we could do was rearrange or time in Laos as best we could and make the most out of a bad situation. We also would have to spend longer than the planned four days in Hong Kong, so as to allow time to get the visa. I am sure this isn’t exactly a bad thing, even if it is potentially the most expensive place of the entire 8-month trip. All going well, it will only be Xiamen, China that we miss out on because of this.
We collected our visas, everything went as well as it could. We got what we were told we were getting, no more nasty surprises. After this experience, I would seriously struggle to recommend this is a good place to get a visa. It seemed like they made up the rules as they were going along. Why did they have such an issue with the German girl not applying for her visa in Laos? Yet nothing was mentioned about this to us. Why were we told a multiple entry visa was not possible on your first trip to China? Only for it then to be offered to us with fewer days. It made little sense to me. All going well, we will get our second visa in Hong Kong stress-free and continue our trip to China. If not, well, we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
If you have had any dealings with applying for a Chinese visa in Chiang Mai or from anywhere else, leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!!!
Whilst getting a visa for China was a complicated, stressful experience, getting a visa for Thailand was quite the opposite. Read a detailed guide to getting a Thai visa by clicking here.
Alternatively, why not read about my time in China. It is safe to say that this was only the start of the stress. You can do so by clicking here.
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This was a huge pain in the ass but totally do-able hopefully this post is helpful if your after a visa for China.