The Trouble at Airport-Final Chapter

I told the investigating officer that both cards carry limit of $5000 in aggregate or approx. 1, 50,000 Thai Baht which would be sufficient to survive in the country in any condition.

I gave this statement without any study or analysis about the cost of living of the country. This is show of inexperience or overconfidence of a backpacker trip being economical.

He again insisted to prove the credit limit of cards, on which I replied that it would be difficult for me to prove limit here as it is impossible to do so without internet connectivity or document.

This was the time I was in a state of anger, frustrated and thinking that why had I come to this place.

I was almost hopeless in this situation and was thinking to ask cop to contact Indian embassy at Thailand to look into the matter.

I asked him to tell next course of action, on which he told that he will verify my passport and will take picture of mine along with all my documents so that it can be keep in their records if I commit any nuisance.

I saw him taking pictures of few more passengers before my turn and reasons for all of them were different. As I observed that, the security team at airport were taking pictures of those passengers who were masterpieces of this planet. Like three guys from India turned up with the currency which is acceptable “globally” and that was Indian rupee. The cop fired verbally on them by asking those guys about their backup plans if currency exchange centers are closed in the country due to emergency conditions and the currency which they were carrying are not acceptable here. This definitely shows that people make mockery of themselves.

The cop took picture of all three of them and in a position that they had to hold money in their hands and stand in front of camera like prisoners.

Another probable masterpiece was me as I heard people saying that “who goes to Thailand alone as it a place meant to go along with friends” and I was going all alone so as to setup a benchmark of my own.

Nevertheless, I was ready for photograph and I saw that the cop was bringing camera for photograph. But suddenly they started having chat and they decided to let me go without any photograph.

I couldn’t understand, that what happened in a flash of second that they changed their minds since couple of seconds back they were investigating me like a suspected and now they are letting me go without any photograph or verification.

It was like winning battle for me and at the same time it was good experience of handling cop outside India.

He handed over my documents and asked me to proceed to the Visa counter. I collected all the documents and moved out of the room. I didn’t wanted to waste any second there and give him another chance to investigate more. Before leaving he asked me to fill up a form wherein details of flight, hotels, contact number, passport details, my signature was captured. I did it without any objection.

But as I was about to leave the room, he called my name and as I turned back, he asked me “Do you know this man?” and pointed his finger towards the person sitting on the bench in the hall.