THE LAOS VISA HOLIDAY

After previously extending our tourist visas, it was approaching the time for me to leave Thailand and reenter on an official working visa (Sarah had been back to England for a wedding and so had solved her visa problems). Having been told that the easiest place to do this was at the Thai Embassy in Laos, I met up with my friend Ben who was in a similar situation for the much hassled visa run. The plan: get in, get out, and spend as little money as possible. Of course, things don’t always go as planned.

The Arc de Triomphe of Vientiane: Patuxai Arch

GUEST POST BY CORINNE KEMP: MY THAILAND HOSPITAL VISIT

*WARNING: this post contains graphic imagery that some audiences may find disturbing!*

When your really good friend comes all the way to Thailand to visit you, your main aim is to show them the time of their life, not end up with them in the hospital. Incredibly, when Corinne had an allergic reaction to her mosquito bites, she somehow managed to laugh about it, still visiting every tourist attraction and partying up to drunkenly boarding the plane at Bangkok airport. Before heading to the hospital we spent some time googling what on earth was wrong and found very little help or advice on what we should actually do. Allergic reactions to mosquito bites are not uncommon and if you ever need a doctor in Bangkok, Corinne is proof that it’s not something to be scared about…

Due to a combination of alcohol consumption, weak insect repellent and hours spent chatting on a beach in Koh Phi Phi, I managed to accumulate over 100 mosquito bites on my legs. Insect bites are irritating and unsightly for all who are unfortunate enough to get bitten, but in my case I found that I am quite allergic to mosquito bites – so much so that my feet swelled to 3 times their original size. I was cankles galore! And the bites did not look too good either.