Woes of a Sri Lankan passport holder

The one place that I can go to without needing a visa is.... *drumroll*... Sri Lanka. Well Singapore too, but I'm already here. And I want to leave, which is the cause for all the frustration and chaos that I'm about to rant about :p
I know I bring this on myself by constantly planning adventures in unexplored territory, but I think I may have gone overboard this last month. This is what my travel itinerary looks like right now:

26-30th Nov: Thailand
11th Dec- 3th Jan: Sri Lanka
15-21st Dec: India
Late Jan 2010: Malaysia
Mid February 2010: Cambodia

I need visa for all of the above, except Sri Lanka. I also need additional security clearance for Cambodia. And I had to pay $35 for visa to India and go through hell, when it can be done for 500 rupees in Sri Lanka.

Other gripes: I was planning to go to Vietnam, but the visa costs US$100. I need a never-ending list of documents and a hefty bank account balance to get visa to go to the UK (yeah, the Schengen visa doesn't cut it). Bali will probably never happen because I need a person in Jakarta to sponsor me. And I was still harassed in Amsterdam though I had the visa and everything else they asked for when I went to Europe in May. A friend can't get Thai visa because his EP expires in 4 months and they require a minimum of 6 months, again because he has a Sri Lankan passport. And I haven't even begun listing all the forms I have to fill, certification I need to show, letters from sponsors/bosses/banks/insurance companies I have to get to prove I'm not a terrorist. Gah!

I hate my passport.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What if you're a Singapore PR?

Amri said...

Wendyyy! Hallo :D How've you been??
PR makes no difference babe, because my passport is still a Sri Lankan one :(

Katy Kat said...

I feel ur pain Amriii. But a UK visa is quite easy to get.. If u hav someone there to give u a sponsor letter. But it doesnt prevent THAT side from questioning u. Can u belive i was actually DETAINED at UK immigration!! Hullo! Do i look like a terrorist?? I dont even look legal! Grrrr