Help a writer out?
Help a writer out?
Hi gents, I'm a mid-list thriller author from the States working on a new novel in a series.
I have a few quick questions about a storyline in my upcoming work. Hoping to add a bit more realism. Figured you all where the people to ask.
Hopefully someone here could help? There's a free copy of my past two books in it for anyone interested (can send a Kindle version if you'd like). Or I will name a character after one of you.
The lead character, Ryan, has escaped from Thai authorities after being detained and released in Bangkok for a trumped-up charge involving an arms-dealing general he's investigating.
He's got to leave Thailand, but the police are still holding his passport. He decides to make his way to Cambodia, as that's the more porous border.
--Where could he cross without a passport?
--Could he just walk across a relatively untrafficed border "like he owns the place" without being detained? All macho-swagger and ego? I've talked to some guys that lived in Bangkok and they said people walked across the Trat, Thailand border all the time.
--Is there an option to take a boat to Cambodia from one of the Thai islands?
--Once in Cambodia, what does he do? Head straight to PP? Report a stolen passport at the embassy? How does he explain a missing passport or no record of entering the country?
Just looking for something plausible. I have a pretty decent sized readership with a lot of expats and ex-servicemen and don't want to be called out for a storyline that's wildly wrong. I've been to Cambodia twice but this stuff is all outside my scope of knowledge.
PM me if you want more info. Thanks again.
I have a few quick questions about a storyline in my upcoming work. Hoping to add a bit more realism. Figured you all where the people to ask.
Hopefully someone here could help? There's a free copy of my past two books in it for anyone interested (can send a Kindle version if you'd like). Or I will name a character after one of you.
The lead character, Ryan, has escaped from Thai authorities after being detained and released in Bangkok for a trumped-up charge involving an arms-dealing general he's investigating.
He's got to leave Thailand, but the police are still holding his passport. He decides to make his way to Cambodia, as that's the more porous border.
--Where could he cross without a passport?
--Could he just walk across a relatively untrafficed border "like he owns the place" without being detained? All macho-swagger and ego? I've talked to some guys that lived in Bangkok and they said people walked across the Trat, Thailand border all the time.
--Is there an option to take a boat to Cambodia from one of the Thai islands?
--Once in Cambodia, what does he do? Head straight to PP? Report a stolen passport at the embassy? How does he explain a missing passport or no record of entering the country?
Just looking for something plausible. I have a pretty decent sized readership with a lot of expats and ex-servicemen and don't want to be called out for a storyline that's wildly wrong. I've been to Cambodia twice but this stuff is all outside my scope of knowledge.
PM me if you want more info. Thanks again.
- Lucky Lucan
- K440 Knight Captain
- Reactions: 761
- Posts: 22525
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:24 pm
- Location: The Pearl of the Orient
I can give you all this information but the free copy of your book isn't going to make it buddy. I'd expect at least a decent meal and drinks.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
-
- I've got internet at work
- Reactions: 9
- Posts: 311
- Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2011 2:48 pm
-
- OneTrickPony
- Reactions: 64
- Posts: 1640
- Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2019 12:48 pm
My mate is a plastic surgeon who learnt his trade on Spitfire pilots that got burnt up during the war. He says he's willing to help out for a couple of cases of Black Panther. PM me if interested.
Up the workers!
- bipolar bear
- I have some social problems
- Reactions: 24
- Posts: 587
- Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 11:27 pm
That's an elaborate and slightly novel, no pun intended, alternative of "My "friend" is currently in hiding in Thailand and needs to get the fuck outta Dodge before he gets his collar felt."
- Hot_Pink_Urinal_Mint
- I need professional help
- Reactions: 74
- Posts: 1044
- Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:19 pm
- Location: Right behind you
I believe the OP mainly because he used the term mid-list thriller author. Mid-list is a term that only someone in the business would use.bipolar bear wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:56 amThat's an elaborate and slightly novel, no pun intended, alternative of "My "friend" is currently in hiding in Thailand and needs to get the fuck outta Dodge before he gets his collar felt."
How original. This genre has been well and truly flogged to death over recent years. Perhaps there are some good novels out there but hard to find amongst all the dross.
TheGrimReaper wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:45 pmSlavedog, you do not belong on this forum as you talk too much sense.
-
- I have Cheap Mobile Internet
- Reactions: 0
- Posts: 370
- Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2014 10:41 am
--Where could he cross without a passport?
Easily at poi pet, nobody will question you, ( i did it once a few years ago and than went back the next day) other boarders get in car an never get out, lay down on back seat.
--Could he just walk across a relatively untrafficed border "like he owns the place" without being detained? All macho-swagger and ego? I've talked to some guys that lived in Bangkok and they said people walked across the Trat, Thailand border all the time.
Yep easy to cross none specific borders,(Trat is 90kms to hat lek, where the border is>there are frequent checkpoints but seldom are farangs stopped
--Is there an option to take a boat to Cambodia from one of the Thai islands?
Yep, but not as easy as walking. One could head up to Bo Rai ,( above Chantaburi) and pay a thai to take him across without to much problem
--Once in Cambodia, what does he do? Head straight to PP? Report a stolen passport at the embassy? How does he explain a missing passport or no record of entering the country?
tricky part as no record of him legally leaving thailand or legally entering Cambodia.
Embassy ( US for sure) requires a police report >and even if you get a new passport in ur name you would require an entry stamp issued from the Immigration which you wont get unless you know someone. A passport that can be used to travel on (brought on the black market) goes for over $10,000
Easily at poi pet, nobody will question you, ( i did it once a few years ago and than went back the next day) other boarders get in car an never get out, lay down on back seat.
--Could he just walk across a relatively untrafficed border "like he owns the place" without being detained? All macho-swagger and ego? I've talked to some guys that lived in Bangkok and they said people walked across the Trat, Thailand border all the time.
Yep easy to cross none specific borders,(Trat is 90kms to hat lek, where the border is>there are frequent checkpoints but seldom are farangs stopped
--Is there an option to take a boat to Cambodia from one of the Thai islands?
Yep, but not as easy as walking. One could head up to Bo Rai ,( above Chantaburi) and pay a thai to take him across without to much problem
--Once in Cambodia, what does he do? Head straight to PP? Report a stolen passport at the embassy? How does he explain a missing passport or no record of entering the country?
tricky part as no record of him legally leaving thailand or legally entering Cambodia.
Embassy ( US for sure) requires a police report >and even if you get a new passport in ur name you would require an entry stamp issued from the Immigration which you wont get unless you know someone. A passport that can be used to travel on (brought on the black market) goes for over $10,000
A steak dinner?Lucky Lucan wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2019 11:17 pmI can give you all this information but the free copy of your book isn't going to make it buddy. I'd expect at least a decent meal and drinks.
TheGrimReaper wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:45 pmSlavedog, you do not belong on this forum as you talk too much sense.
Yeah I imagine this line of inquiry sounds dodgy but I'm the real deal. Normally I'd fly in for 'research' which just means buying a bunch of rounds at a border bar, but I've spent most of my 3 book advance. Gotta finish this bad boy to get some money rolling in.
Happy to buy you a few virtual drinks or dinner if you have a Bitcoin address. Or PM for other methods to send cash, I guess.
Is Poipet the most porous, or corrupt border? How does one walk across?
What about crossing via the jungle? There seem to be a ton of roads that cross in eastern Isaan that don't seem to have checkpoints. Dirt roads on Google maps...
Happy to buy you a few virtual drinks or dinner if you have a Bitcoin address. Or PM for other methods to send cash, I guess.
Is Poipet the most porous, or corrupt border? How does one walk across?
What about crossing via the jungle? There seem to be a ton of roads that cross in eastern Isaan that don't seem to have checkpoints. Dirt roads on Google maps...
- Miguelito
- Ordinary Schmo
- Reactions: 219
- Posts: 7053
- Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2015 11:19 pm
- Location: Penh's Hill
--Where could he cross without a passport?
I accidentally crossed into Thailand without any passport check at the border in Pailin (Banpuggard Border Checkpoint). I was in the back of the car and there was some miscommunication and essentially I wasn't paying attention and before I knew it we were a few kms into Thailand. Oops.
Pretty much at any border you can somewhat freely walk back and forth, certainly in Koh Kong (Cham Yeam Check Point). An easy thing to do would be to just kind of casually walk past and if anyone questioned you on the Thai side, say something like "I'm just going to get the right forms from their side to bring my car across", and then on the Cambodian side say something like "I'm just waiting for my friends", dip in to buy a coffee, and then keep going.
--Could he just walk across a relatively untrafficed border "like he owns the place" without being detained? All macho-swagger and ego? I've talked to some guys that lived in Bangkok and they said people walked across the Trat, Thailand border all the time.
I would go with somewhat confident but also somewhat confused. A confidentially confused?
--Is there an option to take a boat to Cambodia from one of the Thai islands?
Technically yes, of course. There is a poster on here that tried to smuggle a jet ski in once by doing that to avoid taxes. I don't think it worked out so well (the empty jetski trailer at the border was a bit of a give away). I'll let him chime in if he wants.
--Once in Cambodia, what does he do? Head straight to PP? Report a stolen passport at the embassy? How does he explain a missing passport or no record of entering the country?
Police report of a bag snatching, passport, pay an agent a big fee to get the stamp? This one is a bit trickier, as you have over stayers of a few years that owe a lot of money, so if there was an easy fix they'd do it.
I accidentally crossed into Thailand without any passport check at the border in Pailin (Banpuggard Border Checkpoint). I was in the back of the car and there was some miscommunication and essentially I wasn't paying attention and before I knew it we were a few kms into Thailand. Oops.
Pretty much at any border you can somewhat freely walk back and forth, certainly in Koh Kong (Cham Yeam Check Point). An easy thing to do would be to just kind of casually walk past and if anyone questioned you on the Thai side, say something like "I'm just going to get the right forms from their side to bring my car across", and then on the Cambodian side say something like "I'm just waiting for my friends", dip in to buy a coffee, and then keep going.
--Could he just walk across a relatively untrafficed border "like he owns the place" without being detained? All macho-swagger and ego? I've talked to some guys that lived in Bangkok and they said people walked across the Trat, Thailand border all the time.
I would go with somewhat confident but also somewhat confused. A confidentially confused?
--Is there an option to take a boat to Cambodia from one of the Thai islands?
Technically yes, of course. There is a poster on here that tried to smuggle a jet ski in once by doing that to avoid taxes. I don't think it worked out so well (the empty jetski trailer at the border was a bit of a give away). I'll let him chime in if he wants.
--Once in Cambodia, what does he do? Head straight to PP? Report a stolen passport at the embassy? How does he explain a missing passport or no record of entering the country?
Police report of a bag snatching, passport, pay an agent a big fee to get the stamp? This one is a bit trickier, as you have over stayers of a few years that owe a lot of money, so if there was an easy fix they'd do it.
-
- OneTrickPony
- Reactions: 64
- Posts: 1640
- Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2019 12:48 pm
To my understanding, the ones that have the money do exactly that. But it's more likely to be an immigration official than an agent.
Up the workers!
Thanks Miguelito.
I like the accidental, bumbling/confused approach. Actually better/more realistic for a 'clueless' Yank character to stumble across mistakenly as it plays against the typical 'arrogant' American stereotype, so that works well for the story.
Two more questions:
Is it possible to bypass border checkpoints all together and go by land through a forest? I know there are rivers separating the two countries in most places but it also look like there's plenty of land borders. Likely no fence? Leftover mines would be interesting.
Finally, once in PP. Where could he stay? I've been to PP once before and stayed in Nagaworld. It was ok but felt like anywhere else in China. Wondering if there is a more atmospheric part of the city to hide out in? St 172?
I like the accidental, bumbling/confused approach. Actually better/more realistic for a 'clueless' Yank character to stumble across mistakenly as it plays against the typical 'arrogant' American stereotype, so that works well for the story.
Two more questions:
Is it possible to bypass border checkpoints all together and go by land through a forest? I know there are rivers separating the two countries in most places but it also look like there's plenty of land borders. Likely no fence? Leftover mines would be interesting.
Finally, once in PP. Where could he stay? I've been to PP once before and stayed in Nagaworld. It was ok but felt like anywhere else in China. Wondering if there is a more atmospheric part of the city to hide out in? St 172?
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 4 Replies
- 2141 Views
-
Last post by Sam lov
Thu Mar 12, 2020 2:25 pm