“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings”
William Shakespere, Julius Caesar
That was a wonderful article, but my question remains the same. Who are we going after? It seems that millions would have to be complicit in this mass death scheme. Perhaps they are just following orders from the big boss man. Perhaps some just look the other way. Then you have the sadistic bastards running the whole thing.
I'm sure some of my regular readers were expecting a visa update regarding my husband and our thus far five years attempt to get him to the USA. I'll give it.
Last week the US Embassy asked for more documents, which is a 221 (g) request. I am going to use 221G from this point forward to mean the same thing: the visa is denied until you submit whatever shit we are asking for. 221G is a favorite tactic of Thais, it seems.
At first their 221G was for more recent visa photos of my husband, but then they asked later in the day for my husband's proof of name change certificate and the certified English translation of such. The second one seemed like an odd request as I sent them that shit years ago and none of it had changed.
Being a 221G (VISA DENIED!) obviously I went looking through my bag for this stuff. I carry practically all of my valuable worldly possessions in Jasmine's backpack which I take everywhere with me at this point. Mostly it is a laptop and a phone book sized stack of legal documents.
I found the certified English translation of Ka's name change certificate from Sarika to Wissutipong in 1994 very quickly. Due to different agencies often needing completely different documents I don't keep Thai originals and certified English translations in the same place in my bag. For example if I am enrolling my daughter in school in the USA or trying to get her US passport, authorities there care about the certified English translation of Oh's death certificate exclusively. Meanwhile if I am dealing with Thai immigration to extend my visa, say, they only care about the Thai language originals of everything.
I could not find the original copy in Thai language of Ka's name change certificate. Several very important documents were missing, like my husband’s original birth certificate, my birth certificate, his military documents, and this name change certificate. I thought I might have left this stack somehow at Kuhn Dam's house, so I sent the US Embassy a photocopy of the Ka's name change certificate along with the certified English translation of it.
I tracked the package which was delivered on Black Friday. Despite the US Embassy being technically open that day I left the issue be over the weekend. I did not hear anything back from them.
Of course I called the visa office to inquire a few days ago. I'm getting to a point where I do not have time to lose.
Here's where it gets weird.
As soon as the lady on the phone had the case number (BNK2020727003), my name and my husband's birthday she asked me why the US Embassy had not sent me a receipt of reception of documents. What the hell is that? The only things I ever get back from the US Embassy are 221Gs!
So no, the US Embassy has never once acknowledged that I sent them anything, except as a means to tell me that some shit I sent is messed up and to tell me what else I need to send them to fix it.
The lady went through the usual blabbity blah of timelines cannot be guaranteed we can rescind change our rules or fuck up your life plans at any time we want to stuff. Then I asked her so okay, hypothetically if my husband gets his visa stamp they would be mailing it back to Phuket then? She blew me away with what she said next.
"Well that technically depends on what your arrangement with the US Embassy is, whether you've chosen mail or pickup delivery or..."
Rewind that. Mail or PICKUP delivery? You mean like the US Embassy in Bangkok telling me to my face a few weeks ago that there was no passport pickup option, despite us not having a valid address in Thailand? You mean like that?
I got off the phone with this visa woman. I double and triple checked my AmySukwan@gmail.com to see if I had received any type of message from the US Embassy. Nope. Then I had the thought to check my GenevieveHawkins@gmail.com address. I have no idea why the US Embassy would have this one, but I might have listed it as Ka's email a long time ago.
And there it was. Bingo! Another 221G!
To summarize they said please note that all documents must be original copies. Since I only sent them a photocopy of Ka’s name change certificate in Thai language that I thought cleared five years ago, that was not acceptable. Please note that this came to a backup email address ONLY, which I didn't even know the US Embassy had and which I normally do not check regularly.
I understand their tactic now. They’re running out the clock on Christmas. They're not going to say no directly because some God forsaken bastard might have to put their name on the line directly if they did so. It’s so much easier to hide behind the blob of administrative bullshit. Everybody is accountable, so nobody is.
It’s so easy for them to say "Well we sent you an email!" at an email address you are not known to check regularly requiring some technical thing which delays things by however many days or months, now isn't it?
Please note that my daughters are both flying into Las Vegas for Christmas. I have missed my older daughter's high school graduation (her middle school one where she was valedictorian was shut down due to "Covid"), my younger daughter's elementary school graduation, and FOUR of my older daughter's birthdays all due to this shit. And before you start screaming but that means you’re a bad mother (my title is Worst Mother in the World) I’ve also left my husband 8 times and have been seperated from him for a total of two years over this also. Is there a point where keeping the family separated starts looking like a blatant human rights violation? I think we're well past that.
Have I been targeted for things I have written on Substack? I think so. I'll bring forward my case.
I'm going to go through a short list (this is a short list. My mind keeps on thinking of things to add as soon as I write something down) of some of the various oddities that have come up especially in the past year. All or most of which can be written off as unrelated disputes, not my department, dolts botching shit, or some other thing:
We got kicked out of our old bungalow in Phuket, where we had stayed for 5 years, due to an unresolved land dispute issue. In order to rush us out the door our electricity was cut off, then our dogs (and quite likely our cats) were poisoned, our chickens disappeared, then towards the end barbed wire fence was put around the property. The bungalow was torn apart piece by piece presumably for scrap metal and every single thing of value was stripped from it by unknown parties. I believe police pressure was put on Ka's brother due to his (illegal) yaba habit and that a possible honeypot lady was added to facilitate the process. Two motorbikes and dozens of buddha amulets were stolen by him.
Around that same time my marriage visa to stay in Thailand was mysteriously cancelled. Because of this I am forced to leave Thailand, often on so called visa runs, on an insanely regular basis.
I am usually stopped at Thai immigration when I return to Thailand. Last time in coming from Singapore I was held for two hours until I was able to show proof of having a forward ticket to leave the country before my next visa expiry at the end of December. I was verbally told at that time that I cannot have any more visa stamps to remain in Thailand after that point.
Since I have a Thai husband I obviously tried to clear things on the whole visa to remain in Thailand because I'm with my husband thing. It turns out his house registration address is no longer valid! Apparently the old landlady sold some or part of the land and the old address is with a new property manager.
We tried to work this out with our old landlady, which seemed to go okay until an unnamed "big boss" swooped in. At which point we were told to go. No mail or documents or anything can be kept there anymore or it will be thrown in the trash. All mail will be returned to sender.
Back in the old USSA, my most popular substack post was one entitled Black Suburbans, regarding my attempt to sell some things on eBay for spare cash and being banned from ever buying or selling on that website. It also involved a nefarious undertow at Chime bank.
My husband was, literally, roughed up and dragged away by what I think was a hitman one night in Kathu. Now the man did apologize for it, it was treated as dolts botching shit and I have a good opinion generally of the people in Kathu. But that's not the type of thing that makes one feel at ease.
Attempts by me to get work, sell books, post on social media or otherwise advertise myself and my story are routinely ignored with zero engagement. People have told me that text messages have not gone through. Facebook messages often do not go through. It's common for emails to not go through. Sometimes even physical mail doesn't go through, though thankfully that has thus far been more of the return to sender problem listed above.
Attempts to engage with the wider legal immigration community, especially regarding class action lawsuits against the Covid jabs still required for US immigration, are routinely ignored even on say OPEN THREADS CALLING FOR SUCH PEOPLE ON TWITTER! Subversion much? Hello we're right here. Hello? Hello? Hi.
So you tell me if I'm being paranoid here. We are living in a tent and have no address, unless you count the perfectly good one in Las Vegas that my husband keeps on getting 221Gd over. Both me and Ka asked about the restaurant we stay around too, as in if it was for rent or what was going on with it. The story there has mysteriously changed a few times too. The first time they told us that the real owner was coming back in the high season. Then we had to clear out because somebody wants to make it into a restaurant again. Then the story changed and the restaurant is not for sale or rent to anybody. This is despite the fact that there is nowhere where you can buy anything in this national park, so being close to the only public bathroom and shower you could sell practically anything in here and have a robust business. Vague things were once again said about a big boss man.
How many people in Thailand in positions of power did I piss off? Who did I not fuck who thought that they needed me to fuck them? And how many in America, for that matter? I'd say the actual number is not that large and most downhill are just following orders from the big boss man. Small egos get bruised easily and these people have been empowered to make your life a living hell over it.
Perhaps this is why I am forced, again and again, to appeal to the humanity of the midwits. Are we all underlings?
Thankfully I found the original of Ka’s name change certificate, in a pack that had been somehow set aside at Kuhn Dam’s house. Everything which had been left at the old address was going to be thrown out soon if we hadn’t grabbed it. I also found my University transcripts and my social security card and a bunch of other things which I would have definitely not thrown out. So the US Embassy has a new package coming. Until the next 221G.
This song is my attempt to keep it lighthearted. I think the reason my humorous meme posts are resonating so well lately is because we all feel so stripped of agency, staring down a massive Leviathon of rules, restrictions and regulations. And that’s when those top down orders aren’t actively killing people.
I still have a pass for Area 51. I’m sure it was a joke thing, purchased in a gift shop, which was kept with the possessions of my Uncle Josh. Sure it was.
Legal action might be necessary. But who do you sue or kill? It’s a broader problem.
Dear god! Can't you just get a new husband or move to a different planet or something? Seems easier...
Amy, when I read your stacks I think: Amy is so intelligent and writes so well. Amy is so patient and keeps her cool over all these things that would have caused me to break down. I wonder how you can continue on and not give up. Tell me.....the buddhas....who did they belong to? Is your husband a buddhist? Do you believe in God? The God of the Bible? If so, do you pray to Him and ask Him for help? God says in His Word that we are not to have other gods or idols and I would consider little buddha figures to be idols. I hop things go better for you both.