The Secretive Thai Embassy

The Thai Embassy is either on the 41st or the 44th floor of the Scotia Plaza in downtown Toronto (depending on which website you read). It isn't listed on the directory computer in the entrance, and at the security desk I was instructed to go to the "Plus One" courier office just outside the building. The courier office? The Thai embassy cannot be visited "for security reasons," but the couriers have two messages taped to the wall about getting Visa applications from them (the couriers), returning Visa applications to them, their delivery of Visa applications to the Thai embassy, and picking up Visas from the couriers after three working days ... What an incredibly weird relationship. In any case, I've pretty much decided I'm not going to get a Visa - a Canadian can get a 30 day Visa on entry into the country, and the only reason I would get a Visa here is to get one that would be valid for 60 days. Even that's not much of a reason, as you pay an almost meaninglessly small per day fine at the border if you overstay your Visa.

Adventure Travel (a division of Travel Cuts) found me an open ticket to Bangkok for about $2400 CAN, much better than anything I've found online. It also solves one of my dilemnas: open tickets I'd seen online were very expensive ($4500 US!), but a one way ticket wouldn't meet the official (but apparently not frequently enforced) requirement of proof of onward travel (ie. "prove you're going to leave again"). I hope to look into other sources for the flight tomorrow, and book in a day or two.