In a fantastic departure from the way that nationalism (as a concept of nationhood, not a political system) was traditionally explained, Benedict Anderson posited that nations are nations because we, collectively, decided to believe in them as nations. It’s easy to see the logic in that as you travel around Southeast Asia. While the ethnic … read the full post

Update June 5, 2013: The India Passport & Visa Services Centre is scheduled to permanently close on July 5, 2013. An official there told us that from that date on, visas will be processed at the actual India embassy on Soi Sukhumvit 23. We went to the embassy to double check, however, and when we … read the full post

Due to Chiang Mai’s location and its role as the kingdom’s second city visitors often expect more substantial consular presences in Chiang Mai than there actually are. Yes, it’s close to Burma and Laos, for example, but neither have consulates here. And while it’s nowhere near it, Austria has a consulate — but, say, Switzerland … read the full post

Ignore all of the touts in Khao San Road and don’t worry about finding a travel agent to process your visa to Vietnam — it’s insanely easy to get by yourself (and cheaper). You will need: two passport photos (available on the way to the embassy), the visa form itself (available here, or at the … read the full post

Updated May 27, 2013: Getting a visa for Burma (Myanmar) in Bangkok can seem difficult as there is a lot of conflicting information out there, but the process isn’t quite as hard as some would have you believe. Getting the visa is fairly straightforward, but making sure that you have all of the necessary documents … read the full post