The passport renewal issue was giving me a massive headache.  While in Kazahstan exploring this brand new world I also used the help of AI to try and sort out this increasingly complicated bureaucratic mess I'm in.

To summarize:  originally I planned to renew my passport at the Canada Embassy in Abu Dhabi.  I would pay extra fees to keep the existing passport while exchanging for the new one which would arrive in Bangkok about 4-6 weeks later.  Yes it really takes that long with my country, what a disgrace.  To make matters worse, the Canadian government expects you to put your life on hold in whatever country you're in while this processing takes place.  Passports are mailed to and from the head office in Canada.  There is no passport printing office overseas.  This can be cirumvented if you ask to retain your current passport and travel while waiting.  Or you might be able to apply for a temporary passport as I have done before.  

But my plan was kaiboshed when the consular officer saw my passport and claimed there was 'water damage' on the cover page.  This means you lose the right to retain your passport while the renewal is processed.  I was actually lucky they still let me keep it to travel and I could prove it with my flight ticket!

Here's the crazy part:  such 'water damage' had gone unnoticed for years.  Or had it?  Maybe it was recent?  Then it hit me, I think the incident occured when I was flying out of Taiwan. 

Due to another ridiculous policy, airlines will check and double check your passport against your boarding pass at the gate.  So I had a coffee in one hand, a passport and boarding pass in the other and trying to navigate bags, crowds, and queues.  My best guess is at some point things mixed the wrong way in all the shuffle and coffee got onto the passport.

But even so, with this 'damaged passport', I could still go through the AI-managed gates in and out of the UAE and this never even caused an issue

We can make cases all day long but regretably this is the situation I find myself in.  On top of that, I had applied for a 6-month multiple entry tourist visa for Thailand earlier (60-day stays at a time)  and it was rejected.  Thailand also changed the visa exemption rules so you only get 30-days on arrivals now.  This would make it very difficult to apply for a passport renewal that my country insists on taking 6 weeks to do. 

So I went for a bike ride and tried to assess all these options in my head on what I could do:  it was a balancing act of which places cost the most to stay, how long in advance to book an appointment at my Embassies, and the visa policies of the host country.  In the end I made some sort of plan but I realized that ChatGPT would be a lot more helpful than just me alone.

🔥 Current Risk Level: High

You are now traveling with:

• A potentially invalidated passport (if water damage was logged)

• Very few blank pages left

• A visa denial from Thailand (adds uncertainty)

• A high likelihood of a future customs agent refusing entry or stamping if the passport looks damaged or full

🧭 Best Path Forward: Passport First, Then Visa

We need to prioritize getting a new passport ASAP before more travel, even if it slows you down temporarily. Here's a streamlined plan:

A plan was presented based on all the information that I fed AI as well as my own plans and wishes for how this would go.

As always you end up "negotiating" with AI and constantly fact-checking because they make mistakes all the time.  For example ChatGPT referenced some old information that said Thailand issues 60-day stamps at the border.  I told AI, "No I'm sorry you are wrong.  The information you gave me it outdated.  Thailand just changed their visa rules and you can see it here."  ChatGPT then 'apologized' and fact-checked my own fact checking.  This is how humans and AI learn together.  We learn with and from each other!

I then said, "The plan you're presenting also relies too much on motorized transport.  I am primarily a bicycle rider and I'll be damned if I don't get to ride bikes on this trip as there hasn't been much of it."  More and more negotiations followed then a plan of nearly six options was stacked.

*****

Plan A:  Renew the passport in Kuala Lumpur but it becomes clear that without a confirmed appointment — and with the embassy closed for Easter — the odds of a successful walk-in are slim to none. The hassle of KL transport, combined with a tight layover window, makes it an inefficient gamble.   That plan is retired.

Plan D:  Consider Singapore, realistically, it poses too much risk.  Yes you can get an appointment very quickly at the Embassy, but strict immigration officers for Singapore, extra border checks, and high living costs make it the wrong fit for a passport renewal tied to a document with possible damage.  That plan also kaiboshed

That leaves me with the plan I now feel most aligned with — a route that blends strategy with soul:

✅ Plan B: Thailand + Koh Samui + Bangkok Embassy

• I’ll be flying into Hat Yai, Thailand on April 23, entering via air, important due to updated Thai visa exemption rules — 30 days by air, max two land entries per year.      (Thank you AI for getting the correct updated info)

• From there, I’ll bike along the coast to Songkhla, Sichon, and ultimately Koh Samui — where I’ll spend a few restful days with a friend.

• On April 28, I fly to Bangkok and attend my passport renewal appointment at the Canadian Embassy on April 29 (with a backup slot booked for May 1).

• If all goes well, I’ll surrender my current passport, request a temporary passport (to legally extend my Thai stay beyond 30 days), and pick up the new one in 6 weeks.

• I’ve drafted a formal request letter for a temporary passport and will carry supporting documents proving the need for legal ID while waiting.

In case the embassy won’t process my renewal due to the short stay window, I’ve booked a Vietnam embassy appointment for May 2 as a fail-safe backup. I already have a visa for Vietnam, and it’s a good Plan C if Bangkok falls through.

As for the old 6-month Thai visa I applied for — I’ve decided to abandon it. Even if it had been approved, it would be tied to a passport I’m about to retire, and transferring it would be messy and uncertain. I may request a refund, or forfeit the cost as the price of peace.

The truth is, the sooner I land in Thailand, the faster I can relax. That country still has healing power for me. The only reason I left recently was to finalize a new job contract, then swing by Kazakhstan to see my brother via Abu Dhabi.  And hey, I even reconnected with an African woman while in Dubai.   This reminded me that I’m still living, breathing, and evolving.

Now it’s time to get back to the place where I feel most myself.  Where the food is good.The people don’t stress you out.And the beaches are soft enough to reset a hard year.

Let the journey continue.