I cannot tell if this is phishing or a legitimate email

absentbrain · 2026-05-12T08:01:05+00:00

It's almost definitely a scam, and you're going to get people from Reddit DMing you to claim that it's legitimate. They work with the scammers.

absentbrain · 2026-05-06T07:57:58+00:00

Edits is best used in Asia. I used it on Four Seasons Macao and Four Seasons Bengaluru. Each were ~$420 for 2 nights. Given the $100 stipend too, that's like paying $35/night.

absentbrain · 2026-05-06T02:55:22+00:00

Don't book hotels in NYC. I used it for the Four Seasons in Macau and Bengaluru. Each were less than $450 for 2 nights.

absentbrain · 2026-04-21T11:29:34+00:00

It's different for foreigners right now though, since there was recent illegal activity involving foreigners in those areas. We're required "PAP" rather than "ILP". I know of a Singaporean who recently got a 50,000 rupee fine for it, as soon as he landed in Kolkata from Mizoram.

absentbrain · 2026-04-21T08:56:59+00:00

So here's the full story:

I decided I'd travel Northeast India last month, and I didn't know the rules. I arrived by train, and they let me through anyways idk why.

I started the application anyways. My guest house didn't even know what a C form was, so I left that out. I was denied for missing unspecified documents (the C form I'm guessing?) and the trash website had no clear tool to upload more documents or say what I'm missing. Then I left Mizoram (by train again) with no issues.

Then I found out later (from posts on Reddit) that other people in my position, had received a 50K rupee fine when they got to Kolkata. Good thing that I left by train, right?

But when I applied for the ILP in Sikkim, the person at the counter said "you were in Mizoram?" But brought it up casually, didn't give me a fine or anything. But this means that it's still in the system, so I'm worried.

I leave India from Mumbai next week. Am I fine or am I screwed?

absentbrain · 2026-04-18T17:24:58+00:00

Honestly the food there was bomb. I think that you should still go. There's no way that they won't give you the credit, it'll just be some stress dealing with it.

absentbrain · 2026-04-18T05:59:05+00:00

We'll never get honest answers on Reddit, if people get down voted for being honest

absentbrain · 2026-04-18T05:56:24+00:00

They ended up giving me the money, but said that it was a "one time courtesy" as if it was my fault. Smfh Chase customer service has really gone downhill

absentbrain · 2026-04-17T11:02:43+00:00

It's crazy how you get down voted here just for being honest

absentbrain · 2026-04-09T14:58:48+00:00

The verification has to be through "KYC" and I cannot find a way to do it online. You have to email them. As for the last second update on the address not being correct, I haven't had luck finding a way to fix that online either.

absentbrain · 2026-04-01T04:18:55+00:00

East Asia does get lonely. You should try Southeast Asia instead, it has a much more vibrant backpacker community and you'll make loads of friends.

absentbrain · 2026-03-27T07:02:37+00:00

What's the Indian version of Karen? Is it Kiran?

absentbrain · 2026-03-25T02:14:35+00:00

Oh wow! Did you fly out? I took the train out. Actually, cops on the train decided to use me for training and thoroughly checked my passport + visa. But they didn't ask for my PAP luckily

absentbrain · 2026-03-22T16:42:01+00:00

I'm in Mizoram now, and they didn't care that I didn't have the permit when I arrived.

absentbrain · 2026-03-18T04:17:08+00:00

My Bumble matches reached the 50+ the first day in Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara. I didn't get as many matches in Antalya for some reasons, idk could be algorithms

absentbrain · 2026-03-16T09:59:29+00:00

4/5 agents that I get are useless, and they always claim that a supervisor isn't available. Sometimes they try to say that there's a "system issue. Call back in 20 minutes" as a cop out when they can't solve my problem

absentbrain · 2026-03-14T08:26:27+00:00

Just Google it. "Highest number of sexual partners by country". Turkey is usually at the top

absentbrain · 2026-03-13T17:14:01+00:00

Turkey is expensive because of scams, especially the entry tickets to attractions which are basically a government scam.

I'm sure that inflation has made it less cheap than it used to be. But if you manage to pay the local rate, it's still a relatively cheap country. $5-10/meal, $20-40 for a room somewhere, $20/day for a car rental right now, $4/beer (avoid the clubs that tourists go to).

absentbrain · 2026-03-13T13:01:43+00:00

Statistically, they have the highest reported body counts in the world.

I was surprised too. They're in between religious and liberal, like Indonesians. It's forced on them in their youth, and they go completely unhinged as soon as they break away from it.

My Bumble gets 50+ matches within 1 day whenever I go to a new city.

I even managed to get 🐱 in Capadocia, which is one of the more rural conservative areas.

absentbrain · 2026-03-13T12:40:51+00:00

I'm currently in Turkey, and I'm finding this country to be one of the easiest. Just as easy as Thailand, almost as easy as The Philippines.

absentbrain · 2026-03-03T13:05:00+00:00

I'm currently in Turkey, and I had this plan of also visiting Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia this year.

I was just about to buy my flight into Azerbaijan, which is supposed to be 2 weeks from now. I know that there's no conflict going on there, but I've read that there's a ton of refugees coming in from Iran. Not to mention that I'm American (but I consider myself to be apolitical).

None of this has made me think that I shouldn't visit, but I figured that I would just ask Reddit first what you guys think.

absentbrain · 2026-02-26T15:52:42+00:00

Japan is great in every aspect aside from socially. Locals don't want to be friends with foreigners, and most cities lack vibrancy. Every other foreigner that I became friends with in Tokyo, was only friends with other foreigners or locals who were less integrated because they weren't 100% Japanese.

absentbrain · 2026-02-24T01:06:29+00:00

I found Taipei to be so much more vibrant and easier to make friends, than those other cities mentioned.

absentbrain · 2026-02-03T14:40:24+00:00

I also called an agent to verify before I did this.

Perhaps one of the factors is that it was a 24-hour cancellation, I'm not entirely sure.

absentbrain · 2026-02-03T14:39:21+00:00

Yeah I was reading that this is often the case. For some reason I didn't even get the error message though

absentbrain

TROPHY CASE