B737 FLC CHALLENGE SVMI CTLR ABOUT VECTORS HDGS FOR APCH. PIC REQUESTS VISUAL WHEN HDG VERIFICATION ARE NOT CORRECTLY RESPONDED TOO.

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NIGHT VFR ARRIVAL IN SVMI. AT 15 NM N; WE WERE GIVEN A RADAR VECTOR OF 250 DEG FOR THE VOR 09 APCH. AT APPROX 10 NM NW WE WERE TOLD TO TURN R TO A HEADING OF 210 DEG. I REQUESTED CONFIRMATION OF THE DIRECTION BY ASKING 'DO YOU MEAN TO TURN R THE LONG WAY TO 210.' SILENCE WAS THE REPLY. I THEN ASKED AGAIN AND THE REPLY WAS 'TURN TO 210 DEG.' NO INDICATION OF THE DIRECTION. WE THEN STATED THAT WE WERE TURNING L TO 210. AFTER A SHORT TIME; WE WERE AGAIN DIRECTED TO TURN R; THIS TIME TO 160 ALONG WITH DESCEND TO 2000 FT AND CLRED FOR THE VOR 09 APCH. AS WE WERE NOW TOO CLOSE TO SHOOT THE VOR AS PUBLISHED AND DID NOT HAVE TIME TO WORK OUT THE DIRECTION OF TURN AGAIN; WE REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 09. IT WAS APPROVED AND WE WERE HANDED TO TWR AT APPROX 5 NM. THE LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. I OFTEN ENCOUNTER SIMILAR PROBS IN THIS REGION OF THE WORLD. I AM NOT SURE THAT THE CTLR EVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT HE WAS TELLING US TO TURN THE WRONG WAY. SVMI HAS SOME HIGH TERRAIN VERY CLOSE TO FINAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED HE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM COMPANY THAT THEY INITIATED CONCERNED COORD WITH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC GOV OFFICIALS.