VISA RUN TO POI PET CASINO

[kohchaiBKK]

VISA RUN TO POI PET

 

I forget sometimes that Thailand is not a very wealthy country. The effects of the economic recession are still evident, and crime has gone up. Compared to Cambodia, though, Thailand is rich.

Before I go on, let me say that I have been coming to Thailand since the mid-eighties, and have never had a problem. Never even had a close call, despite walking through areas at night that others have warned me to avoid. I like going “off the beaten path”, and cannot recall ever even feeling worried. Maybe I’ve been a bit naïve, but I have had some of my most enjoyable experiences away from the traditional tourist haunts. Since moving here, I get approached by scam artists about 3 or 4 times a week. Some are Thai, some are farang. They’re not very good, though, and seeing through the bullshit isn’t very hard. Almost every week I get a “rare opportunity to invest” in another unprofitable bar, business, or investment scheme. The girls often try to “play” me as well, but I’m a bit too long in the tooth to fall for any but the best.

While the con men are easy to dismiss, the warnings from people about armed robberies, violence, and even kidnapping are starting to bother me. Everybody I meet seems compelled to warn me about anybody I meet. I guess I give off the impression that I’m a bit gullible. The warnings often come from expats, but have also come from just about every Thai I’ve met. With this in mind, I found myself having to make my first visa run to Cambodia.

The closest place to make a visa run from Bangkok is Poi Pet. It’s in Cambodia, just across the border at A’ranyaptatet. Its about a 3 hour ride away, and you can get there by train or bus. While considering making the run to Poi Pet, I got an unexpected opportunity. I use the services of a Thai stockbroker. Her name is Kwan, and it is nice to have her brain available to be “picked” on many questions I have regarding life here. When I told her I was going to have to make a visa run and was considering Poi Pet, she told me that one of her wealthy customers goes there almost every weekend on a gambling junket. There are 5 casinos there, literally minutes from the border. She called the guy up on my behalf, and I was offered a seat in the van. She warned me that Poi Pet was a very dangerous place for foreigners, and said I would be much better off going there with a group of Thai men. Kwan is always warning me to be careful while I am out on the streets of Bangkok, and tells me never to trust anyone. She phoned me when the news broke about the farangs arrested in the investment scam to remind me of the kind of stuff that happens here. Pooh, a Thai woman I know in Washington DC who is here visiting her family is always telling me the same thing, although she puts Kwan at the top of her list of people not to trust. As I said before, everybody I meet warns me not to trust anybody I meet.

There were 9 of us. We met at a designated place, me by cab, and had an enjoyable 3-hour ride to the border. At the border, they had to let me out. As Thais, they could proceed right through without having to stop at customs. The van drove right across the border and let them off at the entrance to the casino. I, on the other hand, being an American who had to get his passport stamped, had to go the more formal route for the proper documentation. I stood on line to “officially” exit Thailand. Then I had to proceed to Cambodian passport control, where I had to pay 1,000 baht for a visa and a 100 baht fine because I would be leaving Cambodia on the same day. The entire procedure was laughingly chaotic. There was no direction at all, and some people had to come back to passport control because they simply forgot to stop there. The only reason for going through passport control was to get proper documentation, and some people just didn’t bother. There were forms that needed to be filled out, but nobody knew where to get them. The minute you cross the border, you are surrounded by young children and amputees begging for money. They surround you as you try to figure out exactly how to properly clear customs, pleading with you for small change. Others had warned me that if you give any of them money the rest of them would descend on you from all directions. There were about 75 to 100 beggars, but the few farangs that were there stood out like sore thumbs. In addition to the beggars, there were street people targeting you as customers. Some wanted to sell me things, some wanted to know if I wanted to hire them as guides, and some just wanted to know what I would be willing to pay money for, but most just seemed to be asking for hand-outs. I was approached several times about sex, and one wanted to know if I was looking for underage women. It’s a shame that Cambodia is getting something of a reputation for Pedophilia, but having locals there approaching you with offers aint exactly gonna remedy the situation. In fact, I sort of got the impression that there wasn’t much there in the way of “law and order.” A few expats refer to Poi Pet as “Dodge City”, and I could see why. I wound up hiring 3 guys to help me figure out how to properly clear customs. They found the necessary forms for me, filled them out, and stayed with me to keep away the other predators. It cost me 100 baht, but it was well worth it. After “officially” entering Cambodia, I proceeded to the casino, which was a 2 minute walk. My 3 man entourage stayed with me all the way to the door.

I met up with the rest of our party inside the casino. My plan was to gamble with them for a few hours, and then walk around a bit to explore some of my first Cambodian venue. One of them was a V.I.P. member there, so we were able to gamble in a segregated area. Once inside, it’s not really all that different from a Vegas casino, though quite a bit smaller. Food, drinks, and cigarettes were all free, and we were very much catered to by the staff. My waitress told me that the casinos were the only places in Poi Pet that had western toilets, so I was able to eat with abandon. Apparently the most popular games there are baccarat and roulette, as most of the casino is devoted to them. There were slot machines, 3 blackjack tables, 2 Caribbean poker tables, and 1 pai gow table. The V.I.P.room we were in, though, only had roulette and baccarat. After a couple of hours of roulette, I decided to pop into the public gaming area to try my luck at blackjack and pai gow. I had brought 15,000 baht with me, and was down to 5,000.

That’s when I started on a bit of a winning streak. Most of the people at the table were betting with 100 Baht chips, which was the minimum bet allowed. The maximum bet at the table I was at was 5,000 Baht. I started with 500 Baht chips, but soon got to the 5,000 Baht chips as I was on a lucky streak. I was enjoying myself, having a great time making small talk with the people sitting next to me, and a bit oblivious to all else. I knew I was probably being seen as something of a high roller, but quite frankly I was liking it. The woman seated at my left, quite attractive, was giving me a lot of attention as we played. I was putting some of my chips on her bets, which she was encouraging, as it seemed to turn her luck around. About an hour later, one of the guys I drove up with tapped me on the shoulder and told me the he needed to talk to me back in the VIP room. I was at the pai gow table at the time. I cut my bet to 1,000 and let it ride until I eventually lost. When I stood up to leave, I realized that I had attracted something of a small crowd of onlookers. I was up about 40,000 Baht.

When I got back to the VIP room, he told me that I was in a bit of trouble, and the others there confirmed his remark. I had been a bit too high profile with my winning streak. I was the only farang in the casino, so it was impossible for me not to stick out. I’ve sort of been getting used to sticking out wherever I go, so I just don’t think about it anymore. As a middle-aged white American living in Southeast Asia, it’s part of the package. As a farang living here, I can run but cannot hide. My friends in the VIP room called over the casino security. They told me that it was not uncommon for thieves to plant observers in the casino to keep an eye on who might be walking out with a lot of money. They reminded me that there were a whole lot of desperate people living in the vicinity of Poi Pet, and that 40,000 baht might be a lot more important to them than the life of some dumb farang. In their opinion, I was probably already targeted. Just my luck, they specifically suspected the woman who was sitting at my left. Maybe it wasn’t my good looks after all. They strongly suggested that I abandon my idea of walking through town, and advised me that it might be a very good idea to hire some bodyguards to get back to the Thailand side of the border. Bowing to their knowledge and experience, I complied.

I did a bit more gambling, though this time I stayed within the confines of the VIP room with the others. We all left together in the van when it arrived at 4:00 to pick us up. The van drove to Thailand passport control, where we waited for the 3 bodyguards that I hired to signal that it was safe for me to get out. The cost of their services was 300 Baht, which had been arranged with the help of the casino security. It was a good thing I had them with me, because I was informed at the border that I could not get back into Thailand again until I “officially” exited Cambodia. I had forgotten that I had to stop off at Cambodian passport control. My bodyguards and I had to walk back to Cambodia, get stamped out, and walk back to Thailand. Having them with me as I walked the gauntlet of beggars was reassuring. Bearing in mind that the walk in each direction was about 1 minute long, the $6.50 that it cost me was well worth it.

In case you think this was a terrifying experience, you’re wrong. I sort of enjoyed it. It was another new experience for a person who came here seeking new experiences. I’ll probably go back, although this time I’ll be a bit more prudent. A lot of expats go there to make visa runs. Next time I go, I’ll have a bit more company. I may not be able to hide the fact that I am a farang, but I can sure dress down and do a good imitation of a Kao san road backpacker.

[awayguy]

Nice report!

A lot of people view visa runs as just a hassle and an expense. To treat them as an opportunity for some cultural exploration (and a change of air) is definitely the way to go.

[Guest]

Very interesting report...well written....I know when I get to Thailand...and consider moving there...the Visa run will be on my mind...your article helped clarify a few things. Thanks.