My Recent Border Run to Cambodia

[El_Tel]

Just did a border run (Sunday) to Poipet in Cambodia arranged by a certain pub in the Silom area.

 

After a few years of having my visa runs done the 'easy' way, I wasn't looking forward to what I heard was a 5 hour trip to a beggar and tout infested border town.

 

I turned up at the meeting spot at 08.45am and as there were only 5 of us including the driver, it was decided we would take his new car. Turned out much better than the pre-arranged minibus.

 

Even with 3 guys in the back seat (I was given the front passenger seat, having the largest build) things were still fairly comfortable. We consisted of 2 Yanks, me the lone Brit, a very quiet Geman and the very cool Swedish driver.

 

Traffic was light on the Sunday morning and unbelievably, we reached the border in only 3 hours after an uneventful trip.

 

After parking the car across from the burger joint (beware, there's two seperate parking areas, one is free, the other 100 Bt), we made our way to the Thai departure area on the left side. It's worth paying the 20 Bt to the local hooligans to 'mind' your car.

 

There are numerous touts here who will guide you through the whole process and as we hadn't been here before we went along with him on the understanding we'd pay him 100 Bt each. He provided some paperwork as well as directions and seemed fairly easygoing.

 

1 of the Yanks had overstayed by 1 day and was told to join the line to pay the 200 Bt fine, apparently the 1 day grace period for overstay 'doesn't apply' in Poipet. ::

Bear in mind, the overstayers queue is very long here and adds a fair delay to the procedure.

 

The arrival booth for Cambodia is on the right. You fill in the Cambodia arrival card, visa application form along with a SARS declaration and 1000 BT Tourist visa fee plus another 100 Bt 'fee' to allow you to enter and leave the same day. Transit visas aren't available for westerners.

 

Things only took a couple of minutes as the queue was very short here with most farangs still caught in the Thai departure queues.

 

A lengthy walk across the border past the casinos and across to the left to the Cambodia departure area. Actually, it wasn't that long, it just seemed that way what with the various touts pestering you to buy sunglasses, brats holding unbrellas over you, building work and other dodgy characters whose eyes seemed to be drawn to your pockets and bags.

Understand that you should take serious precautions regarding personal possessions here.

 

Queues were also very short here and a few minutes later we were on our way back into Thailand .

This is where things turned a little dicey. There were very long queues. Anyone with a year visa was told to wait down the step on the right while it was photocopied by the Thai officers. Year visas are being checked thoroughly in case of forgeries. My sphincter was the size of a pinhole at this time.

 

After a 20 minute delay, our passports were returned. No problems. Pheew!

 

We walked back to the burger joint for a meal and paid off the tout. Next time I'll do without his services as I now know the score but he definetly made things easier though I would't say it was worth 500 Bt from the group. We should've bargained for a group rate but as a learning experience, 100Bt wasn't a bad price.

 

All in all, the customs officers were fairly decent and the touts weren't too much of a pain. The kids are irritating, asking for Baht and even your food and drink. There are some rough sights here and you have to be a hard bast*rd not to give anything as the kids are very, very young. I put on my best poker face but still gave a few Baht and my Coke. Here they ask for "1 Baht".

 

Next time I'll bring my 1 Bt coins that I keep in a jar and give them. I know it reinforces the kid's behaviour and even though I rarely give to beggars in Bangkok, I'm just not that tough.

 

The return journey was slighty more eventful as various sip-lor drivers and motorcycle riders took delight in showing their lack of road safety awareness. Those ten-wheelers are a real pain. Arrived back in Bangkok about 7pm after traffic jams in the Rangsit area.

 

Definitely beats the train to Malaysia.

 

PM me for more details.

 

 

[Guest]

Good post.

 

Good info.

 

Thanks

[Palatkik]

>The arrival booth for Cambodia is on the right. You fill in the Cambodia arrival card, visa application form along with a SARS declaration and 1000 BT Tourist visa fee plus another 100 Bt 'fee' to allow you to enter and leave the same day

 

 

Good post. The times I have been were organised by tour company and they went to Cambo consulates located some distance away in Aranyapratet to get the Cambo visa stamp whilst we had lunch. I didn't know it could be done at the immigration counter.

 

Cheers,

[rickfarang]

" Year visas are being checked thoroughly in case of forgeries. My sphincter was the size of a pinhole at this time. "

 

Ok, that was my chuckle for the day!

 

I dodged the 100 baht fee to come back the same day. I didn't pay the fee when going into Cambodia, and whe the guy at the "going out of cambodia counter" asked for the money, I pointed across the road and said I already paid coming in. ::

 

Getting the visa to enter Cambodia, those guys would only take 1,000 baht, although they would only enter "Paid US$20" in my passport.

 

Between these two scams, I have a strong loathing for these corrupt immigration people. It also made me come to appreciate the honesty and good humor of the Thai immigration officials.

 

Thank you for posting your experience. Its nice to see things are still ok at the border.

 

RickF

 

 

 

[luckyfarang]

<<<Anyone with a year visa was told to wait down the step on the right while it was photocopied by the Thai officers. Year visas are being checked thoroughly in case of forgeries. My sphincter was the size of a pinhole at this time. >>>

 

 

Can't a one year visa be renewed at immigration, without exiting Thailand?

 

 

[robaus]

In Pattaya at least:

 

Tourist visas seem to be getting 30 day extensions for 1,900 baht.

 

Non Immigrant O visas (multiple entries, valid 1 year) up to whim of immigration. 2 of my mates with this visa type only got 15 day extensions for 1,900 baht. Another mate married to a Thai got 30 days for 1,900 baht.

 

Hence my other post in this section of my sanuk long weekend in Koh Kong, Cambodia for roughly the same money as a visa extension - I actually made a profit on the trip. They can shove their new visa extension fees! I'll spend more money in Cambodia instead. TIT.