the_numbers Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 Yeah, I'm crying a river for a corrupt Cambodian border official who decides extortion is the way to go because he is underpaid. In fact it works out how it does everywhere on the Poipet border... It is just about having the opportunity to take advantage of people. In that case most take it, and he fleeces the intimidated or uninitiated for a few hundred baht here and there. He doesn't get over on the old hands, hard asses, or those of us who are truly kee nio* I don't feel empathy for anyone involved in extortion. If they get away with it whatever, but to rationalize the background behind it because they perceive foreigners as wealthy??! Circumspect logic to myself. Rather just a personal moral issue for each person involved, and their own set of ethics. Being in the shadows of casinos built around Thai baht, and dusty brothels certainly may fuel the hunger for currency Best, theNumbers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.. Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 Spot on. And of course this is never an issue if one is not overly kee niaw and does the trip with Jack Golf or another service. Those guys deal with the officials for you, just to avoid this kinda thing. B2k well spent if you ask me. Cheers, SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rookie Posted June 22, 2006 Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 BuffHello may be listed as a 'veteran' on Nanaplaza, but he surely a real 'rookie' when it comes to border crossing!! A Cambo tourist visa is 800-Bt, _preferrably $20-US_, not 1000-Bt. A business visa is 1000-Bt, preferrable $25-US. There are no additional fees. The same scams are tried at Koh Kong...and anyone not willing to stand up to them, or is naive about the fees, will surely be hit to pay extra. Your idea of 'paying fees at Thai Immigration, without crossing the border'...is ludicrous...not just for Thailand, but as every country requires you to _leave_ their country when your current visa is about to expire. The replies you receive, if PattayaMail prints your letter, should be interesting. Like just more farangs just whining about foolishly overpaying. BuffHello said:Problem on the Cambodia side of Poipet border crossing After crossing into Cambodia from Thailand, I went to the visa payment area and paid the requested 1000 baht fee for a tourist visa. I then went to the border check point and gave the officer my passport and immigration forms. He looked up at me and said, ?You must pay me 800 baht to enter Cambodia.? I then crossed the street to the area where you exit Cambodia. I handed the officer my passport. He looked up at me and said, ?That will be 100 baht.? Accordingly, if there anything that the Thai government can do to help put a stop to this illegal behavior... One simple solution would be to allow foreigners to pay the required visa fees at any Thai immigration office without having to exit Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted June 23, 2006 Report Share Posted June 23, 2006 the_numbers said:Yeah, I'm crying a river for a corrupt Cambodian border official who decides extortion is the way to go because he is underpaid. In fact it works out how it does everywhere on the Poipet border... It is just about having the opportunity to take advantage of people. In that case most take it, and he fleeces the intimidated or uninitiated for a few hundred baht here and there. He doesn't get over on the old hands, hard asses, or those of us who are truly kee nio* I don't feel empathy for anyone involved in extortion. If they get away with it whatever, but to rationalize the background behind it because they perceive foreigners as wealthy??! Circumspect logic to myself. Rather just a personal moral issue for each person involved, and their own set of ethics. Being in the shadows of casinos built around Thai baht, and dusty brothels certainly may fuel the hunger for currency Best, theNumbers My point was not a rationalization for the guy to extort money out of "rich" foreigners. I was simply trying to compare the feelings the foreigners might have when faced with this in a third world country as to the feelings of the third world person might have due to his life. :: TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_numbers Posted June 23, 2006 Report Share Posted June 23, 2006 Oh.. It is about feelings... hmmm Best, the_numbers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted June 23, 2006 Report Share Posted June 23, 2006 I found it best to get your Cambo visa in Bangkok, if you can. The slightest look of confusion on your part will result in the Cambo's swarming on you for $$$. Last time I did the run, my TGF came with me and I went right thru the Thai side to get stmped out of Thailand, while she was in the 500 people long line, so I was standing around waiting for her. Quickly I was approached by a Cambo officer offering to "help" me for $$$. I politely told him I was waiting for my wife and did not require assistance. Hecircled me like a vulture but I had the Thai smile plastered on and had no problems. She go thru the stamp, I already did the Cambo visa in BKK so I hop-scotched across in/out of Cambo and we had our free casino buffet lunch. Back on the bus, with a bag full of "adult beverages" and life was good for another 30 days I suggested some timeago that Thailand do something for additional $$$ like going to the Thai Immi offce to extend your tourist visa for another 30 days, for like 1000 baht or something if you don't want to do the visa runs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted June 24, 2006 Report Share Posted June 24, 2006 "...I suggested some timeago that Thailand do something for additional $$$ like going to the Thai Immi offce to extend your tourist visa for another 30 days, for like 1000 baht or something if you don't want to do the visa runs. ..." O.k. so how long should you be allowed to stay? The visa run is a big enough scam/skirt of the law...be thankful they don't adopt a policy like the USA does for some visitors where in, you can only be in the country so many days in a 12 month period...that would suck big time, and then no visa run would help you...you'd just have to go home, or go elsewhere... This isn't aimed at anyone in particular, but how many guys bitching about the Thai visa/immigration policies, also bitch about illeagel immigrants skirting the immigration/visa laws in their home countries... ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 24, 2006 Report Share Posted June 24, 2006 cavanami said:I found it best to get your Cambo visa in Bangkok, if you can. The slightest look of confusion on your part will result in the Cambo's swarming on you for $$$. Last time I did the run, my TGF came with me and I went right thru the Thai side to get stmped out of Thailand, while she was in the 500 people long line, so I was standing around waiting for her. Quickly I was approached by a Cambo officer offering to "help" me for $$$. I politely told him I was waiting for my wife and did not require assistance. Hecircled me like a vulture but I had the Thai smile plastered on and had no problems. She go thru the stamp, I already did the Cambo visa in BKK so I hop-scotched across in/out of Cambo and we had our free casino buffet lunch. Back on the bus, with a bag full of "adult beverages" and life was good for another 30 days I suggested some timeago that Thailand do something for additional $$$ like going to the Thai Immi offce to extend your tourist visa for another 30 days, for like 1000 baht or something if you don't want to do the visa runs. Thai immigration do have a solution for avoiding visa runs, it is called the Non-Immigrant Visa/Permit and they make additional $$$ in the form of your Non-Immigrant permit extension. Just because there is a mass of individuals who do visa runs and cant/wont get the proper visa/permit to expatriate, doesn't mean that thai immigration should refactor its immigration process to appease these people. The tourist visa in in place for TOURISTS.Simple.People complaining that the tourist visa system does not meet their own personal expatriation needs is laughable because there are exisiting immigration options in place. You can carry on winging and moaning and doing visa runs and dealing with the inconvenience OR you can quite easily redirect your energies and focus toward solving your problem and get a Non-Immigrant visa/permit. That is what it is there for.It ain't rocket science. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted June 24, 2006 Report Share Posted June 24, 2006 OH, Not a "bitch" of the Thai via system, just an idea to put the visa run money directly into the Thai coffers. How long? I'll go with the Thai answer...up to them. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted June 24, 2006 Report Share Posted June 24, 2006 A'male, Yes, agree with you. No whining from me intended. However, when I checked for a one year visa at the Chicago Thai visa office in Chicago in April this year, they ask "how many times will I go in and ot of Thailand"? Then, they base the cost of the visa on the number of times you tell them. Bad for me, as I usually exit Thailand at least once a month for work, so I no solid number to provide them, plus say 12 ~ 24 times in/out of Thailand a year would rack up a huge cost for the one year visa, so 30 days a crack is OK for me and the occasional visa run is no hassle as I enjoy a visit out of the country for a few days. My idea was for Thailand to add $$$ to their coffers by offering another 30 days for $$$. Just seemed like a nice way for the Thai folks to get some extra cash :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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