Poipet... Visa required for casinos?

[sexyman]

I want to go to Poipet on a day trip with my Thai gf to play a few hands of blackjack and a bit of roulette. Does anyone know if I need a visa for Cambodia to do this or are farangs who are going to the casinos only permitted entry without a Cambodia visa to this supposed "no man's land".  Any recent information greatly appreciated. 

[wump]

Thailand won't let you back in without a Cambodian exit stamp, end of story. Your Thai gf can get a border pass.

[thecyclist]

The casinos are in no-man's land, and hundreds of Thais do it every day anyway, but doubt it is possible for foreigners :Once you are stamped out of Thailand, you need to officially enter Cambodia to reenter Thailand. Maybe your Thai wife can persuade one the IO to keep your passport and let you through for a few hours or you could sneak in. 

[jippytum]

Can't believe some poster recommended you 'sneak into Cambodia  to avoid the visa requirements .Chances are you would could loose a lot more than losing a few quid on the slots sneaking into another country .

[klauskunkel]

you also need reentry permit from your local immi office

[jgarbo]

3 hours ago, wump said:

Thailand won't let you back in without a Cambodian exit stamp, end of story. Your Thai gf can get a border pass.

I remember getting day passes for Tachileik, over the bridge at Mae Sai, and passes at Three Pagodas Pass to poke around in Burma for the day. Surprised they don't offer the same service to Poipet.

[jgarbo]

20 minutes ago, jippytum said:

Can't believe some poster recommended you 'sneak into Cambodia  to avoid the visa requirements .Chances are you would could loose a lot more than losing a few quid on the slots sneaking into another country .

Yep. Cambodia is not the place to "sneak in" unless you want an "extended stay".

[thecyclist]

Certainly not a recommendation, just listing the options :I certainly would not sneak past Thai immigration, nor would I gamble. Nevertheless, I think the problem with this option is on the Thai side, as the Casinos are on the way to Cambodian Immigration :never seen any Cambodian IO check passports within no-man's land. 

[Robins]

On 8/8/2018 at 7:52 AM, thecyclist said:

The casinos are in no-man's land, and hundreds of Thais do it every day anyway, but doubt it is possible for foreigners :Once you are stamped out of Thailand, you need to officially enter Cambodia to reenter Thailand. Maybe your Thai wife can persuade one the IO to keep your passport and let you through for a few hours or you could sneak in. 

Yes, they are and therefore you're not sneaking into Cambodia since the casinos are in no-man's land. 

Does anyone have a cite  NOT AN OPINION FOR WHICH THEY HAVE NO VERIFICATION on the claim that Thai Immigration will not let you in without a Cambodian visa/stamp? 

 

The problem with the Cambodian stamp is not just the cost but the stupid thing takes a full passbook page and the stamps half of another page.   Cambodia isn't likely to complain since not only are you in no-man's land, but you are patronizing the casinos.

Edited July 11, 2019 by Robins
typo

[Robins]

On 8/8/2018 at 10:52 AM, jgarbo said:

I remember getting day passes for Tachileik, over the bridge at Mae Sai, and passes at Three Pagodas Pass to poke around in Burma for the day. Surprised they don't offer the same service to Poipet.

Please don't take this as a challenge, but do you have a citation backing this?  The casinos are in no-man's land before the point you need a visa to be.  The damn visa and stamp waste 1 1/2 passport pages and the stupid American Embassy won't add pages any longer. 

Edited July 11, 2019 by Robins
phrase <deleted> embassy too harsh for some pussies

[cleopatra2]

Obviously on the Cambodia side you can get an e visa

Last time entering via Poipet i stayed in no mans land for 3 days.( i did have cambodia visa

 

If passing Thai checkpoint and returning later without entry into cambodia expect the Thai immigration to be sceptical . 

 

[Duffman88]

So I actually did this last year. The plan was just to cross the border with my girlfriend, couple of hours gambling then back.

 

Not only was I made to purchase a visa ($30 plus small bribe to speed things up), I was not allowed to return to Thailand until the next day. Couldn't enjoy myself after that, the Poipet area doesn't feel safe at all (apart from inside the casinos themselves). I was back into Thailand 6am the next morning as soon as immigration opened.

 

No chance I ever go back there.

[Sheryl]

There have been reports of people being denied entry into Thailand if they had left without then officially entering Cambodia. (These are usually visa runners, nto gamblers, but same would apply).

 

You can avoid using a page of your passport by getting an evisa.

 

 

[kiwiaussie]

On 7/11/2019 at 10:41 PM, Robins said:

Yes, they are and therefore you're not sneaking into Cambodia since the casinos are in no-man's land. 

Does anyone have a cite  NOT AN OPINION FOR WHICH THEY HAVE NO VERIFICATION on the claim that Thai Immigration will not let you in without a Cambodian visa/stamp? 

 

The problem with the Cambodian stamp is not just the cost but the stupid thing takes a full passbook page and the stamps half of another page.   Cambodia isn't likely to complain since not only are you in no-man's land, but you are patronizing the casinos.

The casino's are in Cambodia proper. They are on Cambodian soil. The fact that they are before the spot where the Cambodian's have placed their immigration booth doesn't change that fact.

 

There is no 'no mans land'. You walk across the bridge across that crappy creek and exactly half way across you go from Thailand to Cambodia.

 

As such, you'll need a visa technically.

 

As others have said, you won't be let back into thailand unless you've been properly stamped in and then out of Cambodia.

 

Only Thai citizens can get away with doing that, and for the most part, they use the auto gates which are available to them.

Edited July 14, 2019 by kiwiaussie