Border staff allegedly demand bribes

[geovalin]

Some Cambodian migrant workers crossing the border from Thailand for the Khmer New Year holiday claimed they were forced to pay 40,000 riel ($10) to get priority in filling out application forms and having their passports stamped at the Poi Pet International Border Checkpoint in Banteay Meanchey province.

 

Roeun Sareth, a 26-year-old construction worker who has worked in Thailand for seven years, said on Wednesday that while he and many other migrant workers were queuing to fill out documents to cross the border, agents in civilian clothes approached them asking if anybody wanted to expedite the process.

 

“Other migrants and I spent 350 Thai baht [$10] for the VIP service. With the service, immigration officers at the Poipet International Border Checkpoint were quick to process paperwork and stamp our passports.

 

read more https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/border-staff-allegedly-demand-bribes

 

[observer90210]

Poi Pet seems like a no-man's-land for any non-Thai ! Sad world....

[yellowboat]

Where is the Cambodian Big Joke counter ?  Oh Yeah, there wouldn't be one now.  Looks like unpredictable times to come at both sides of the border.   

[Sheryl]

this has been going ion there for years. Not limited to Songkran.

 

And enetreing Thailnd from cambodia all Cambodians are required to pay 100baht to have Cambodian staff fill in their arrival card. The Thais are in on it and if anyone tries to fill out their own card it is rejected and they are sent back.

 

Not even "VIP service" provided for this 100 baht (that costs more - I forget but at least 250, maybe 500 baht.)

 

And to add to it, when they fill in the cards they often do so incorrectly. In particular fail to put in visa or reentry permit numbers, causing people to get incorrect entry stamp.

[phycokiller]

thats not a bribe, thats a service, maybe an illegal service but he got what he paid for. Roeun Sareth might learn something if he was arrested for paying bribes