Problems Of 2 Visa Runners At Cambodia, Poi Pet

[junkofdavid2]

Hi,

In my other thread, I talked more about the cost of doing a border run to Cambodia with a "cheaper" option of using the Casino bus.

However, I also now want to share something strange which happened to the 2 border runners in the cue in front of me as I was at immigration exiting Thailand.

Person number 1. Was not allowed to exit, and I could hear the immigration officer repeatedly asking for his "old passport". Eventually, after constant pleading, he was allowed to talk to some higher ranking officer who let him thru after some time.

Person number 2. Was not allowed to exit at all, and was repeatedly told to go back to BKK and appear at immigration instead.

The strange thing here is that these border runners were exiting thailand, not re-entering.

If problem was that they used up their 90 days, then they would be prevented from re-entering right?

They wouldn't be prevented from leaving, right?

They would've been made to pay a fine and would've been allowed to leave.

I kinda tried talking to them to ask what the problem was, but of course they were kinda embarassed.

Does anyone know what this could be about?

Edited March 13, 2007 by junkofdavid2

[lopburi3]

Well number one seems to have had more than one passport so expect he did not have an entry stamp in his current one.

Case number two was probably an overstay and officer was trying to be helpful (they knew he could not enter Cambodia?) and not have to arrest the person per below on there web site:

Overstayers can pay overstay fine at Aran immigration checkpoint.

- Note: If you have paid the overstay fine and are stamped out of Thailand, the Cambodian Immigration could reject entry and send you back to Thailand without stamping you in and out of Cambodia. In this case the Thai Immigration will have to send you to Immigration Bureau in Bangkok for investigation/interrogation/deportation.

- Cambodian Immigration could reject entry for different reasons. This is nothing to do with Thai Immigration.

*** Please note that if you are on the way to the border, police or immigration officers can check your passport, and if you are found to have overstayed your visa they will arrest you and send you to the nearest police station, and then to court.

[junkofdavid2]

Question:

What if you have a valid Thai Visa, haven't broken any Thai Law, and then you exit to Cambodia, and then 'Cambodia immigration refuses to stamp you in (for whatever reason).

How do you legally re-enter Thailand?

[lopburi3]

That was answered in the quote - you don't. So that would be the reason to keep him for departing Thailand as once he departs and is refused entry he can not legally enter Thailand.

[jeebusjones]

Question:

What if you have a valid Thai Visa, haven't broken any Thai Law, and then you exit to Cambodia, and then 'Cambodia immigration refuses to stamp you in (for whatever reason).

How do you legally re-enter Thailand?

That nearly happened to me before. I arrived quite late at Poi Pet. My passport was nearly full, but still had two empty pages left. The officials working in the Visa on Arrival office on the Cambodian side refused to give me the visa because they said my passport was full (<deleted>). I kept pointing at the two empty pages, and they kept demanding an extra 500 baht to put it there.

I was pretty angry and refused to pay their blatant bribe request. They refused to give me a visa, and told me to go back to Thailand. At that point, since it was getting quite late and the situation looked quite hopeless, I agreed to pay the extra 500 baht.

But now they wouldn't even allow me to do that. They refused to give me a visa even with the bribe. They just told me to go back to Thailand.

So I went back to Thailand and explained the situation. They refused to let me back into Thailand. I was trapped in no man's land, and it was quickly approaching closing time.

I went back to the Cambodian visa on arrival office and told them Thailand had refused to let me back in. I think at this point I was starting to look desparate. They agreed to give me the visa (along with the 500 baht bribe), but they made me write a "letter" to the Chief of Immigration on the back of my visa application. They told me exactly what to write:

"Dear Chief, I am very sorry my passport is full ((it wasn't!!)). I will get a new passport as soon as I return to Bangkok. Thank you very much for your help. Sincerely, ...."

Or something ridiculous along those lines. All in all it was a fairly nerve-racking experience. So, to answer your question, don't expect much sympathy from the Thai border if you're refused entry into Cambodia. And remember that Cambodia can refuse you entry for "whatever reason," even if that reason is refusal to pay a bribe.

[aussiestyle1983]

Ill let yall know if anything funny happens 2morrow. last time I saw one guy advised not to leave because he would not be allowed back in, and he only had 3 visa exempt stamps totalling 75 days!

[keda]

Assuming a valid and orderly passport with spare pages, I have never heard of anybody experiencing difficulty whilst entering Cambodia via the airport, but many different types of problem at land borders, mainly to do with overcharging and bribes.

[junkofdavid2]

Yup, that's why I just simply pay the "standard rate" of 200 THB tea money to the Cambo official (if exiting the same day), instead of arguing with them the same way a few other ppl do.

200 isn't much to pay for some peace of mind and security.

Edited March 13, 2007 by junkofdavid2

[kriswillems]

In cambodia they refused to give me an exit stamp unless I paid 500 baht bribe.

I refused and told them I would write about this to the local newpaper. I even had the namecard of the cambodian minister of interior affairs with me. But it made no impression on them whatsoever.

The Thai immigration officer refused to let me enter Thailand without a cambodian exit stamp.

I went back to the cambodian side and paid the 500 baht bribe and got the exit stamp.

The whole group of immigration officers just laughed at me.

They refused to give me a recuit for that 500 Baht.

I went to the cambodian embassy in Bangkok and wrote a complaint letter.

They told me I was not treated correctly, but they didn't seem to care too much about it (in fact I think they enjoyed that another farang could be ripped off).

They promissed me to let me know something but I never got any answer on that letter.

Cambodian officials seem to be even more corrupt that thai officials.

[taxexile]

Cambodian officials seem to be even more corrupt that thai officials.

they work these shakedowns together.

[topfield]

Cambodian officials seem to be even more corrupt that thai officials.

they work these shakedowns together.

Happens in Europe also NOT just S.E.Asia

. Stopped some years ago at Belgium French border as no GB plate. Had to buy one for a fiver before I could drive on. Work out the profit if a hundred cars a day and the sticker costing perhaps 20 P.!

SimilarLY at Swiss brder exiting autobahn from Germany. Every car had its tyres carefully inspected and if not brand new sent to a garage a few hundred meters away where the price of tyres double the norm. Only then could drive into Switzerland !

[bangkokgas]

In cambodia they refused to give me an exit stamp unless I paid 500 baht bribe.

I refused and told them I would write about this to the local newpaper. I even had the namecard of the cambodian minister of interior affairs with me. But it made no impression on them whatsoever.

The Thai immigration officer refused to let me enter Thailand without a cambodian exit stamp.

I went back to the cambodian side and paid the 500 baht bribe and got the exit stamp.

The whole group of immigration officers just laughed at me.

They refused to give me a recuit for that 500 Baht.

I went to the cambodian embassy in Bangkok and wrote a complaint letter.

They told me I was not treated correctly, but they didn't seem to care too much about it (in fact I think they enjoyed that another farang could be ripped off).

They promissed me to let me know something but I never got any answer on that letter.

Cambodian officials seem to be even more corrupt that thai officials.

Go to Cambo and you have to expect this kind of stuff -go North to laos...and all is well. Thats my experience anyway. Never, ever, plan to go to Poipet again as long as I live. And, I have'nt had a bad experience there.....just know too many people who have. Often have had to wake the bloke up at F.Bridge as I usually cross at times when the crowds have either come or gone. It seems that the Thai/Cambodian border at a'patet and poipet, having lost LOADS of business are trying it on. Don't believe me, just ask those large "vip" bus operators who used to go there all the time!