Visa Run From ######

[prism]

I just want to give advise to anyone who is thinking on going on a visa run to Poi Pet, Cambodia on a Sunday, DON'T!. Last sunday, 30th of May the queue to exit Thailand was over 2 1/2 hours long. We waited in a very hot and humid building packed with over 300 Thais and foreigners. There was only one agent to process the over one hundred foreigners queued. I did learn afterwards that I could have had my passport stamped by one of the "Thai Passport" windows and reduced the wait to an hour. The queue to re-enter Thailand was around half an hour. getting the Cambodia visa took only 10 minutes.

Just thought I'd pass this on...

[egghead]

I think this is pretty normal if you go with one of visa run companies. All the buses with visa runner's and Thais going to the casino's arrive about the same time. I normally leave BKK at 6am in my car arriving at the border around 8.30 which is when the border opens. I already have a visa for Cambodia which I get in BKK from the Embassy. I avoid all the touts wanting to help with paper work etc.

I'm usually back in BKK by around 1pm.

[udon]

Hi prism

Thanks for that info.

Did you have to pay any "tea money" to Cambo Immi officials?

[astral]

Try Had Lek, near Chataburi next time.

I have never seen a queue there, either leaving or coming in.

[prism]

Many thanks for the replies and advise. I understand that the conditions are better there weekdays. I happened to arrive at 11:30 AM which was bad timing. For my next run I'll try Hed Lek.

I didn't have to pay any "tea money" to any officials but the Cambo tourist police are more then happy to help help you out with the paper work and obtaining an exit stamp for a 200-300 baht fee. Something you can easily do yourself.

[udon]

Prism,

did you see a liitle <deleted> who looks like Ho Chi Min trying to sell a yellow slip of paper about SARS for 20Bt... he is the health officer with his own scam.