Poipet to be avoided at all costs?

[jethro69]

Missed my flight PNH to BKK this morning, not hangover, just waiting at gate 6 when 6 was the seat number actually ????

I'm looking for options going back to Thailand, have an SETV so wondering if Poipet by bus is still a no-go?

Tickets the next few days seem to be far away from reasonable.

Was asking to go north to another crossing as I'm continuing to the north anyways, but that seems not an option.

Any recommendations?

[Matzzon]

Poipet is not a bad crossing for people that do not use it for same day visa runs or the ones that have a history of abusing exempt entries and tourist visas.

If you consider yourself to fall into one of those holes, then you should not try to either exit or enter through Poi Pet

[emptypockets]

How big was the plane? I've never seen a single number for a seat. Invariably 6A or 6B or 6C etc.

[BritTim]

We do not know your history, or even if you are trying to enter with a visa or visa exempt. For a first visit to Thailand, Poipet would be completely safe whatever your previous history of visits to Thailand.

 

If you have spent significant time in Thailand as a tourist before, do not try Poipet if being denied entry would be more than an inconvenience. Instead, go via Koh Kong to Hat Lek in Trad province Thailand.

[jethro69]

21 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

How big was the plane? I've never seen a single number for a seat. Invariably 6A or 6B or 6C etc.

It was actually 6C, I asked the guy actually where gate 6C was when this bloody Malaysian plane didn't want to clear the gate????

That's a first for me, I used to have the Star alliance Gold card and the One world Rubin card simultaneously. So I took one or another plane before.

Guess my mind was still with that little Khmer Honey from the day before.????

[jethro69]

26 minutes ago, BritTim said:

We do not know your history, or even if you are trying to enter with a visa or visa exempt. For a first visit to Thailand, Poipet would be completely safe whatever your previous history of visits to Thailand.

 

If you have spent significant time in Thailand as a tourist before, do not try Poipet if being denied entry would be more than an inconvenience. Instead, go via Koh Kong to Hat Lek in Trad province Thailand.

I'm on a new passport. Unfortunately with 2 exempt entries. I have a SETV issued in Phnom Penh. I left on my old passport in March 26, Returned to BKk on August 26th,

Left in between for Lao 6 days.

[lkv]

So new passport 2 visa exempt (by air or land??), and SETV with stamp from PP according to a previous report if i recall correctly about a week ago?

 

And both visa exempt extended?

 

Is that the history?

[jethro69]

28 minutes ago, lkv said:

So new passport 2 visa exempt (by air or land??), and SETV with stamp from PP according to a previous report if i recall correctly about a week ago?

 

And both visa exempt extended?

 

Is that the history?

One entry by air, one by land. Both not extended.

[BritTim]

Immigration can see your history of entries in your old passport. Entering at Poipet, I would already be nervous about the almost back-to-back visa exempt entries. However, you might be OK depending on your pattern of entries on the old passport up until March. If you spent significant time up until March in Thailand, I would say you are more likely than not to have problems at Poipet.

[lkv]

8 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Immigration can see your history of entries in your old passport

Not on the primary screen they can't, with all their biometrics.

 

If they saw mine, they'd be horrified.

 

And yet, I still entered for short periods of time this autumn on a new passport twice.

[lkv]

1 hour ago, jethro69 said:

One entry by air, one by land. Both not extended.

Sorry just to clarify.

 

Phnom Pehn stamped you that you "travel too often" on the first SETV in the new passport, with a total history of 2 visa exempt entries not extended?

 

And is this the visa you will be using to enter Thailand now?

[lkv]

Anyways, out of all the land border crossings, avoid Poipet.

 

The land crossings are:

 

Crossings with Thailand

1. Aranyaprathet, Thailand/Poipet, Cambodia(Most direct access to Siem Reap)
2. Hat Lek, Thailand/Koh Kong, Cambodia (Cham Yeam Checkpoint) (Most direct access to Sihanoukville)
3. Chong Jom, Thailand/O'Smach, Oddar Meanchey, Cambodia
4. Chong Sa Ngam, Thailand/Anlong Veng, Oddar Meanchey, Cambodia
5. Ban Pakard, Chantaburi, Thailand/Phsar Prom Pailin, Cambodia (Prom Checkpoint)
6. Ban Laem, Chantaburi, Thailand/Daung Lem, Battambang, Cambodia (Daung Checkpoint)

 

 

Out of the above, the visa run companies currently use Ban Laem.

 

[jacko45k]

Sorry, can't answer the question, but thanks for the morning giggle.... fancy mixing up seat number and gate indeed!

[Toosetinmyways]

9 hours ago, lkv said:

Not on the primary screen they can't, with all their biometrics.

 

If they saw mine, they'd be horrified.

 

And yet, I still entered for short periods of time this autumn on a new passport twice.

I exited Thailand on a new passport and entered Thailand. For the first time I was able to see the computer screen at immigration. Entries were too small for me to read but I could see the face pictures with details below. Scrolling sideways my face from exiting on new passport came up, entering on old passport then exiting Thailand on old passport. All exits and entries had bio-metrics.

[BritManToo]

10 hours ago, BritTim said:

Immigration can see your history of entries in your old passport. Entering at Poipet, I would already be nervous about the almost back-to-back visa exempt entries. However, you might be OK depending on your pattern of entries on the old passport up until March. If you spent significant time up until March in Thailand, I would say you are more likely than not to have problems at Poipet.

If they can see my history on their screen ..... why do they take so long thumbing back and forth through my passport?

[jethro69]

11 hours ago, lkv said:

Sorry just to clarify.

 

Phnom Pehn stamped you that you "travel too often" on the first SETV in the new passport, with a total history of 2 visa exempt entries not extended?

 

And is this the visa you will be using to enter Thailand now?

That was the plan.

[lkv]

3 hours ago, Toosetinmyways said:

I exited Thailand on a new passport and entered Thailand. For the first time I was able to see the computer screen at immigration. Entries were too small for me to read but I could see the face pictures with details below. Scrolling sideways my face from exiting on new passport came up, entering on old passport then exiting Thailand on old passport. All exits and entries had bio-metrics.

I don't know what you have seen exactly, but i also looked at it once i passed the IO last time (behind his back).

 

I have not seen tens or hundreds of pictures of myself.

 

And that was in September with biometrics.

[lkv]

2 hours ago, jethro69 said:

That was the plan.

Use crossings preferred by visa run companies. thaivisaservice uses Ban Laem

 

www.thaivisaservice.com

[Tayaout]

I used Poipet only once and was set aside and questioned but they let me throught. They wanted to see 10K baht and a flight ticket out. I used Ban Laem multiple time since then and they just stamp me throught. 

[seasia]

A friend was rejected there earlier this year after a long stay in Cambodia.

 

Was offered the chance to pay $600 to make the problem go away.

 

Genuine tourist.

[Sheryl]

I wouldn't try Poipet if I were you. 

 

Where in Thailand are you headed?

[jethro69]

Well, thanks for your help anyways. Just booked another ticket on Monday. So I hope they do now not starting problems there.

Checked bus options to one of the northern borders as I'm heading to C.Rai province anyways, but they seem not to exist. Not even to Pakse/Laos.

Guess next time I use my bike.

[overherebc]

18 hours ago, emptypockets said:

How big was the plane? I've never seen a single number for a seat. Invariably 6A or 6B or 6C etc.

Been in few that only had two seats.

[jethro69]

2 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Been in few that only had two seats.

F-16?????????????

[overherebc]

5 minutes ago, jethro69 said:

F-16?????????????

I wish, only little Cessnas. ????

Aerobat.  Fun really. Same as this.

[Tayaout]

16 minutes ago, jethro69 said:

Well, thanks for your help anyways. Just booked another ticket on Monday. So I hope they do now not starting problems there.

Checked bus options to one of the northern borders as I'm heading to C.Rai province anyways, but they seem not to exist. Not even to Pakse/Laos.

Guess next time I use my bike.

When I was in Siem Reap it was very easy to catch a bus to one of the northern border. Ask the hotel staff! 

[MadMuhammad]

6 hours ago, lkv said:

I don't know what you have seen exactly, but i also looked at it once i passed the IO last time (behind his back).

 

I have not seen tens or hundreds of pictures of myself.

 

And that was in September with biometrics.

A close friend was denied entry earlier this year and when pulled into the office every entry/exit he has had for as far back he could see was on the system in front of him. 

[BritTim]

4 hours ago, jethro69 said:

Well, thanks for your help anyways. Just booked another ticket on Monday. So I hope they do now not starting problems there.

Checked bus options to one of the northern borders as I'm heading to C.Rai province anyways, but they seem not to exist. Not even to Pakse/Laos.

Guess next time I use my bike.

For people interested in the bus from Phnom Penh to Pakse, the only company with direct, reasonably comfortable buses is PP Sonya. To book, see https://ppsoryatransport.com.kh/e-ticket/. For some reason, the service is not well known. It is also possible to negotiate with a taxi to take you (around 10,000 baht iirc). This used to be a long and uncomfortable journey.

[jethro69]

34 minutes ago, BritTim said:

For people interested in the bus from Phnom Penh to Pakse, the only company with direct, reasonably comfortable buses is PP Sonya. To book, see https://ppsoryatransport.com.kh/e-ticket/. For some reason, the service is not well known. It is also possible to negotiate with a taxi to take you (around 10,000 baht iirc). This used to be a long and uncomfortable journey.

I just checked the link. It returns an invalid price, so sure not bookable online. Reviews on TripAdvisor came to the same conclusion. I tried 2 different dates 9&10th.

Sure the Lao path would suit me nice, especially as I'm one of the rare species who got 15 days exemption in Lao. 

Pakse, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and then either boat or bus to HuayXai. Well a trip from hell, or to tell ????.

Costwise probably a nightmare.

[lkv]

1 hour ago, MadMuhammad said:

A close friend was denied entry earlier this year and when pulled into the office every entry/exit he has had for as far back he could see was on the system in front of him. 

In the office yes.