Mandatory Cambodian Bus-ticket For Voa (30 Day Stamp) ?

[wbruthless]

I did my last visa-run on Tuesday 19th of June and went to Ban Laem (Pong Nam Ron - province Chantaburi)

with my own car, so I didn't have the support of these visa-run guides. My last tourist visa was expired, so I

wanted only a VOA (30 day stamp).

When I departed from Thailand, the Immigration-Officer told me that I have to buy a cambodian bus-ticket

before I come back to Thailand (in order to show that I want to leave Thailand in 30 days). I told him, that I

already bought an Flight-Ticket from Bangkok to Penang (for the 18th of July) and will show it to the

Arrival-Officer when I come back from Cambodia.

He told me that they don't want to see any flight-tickets anymore, but only this bus-ticket - he called a guy

to assist me at the Cambodian side (fill out the paperwork, buy the bus-ticket). I meant that I don't need any

support, but he Immigration-Officer insisted that I have to use this service.

At the cambodian border I had to pay 1.000 Baht for the Visa (I had no USD), 100 Baht for the stamps ???,

50 Baht for copies of the passport ??? and 200 Baht for this mandatory bus-ticket (which is valid for one month

to go to from Ban Laem to Phnom Penh or Angkor Wat).

Coming back to Thailand the 'Arrival-Immigration-Officer' looked at the bus-ticket, and gave me the VOA-Stamp

together with this useless ticket.

For the services of this 'guide' I had also to pay 200 Baht. The only advantage of this guide was, that I was able

to buy the double amount of wine and cigarettes, as he followed me all the way at the Cambodian side.

All together I payed 1.550 Baht at the border (without gasoline-costs) - If the visa-run companies are still charging

only 1.800 Baht I will use one of them the next time ...

Does anyone else had to buy a cambodian bus-ticket (even if you had a confirmed onward-flight ticket) in order to

go back to Thailand for an 30-day VOA - or does this only apply to someone who makes the visa-run without an

visa-agency ?

[frikkiedeboer]

I did my last visa-run on Tuesday 19th of June and went to Ban Laem (Pong Nam Ron - province Chantaburi)

with my own car, so I didn't have the support of these visa-run guides. My last tourist visa was expired, so I

wanted only a VOA (30 day stamp).

When I departed from Thailand, the Immigration-Officer told me that I have to buy a cambodian bus-ticket

before I come back to Thailand (in order to show that I want to leave Thailand in 30 days). I told him, that I

already bought an Flight-Ticket from Bangkok to Penang (for the 18th of July) and will show it to the

Arrival-Officer when I come back from Cambodia.

He told me that they don't want to see any flight-tickets anymore, but only this bus-ticket - he called a guy

to assist me at the Cambodian side (fill out the paperwork, buy the bus-ticket). I meant that I don't need any

support, but he Immigration-Officer insisted that I have to use this service.

At the cambodian border I had to pay 1.000 Baht for the Visa (I had no USD), 100 Baht for the stamps ???,

50 Baht for copies of the passport ??? and 200 Baht for this mandatory bus-ticket (which is valid for one month

to go to from Ban Laem to Phnom Penh or Angkor Wat).

Coming back to Thailand the 'Arrival-Immigration-Officer' looked at the bus-ticket, and gave me the VOA-Stamp

together with this useless ticket.

For the services of this 'guide' I had also to pay 200 Baht. The only advantage of this guide was, that I was able

to buy the double amount of wine and cigarettes, as he followed me all the way at the Cambodian side.

All together I payed 1.550 Baht at the border (without gasoline-costs) - If the visa-run companies are still charging

only 1.800 Baht I will use one of them the next time ...

Does anyone else had to buy a cambodian bus-ticket (even if you had a confirmed onward-flight ticket) in order to

go back to Thailand for an 30-day VOA - or does this only apply to someone who makes the visa-run without an

visa-agency ?

another scam. usually the cambodians are the ones who push their luck. i never had any problems with thai officials. i got action by writing a letter to the cambodian embassy in bankok, and the situation at the border post i used improved for a while (but only if you stand your ground) cambodian ambassador was very helpful, and took the trouble to write back and apologise for the actions of border officials. why not lodge a complaint at your embassy in bangkok, and let them deal with the thai side? it is their duty to assist their citizens visiting thailand, and they will know the correct channels and procedure.

good luck

frikkie

[lopburi3]

Travelers to Cambodia crossings have been reporting this for the last week or two.

[stevemiddie]

Its not as scam as such. Its required now.......onward bus journey ticket. I,m on a Multi B so it wasn,t required but some guys on the visa run mini bus had to fork out an extra 200 baht for this. No use complaining.............it has to be paid. This was just over 2 weeks ago at Ban Laem

[stevemiddie]

quote]

another scam. usually the cambodians are the ones who push their luck. i never had any problems with thai officials. i got action by writing a letter to the cambodian embassy in bankok, and the situation at the border post i used improved for a while (but only if you stand your ground) cambodian ambassador was very helpful, and took the trouble to write back and apologise for the actions of border officials. why not lodge a complaint at your embassy in bangkok, and let them deal with the thai side? it is their duty to assist their citizens visiting thailand, and they will know the correct channels and procedure.

good luck

frikkie

Not quite sure what you are saying here. Its a THAI requirement to show the onward ticket for the 30 day border runners. The CAMBODIANS are merely selling you the VALID bus ticket which is 200 BAHT but you can USE the ticket. How is that a scam?

[wbruthless]

Not quite sure what you are saying here. Its a THAI requirement to show the onward ticket for the 30 day border runners. The CAMBODIANS are merely selling you the VALID bus ticket which is 200 BAHT but you can USE the ticket. How is that a scam?

You are right that it is a THAI requirement and that the CAMBODIANS are selling the bus tickets which I can use - but I didn't want to buy and use it.

For me it's also a scam, because I had a valid flight-ticket which nobody wanted to see - they just wanted me to buy this (for me useless) bus-ticket. It would be fair, if someone who has no onward-ticket CAN buy it, but already existing tickets have to be accepted by the Immigration.

[bkkbaz]

Not quite sure what you are saying here. Its a THAI requirement to show the onward ticket for the 30 day border runners. The CAMBODIANS are merely selling you the VALID bus ticket which is 200 BAHT but you can USE the ticket. How is that a scam?

You are right that it is a THAI requirement and that the CAMBODIANS are selling the bus tickets which I can use - but I didn't want to buy and use it.

For me it's also a scam, because I had a valid flight-ticket which nobody wanted to see - they just wanted me to buy this (for me useless) bus-ticket. It would be fair, if someone who has no onward-ticket CAN buy it, but already existing tickets have to be accepted by the Immigration.

Same thing happened to me last week. I went to Ban Laem with thaivisaservice.com.

I already had an onward plane ticket (to Hong Kong), but the tour guide explained that the officials don't want to SEE plane tickets, they want to SELL bus tickets. Tea money.

The tour guide was a decent chap though, and paid for my bus ticket himself since I had satisfied the supposed legal requirements.

Total cost B1,900. Should have been B2,100 with the bus ticket.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Not quite sure what you are saying here. Its a THAI requirement to show the onward ticket for the 30 day border runners. The CAMBODIANS are merely selling you the VALID bus ticket which is 200 BAHT but you can USE the ticket. How is that a scam?

You are right that it is a THAI requirement and that the CAMBODIANS are selling the bus tickets which I can use - but I didn't want to buy and use it.

For me it's also a scam, because I had a valid flight-ticket which nobody wanted to see - they just wanted me to buy this (for me useless) bus-ticket. It would be fair, if someone who has no onward-ticket CAN buy it, but already existing tickets have to be accepted by the Immigration.

Same thing happened to me last week. I went to Ban Laem with thaivisaservice.com.

I already had an onward plane ticket (to Hong Kong), but the tour guide explained that the officials don't want to SEE plane tickets, they want to SELL bus tickets. Tea money.

The tour guide was a decent chap though, and paid for my bus ticket himself since I had satisfied the supposed legal requirements.

Total cost B1,900. Should have been B2,100 with the bus ticket.

It is a dud deal. Report it to the seriously big bosses of Immigration at Suan Phlu.

[visarunner]

Not quite sure what you are saying here. Its a THAI requirement to show the onward ticket for the 30 day border runners. The CAMBODIANS are merely selling you the VALID bus ticket which is 200 BAHT but you can USE the ticket. How is that a scam?

You are right that it is a THAI requirement and that the CAMBODIANS are selling the bus tickets which I can use - but I didn't want to buy and use it.

For me it's also a scam, because I had a valid flight-ticket which nobody wanted to see - they just wanted me to buy this (for me useless) bus-ticket. It would be fair, if someone who has no onward-ticket CAN buy it, but already existing tickets have to be accepted by the Immigration.

Same thing happened to me last week. I went to Ban Laem with thaivisaservice.com.

I already had an onward plane ticket (to Hong Kong), but the tour guide explained that the officials don't want to SEE plane tickets, they want to SELL bus tickets. Tea money.

The tour guide was a decent chap though, and paid for my bus ticket himself since I had satisfied the supposed legal requirements.

Total cost B1,900. Should have been B2,100 with the bus ticket.

It is a dud deal. Report it to the seriously big bosses of Immigration at Suan Phlu.

what if this instruction is coming from high up?

[torrenova]

SIts a scam.

You could show a charter invoice for a boat taking you out of Thailand's waters but the scammers want to sell you a bus ticket. I seriously doubt I would pay it were I in a position of having onward travel arranged.

How about you show then a prepaid visa run 30 days hence which would, in effect, be taking you out of Thailand ?

[tropo]

It is a dud deal.

Personally I think it's a great deal. If I could be guaranteed a successful visa run to Cambodia without having to pre-book an air ticket for the paltry sum of 200 baht, I'd be more than happy.....but...

Will I chance a visa run to Cambodia without an air ticket?... that is the question.

I could just be unlucky enough to plan a visa run without an air ticket and find that when I get to the Cambodian border they've stopped this scam and I'll be stuck there or at best seriously inconvenienced.

Thank God for this forum and being able to get a day by day account of what is actually happening at the border posts.

Personally I'll keep doing the Penang tourist visa runs by air and avoid border runs until the dust settles. I didn't fancy them too much even before all this bs started.

Edited June 21, 2007 by tropo

[torrenova]

But how long will Penang keep issuing tourist visas ? I can see that day coming not too far off.

[tropo]

But how long will Penang keep issuing tourist visas ? I can see that day coming not too far off.

Another doomsayer (def: one who predicts calamity at every opportunity) in our midst.

Everything can change but right now there's no problem in Penang.

If what you are predicting comes to fruition, then for me my visa problems in Thailand are solved for good. Bye, bye Thailand.

What more can we say?

Edited June 21, 2007 by tropo

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Not quite sure what you are saying here. Its a THAI requirement to show the onward ticket for the 30 day border runners. The CAMBODIANS are merely selling you the VALID bus ticket which is 200 BAHT but you can USE the ticket. How is that a scam?

You are right that it is a THAI requirement and that the CAMBODIANS are selling the bus tickets which I can use - but I didn't want to buy and use it.

For me it's also a scam, because I had a valid flight-ticket which nobody wanted to see - they just wanted me to buy this (for me useless) bus-ticket. It would be fair, if someone who has no onward-ticket CAN buy it, but already existing tickets have to be accepted by the Immigration.

Same thing happened to me last week. I went to Ban Laem with thaivisaservice.com.

I already had an onward plane ticket (to Hong Kong), but the tour guide explained that the officials don't want to SEE plane tickets, they want to SELL bus tickets. Tea money.

The tour guide was a decent chap though, and paid for my bus ticket himself since I had satisfied the supposed legal requirements.

Total cost B1,900. Should have been B2,100 with the bus ticket.

It is a dud deal. Report it to the seriously big bosses of Immigration at Suan Phlu.

what if this instruction is coming from high up?

Not a chance.

[torrenova]

But how long will Penang keep issuing tourist visas ? I can see that day coming not too far off.

Another doomsayer (def: one who predicts calamity at every opportunity) in our midst.

Everything can change but right now there's no problem in Penang.

If what you are predicting comes to fruition, then for me my visa problems in Thailand are solved for good. Bye, bye Thailand.

What more can we say?

The point I was trying to get across is that unless Thailand sits down and thinks about how it is going to manage the whole issue of long term visitors and stops knee jerk reactions which are not counter argued before implementation because of this arse licking, keep face (read, I want your job next) crap, then Thailand will face serious and potentially permanent economic damage.

Already we hear about some consulates stamping something akin to "you can apply here once only", thus ruling out that location for the length of a passport. NOt "do not come back here in 60 or 90 days" but "do not come back here ever". What sort of attitude is that ?

After October last year I emailed every Thai consulate I could find an email address for in this part of Asia, including Japan. No-one had the same rules. Many were using rules which were out of date before the changes last October, some out of date going back 5 years. No amount of persuasion by return emails would have these people review their blatently incorrect operating standards.

In my opinion the whole issue needs western input. The Thais cannot see what is wrong and to be honest, they don't have the experience to implement a universally fair system. Just look at the retirement visa mess with a single foreign person needing Bt800k, a guy married to a Thai needing only Bt400k and a guy married to his western wife both wanting to retire here needing Bt1.6m !!! Utter loonacy.

[tropo]

But how long will Penang keep issuing tourist visas ? I can see that day coming not too far off.

Another doomsayer (def: one who predicts calamity at every opportunity) in our midst.

Everything can change but right now there's no problem in Penang.

If what you are predicting comes to fruition, then for me my visa problems in Thailand are solved for good. Bye, bye Thailand.

What more can we say?

The point I was trying to get across is that unless Thailand sits down and thinks about how it is going to manage the whole issue of long term visitors and stops knee jerk reactions which are not counter argued before implementation because of this arse licking, keep face (read, I want your job next) crap, then Thailand will face serious and potentially permanent economic damage.

Already we hear about some consulates stamping something akin to "you can apply here once only", thus ruling out that location for the length of a passport. NOt "do not come back here in 60 or 90 days" but "do not come back here ever". What sort of attitude is that ?

After October last year I emailed every Thai consulate I could find an email address for in this part of Asia, including Japan. No-one had the same rules. Many were using rules which were out of date before the changes last October, some out of date going back 5 years. No amount of persuasion by return emails would have these people review their blatently incorrect operating standards.

In my opinion the whole issue needs western input. The Thais cannot see what is wrong and to be honest, they don't have the experience to implement a universally fair system. Just look at the retirement visa mess with a single foreign person needing Bt800k, a guy married to a Thai needing only Bt400k and a guy married to his western wife both wanting to retire here needing Bt1.6m !!! Utter loonacy.

I agree with you that it's lunacy.

Are there any other sites like ThaiVisa for any other countries with the express purpose of trying to decipher visa regulations that for all intents and purposes are almost impossible to work out?

I peruse this room almost everyday waiting to hear about real visa run experiences from other people so I can plan my visa runs according to the best possible current information.

For example, I've just spent 3 full years in the Philippines. We never talk about visas, we just go and renew them every 60 days (once a year you must fly away). There's no PhilippineVisa.com. It's too simple. They want foreigners living there and spending their money, so they make it very easy. Being an island nation, land visa runs are not an option anyway, but the Philippine government keeps all the money for visa extensions as it's all done right there. A whole year of visa extensions runs at around 9,000 baht.

One big difference however is that few foreigners would want to work there, so sneaking in under false pretences is not common.

I particularly like their Balikbayan Visa for married foreigners (to Filipinos). If you arrive with your wife at the airport, you get a one year visa for free, no questions asked. The Philippines doesn't believe in seperating husband, wife and kids for any reason, even if the husband is doing it tough financially. The family unit is considered to be sacred in the Philippines. They wouldn't expect foreign husbands to waste money on visa runs when the money would be better spent on their families.

Edited June 21, 2007 by tropo

[cali4995]

The whole issue is very sobering indeed (and I don't drink). If you're not checking-in with the recent news every week and maintaining contingency plans for all these various scenarios you feel as if you're leaving yourself in a position of serious disadvantage.

I don't know if they're just "shaking the tree" to see what falls out but there must be a considerable number of farangs who are forced to buy a plane ticket at the last minute because they were unable or unwilling to map a way through this convoluted maze.

Edited June 22, 2007 by cali4995

[Andy76]

It is now confirmed and official that an onward ticket is required for those who do not hold a current valid visa for entering the Kingdom of Thailand.

It is also claimed that no air-ticket is required, but you must purchase a bus ticket to Angkor Wat regardless if you already have an air-ticket. The bus ticket cost 200 baht extra and you must prepare for this.

Visa holders of Non-Immigrant and TR visa holders and people from the following countries do not require the bus ticket.

Brazil

Chile

Peru

South Korea

Argentina

Hong Kong

Laos

Macau

Vietnam

Russia

Remember, even if you already have a valid air-ticket or e-ticket, you still and must purchase this bus ticket.

Ticket examples are attached.

Experience:

Getting the bus ticket was easy, just pay the agency that you do your visa run with, and they will do the rest. But when coming back with your bus ticket, please remember to check carefully as there were many spelling errors with names, confusion and bus tickets not printed. You will need to pay 200 baht for this ticket if you don’t hold a valid visa and coming in the Kingdom of Thailand on a 30day Visa Waiver or stamp. Certain countries will not get the 30days, please refer to thaivisa.com information board to find out more about visa on arrival.

Under my experience of Thursday’s Visa run (21st June), it became apparent that they are checking to see if you bought this bus ticket. I specifically did not want to show I had got one until the immigration asked for it. He did. I asked the immigration officer why is this new rule in force? He replied by shrugging his shoulders and said, “Is there an airport here? That’s why you need to buy the bus ticket!”

(Seems like something strange is going on behind the scenes).

If you ask me, its complete nonsense, and Thailand needs to get a grip on its rules more. Thailand is not the place anymore for those who want to stay long term without a visa.

Hope all this helps for those doing a visa run in the near future.

Andy

PS. I wonder how long this rule will last till they bring in another new one.

[astral]

Its not as scam as such. Its required now.......onward bus journey ticket.

Of course it is a scam.

1. Why is the Thai immigration officer interested in what you will do in Cambodia??

2. One poster arrived in his own car and still had to buy the ticket..............

[sjaak327]

I wonder if they actuallly let you use the ticket in the first place, I think 200 baht is a fairly good price.

[tropo]

PS. I wonder how long this rule will last till they bring in another new one.

It's not a rule, but an obvious scam however, if they could keep it up it's a lot better than juggling onward air tickets.

I could live with this scam.

Edited June 22, 2007 by tropo

[Tod Daniels]

I also did a visa run with Thai Visa Run Dot Com on the 21st, and I can say they HAMMERED people to buy that worthless bus ticket. Going so far as to say, "You not buy now; we not help you at border." Gotta love the ingenuity of the friendly helpful, oh-so insincerely smiling thais on that one.

The 5 people ahead of me at the thai immigrations line checking in with "30-day-free-2-stay" stamps all had bought the bus ticket yet NOT ONE was asked to show it.

Some people from the Philippines had proof of onward air travel within 30 days yet they were hammered into buying the bus tickets. I believe it is a scam to generate another 200 baht. It remains to be seen whether you can actually use the mythical bus ticket from Komreang to Phnom Penh and on to Angkor Wat. IF someone actually succeeds in using it, I'd be interested to know.

I have a Non-O, and I was still asked twice by the lady to buy a bus ticket; "Make more easy you to cross..." I never even answered or acknowledged her talking to me.

IF you have onward travel via air, train, etc take it with you when you border run, as there is NO rule which states you must show onward travel from the exact border you enter into the glorious "Land 'O Thais". The rule is only you must show proof of onward travel that you are leaving the COUNTRY in less than the 30 days they are letting you in for. I belive IF you stood your ground the thai immigrations would accept it without question.

That said; it was far above average for a visa run company. MUCH superior to Jack's Gulf, East Meets West, or the other mini-bus services.

The check in at the coffee shop by the Ekami BTS Station was handled professionally. Plenty of forms were available with pens for those who didn't have one. There was even semi-coherent english spoken by the staff.

On the visa run itself they went thru the bus with a menu with 5 or 6 choices of food and provided a free (30 baht) meal, bottle of water, iced coffee, or pop. The bus had ice cold air-con and several American movies were shown. They stopped on both the outbound and inbound trips for restroom breaks at a clean gas station with a mini-mart and restaurant.

We never even went into Cambodia. The visa company took our passports after being stamped out of thailand, walked them over, got the Cambodian visa, entry and exit stamp and handed them back out while we waited in chairs in the shade at the entry/exit point of thailand.

The new 'rule' about having a copy of the front of your passport and a picture when entering thailand was explained at the check in, as well as when the service was booked on the phone, so no problems there either.

While they had print outs of the 'proof of onward travel' at the check in, they didn't seem to explain it to people who didn't know about it. The only negative thing was it wasn't until the bus was about an hour out of Bangkok that they went around to hammer people for the 200 baht bus ticket, leaving some feeling it was a misrepresented and under pressure on a ‘forced sale’ deal.

It was slow comin' back into Bangkok due to traffic, but that was to be expected given the late 9:30am departure time.

I would recommend people to give this service a try. Believe me there are FAR worse ones out there.

[rafval]

its a scam for sure, its only at that crossing you are forced to do it, still, I guess two can play the game and the bus tickets could be easily forged

I also did a visa run with Thai Visa Run Dot Com on the 21st, and I can say they HAMMERED people to buy that worthless bus ticket. Going so far as to say, "You not buy now; we not help you at border." Gotta love the ingenuity of the friendly helpful, oh-so insincerely smiling thais on that one.

The 5 people ahead of me at the thai immigrations line checking in with "30-day-free-2-stay" stamps all had bought the bus ticket yet NOT ONE was asked to show it.

Some people from the Philippines had proof of onward air travel within 30 days yet they were hammered into buying the bus tickets. I believe it is a scam to generate another 200 baht. It remains to be seen whether you can actually use the mythical bus ticket from Komreang to Phnom Penh and on to Angkor Wat. IF someone actually succeeds in using it, I'd be interested to know.

I have a Non-O, and I was still asked twice by the lady to buy a bus ticket; "Make more easy you to cross..." I never even answered or acknowledged her talking to me.

IF you have onward travel via air, train, etc take it with you when you border run, as there is NO rule which states you must show onward travel from the exact border you enter into the glorious "Land 'O Thais". The rule is only you must show proof of onward travel that you are leaving the COUNTRY in less than the 30 days they are letting you in for. I belive IF you stood your ground the thai immigrations would accept it without question.

That said; it was far above average for a visa run company. MUCH superior to Jack's Gulf, East Meets West, or the other mini-bus services.

The check in at the coffee shop by the Ekami BTS Station was handled professionally. Plenty of forms were available with pens for those who didn't have one. There was even semi-coherent english spoken by the staff.

On the visa run itself they went thru the bus with a menu with 5 or 6 choices of food and provided a free (30 baht) meal, bottle of water, iced coffee, or pop. The bus had ice cold air-con and several American movies were shown. They stopped on both the outbound and inbound trips for restroom breaks at a clean gas station with a mini-mart and restaurant.

We never even went into Cambodia. The visa company took our passports after being stamped out of thailand, walked them over, got the Cambodian visa, entry and exit stamp and handed them back out while we waited in chairs in the shade at the entry/exit point of thailand.

The new 'rule' about having a copy of the front of your passport and a picture when entering thailand was explained at the check in, as well as when the service was booked on the phone, so no problems there either.

While they had print outs of the 'proof of onward travel' at the check in, they didn't seem to explain it to people who didn't know about it. The only negative thing was it wasn't until the bus was about an hour out of Bangkok that they went around to hammer people for the 200 baht bus ticket, leaving some feeling it was a misrepresented and under pressure on a ‘forced sale’ deal.

It was slow comin' back into Bangkok due to traffic, but that was to be expected given the late 9:30am departure time.

I would recommend people to give this service a try. Believe me there are FAR worse ones out there.

[visarunner]

FYI , there is no way to bypass/forge said Ticket.

The Tickets are numbered and indicate yr name .

Yr passport is copied together with yr passport and they attach yr photo as well.

Original Ticket is handed back to you upon passing Thai Immigration.

IMHO , just accept it .

[tropo]

That said; it was far above average for a visa run company. MUCH superior to Jack's Gulf, East Meets West, or the other mini-bus services.

May I ask, how much did they charge you?

[rafval]

ok, the other option is poipet, imigration there doesnt seem to have been bribed by any bus companies so far

FYI , there is no way to bypass/forge said Ticket.

The Tickets are numbered and indicate yr name .

Yr passport is copied together with yr passport and they attach yr photo as well.

Original Ticket is handed back to you upon passing Thai Immigration.

IMHO , just accept it .

[visarunner]

ok, the other option is poipet, imigration there doesnt seem to have been bribed by any bus companies so far

FYI , there is no way to bypass/forge said Ticket.

The Tickets are numbered and indicate yr name .

Yr passport is copied together with yr passport and they attach yr photo as well.

Original Ticket is handed back to you upon passing Thai Immigration.

IMHO , just accept it .

it's not the bus companies that make extra money.

In PoiPet/Aran you have to show a real Ticket .

[rafval]

I dont mean the visa run buses, but its obvious that the cambodian bus company whos tickets everyone is forced to buy is giving a cut to someone in the thai immigration at that crossing, theres no other explanation that I can see, I guess its 100 to the bus company owner and 100 to the immigration official, maybe 100 tickets a day, thats 10000b each a day till they get stopped, pretty good money by any standard

ok, the other option is poipet, imigration there doesnt seem to have been bribed by any bus companies so far

FYI , there is no way to bypass/forge said Ticket.

The Tickets are numbered and indicate yr name .

Yr passport is copied together with yr passport and they attach yr photo as well.

Original Ticket is handed back to you upon passing Thai Immigration.

IMHO , just accept it .

it's not the bus companies that make extra money.

In PoiPet/Aran you have to show a real Ticket .

[Maestro]

...After October last year I emailed every Thai consulate I could find an email address for in this part of Asia, including Japan. No-one had the same rules. Many were using rules which were out of date before the changes last October, some out of date going back 5 years. No amount of persuasion by return emails would have these people review their blatently incorrect operating standards.

The new rules effective last October, ie Royal Thai Police Order No. 606/2549, are all about extensions of permission to stay. These are handled by Immigration offices (inside Thailand). Ask Thai embassies and consulates (outside Thailand) about visas and you should get correct information, but if you ask them about extensions of stay, something which is outside their scope of responsibility, you may get an incorrect or incomplete answer.

...a guy married to his western wife both wanting to retire here needing Bt1.6m !!!

Wrong! When a foreign couple wishes to retire in Thailand only one person, over 50 years old, applies for an extension for retirement and has to show evidence of 800k in a Thai bank account. The other person applies for an extension as a dependant and needs to show no financial evidence.

--

Maestro

[Coolmen]

Will be definetly my last visa run I am doing on 28.6.07 and then I am leave for Manila. Friend of mine married there, has now Citizen ship and lives happy without all the BS implemented since TRT has come to power, and the present ones are not much different from the former.

With 40000$ invested in the Filipines you get Resident status through an Investors Visa, very easy very convinient and very human from the Government there. So lets move all the crap going on here makes no more sense at all.