Border bounce to Ban Pakard Cambodia

[flexomike]

Going to do a border bounce to Ban Pakard Cambodia mid September to dump my OA visa, can I do an in an out, will be driving my own vehicle from Rayong

[raysunshineray]

Haven't done it since December 2019 (second time), but it always used to be like this:

You'll have to pay for a Cambodian visa (on arrival) - can't remember how much, but I seem to recall that paying in dollars was a better deal than baht.

(Think it was $40 US... or 1,500 baht)

If you do a turn around they take money off you - again, can't remember, could have been a 300 baht 'fee' if you don't stay.

The Cambodian immigration guys are pretty po-faced, gruff and unfriendly.

Also. they may try to take that fee twice - once on entry when you tell them you're not staying anywhere (they'll ask), and again when you visit the window to exit. So keep receipts for payment, and don't let them get away with that scam.

I assume that you're not thinking of taking your car in, so you'll need to find somewhere to park as near as possible on the Thailand side, and that wasn't so easy when I did it... you may need to look around.

Altogether it's not such a bad experience as such things go... may take a couple of hours including a short break for something to eat/drink on the Cambodia side.... although less busy now I imagine.

(The immediate vicinity of the town is a dusty, horrible dump.... you won't be tempted to hang around.)

I drove from Pattaya, so it was a long day with the drive there and back, making me more tired and less patient than I might otherwise have been.

Good Luck! 

[Caldera]

Expect to pay a little tea money to the Cambodians for allowing you to leave on the same day you arrive.

 

Other than that and on the Thai side in particular, you shouldn't have any issues.

[rohitsuk]

1. Please let us know how it goes.  I am planning to do the same in October.

[flexomike]

59 minutes ago, rohitsuk said:

1. Please let us know how it goes.  I am planning to do the same in October.

Will do

[timberpond]

I tot there's a paid carpark just right before the immigration? It's like 100 baht for a day. I parked there twice.

Once pass Thai Immigration will have motorbike to send you the other side... don't take it, just walk across like 200m. Need to inform Cam side that you are not staying the night and pay 300 baht. If you don't do that, coming out time on the same day they will ask for more. 

 

At the Cam side you can buy 1 carton of cigarettes and a bottle of whiskey each person. Don't buy more than that because Thai side will meet road block and they will check the car.  

[timberpond]

Just looked at google map, the carpark is called Health Park right before the Thai Immigration.

[rohitsuk]

On 9/3/2022 at 9:29 PM, flexomike said:

Will do

Hi Flexomike.  How did it go ?

[Dart12]

How was this trip and how long the drive?

[flexomike]

No problems at all, I did an in an out, elected to let the Cambodian side take care of all of the paperwork, all fees, in and out plus visa was 2700 baht, Don't know if I could have done the in an out without an extra fee, back in 2017 it was 300 baht, I just elected to pay the extra and get it done so I could get off to Immigration and sign up for my O Visa, no more OA for me. 

Can't remember how long the drive was I live about fifteen minutes east of Ban Phe, took Sukhumvit 3 towards Chanthaburi and took a left I think it was less than an hour and a half.

 

Would have been a real quick trip but the wife wanted to come with so she could donate to the Casinos

[bkkexplorer]

Can I hop on board this page as I have a couple of questions and seeking advise.

 

Mum's (Singapore passport) on a visit here, arrived on the 11th Dec2012 and was given a 45 days visa to 23rd Jan. She then had a 30day extension at Laksi Bangkok immigration which expires on the 23rd of Feb. If she wanted to stay longer, can she do a border bounce? I think Bangkok Immigration will only give her another 14 weeks. She'd like to stay 2months if possible. What are her options?

 

 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by bkkexplorer

[Mike Teavee]

8 hours ago, bkkexplorer said:

Can I hop on board this page as I have a couple of questions and seeking advise.

 

Mum's (Singapore passport) on a visit here, arrived on the 11th Dec2012 and was given a 45 days visa to 23rd Jan. She then had a 30day extension at Laksi Bangkok immigration which expires on the 23rd of Feb. If she wanted to stay longer, can she do a border bounce? I think Bangkok Immigration will only give her another 14 weeks. She'd like to stay 2months if possible. What are her options?

Did you mean 14 weeks (98 days)? or did you mean 14 days? 

I'm assuming the latter (14 days) as MAF advises  Singaporeans need to have a Visa if they want to spend more than 90 days in any 6 month period in Thailand 

https://www.mfa.gov.sg/Overseas-Mission/Bangkok/Consular-Services/Thai-Visa-Application-for-Singapore-Citizens#

... And she will have used up 75 days of the 90 with the original Visa Exempt entry + extension. 

 

 

If this is the case then a Border bounce will only get her the 14 days after which she will either need to spend 3 months outside of Thailand or go somewhere to get a Visa (The Thai Embassy on Orchard Road being an obvious choice, Laos or Vietnam also options) 

 

If she does decide to get the extra 14 days then she will have to leave the country so (assuming Singaporeans still have the special immigration lanes at BKK) I would recommend she takes a short holiday back home to Singapore & then re-enters (Even if she gets a 45 day visa exempt when coming back she would technically be on overstay after 14 days, whether she would be caught or it would cause a problem later on is another matter). 

 

If she doesn't want to go to Singapore then I'd recommend flying to Udon Thani & cross over into Laos at Nong Khai (Very easy to do & when we did the trip, 9th-12 Feb, it was quite quiet both ways), she won't need to pay the $40 visa on arrival cost, but the (Thai) GF did have to pay 20Baht to be stamped in & out of Laos (We were there for a holiday so she couldn't use the temporary border pass) so she may have to pay that. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by Mike Teavee

[flexomike]

9 hours ago, bkkexplorer said:

Can I hop on board this page as I have a couple of questions and seeking advise.

 

Mum's (Singapore passport) on a visit here, arrived on the 11th Dec2012 and was given a 45 days visa to 23rd Jan. She then had a 30day extension at Laksi Bangkok immigration which expires on the 23rd of Feb. If she wanted to stay longer, can she do a border bounce? I think Bangkok Immigration will only give her another 14 weeks. She'd like to stay 2months if possible. What are her options?

 

 

 

 

you can do two border bounces per calendar year, 

 

[bkkexplorer]

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

Did you mean 14 weeks (98 days)? or did you mean 14 days? 

I just assumed 14 days more as that would total 90 days in the kingdom.

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

I'm assuming the latter (14 days) as MAF advises  Singaporeans need to have a Visa if they want to spend more than 90 days in any 6 month period in Thailand 

https://www.mfa.gov.sg/Overseas-Mission/Bangkok/Consular-Services/Thai-Visa-Application-for-Singapore-Citizens#

... And she will have used up 75 days of the 90 with the original Visa Exempt entry + extension. 

 

 

If this is the case then a Border bounce will only get her the 14 days after which she will either need to spend 3 months outside of Thailand or go somewhere to get a Visa (The Thai Embassy on Orchard Road being an obvious choice, Laos or Vietnam also options) 

I thought a border bounce would give you another 45 days. Going back to Singapore is not preferable, a Thai border trip close to Bangkok is what I'm looking for right now. I'd like to know if a daily trip is possible or she needs t stay the night. And if I'm missing anyhting if she decides this.

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

If she does decide to get the extra 14 days then she will have to leave the country so (assuming Singaporeans still have the special immigration lanes at BKK) I would recommend she takes a short holiday back home to Singapore & then re-enters (Even if she gets a 45 day visa exempt when coming back she would technically be on overstay after 14 days, whether she would be caught or it would cause a problem later on is another matter).

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

If she doesn't want to go to Singapore then I'd recommend flying to Udon Thani & cross over into Laos at Nong Khai (Very easy to do & when we did the trip, 9th-12 Feb, it was quite quiet both ways), she won't need to pay the $40 visa on arrival cost, but the (Thai) GF did have to pay 20Baht to be stamped in & out of Laos (We were there for a holiday so she couldn't use the temporary border pass) so she may have to pay that. 

 

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mike Teavee]

2 hours ago, bkkexplorer said:

I thought a border bounce would give you another 45 days.

The MAF site states ... 

Visa Requirement

Not required (for stay not exceeding 30 days for each entry and a cumulative duration of stay not exceeding 90 days within any six months).

 

Which reads to me that you are allowed a maximum of 90 days "Visa less" entry in any one 6 month period, so any more days would require a visa... But that's clearly not been updated to reflect the 45 day entries & your mum has already extended so has stayed well over the 30 days for each entry so I guess she will get 45 days via a Border Bounce & be fine.  

 

You don't need to stay overnight in Laos & although I did see a lot of Laos guys being sent back & told to come back later (they literally got off the bus & tried to immediately re-enter Thailand), I highly doubt that a Singaporean Passport holder would be turned away in the same way, but a 1 hour coffee in the market should be enough. 

 

 

We flew into Udon Thani (where we were staying for a few days) & took a taxi (900b) to Nong Khai but there is a minibus from the airport (200b) & I believe an International Buss (100b) from the Bus Station (This was no use to me as I need a visa to enter Laos & didn't apply for one beforehand, your mum should be fine as she has an Asean passport so doesn't need a visa to enter Laos).