Visa cambodia for border run Ban Laem

[Jo77]

Hi,

 

I have to leave the country on 21 July and I planned to pass by the Cambodian border at Ban Laem. Is it too late for a E-visa? no problem to pass on Sunday?

Will they still eat one passport page with E visa?

What happened if I decide to pay the 30$ required and show them the requirement from the Cambodian embassy website instead of the 40$ they want?

 

[DrJack54]

Border bounce from where

[Jo77]

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Border bounce from where

From Thailand Ban Laem to Cambodia Daung Kamrieng

[steve187]

I dont think you can use a Cambodian e-visa at pong nam ron or ban laem,

only land crossing are - 

Poi Pet (Banteay Meanchey)

Bavet (Svay Rieng)

Cham Yeam (Koh Kong)

Tropaeng Kreal Border Post (Stung Treng)

[DrJack54]

https://aseannow.com/topic/1324450-ban-laem-border-run/

[Jo77]

Just now, steve187 said:

I dont think you can use a Cambodian e-visa at pong nam ron or ban laem,

only land crossing are - 

Poi Pet (Banteay Meanchey)

Bavet (Svay Rieng)

Cham Yeam (Koh Kong)

Tropaeng Kreal Border Post (Stung Treng)

and by paying 30$ (or 40$) that's ok or you mean they don't give visa there?

[steve187]

Just now, Jo77 said:

and by paying 30$ (or 40$) that's ok or you mean they don't give visa there?

no i mean you cannot use e-visa at 

Poi Pet (Banteay Meanchey)

Bavet (Svay Rieng)

Cham Yeam (Koh Kong)

Tropaeng Kreal Border Post (Stung Treng)

have to obtain a visa on arrival

[DrJack54]

https://aseannow.com/topic/1258988-ban-laem-border-bounce/

[Jo77]

Thanks, so no problem going there on Sunday?

I will prepare 40$ and 300 bahts for the corruption fee (night in Cambodia rule)

I have never used E-visa, does it save you a passport page?

[Tod Daniels]

42 minutes ago, Jo77 said:

I have never used E-visa, does it save you a passport page?

Yep, with an e Visa all you get is the entry exit stamp you don't burn a whole passport page with that Cambodia Visa sticker.

But as people were pointing out the e visa to Cambodia can only be used at certain land border crossings

[Tod Daniels]

https://www.evisa.gov.kh/information/port_entry/3

[Jo77]

24 minutes ago, Tod Daniels said:

Yep, with an e Visa all you get is the entry exit stamp you don't burn a whole passport page with that Cambodia Visa sticker.

But as people were pointing out the e visa to Cambodia can only be used at certain land border crossings

Thank you, if I go to another border (accepting e-visa) do you think I still have time to get it before Sunday if I apply now?

[Jo77]

The 2 other alternatives are Poipet and Cham Yeam, Cham Yeam is a bit far and apparently Poipet as bad reputation.  Maybe I have to make peace with losing one more passport page...

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, Jo77 said:

Poipet as bad reputation.

Don't even consider it

[Jo77]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

Don't even consider it

Thanks for the warning, I cross it out of my list. What about Ban Laem? vs Cham Yeam

[DrJack54]

23 minutes ago, Jo77 said:

Thanks for the warning, I cross it out of my list. What about Ban Laem? vs Cham Yeam

Some discussion of options in this thread

https://aseannow.com/topic/1312040-border-bounces/ 

 

What is location you will set off from. eg Bangkok, Pattaya? etc.

Forget about eVisa

 

[Caldera]

2 hours ago, Jo77 said:

From Thailand Ban Laem to Cambodia Daung Kamrieng

 

You cannot use a Cambodian eVisa to enter there.

 

And in any case, you should allow 3-4 business days to apply for a Cambodian eVisa, so it would be too late.

[Caldera]

34 minutes ago, Jo77 said:

The 2 other alternatives are Poipet and Cham Yeam, Cham Yeam is a bit far and apparently Poipet as bad reputation.  Maybe I have to make peace with losing one more passport page...

 

Cham Yeam / Khlong Yai is a friendly and relatively quiet border crossing. Easy to get to from Trat City.

 

You can use an eVisa to enter Cambodia there, but you might not get it on time if you apply today and need to leave Thailand by Sunday.

[Jo77]

58 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Some discussion of options in this thread

https://aseannow.com/topic/1312040-border-bounces/ 

 

What is location you will set off from. eg Bangkok, Pattaya? etc.

Forget about eVisa

 

From Rayong, I will go to Ban Laem and bring 40$ + 300 bahts for corruption fee.

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, Jo77 said:

What happened if I decide to pay the 30$ required and show them the requirement from the Cambodian embassy website instead of the 40$ they want?

A friend of insisted on paying the official amount in USD, despite being asked for THB. Had to wait for 5 hours to get his passport back, that was at Poipet.

I used  to go to Ban Laem regularly, a lot easier now they have improved the road. The "agents" always asked for the visa fee in THB plus their fee for doing it, could normally knock a third off that. Used to be very quick, passport back by the time you come out of duty free.

[Jo77]

21 minutes ago, sandyf said:

A friend of insisted on paying the official amount in USD, despite being asked for THB. Had to wait for 5 hours to get his passport back, that was at Poipet.

I used  to go to Ban Laem regularly, a lot easier now they have improved the road. The "agents" always asked for the visa fee in THB plus their fee for doing it, could normally knock a third off that. Used to be very quick, passport back by the time you come out of duty free.

So they won't accept dollars at Ban Laem? their fee is the corruption fee for not staying 1 night in Cambodia or an additional one?

[steve187]

1 hour ago, Jo77 said:

From Rayong, I will go to Ban Laem and bring 40$ + 300 bahts for corruption fee.

Pong Nam Ron is closer

[sandyf]

11 minutes ago, Jo77 said:

So they won't accept dollars at Ban Laem? their fee is the corruption fee for not staying 1 night in Cambodia or an additional one?

Who do you mean by "they"? Unless things have changed after you pass through Thai immigration you will encounter "agents" that will get you stamped in and out of Cambodia without you having to do anything. The other option is you ignore them and make your way to Cambodia immigration and get the visa yourself. Cambodian immigration are legally obliged to accept the visa fee in USD, but they don't have to be nice about it.

I don't know what you mean by "corruption fee",  never heard of it.

I always used one of the agents and was out and back into Thailand in about half an hour, wife would have a stop at the market and then off to see friends in Chantaburi. Coming from Chonburi we joined the No 3 other side of Rayong.

[Jo77]

42 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Who do you mean by "they"? Unless things have changed after you pass through Thai immigration you will encounter "agents" that will get you stamped in and out of Cambodia without you having to do anything. The other option is you ignore them and make your way to Cambodia immigration and get the visa yourself. Cambodian immigration are legally obliged to accept the visa fee in USD, but they don't have to be nice about it.

I don't know what you mean by "corruption fee",  never heard of it.

I always used one of the agents and was out and back into Thailand in about half an hour, wife would have a stop at the market and then off to see friends in Chantaburi. Coming from Chonburi we joined the No 3 other side of Rayong.

They, the immigration officers. Corruption fee any fee that is not legally obliged I suppose, is the 300 bahts to don't have to sleep in Cambodia an official rule? if not then let say a bribe or a corruption fee, call it what you want, nothing unusual and quite expected I know but still corruption. If it's actually written somewhere and official then indeed I'm wrong.

[thecyclist]

I usually get my Cambodian e-visa in 2 days.With it you can use Poipet and Had Lek .Have never been asked for any additional payments with e-visa. No sticker either. 

Visa on arrival takes up a full page plus stamps. They usually ask you for an additional 5$  "stamping fee/bribe" on top of the 30 $ ,just say no.

[Rob Browder]

6 hours ago, Jo77 said:

So they won't accept dollars at Ban Laem? their fee is the corruption fee for not staying 1 night in Cambodia or an additional one?

They like to rip you off with the exchange-rate AND the "not stay one night" fee.  I always paid in dollars + 100 Thai Baht (to stop them whining), and stayed overnight (or longer).

[sandyf]

On 7/17/2024 at 4:07 PM, Jo77 said:

They, the immigration officers. Corruption fee any fee that is not legally obliged I suppose, is the 300 bahts to don't have to sleep in Cambodia an official rule? if not then let say a bribe or a corruption fee, call it what you want, nothing unusual and quite expected I know but still corruption. If it's actually written somewhere and official then indeed I'm wrong.

Which immigration officers?

In 6 years of going to Ban Laem I never encountered a Cambodian IO. The Thai IOs were quite friendly, one time one asked my wife to help her load some carpets into the back of her pickup.

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Which immigration officers?

In 6 years of going to Ban Laem I never encountered a Cambodian IO.

 

It's a relatively new development, but nowadays you have to stamp in and out in Cambodia yourself, so that they can take your picture and fingerprints. The days when just your passport went to Cambodia seem to be over, even at Ban Laem.

[sandyf]

4 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

It's a relatively new development, but nowadays you have to stamp in and out in Cambodia yourself, so that they can take your picture and fingerprints. The days when just your passport went to Cambodia seem to be over, even at Ban Laem.

Thanks for the update.

The last border bounce I needed to do in 2020 I had to go on my own so took the train from Chonburi to Padang Besar, arrived on the morning Hat Yai shuttle and came back on the afternoon one. All very easy.

If it ever comes up again, think I'll give Cambodia a miss.

[Caldera]

7 hours ago, sandyf said:

Thanks for the update.

The last border bounce I needed to do in 2020 I had to go on my own so took the train from Chonburi to Padang Besar, arrived on the morning Hat Yai shuttle and came back on the afternoon one. All very easy.

If it ever comes up again, think I'll give Cambodia a miss.

 

Depending on your local immigration office and their TM30 policy, it might still be relevant if you re-entered on the same multi-entry visa, or if you entered visa exempt.

 

If the former, you might not be required to submit a new TM30 notification (but it's best to check with your IO). If the latter, you are definitely required to submit a new TM30 notification. If you fail to do so, you could very well get fined just like the OP.