Visa run Poi Pet Cambodia

[goldenbrwn1]

This was my first time extending my Thai visa with a land crossing. Over the last 25 years of coming and living in Thailand,  I have usually just flown in and out or had the appropriate visa but this visit I came in on the 60 day at short notice and figured I will just do a border run on its last few days on my own to extend it . 
 

After entering POI Pet with no issues , and paying the  visa fee all seemed well . I spent around 3/4 hrs there then decided to come back across. After going through Cambodia immigration , I was told to  just go straight to the Thai immigration border, which I thought was weird, the Cambodian immigration official was very dismissive and brushed me away. 
Then after getting to Thai immigration I was told I  needed an exit stamp , so I went  back to Cambodian immigration, again no exit stamp and told to go to Thai immigration and again same result at Thai immigration.   After another attempt I was stopped by the Thais/Cambodians who all hang around inside no man’s land between borders asking if I need an exit stamp….I asked (in Thai) how do you know I need an exit stamp?? He replied “I can do for 10,000 baht blah blah blah” , then it all clicked.   Obviously the Cambodian immigration officials are in on it with the visa runners! I had walked in with just the clothes on my back , no bank cards just a few thousand baht 😂. My wife and kids were on the Thai side waiting for me to come back where all my belongings like money/ cards etc were.  
 

In the end I just kept rejoining the queue on the Cambodian side and they were getting real pissed with me and shouting me away every time I got to the front. Eventually some big wig came out of an office and nodded to one to call me over and I thought here we go (if only they knew I didn’t have a pot to piss in ) and thankfully he gave the go ahead and they gave me my exit stamp! I smiled and thanked them politely and crossed back into Thailand.  So if you are someone who is taking advantage of the 60 day extensions on land border crossing just be aware if you do it on your own without one of those visa run services . I will just in future go to Thai immigration here and get my appropriate visa as I really didn’t save any time doing a border run 😂 

[Tod Daniels]

You would be hard-pressed indeed, to find a worse border to try to bounce out and back at then the Aranyaprathet/Poipet border with Cambodia.

 

I don't know who suggested that you use that border but you should rabbit punch them in the head. .

 

You're lucky you even got back into Thailand at all, and many many people every week are turned back and told they have to fly into Thailand that they can't enter by that crossing.

 

 You need to count your blessings, and pick another border if you're going to bounce out and back again.

 

It appears, from your story, that you didn't extend any visa and instead bounced out and back to get a brand new free 60 day entry stamp..

 

 

[steve187]

op you should be able to get a 30day and a 60 day ( visit wife extension) each one would be 1,900thb. every entry made into Thailand allows for a 60 day wife extn, as long as the Wife is Thai, 

[DrJack54]

23 minutes ago, steve187 said:

op you should be able to get a 30day and a 60 day ( visit wife extension) each one would be 1,900thb. every entry made into Thailand allows for a 60 day wife extn, as long as the Wife is Thai, 

Typo...you meant 60 day visa exempt stamp.

Few reports of an couple of immigration offices not issuing the 30 day extension followed by the 60 to visit wife.

Don't know why.

[goldenbrwn1]

2 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

 

I don't know who suggested that you use that border but you should rabbit punch them in the head. .

Tbf she needs a good slap anyway 😂. But yeh I’m a real noob when it comes to visa runs , I think in future I will stick to what I know 👍 

[goldenbrwn1]

2 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

It appears, from your story, that you didn't extend any visa and instead bounced out and back to get a brand new free 60 day entry stamp.

That’s exactly what I did , and even the Thai end immigration were real nasty with some of the young backpackers trying to get in but they didn’t help themselves by answering back, whilst I was all smiles whilst being treated like a piece of 💩. But I been here long enough to know what Thais in authority esp immigration officers are like 

[Presnock]

16 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

You would be hard-pressed indeed, to find a worse border to try to bounce out and back at then the Aranyaprathet/Poipet border with Cambodia.

 

I don't know who suggested that you use that border but you should rabbit punch them in the head. .

 

You're lucky you even got back into Thailand at all, and many many people every week are turned back and told they have to fly into Thailand that they can't enter by that crossing.

 

 You need to count your blessings, and pick another border if you're going to bounce out and back again.

 

It appears, from your story, that you didn't extend any visa and instead bounced out and back to get a brand new free 60 day entry stamp..

 

 

Guess things really changed there - when I originally got my retirement O, I used the Poipet crossing  going by bus from BKK.  They would stop at the Cambodian side, stamp our PP and then take us to a casino where we had a FREE lunch and if desired, 2 hours of gambling or whatever before bringing us back across the border and back to BKK.  Then with embassy letter, didn't need to exit the country, just do the one-year long stay extension.  along the way other immigration changes too but most I found made the extension process easier until I got the LTR and that to me has been the best for my situation for the next 9 years if they don't alter any of the benefits.

[Homburg]

I did that crossing in one day without any issues, not to extend my visa, but for a meeting in Siem Reap and then back to LOS, but it was over ten years ago before the current scam started. When I did it the only stress I encountered was the rush getting back to the border before it closed!

 

I understand that now one has to stay at least one night in Cambodia in order to get the exit stamp without the scam, although in your place I may have been tempted to put some portraits of His Majesty in my passport before handing it to Khmer Immigration.  Has anyone succeeded with that approach?  If so, how many portraits were required?  

 

 

[goldenbrwn1]

13 minutes ago, Homburg said:

I understand that now one has to stay at least one night in Cambodia in order to get the exit stamp without the scam, although in your place I may have been tempted to put some portraits of His Majesty in my passport before handing it to Khmer Immigration.  Has anyone succeeded with that approach?  If so, how many portraits were required?  

 

I was skint but that was definitely what they wanted. I had a mark on me as there wasn’t too many white faces apart from sweaty backpackers, I stood out like a sore thumb and I soon realised I shouldn’t of dressed so well or especially wore my watch! 

[zzzzz]

51 minutes ago, Homburg said:

I did that crossing in one day without any issues, not to extend my visa, but for a meeting in Siem Reap and then back to LOS, but it was over ten years ago before the current scam started. When I did it the only stress I encountered was the rush getting back to the border before it closed!

 

I understand that now one has to stay at least one night in Cambodia in order to get the exit stamp without the scam, although in your place I may have been tempted to put some portraits of His Majesty in my passport before handing it to Khmer Immigration.  Has anyone succeeded with that approach?  If so, how many portraits were required?  

 

 

10 years ago< now THAT is really relevant>>

1st;  worst border to do an in & out
2nd;  a 500 baht note in ur passport when u depart Cambodia will get the exit stamp or an overnight stay