Adventures In Cambodia

[chuckygobyebye]

This story is about a month old, but...

For my last visa run I went to Phnom Penh. I went to the Thai Consulate, filled in an application for a Tourist Visa and handed it over with photo and cash, and watched with growing dread as the woman behind the glass' frown deepened.

"You have a lot of tourist visas here Mr C," she said, "almost a year's worth."

"Yes," I replied.

"And you have many overstay fines,"

"Well, you'll notice that one of the visas expires of Christmas day and another on my birthday,"

"And every visa is extended. Are you working in Thailand Mr C?"

And so a 'who me?' conversation ensued.

Eventually she said she'd have to have the Consul look at my passport, so I squirmed in a chair until closing time when he came out with much the same questions, to which I gave much the same answers. Eventually he said:

"We'll give it to you this time Mr. C, but I don't want to see you here again."

Now I've never, ever had any problems at any of the checkpoints or at Immigration here in Bangkok. Anyone else had this kind of problem at Phnom Penh or another Consulate?

Curiously enough, a friend of mine is going out with an immigration officer from Dong Muang and I asked her to have a look at my passport and she said everything is in order.

[LivinLOS]

All part of the new clampdown...

Multiple tourist visa's are being made harder if not impossible to get from local SE Asian countries.

[astral]

Curiously enough, a friend of mine is going out with an immigration officer from Dong Muang and I asked her to have a look at my passport and she said everything is in order.

The rules at the consulates and at Immigration are not in sync!!

[huski]

although i enjoy cambodia, Phnom Penh has always been the most unfriendly place to get a visa. they are so used to being rude in that place they just don't know any better. i have had friends go through travel agents in PP that take the paperwork to the consulate and so far that has proven 100% successful.

[unbiasbob]

although i enjoy cambodia, Phnom Penh has always been the most unfriendly place to get a visa. they are so used to being rude in that place they just don't know any better. i have had friends go through travel agents in PP that take the paperwork to the consulate and so far that has proven 100% successful.

Hey Husk,

I was there for a tourist this past Jan. and went to an agent that used to do a lot of Thai visas prior. They said that you had to go in person. Who knows if that's actually true or if that has changed since. I do know that you are correct that PP is not a pleasant place to get a visa in person