Tourist Visa (single Entry) In Phnom Penh

[welo]

Just came back from a visa run to Phnom Penh for a Tourist Visa.

Hard facts first, details follow tomorrow:

• Applied and was granted Single Entry Tourist Visa on Wednesday 1 July 2009, double still not available (according to agent). This is my 2nd tourist visa en suite from PP.
  
• No fee for Tourist Visa (single entry) 'from 25 June 2009 to 4 March 2010'
  
• Agencies offer Thai Visa services for 10$/=340B (2 days = standard) and 15$/=510B (1 day = same day). 1-day actually means agent collects passport in the morning (or evening before) and returns it afternoon/evening the same day. No need to go to the embassy yourself.
  I did not know about it and went to the embassy myself and got the same day service for 10$ with an agent in front of the embassy.
  
• Announcement (dated 1 May 2009) requires every Visa Application to provide:
  o Proposed address in Thailand (Hotel, House with full address, Tel No)
  o Date of Arrival in Thailand
  o Mean of Travelling (flights, car, etc)
  I did provide everything but Tel No and got my visa. No idea how strict they are when applying at the official counter without agent.
  
• Did not see an announcement about Visa pickup two days later instead of next day but was told so by agent outside the embassy - but did not thoroughly check all the embassy (thought it was bogus anyway until I read on the board someone had to mention his flight to get the standard next day service!?)
  

welo

[welo]

1. Getting the Visa (Same-Day Service)

2. Traveling to Phnom Penh by Bus

3. Budget Backpacker Style (coming soon)

1. Getting the Visa (Same-Day Service)

I arrived at the embassy at about 9:30 in the morning. I did not bother to go inside but checked immediately with one of the agents who usually hang around at the entrance. I asked for a 'same-day service' and was offered 15 dollars, bringing him (easily) down to 10$, which is 340 Baht at the current exchange rate, and this seemed like a reasonable price to me. He led me to the police officer who was sitting at the police/guard booth just outside the main gate/wall to the right side (when looking at the embassy) – this is not the counter where you get your application form and the ticket, which is after the main gate inside the embassy yard.

I handed over

• my passport
  
• the application form
  
• a copy of my passport picture page (not sure whether it's really required),
  
• 1 photo and
  
• 10 USD.
  

In return I got a telephone number and a name on a paper and was told to come back 15:30 the same day for pickup. I was told to come to the same booth again, not go inside. I returned at 15:00, hoping for 'early delivery', but actually had to wait until 16:00. The passports were handed to the guard through a window in the embassy building/wall just behind the police/guard booth.

Besides the delay everything went very smooth.

Even more details:

• The number of tourists applying for and picking up the visa was small compared to Vientiane, no queues at all (I didn't come in the morning though).
  

• I learnt later that the typical 'tourist agencies' in the tourist area around Boeng Kak Lake (warning: backpacker area, but more decent hotels close by) now offer Thai Visa services for 15$ (1-day) and 10$ (2-day). So no need to go to the embassy at all. Prices are OK considering that Tuktuk rides are up to 2$. I don't know how late in the morning you can bring your passport to the agent, better you contact him the day before – if you arrive in the afternoon or evening no problem anyway.
  I assume that probably most travel agencies in Phnom Penh with Visa services for other countries now also offer Thai Visa services. I saw around 10 agents come and pick up packs of passports while I was waiting.
  

• Insights. I am not completely sure how the same-day pickup is supposed to work. The people involved were quite a bit secretive. First I thought the telephone number I got is from the guy I talked to (the 'agent'), and when he didn't turn up at the arranged time I got a bit nervous. Finally I saw the guard from the morning return (there was a different guard sitting in the booth in the afternoon), but now in plain clothes. He didn't speak English but 'told' me to wait another half hour, another guy translated to me. This guy finally explained that we are actually not waiting for 'my' agent to come but for the contact inside the embassy. Later I saw the guard from the morning receive the processed passports through a window in the building/wall just behind the guard booth. Two other people were waiting with me and they got the passports at the same time, but I don't know whether they had paid for the same-day service or for something else.
  

• I am not sure the copy of the passport main page is required. I read about that somewhere here in the board shortly before leaving and brought it just to make sure. The agent didn't really ask for anything, I just handed him everything before he could ask and he was happy.
  

• I asked for Double Entry but it seemed to be not available. The agent I spoke to did first not understand what I was talking about which worried me a bit (I think his task was translating, the guard was the actual connection to the people inside). I think he finally understood, and he said it was not possible. I didn't change my application form which asked for double entry. The visa returned was a Single though (as expected).
  

• At the Boeng Kak Lake (Main backpacker area) you can hire motorbikes (scooters) for 4-5 dollars (plus 1-2 dollars petrol per day) if you want to go to the embassy yourself. Park opposite the embassy to avoid getting charged for parking. But beware of PP traffic, You should be an experienced driver, though I personally find PP less crazy than central Bangkok (where I would never go with a motorbike). It's a matter of going with the flow, driving slow and concentrated, and assuming the worst. Learn from the locals when crossing busy streets or turning left against the upcoming traffic by following in their shade and using cars as 'bodyguard'. Pollution will come to you no matter whether you drive yourself or go with a Tuktuk which is between 1.5 - 2 dollars for most distances. If you want to do some sightseeing or just want to hang out at the river front the motorbike gives you great flexibility.
  

2. Travelling to Phnom Penh by bus

I only cover the Aranya Prathet/Poipet border crossing here, since this is close to where I stay. Since most of you will come from Bangkok there is of course another option, the Koh Kong border. I don't have any 1st hand experience about that route. From what I've been reading while doing a quick research on the internet, It seems that going via Koh Kong will take longer and cost more.

Overview

From Poipet there are two routes going to Phnom Penh, which take both about the same time. One goes north of the Tonle Sap Lake via Siem Reap, the other one south and passes Battambang (Cambodias second largest city). See Google map here. There are quite a view companies running buses between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, but none of them go from Poipet to Siem Reap (read below why, 'Taxi Mafia'). The only buses from Poipet to Phnom Penh (and vice versa) travel the southern route, and will pass Battambang (BB).

Prices

Prices for Phnom Penh <-> Poipet range from $6.50 to $8.00, and might be higher with commission included (and thanks to the extensive prey drive to rip off tourists). Some offer free pickup when leaving from Phnom Penh which could otherwise add another 1-2$ for a Tuktuk.

Some of the Companies that run Poipet <-> Phnom Penh are:

• GST
  
• Sorya
  
• Capitol
  
• Neak Krorhorm
  
• Paramount Express
  

A moto from the border to the bus station should be not more than 0.50$ or 2000 Riel or 20 Baht. Read about the touts and the Poipet taxi mafia below.

Schedule

Busses going Poipet-PP start as early as 6:00, the latest AFAIK leaves at 9:30. PP-Poipet is about the same. Travel time may vary significantly due to waiting times at scheduled stops (especially direction Poipet-PP), bus speed, traffic, etc. and are about 7-8.5 hours total. I traveled this route only 2 times, not enough to state specific times.

Try to get a bus as early as possible. If you don't stay overnight in Poipet it will be hard to impossible to catch the early buses anyway, since the border opens at 7:00. I tried once to be there right when opening but was 15 minutes late and then further delayed at Thai immigration, finally arriving at the bus terminal at 8:15. The only companies still waiting at that time were Sorya and Neak Krorhorm.

Buses from Bangkok take about 4-5 hrs to Aranya Prathet. There are public buses leaving from Mo Chit Terminal starting at 3:30am. You will have to take a Tuktuk to the border for 50-80 Baht.

And cheaper Casino buses from Lumpini park start from 5:00. These buses go to the border area.

All this information is 2nd hand though, please check yourself on the forum and internet.

I also don't know whether all buses leave from the bus terminal, some might just depart from their company office in Poipet.

You might also want to read about the organized touts in Poipet that some people call 'Taxi mafia' (see below).

Another option is to take a taxi to Siem Reap (2.5 hrs) - or Battambang - and continue by bus (5 hrs). This might or might not be considerably faster depending on the bus you get on (Neak Krorhorm being one of the slower buses), but is surely more expansive since you have to pay for the taxi AND the bus.

And interestingly companies will charge the same from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh as for Poipet to Phnom Penh (e.g. Paramount Express, same bus, same price, different distance). OK, there are said to be bigger and nicer buses available from Siem Reap, I did not have the possibility to check this out. Generally, I never ever saw anything that comes even close to the VIP bus services available in Thailand in terms of quality and comfort.

Crossing the border – a traveller's report

I live about an hour away from the Aranya Prathet/Poipet border crossing. The border opens at 7:00. When I got to the Thai immigration at 7:15 (was a bit late, dow!) there were two counters open for Foreign passports and about 15 people queuing at each of them. Processing was very slow, looking back now I wonder whether they had really already started working or not – sorry, was still a bit tired in the morning. However, my queue got further delayed because the officer took about 5 minutes each to process four black people, picking out one who was questioned and finally sent back by another officer. The counters for Thai nationals did not help in processing foreigners though there were no Thais waiting at all at some moments.

Got out of immigration after more than 30 minutes. Did my Cambodian Visa (see below for details), did the medical checkup and got my yellow receipt. On my way to Cambodian immigration at about 8:15. Entry stamp without problem and fast.

Had talked to a moto driver just before Cambodian immigration who offered me 15 Baht to the bus station. Was very suspicious about the price, told him I would not pay if he did bring me somewhere else. He said OK and I agreed.

Out of Cambodian immigration the typical chaos started (read below on the Poipet 'Taxi Mafia') since I ignored the touts and sticked to my moto driver. If you haven't heard about the Poipet taxi mafia yet, read below. Well, I wasn't interested in a taxi, nevertheless the tout was following on a second motorbike. My driver obviously had told him where we go since the tout was leading the way. We arrived at the bus station, where three busses were waiting. A few guys were sitting at a table at the entrance to the bus station – this was obviously the ticket counter. The tout following us from the border was so 'kind' to translate for me. I was asked 400 Baht for the ticket. I went the opposite direction one time for 8 USD (Paramount Express) so I said I would not pay more than that. I asked which bus leaves first and when. The guys pointed at one, Neak Krorhorm. I stated I want to go with Sorya which I read about on the internet. They pushed me to buy the ticket and go with the other, many reasons given ('more passengers', 'will leave first', 'Cambodian company', bla bla). I tried to play slow to find out more, when surprisingly the Sorya bus started to leave. I asked the driver whether he went to Phnom Penh and he did, but as I wanted to get on the bus the other guys talk to him and he starts nodding his head towards me and the bus goes off. Great! I paid the ticket and went on the 'recommended' bus where two other tourists were waiting in an otherwise empty bus. We finally left at 9:00.

One word about the 'taxi mafia'

Transportation from Poipet to Siem Reap is not what one would understand as 'free market' and 'good competition'. The typical means of transport is the taxi. (I've always been told that there is no bus at all, but also read a report lately that there is one, but overpriced and slow.) None of them have taximeters, taxi signs or special color, usually it's just an older Toyota Camry.

A good share of the money for every ride to SR goes to an 'organization', and touts hang around everywhere at the border and along the main road to make sure there is no taxi that does not 'work' for this organization. They also make sure the negotiated prices do not go below a set 'standard' which, of course, is pretty high, between 40-60$ at the moment (15$ for shared seat), whereas the opposite direction goes for just 30$.

The touts will do everything to bring you to one of these taxis. If you try to 'escape' them by jumping on a moto, they will follow you and try to make your driver stop, either by words or even by blocking his way.

But even when traveling to Phnom Penh they will try to get their share. If you go to the bus station, they will lure you into taking the Neak Krorhorm bus, even if another bus is leaving sooner, and will charge you 400 Baht (11$). The correct price is 7$. And I found other companies to have same or better buses and be faster.

The Cambodian Visa

Just a quick overview since there are many reports on this forum.

• 30-day Tourist Visa is available directly at the border (Visa on Arrival), the offical price is USD 20.
  
• The Visa Office is located AFTER Thai immigration directly at the foot of the massive Angkor Wat-styled Arc spanning the road on the right side (coming from Thailand). Don't let Tuktuk drivers, touts, agents or even immigration officers tell you otherwise. They will charge you considerably more and it will take longer. There have even been thefts reported at a supposed Cambodian Consulate outside the border area (btw a pretty villa with an official sign, maybe fake, maybe not).
  
• The officers at the Visa On Arrival counter will try to charge more than 20 dollars. Be sure to bring dollars and a photo, and be steadfast! There is an ATM that hands out dollars just 20 metres after the Visa on Arrival counter on the LEFT side. You are allowed to walk freely in that area, since this is how you would get to the Casinos.
  

Prepare yourself and do a bit of reading on the links provided here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=2846392

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=2847470

Enjoy your Visa-Run!!!

welo

Edited July 16, 2009 by welo

[Mario2008]

Thanks for you contribution Welo, I'm sure others will find it very useful.

[welo]

Thanks for you contribution Welo, I'm sure others will find it very useful.

You're welcome. Just want to contribute something back to the community since I received great help here in the past!

However, I wonder whether anybody will bother to read since it is 'slightly' longer than the average post on thaivisa LOL

welo

[compounds]

Thanks

You're welcome. Just want to contribute something back to the community since I received great help here in the past!

However, I wonder whether anybody will bother to read since it is 'slightly' longer than the average post on thaivisa LOL

welo

Another Thanks!

Your info was very detailed and helpful.

I just followed in your footsteps and got my visa at the Phenm Penh Thai Consulate today.

I arived late, 11:35 am friday. And officially the consulate was closed until monday.

But thanks to you, I asked around and found a "agent" who spoke English and promised to

to get the Visa same day for $15 (would not do it for $10).

I got my visa!

My passport was finished and waiting at the guard shack at 4:30 pm same day.

In Feb 2009 I got a double entry. So I ask for a double entry, but they said NO not for love or money.

I gave the "agent" no paperwork, only my passport, a photo. I paid the $15 AFTER I got the visa.

The "agent" was Mr Saret. Good English so I hired him and his motorcycle for the whole afternoon.

He was a good guide. Two thumbs up.

-James

[welo]

James,

thanks for the feedback, I'm actually glad I didn't write the whole report for nothing

I guess the same-day service was double worth it in your case, without it you would have had to wait until Monday to apply and pick up on Tuesday! Even for 15 USD (510 Baht) this is a fair deal! Also good to know they can provide the service even when you arrive late!

Do you remember the opening hours of the embassy?

Did you fly in or come with the bus?

Btw just found a holiday calendar here.

welo

Edited August 7, 2009 by welo

[simcity]

Thanks for you contribution Welo, I'm sure others will find it very useful.

You're welcome. Just want to contribute something back to the community since I received great help here in the past!

However, I wonder whether anybody will bother to read since it is 'slightly' longer than the average post on thaivisa LOL

welo

I am like a honey bird on new posts !

I did not read all for the raison i do not need this info, but will for sure if one day i need to go there.

Great post you made !

[thaiphoon]

Good report Welo . I am sure people will find this useful.

[tropo]

Since most of you will come from Bangkok there is of course another option, the Koh Kong border. I don't have any 1st hand experience about that route. From what I've been reading while doing a quick research on the internet, It seems that going via Koh Kong will take longer and cost more.

I'm sure as many or more come from Pattaya.

Going via Koh Kong is a lot shorter if coming from Pattaya.

How about the Pong Nam Ron border post? Is it possible to get transport to Battambang from there via route 57?

[welo]

How about the Pong Nam Ron border post? Is it possible to get transport to Battambang from there via route 57?

I found one report on talesofasia from January 2008. The author took the bus from Bangkok to Chantaburi (4hrs, 200B), and a mini bus to the border (150B, 1.5hrs), then a moto from the border to Palin for about 3 USD, took him 30 minutes. From there a shared taxi (10USD) to Battambang which took about 3hrs ("Made Battambang in record time, definitely not the 4 hours mentioned in some guidebooks."). The road is not paved (a report from Feb 2009 confirms this).

source: talesofasia

From my experience Battambang to Phnom Penh takes about 5 hrs by bus and is about 4-7 USD.

Cambodian Visa On Arrival is available. When coming to Thailand, there are reports that Thai immigration requires an onward ticket for the 30day Visa Exemption Rule.

welo

[toptuan]

Great post, complete with pictures, maps, directional arrows, etc. You should write a travel book! I read it just for the entertainment value--not even planning on visiting Cambodia. But if I do, it sure beats the BKK-PP roundtrip ticket on Bangkok Airways I paid about 3 years ago (at that time $250!). Thanks.

[welo]

Great post, complete with pictures, maps, directional arrows, etc. You should write a travel book! I read it just for the entertainment value--not even planning on visiting Cambodia. But if I do, it sure beats the BKK-PP roundtrip ticket on Bangkok Airways I paid about 3 years ago (at that time $250!). Thanks.

Thanks for your encouraging post!

Whereas the bus roadtrip is definitely budget-friendly, one has to say that it is not overly comfortable Roads and buses are not up to the standard of other more developed countries in Asia such as Thailand and Malaysia.

Just for curiosity I checked out Bangkok Airways to PP from Bangkok. If you book one month in advance you pay 6070 THB (180 USD), taxes inlcuded. With same-day service you could arrive in PP at 8:50 and leave at 20:00. You don't have to stay a single night. You'll save two nights and maybe 3-4 meals. If you usually stay at mid-class hotels (30-50 USD) and go to better tourist restaurants (meal+drink @ 10-20 USD) you'll save between 60 and 110 USD, cutting down the cost increase compared to travel by bus to something between 70 and 120 USD.

Btw, I spent about 90 USD (3000 THB) for the whole trip, including fees, transport, food, well everything, but this was a backpacker style travel with room rates at 5 USD/night

welo

[nilster]

Anyone know can I use those agents and one day service with ED-visa application?

[ALFREDO]

-Welo-

And others thanks for the Info.

I made last summer a Thai Tourist Visa for my Cambodian GF there at the PP Thai Embassy, I (She) made the Visa herself without the help of the Visahelpers. The Visa was free of charge-why pay any Dollar to the helpers?

If you have time, they are not necessary, free of charge in the moment.

In Koh Kong, The Visa-entry to CAMBODIA costs 1.200 Baht there and if you insist to pay only 20 Dollar,

Ther will be delay and trouble-I wrote hear on ThaiVisa somewhere a Thread about that. (In Visa for other country?)

Koh Kong romantic nice border, beautiful countryside but only useful, if you want to go to Sihanoukville.

Regards Merry Christmas