Camobodian Visa Required For Casino Visit

[devildog683]

My wife and I were visiting her parents in Thailand this past summer and decided to spend a day at the Casinos on the Cambodian/Thai border. When we left the Thai side and proceeded to walk towards the Casino (I forget the name, but it was uphill to the right), a uniformed Cambodian approached me and asked for my visa. I told him I didn't have one, I was not entering Combodia and was returning to Thailand upon leaving the Casino. He was then joined joined by two other uniformed men who proceeded to tell me I could not go any further or I would be arrested. 1500 baht or so later, I received a visa from the border office and proceeded on with our day (wife won the money back, and more).

My question is, do you have to have the Cambodian visa to go to the Casinos? Seeing as how you do not cross through the gates into Cambodia (the Casinos are in between the borders, at least it seems that way). I feel like we were ripped off......

[visarunner]

The general rule is that Thai Nationals need to show and stamp their Passport when they leave Thailand, but they do not need the Cambodian Visa if they just stay in the "Casino area".

Farangs need to buy the Cambodian Visa and need the Cambodian entry and exit stamps before being readmitted to Thailand.

You got a bit ripped off, normally these Visa cost USD20.-, but most Landborder checkpoints accept only THB 1,000.- and for the entry and exit stamp you pay around THB 200.-

[Jimjim]

Unless things have changed, I thought the visa cost was only 1000 baht, so you may have been ripped off there. If you do not stay the night then those at the entrance to Cambodia usually ask you for an illegal fee of 200 baht. I simply did not pay it and had no trouble, on one trip.

However, they were not wrong in asking you to get a visa as if you left Thailand, you would not be able to get back in without showing entry in to Cambodia, which requires a visa, yes.

So, you were only ripped off in the price, not that you needed a visa. you did need a visa. Even though you thought you were "between" borders, in reality you were considered to be in Cambodia. Where they choose to put their visa booths is up to them. And Thais never need a visa to go to Cambodia for a short trip, even if they do go past the casino area and pass through immigration.

Edited December 1, 2009 by Jimjim

[samran]

no such thing as 'between borders'. The border (unless disputed) is a definative line in the dirt. On one side is Thailand and on the other is Cambodia. There may be a buffer between the two...often referred to as a "no mans" land so to speak so that border posts, customs buildings etc aren't built on top of each other, but that doesn't mean that Cambodian laws don't apply starting 1mm over that border.

As others have said, Thai's can go to the Casino's visa free, but for other foreigners have to pay the man for a Visa. Same thing happened to my family down in Trat. I and my kids could go over and wander around (and go to the zoo) on the Cambodian side, but my wife, a NZ'er, stayed behind as it wasn't worth paying 1500 baht to go a couple of hundered meters over the border.

[Khutan]

O'Smasch on the other side from Chom Chon allows "casual visitors" to the casino. This was the case a month ago. Even though I was not all that interested in the casino, I was interested in some Duty Free.

[Jari]

You got a bit ripped off, normally these Visa cost USD20.-, but most Landborder checkpoints accept only THB 1,000.- and for the entry and exit stamp you pay around THB 200.-

Any payment for entry and exit stamps is a voluntary tip and so is 1000 baht for the tourist visa. I have gone to Poipet two times and paid 20 usd for the visa on arrival and nothing for the stamps each time.

Edited December 11, 2009 by Jari

[PoorSucker]

O'Smasch on the other side from Chom Chon allows "casual visitors" to the casino. This was the case a month ago. Even though I was not all that interested in the casino, I was interested in some Duty Free.

There are a lot of khmer at the border that can do the shopping for you for a fee.

I went to that border earlier this year and asked a guy to jump the border an bye two boxes if ciggs for me.

Edited December 11, 2009 by PoorSucker

[starcatcher]

For passing the border from Thailand to Cambodia (btw. the same to Laos) you should have USD with you for paying the visa costs as they charge more when you pay in Thai Baht.

I had a one year business visa for Cambodia, but only made a border run that time to Cambodia (back the same day) and it also happened to me: had to pay an additional 500 Baht for "not staying over night in Cambodia". I had a long discussion with the Khmer Immigration officer, but you'll never win most of the time. And honestly - better to pay 500 Baht or 10 Euro instead of long discussions with that "officials". When they think, you made them lose their face, they maybe ask you even more

[thequaife]

yes you do. once you stamp out from thailand, you must have 2 more stamp (arrival & departure from cambodia). Then you will be able to enter back to thailand. Without any of those stamp from cambodia, the thai immigration will not let you in back to thailand.

yes, the border was in between thai & cambodia. but the casino are registered as in cambodia. It was designed that way because 99% of the players are thai. for thai people they do not require to have stamp like yours. they can do as what you wish you could do but it only valid for thai people. not for foreign passport holder. this is the agreement between two countries.

FYI, i work on one of this casino.