Poipet Visa Run

[p414]

Went to poipet for re-entry on sunday.Took 3+ hours.Thai exit took nearly 2 hours.I arrived there at 08.30.

Thai guy said he could do for 500 baht ,just exit-I said no thanks.

Cambodia -I used to give a guy 100 baht and he would do eveything to get me in and out..Last 2 times..'no can do;'.

Anyone else having problems at poipet?Anywhere else better?

Thanks.

[thaiflyer1]

Aye the days of using "runners" at Poi-Pet to get your stamps are gone due to the fact that the Cambodian side are now taking your photo when you enter. You never said where you are based but a lot of the visa run services in Pattaya are heading down to Trat at a crossing called Pong Nam Ron (sp?)......its a slightly longer journey but the turnaround time at the border is a lot quicker (never any queues).

[cathyy]

Aye  the  days  of  using  "runners"  at  Poi-Pet  to  get  your  stamps  are  gone  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Cambodian  side  are  now  taking  your  photo  when  you  enter. .

Are you sure it's just the picture? I needed a picture when I did a visa run at Poi Pet last September, and I used a runner. Yes, it took a couple of hours, but it was busy, even when I arrived at 9AM.

[klongmaster]

Cut & paste from a longer report I did for ajarn.com

I drove from KlongSan in Bangkok to the border at Had Lek in four and a half hours.

It’s a four lane highway all the way to Trat and on a Sat morning was virtually traffic free. The last 70kms from Trat to the border is narrow and winding, but picturesque and quite enjoyable.

Secure parking, courtesy of the casino, is right at the end on the left. Just drive as far as you can go. It’s 200 baht per day, but free when stamped from the casino. (I just put the parking ticket beside my chips when I started to play blackjack and someone took it and had it stamped for me.)

Go to Thai immigration office on the RHS of the road. They will stamp you out of Thailand. (Ask for a TM card so you can fill it in at the hotel and not in the searing sun on your return.)

Cambodian Immigration office is on the LHS. Go inside and complete the visa application form. (Grab another one so you can do it beforehand next time) They asked me where I was going. I said to the casino. (Had a carry bag with me) Charge was 1000 baht. Go outside, turn right to the window and get your stamp. In all, took about 10 minutes. I was the only person there.

[thaiflyer1]

Aye  the  days  of  using  "runners"  at  Poi-Pet  to  get  your  stamps  are  gone  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Cambodian  side  are  now  taking  your  photo  when  you  enter. .

Are you sure it's just the picture? I needed a picture when I did a visa run at Poi Pet last September, and I used a runner. Yes, it took a couple of hours, but it was busy, even when I arrived at 9AM.

By "needed a picture" you dont mean the photo for the Cambodian visa do you? I/m talking about the photo they are now taking as you enter Cambodia via web-cam onto computer........you physically have to enter and exit now so there is no point in using a "runner". Before you could sit on the right just after the bridge after exiting Thailand while the runner got your in and out stamps for Cambodia...........you cant do this now.

[Jockstar]

For the hassle and what it costs to go to Poipet. Then i'd suggest flying to somewhere like Penang. I have done the Cambodian thing a couple of times. Vowed never to do it again. I'd rather spend maybe 2K more and fly somehwre nicer. Stay one night and come back the next. None of this sitting on a bus for hours. You will come back feeling a lot fresher and less tired. IMO.

[p414]

Thanks for the input all.

much appreciated when I get sensible replies..Malaysia is certainly easier,but getting there is a hassle.

When I lived in bkk I took the train to pedang besar,motorbike to the road checkpoint,same motorbike to the van for Hat yai[20 baht from pedang-van point].app. 50 baht van-hatyai.

3 years ago last time I went that way.

No bloody full page visa from malaysia.

[350torana]

Did Poipet a few times , but really hated the place(reminds of Barter Town in Mad Max 3). HadLek/Cham Yeam is a way more friendly border , never seen it busy and takes about 20 mins. I think about the same distance as poopet from Bkk, even closer if you are in Pattaya. Father-in-law has a Durian estate in Trat so a night or two getting drunk with the locals makes for a great visa run. Not to mention, Ko Chang.

Oh well, they have cameras at Had Lek as well. Only had to have my pic taken on the first visit , the next few times ..no need as they already have it on file . Not sure if it is the same as Poipet ?

[donbury]

I have done 7 poi pet visa runs from BKK and I really dread the next one. I was taking a bus at 5AM, but the last time found I could hire a van for the round trip with a driver, and made the journey getting lots of sleep in the van. Also it dropped the travel time from 10 hours total to about 6, as we skipped the westbound taxi trip to the bus station, and apparently drove a more direct route. I think I paid 3000 bhat for the driver and van, and enjoyed stopping at will, making it much more comfortable.

Dealing with the border BS is very irritating at best. My last run, I counted no less than 6 checkpoints I had to negotiate. The worst being checking out of Thailand, which required waiting in line an hour. After getting back into Thailand, I endured a scary looking military checkpoint with metal detectors and body scanners. After looking through my bag, they waived me through, and I am pretty sure they are looking for drugs.

Avoid peak gambling hours can help alot. I am sure weekend late mornings are the worst crowds. I think a very early weekday morning is likely a lot better, as I did have a fairly smooth in-and-out one monday morning.

To keep it all in perspective, I did the journey several times with an Australian, who was resigned to the process, because he had been doing it every month for EIGHT YEARS!!!!! ARGHHHH!

I dream of ways around this. I was even thinking about flying to Rangoon, but the news from Myanmar and the fighting going on over the border has scared me off. Also, seems vulnerablity to kidnapping over there is very real.

I guess I will look into Panong - flying there.

[sabaijai]

I have done 7 poi pet visa runs from BKK and I really dread the next one.  I was taking a bus at 5AM, but the last time found I could hire a van for the round trip with a driver, and made the journey getting lots of sleep in the van.  Also it dropped the travel time from 10 hours total to about 6, as we skipped the westbound taxi trip to the bus station, and apparently drove a more direct route.  I think I paid 3000 bhat for the driver and van, and enjoyed stopping at will, making it much more comfortable.

Dealing with the border BS is very irritating at best.  My last run, I counted no less than 6 checkpoints I had to negotiate.  The worst being checking out of Thailand, which required waiting in line an hour.  After getting back into Thailand, I endured a scary looking military checkpoint with metal detectors and body scanners.  After looking through my bag, they waived me through, and I am pretty sure they are looking for drugs. 

Avoid peak gambling hours can help alot.  I am sure weekend late mornings are the worst crowds.  I think a very early weekday morning is likely a lot better, as I did have a fairly smooth in-and-out one monday morning. 

To keep it all in perspective, I did the journey several times with an Australian, who was resigned to the process, because he had been doing it every month for EIGHT YEARS!!!!!  ARGHHHH!

I dream of ways around this.  I was even thinking about flying to Rangoon, but the news from Myanmar and the fighting going on over the border has scared me off.  Also, seems vulnerablity to kidnapping over there is very real.

I guess I will look into Panong - flying there.

Kidnapping in Rangoon??

[sumantkumar]

I took a "Visa Tour" to Poipet on Wednesday. The service I used was Jacks Golf.

The cost was 2000 THB, and it was worth it. The price includes the Cambodian Visa and lunch.

You catch the bus around 7:00 AM and they give you drinks and snacks. They play English movies on the bus, so the time goes by quick.

When you arrive in Poipet, they take your passports somewhere, and about 15 minutes later they return with your passport with the exit stamp already marked and a Cambodian Visa already stamped. You then exit Thailand without having to stand in line and proceed to Cambodian immigration. Since you already have the Cambodian Visa, you only have to get your picture taken. You then have lunch at one of the Casinos (included in the price) While you are having lunch, the tour guides take your passport to get the new Thai Visa. After lunch, you collect your passport, cross back into Thailand without having to stand in line and return to the bus for the drive back.

I found this to be well worth it considering that if you go by yourself, you have to stand in line often for hours on both sides, plus you often have to bribe the Cambodian Visa officer. For a few hundred Baht more, everything is done for you. Basically, the only work you have to do is walk across the border, and watch movies.

We left at 7:00 AM and returned at 4:00 PM

[Khun Jean]

And then complain corruption is the biggest problem. I call it lazy and just as criminal as the ones who take money.