Siam Reap

[richieudon]

Hi

Does anyone know if a Thai national can travel to Ankgor Wat without a passport?

It seems a silly question but is there a deal similar to the allowance of Thai nationals going to Vientianne without a passport?

Thanks

[thaiphoon]

Passport and visa is required for Thai national travelling to Cambodia.

From Delta airlines link to IATA database:

National Thailand (TH) /Destination Cambodia (KH)

Visa Information - Destination Country

Cambodia (KH)

Passport required.

- Passport and/or passport replacing documents must be valid

for at least 6 months after the date of arrival.

Visa required.

Visa Issuance:

- On arrival: if required, to foreign nationals living abroad

holding proof of being born in Cambodia, and with a passport

photo. Free of charge. Visa is valid until passport expires.

- On arrival: if required, to those coming for touristic or

business purposes for a stay of max. 30 days. Fee: USD 20,-

and passport photo is required. (SEE NOTE 23655)

NOTE 23655: Extensions are possible, for: touristic

purposes:one month: USD 5.- per day; business purposes: one

month: USD 45.-; 6 months: USD 155.-; 1 year: USD 285,-.

Additional Information:

- Tourist visas may be issued in a passport or issued in an

e-Visa format, printed on a separate piece of paper.

- All visitors must hold documents required for their next

destination and sufficient funds to cover their stay.

- Entering on a one-way ticket is allowed for nationals of

Thailand

CHECK TINEWS/N1 - INVALIDATED PASSPORTS, EFFECTIVE 1

JANUARY 2010

Timaticweb Version 1.3

16 January 2010

[monty]

I see it's dated 1 January 2010, so is this very new?

Thai nationals, along with all ASEAN members used to travel visa free into Cambodia. Have a Philippine friend who late last year went and he didn't pay anything, just got stamped in (30 days I think).

[PoorSucker]

Thaksin has given some advice?

[SantiSuk]

Thais can still nip over the border for a day very cheaply with just an ID card. Or at least they could on 8th January, based on a comment made to my TW when we crossed at the smallest Thai/Cambodia border, Choam/Choam Sa Ngam, south of Si Sa Ket.

It occurred to me that since that border is only 2 hours drive from the temples, on an excellent well-signed road, you could go early and hire a taxi on the other side of the border (they would probably quote $100 - the rest is up to you) do a half day tour of say four temples (Banteay Srei, Pra Thom, Bayon and Angkor Wat would be my choice) and nip back again before the border closes. Makes for a very long day with travel to the border on the Thai side, but maybe better than the hassle of getting a passport.

Given their notable lack of interest in archeology, unless your Thai partner/friend is different it may be better to do this anyway and preserve a two day visit to yourself and a mate at some later date!

I recommend Siem Reap and the temples to any non-Thai living in Thailand. Crazy not to go if you are doing border runs there already. Once you are at Siem Reap it is really cheap (3-star hotel for $15 right in the bar/restaurant area, draft beer in nice relaxing bars for $0.50, reasonably cheap and surprisingly good range of and quality of food, tuk-tuk for a temple day tour $12. The expensive bit (by SE Asia standard) is the temple archaeological park fee - $20 for one day and $40 for 2-3 days.

Cambodia is suffering the same downturn as Thailand, so I reckon it was only 50-70% full in the height of the season. Oh and of course the temples are stunning - buy a decent guide book for $7 from the Tourist Office and you will be hooked - I will definitely be going again (and again): every visitor I have will want to go now I know its less than 4 hours to get there from my house. Next time I will take my car all the way.

[Soutpeel]

I see it's dated 1 January 2010, so is this very new?

Thai nationals, along with all ASEAN members used to travel visa free into Cambodia. Have a Philippine friend who late last year went and he didn't pay anything, just got stamped in (30 days I think).

You may be right with other ASEAN memebers but Mrs Soutpeel has required visa's every time and we have been there 3 times over the last 4 years, and I suspect its to do with Thailand's "unique" relationship with Cambodia requiring Thai nationals to get a visa.. or of course the Khmers could be scamming the Thai's by telling them they need a visa to generate revenue, but in reality they dont...

I mention this as some of my Thai collegues where told by immigration in Indonesia that they required a visa for indo, which of course they dont, and they ended up paying US$ 25 for a visa on arrival.

When I travelled to Indo one time with Mrs Soutpeel, they tried it on with her until I told them she didnt need a visa for visits less than 30 days and in the end they backed down..

[richieudon]

Thais can still nip over the border for a day very cheaply with just an ID card. Or at least they could on 8th January, based on a comment made to my TW when we crossed at the smallest Thai/Cambodia border, Choam/Choam Sa Ngam, south of Si Sa Ket.

It occurred to me that since that border is only 2 hours drive from the temples, on an excellent well-signed road, you could go early and hire a taxi on the other side of the border (they would probably quote $100 - the rest is up to you) do a half day tour of say four temples (Banteay Srei, Pra Thom, Bayon and Angkor Wat would be my choice) and nip back again before the border closes. Makes for a very long day with travel to the border on the Thai side, but maybe better than the hassle of getting a passport.

Given their notable lack of interest in archeology, unless your Thai partner/friend is different it may be better to do this anyway and preserve a two day visit to yourself and a mate at some later date!

I recommend Siem Reap and the temples to any non-Thai living in Thailand. Crazy not to go if you are doing border runs there already. Once you are at Siem Reap it is really cheap (3-star hotel for $15 right in the bar/restaurant area, draft beer in nice relaxing bars for $0.50, reasonably cheap and surprisingly good range of and quality of food, tuk-tuk for a temple day tour $12. The expensive bit (by SE Asia standard) is the temple archaeological park fee - $20 for one day and $40 for 2-3 days.

Cambodia is suffering the same downturn as Thailand, so I reckon it was only 50-70% full in the height of the season. Oh and of course the temples are stunning - buy a decent guide book for $7 from the Tourist Office and you will be hooked - I will definitely be going again (and again): every visitor I have will want to go now I know its less than 4 hours to get there from my house. Next time I will take my car all the way.

Thanks very much for the info

[SantiSuk]

As an update for any backpacker/traveller who is searching on Chong Sa Ngam or Choam or Anlong Veng (the border south of SiSaket), I went to Siem Reap a couple of weeks ago en route to Phnom Penh from my home in SiSaket province. A taxi on the Cambodia side of the border to Siem Reap was quoted at 1,500 baht ($30), considerably less than the $100 I was quoted for two of us 6 months previously ($100 for 2 was also the quote from travel offices in Siem Reap on the way back). You can probably negotiate for less at the border.

Buses from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh are very regular up to 2:30pm (and non-existent thereafter) and cheap - $4 to $10 depending on luxury level. Its a slow old 7 hours though!

The cheapest would be to get a moto (motorcycle taxi) to Anlong Veng and get a shared taxi from there and to get a shared taxi back again from the Sokimex gas station near the stone bridge in Siem Reap.

I decided not to take my newish SUV into Cambodia, having read the advice of others on TV.

[i'm not going to tell you how good the nightlife in PP is - I want to keep it like it is.]

[TerryLH]

Some good info there.

"..but maybe better than the hassle of getting a passport."

What hassle? For a Thai, getting a passport is easy, and usually very efficient.

"...was quoted at 1,500 baht ($30).."

Are you sure about your math?

[SantiSuk]

Some good info there.

"..but maybe better than the hassle of getting a passport."

What hassle? For a Thai, getting a passport is easy, and usually very efficient.

"...was quoted at 1,500 baht ($30).."

Are you sure about your math?

Well spotted - Yeah I'm sure - I'm wrong. $50 (I knew that at the time!)