An Hour 'in Prum, Cambodia.

[SeanMoran]

Yesterday I parked the bike at the border office between Pong Nam Rong and Ban Laem, and left Thailand for half an hour to walk across the bridge to Prum, Cambodia, for the first 'visa ride' in three years.

Some things had changed, on both sides of the border. In Thailand, there are now new buildings for immigration - much more salubrious. In Prum, the development in three years is extraordinary. What was not much more than a dirt road heading off over the hill is now the beginnings of a whole town - with a dirt road for the main street, but still quite astounding after three years away.

Some things had not changed. I remember three years ago, the Cambodian visa cost 1,300 THB, so I was initially surprised to see it drop to only 1,000 THB this time on arrival. Then however, at the second window to depart Cambodia before returning to Thailand, the gentleman I dealt with seemed hesitant at first, and suggested I might like to visit the markets up the hill.

With a rucksack full of gear and the usual budget, I politely declined the suggestion, at which point the additional 300 baht was called for, to arrive and immediately depart Cambodia without passing the border office.

It was only some time later back in Thailand that it occurred to me that perhaps the idea was to go for a short walk through the market for half an hour, and buy a carton of ciggies or something lightweight to fit in the rucksack, and perhaps, (if I remember from years ago) avoid the additional 300 baht cost for the token visa without actually entering Cambodia?

It's not a fortune, but maybe to help understand the implications of the border staff on the Cambodian side, can anyone shed some light on the benefits of taking a quick stroll through the new markets in Prum for half an hour, and whether that removes the additional 300 baht departure fee?

In sixty days, if this is the case, I might as well go for the obligatory walk and buy a carton of smokes for the 300 baht, if nothing more than to accord with the expectations of the Prum border police. If this IS the case, then I do feel a little stupid to have not taken them up on the offer, but all the last times I've been there, there WAS no market, so it was standard procedure to just stop over at the border office for 1,300. Now, things seem to have changed. Is that right?

[Eff1n2ret]

I was there a couple of weeks ago, but only for the first time, so I have no basis for comparison. Also, I was on a 2000baht package with an agent which included the minibus ride and everything, so I'm not sure what proportion of that accounted for the Cambodian visa, which is actually marked 20$US.

But whilst the agent took all our passports to do the Cambodian bit, we were loaded into another bus and run a little way across the bridge and up the hill to one of the shops. I bought a litre of Jamesons whiskey for 550baht, and slightly to my surprise it turned out to be the genuine article, so that was a real bargain. The missis, who was just along for the ride, got a sleeve of L&M cigarettes for 150Baht. I've no idea what a pack costs normally.

So, it looks as if the option to go duty-free shopping and pay 300 baht less for the visa is reasonable.

[indo]

I was there a couple of weeks ago, but only for the first time, so I have no basis for comparison. Also, I was on a 2000baht package with an agent which included the minibus ride and everything, so I'm not sure what proportion of that accounted for the Cambodian visa, which is actually marked 20$US.

But whilst the agent took all our passports to do the Cambodian bit, we were loaded into another bus and run a little way across the bridge and up the hill to one of the shops. I bought a litre of Jamesons whiskey for 550baht, and slightly to my surprise it turned out to be the genuine article, so that was a real bargain. The missis, who was just along for the ride, got a sleeve of L&M cigarettes for 150Baht. I've no idea what a pack costs normally.

So, it looks as if the option to go duty-free shopping and pay 300 baht less for the visa is reasonable.

i was there also 2 weeks ago and after paying 1000 and had to go to the next counter for an exit stamp for which the guy asked me 300 baht.I flatly refused and looked the other way.After 2 minutes he gave me back my passports and i did not pay the 300 baht.Maybe because he saw many cambodian stamps in my passport or i was just lucky.

[SeanMoran]

I was there a couple of weeks ago, but only for the first time, so I have no basis for comparison. Also, I was on a 2000baht package with an agent which included the minibus ride and everything, so I'm not sure what proportion of that accounted for the Cambodian visa, which is actually marked 20$US.

But whilst the agent took all our passports to do the Cambodian bit, we were loaded into another bus and run a little way across the bridge and up the hill to one of the shops. I bought a litre of Jamesons whiskey for 550baht, and slightly to my surprise it turned out to be the genuine article, so that was a real bargain. The missis, who was just along for the ride, got a sleeve of L&M cigarettes for 150Baht. I've no idea what a pack costs normally.

So, it looks as if the option to go duty-free shopping and pay 300 baht less for the visa is reasonable.

i was there also 2 weeks ago and after paying 1000 and had to go to the next counter for an exit stamp for which the guy asked me 300 baht.I flatly refused and looked the other way.After 2 minutes he gave me back my passports and i did not pay the 300 baht.Maybe because he saw many cambodian stamps in my passport or i was just lucky.

Thank you both for the replies on this conundrum. I reckon I might go with the duty-free market carton in 59 days, and no extra 300 baht on departure. Still, I reckon that that walk across the bridge is probably about the finest of all moments I know in all this time in Thailand. It is on that bridge that every footstep reminds me of who I am and what I am doing there in no-man's land half way between two foreign nations.

I always want to stay friends with the border people on both sides. That's the finest moment for a traveller - crossing that bridge.