Updated Visa Run To Phnom Penh

[thailandbluegrass]

Well here is my up-date on my visa run to Phnom Penh.

My last visa run before this was to Suvannakhet Laos from Bangkok and this breakdown is as follows:

• Bus from Bkk to Mukhdahan 860 baht VIP x 2 for return = 1720 THB (leave bkk 8:30pm Sunday evening, arrive Mukhdahan 6:00am Monday)
• Mukhdahan to boarder at Suvannakhet = 40 baht
• Pay Laos visa for Canadian = 1700 baht (different countries different fees)
• Tuk tuk to Savannakhet = 100 baht (arrive at Thai consulant at 10:00am)
• Room for 2 nights at 350 baht per night = 700 baht
• Tourist visa is free so picked up the next day
• Fee to boarder patrols to leave Laos = 40 baht
• Bus back to Mukhdahan = 40 baht (arrive bus station Mukhdahan at 6:30pm)

Total cost excluding food etc = 4,300 baht

Visa in Suvannakhet was easy, no hasstles and polite staff and also could speak English not bad.

My latest visa run to Phnom Penh Cambodia is as follows:

· Mini van from my house to BTS at Victory monument = 35 baht

· BTS to Ekkamai Bus station = 40 baht

· Bus to Trat left at 12:00 noon arrive Trat at 5:30 = 240 baht

· Room in Trat for the night = 150 baht

· Next day take mini van to boarder at “Klong Yai” left at 9:30am arrive at 11:00am = 120 baht

· Visa for a Canadian to enter Cambodia = 1000 baht

· Motorcycle taxi from boarder to bus station in Koh Klong Cambodia 20 minutes and 60 baht (haggled from 100 baht of course). You go through one more check point and just show your passport. Then you go through a toll way and pay 11 baht.

· Moto taxi idiot took me to a “bus ticket agency” not the bus station and I knew the last bus leaving to Phnom Penh that day was at 12:30 so had no time and paid 500 baht for bus ticket. I think if you get strait to the Bus terminal maybe its only 250 baht but……Buses leave every day from the bus terminal either at 8:00 and 8:30am but that6 means getting up to early in Trat. Also the only other bus every day is at 12:30 (the one I took)

· Arrive in Phnom Penh at around 7:00pm.

· Tuk tuk to centre of town on river is 40 baht

· You can find a decent room like I did for $10.00 USD per night (300 baht)

· Following day December 27^th I rented a motorbike for $5.00 USD per day (150 baht) to get to the Thai consulate (Moto taxi maybe would be 40 baht plust 40 baht back so…..

· Arrive at Thai consulate at 9:00am (they open at 8:30)

· The guard outside called me over and asked what I wanted. I told him I wanted a tourist visa for 60 + 30 days. He said ok fill out an application outside and it would take 4 or 5 days. I walked away and just walked into the consulates office. I had already filled out my application that I downloaded from Google and had all my documents in order. I went up to the desk (there was only 1 other farang lady waiting in the seats in the office) and handed them my application and passport (on my application I had ticked the 2-entry box).

She asked me where my flight card or number was and I told her I arrived by bus. She said that I could not apply for a double entry unless I arrived by flight so I said its ok just single entry would be fine. She said come back in 4 days (on Friday, but Friday is a holiday here for new years at Thai consulate and I had already Google that). I told her I did not want to wait 4 days and that I am diabetic. She said “oh you have medical problem”? She then asked if I had a doctor’s note. I just said no I do not and she said ok come back tomorrow at 4:00pm. The next day when I went in I talked to many other farangs that paid $30.00 USD to get there passports back on the following day rather then wait the 4+ days.

This was a horrible next day because they are supposed to start handing out the passports from 3:00 until 4:30 but for some unknown reason the first person to get theirs back was at around 6:00pm. There must have been something weird going on that day at the Thai consulate but it didn’t impress us.

So, it seems they will give you a double entry if you fly here but only give single entry if you arrive via land. Also, if you do not have a good excuse then be prepared to wait 4 days for your visa.

· The room in PP for 3 days plus motorbike rental for 2 cost me a total of $40.00 USD (1,200 baht)

· I took a bus package with a tour agency that would take me from PP back to Khao sarn rd in Bangkok for 700 baht. It was a decent bus from PP to the border at Thai/Cambodia (Klong Yai in Trat). Then we crossed the boarder after checking out of Cambo Immigration and Thai Immigration (quite painless really)

· I had just enough time to go into the boarder market in Thai side to buy cheap smokes at 100 baht per carton then got on a mini van that took me to Bkk but was a long ride because they stopped in Trat to drop some folk off to go to Kho Chang but then strait to Khao sarn rd.

· Arrived at Khao sarn around 5:30pm

· Taxi from khao sarn to Victory monument and then van back to Rangsit for me = 100 baht

Total cost for this whole run was 4,161 baht

There is also tour companies like thaivisa service that would have took me from Bkk at 5:30am Monday the 27^th to the “Ploi Peoeht” (or whatever it’s called) border, cross into cambodia and put you up in a room for the night with free breakfast etc, take your passport to Phnom Penh and be back the next day (Tuesday), back in Bkk by Tuesday night around midnight for 5000 baht. Much better idea I think.

My conclusion is that I have never taken the trip I just mentioned with “thaivisaservice” but next time I will.

The trip on my last visa run to Suvannakhet was less painstaking then this one to Phnom Penh.

I would NOT do another trip to PP just due to the rudeness and lack of people working in the consulate there. I did however kind of enjoy the trip itself because it was broken up a little more and I saw a lot more and smoked a lot more then the painstaking 12 hour bus ride to Laos crossing.

[zappalot]

thx, nice report

didnt they count the touristvisas u already had in ur passport (how many did u get before u applied for a new one in phnomh penh?

i will go there in february but already have 5 tourist visas in a row so in laos they make problems now...

[bangkok blue]

Just to clarify, you only paid $30 to get the passport back the next day? Someone mentioned previously you have to pay for each entry! $70 for a double. From your report I assume they are issuing them for free.

They only wanted valid flight documents for Cambodia? Not for Thailand?

[dancep]

Thanks for a detailed report... Interesting that you paid 700 baht to go all the way from PP to BKK. I have been quoted 1000 b from my apt in BKK to Siem Riep, which obviously is not as far.

To cross into Cambodia, I heard $20 US will do rather than 1000 Baht, if so that is a cost savings. Do you need a photo or 2?

Thanks

[mstribling]

Good report. Thanks.

[dananderson]

Thanks for a detailed report... Interesting that you paid 700 baht to go all the way from PP to BKK. I have been quoted 1000 b from my apt in BKK to Siem Riep, which obviously is not as far.

To cross into Cambodia, I heard $20 US will do rather than 1000 Baht, if so that is a cost savings. Do you need a photo or 2?

Thanks

I paid $20 2 weeks ago at Poipet plus 100b scam fee. You do need a photo for each visa. Still a 4day-3nite wait unless you use a service. I would add that the exchange rate is much better here for dollar/baht conversion.