Enter Or Not Enter Cambodia

[tombkk]

Countries like New Zealand now have the electronic chip in your' passport, hence no stamp on arrival or departure. I have gone from NZ to Thailand without any departure stamp from NZ and had no problems.

Was this at the Thai/NZ land border? Because we have already established that the entry/exit stamp requirement only applies for land borders, not for departures and arrivals by air.

[BWPattaya]

Countries like New Zealand now have the electronic chip in your' passport, hence no stamp on arrival or departure. I have gone from NZ to Thailand without any departure stamp from NZ and had no problems.

I have flown from the UK many, many times. Many times to Spain and other parts of Europe. At least thirty times to Thailand. I have never been stamped out of the UK. This also applies to ferry crossings to Europe as well.

However, this thread is really about crossing a land border and returning in questionable circumstances. To me it seems that trying to re-enter without an exit stamp from the country the OP purports to have visited is a case of trying to save a little bit of money and risking a lot more in the process.

[BOS2BKK]

The Thai side check your passport for your exit stamp from Cambodia. No exit stamp = no entry to Thailand

I agree that is what is required, but i have never seen them check. I have entered Thailand at Poi Phet and Klong Yai at least 8 times. My passport has had pages added 3 times and almost every page is full. It would take them more than 5 minutes to search for and find the most recent exit stamp from Cambodia. I am through in less than 10 seconds every time. They may check some, but I do not think that they check all. I think that the worst that could happen is that they'll send you back and you'll waste an hour.

Seriously? You are going to put yourself through that much hassle to save the cost of lunch and a movie ticket?

[McGarty]

The Thai side check your passport for your exit stamp from Cambodia. No exit stamp = no entry to Thailand

I agree that is what is required, but i have never seen them check. I have entered Thailand at Poi Phet and Klong Yai at least 8 times. My passport has had pages added 3 times and almost every page is full. It would take them more than 5 minutes to search for and find the most recent exit stamp from Cambodia. I am through in less than 10 seconds every time. They may check some, but I do not think that they check all. I think that the worst that could happen is that they'll send you back and you'll waste an hour.

Even if they don't check every passport, they can still make random checks. Why risk it?

If you ever cleared Cambodia immigration at Poi Phet, you would not ask this question! It depends on the risk and the consequences of them checking and not finding an exit stamp from Cambodia in your passport. If you want to pay $20+ for the thrill of clearing Cambodia immigration, be my guest. I have never tried the "straight back into Thailand" route, I go to Cambodia for holidays, but I suspect that some have done it successfully.

I did try it once. just to see what would happen. The Thai side checked my passport and found no entry / exit stamps. I feigned ignorance, was sent back and I got my entry / exit stamps. Back to Thailand no problem.

I would add that my passport was almost full at that time yet they still checked every page.

Nowadays I get the E-visa online that avoids the financial negotiations on the Cambodian side at Poipet

[lopburi3]

Off-topic repeat post removed.

[Derifo]

Actually the worst - as was outlined on home page of Immigration site on the border with Cambodia - is you would be arrested for illegal entry, detained and sent to Bangkok for deportation. This had evidently happened in the past when Cambodia refused to allow entry after person departed Thailand and they had to return without a stamp.

If you're denied entry into Cambodia, the Thai immigration will cancel the departure stamp you received previously and staple the departure card back to your passport.

[Evilbaz]

At Poi Pet, once you have exited Thailand, there is a Cambodian Visa office (official)on the RHS.<br>Once I had purchased my visa (including the USD$5 "tip") I was offered VIP Service for 300 baht (this was from the uniformed visa officer)<br>As I was on crutches I accepted this and my passport entered and exited Cambodia while I sat under a fan and had a cool drink.<br>I then got a handcart back and re-entered Thailand.<br>

[CNXBKKMAN]

Some years ago i needed to to do a visa run to Mae Sai. The border was closed due to Burmese army fighting at the border and shells landing on the Thai side. No problem i thought i will go to Chiang Kong and exit there. I knew i needed a Lao visa but i was not bothered as i didn't want to actually visit Lao, just re-enter Thailand. I exited Thailand and crossed the river. The Lao immigration guy looked shocked i would come to Lao with no visa! He wouldn't stamp me in Lao so went back over the river to Thailand. I was expecting a 30 day stamp but to my surprise the Thai immigration said because i had not actually entered Lao i hadn't left Thailand either. There was no talk of jail or deportation but for USD100 he would get me a Lao visa there and then!?! I declined , he stamped me into Thailand for 1 day and took the bus to Ranong! This all happened on a 40 deg C day during the hot season.

The only good thing about all this was that i discovered Koh Chang (in Ranong) whilst i was down south and have been back many times since.

[smokie36]

How does that work in the South, do you also have to get an entry/exit stamp pair from Malaysia before being allowed back in?

Yes, two small stamps, no visa to Malaysia.

Should also point out Malaysia issues free 3 months so why would you bother?

[bridge2bridge]

I've made a Cambodia border run 4 times previously with my multi-entry visa.

You need to exit Thailand, getting stamped out of Thailand.

Then you are allowed to re-enter Thailand....and they will want to see your Cambodian visa when you re-enter.

As for actually staying in Cambodia...that isn't required...all the Thais want to see is your visa from Cambodia.

I used a visa run service here in Bangkok...everything included in the fee (2900 Baht) including the Cambodian visa.

Yes, it does take up pages in your passport. Every time you enter with a valid non O you get another 90 days on re-entry to Thailand.

If you want to, once your stamped out of Thailand, you can just re-enter the queue for re-entry to Thailand.

As I have a U.S. passport I can have extra pages put into ny passport at the U.S. embessy. I realise that U.K. passports can't do that however.

The place I used was a small place where that visa run service seemed to have a "special relationship" (i.e. we got preferential service by the immigration of both countrys) with the visa run company...I guess some kind of "profit sharing" agreement.

Except for the space required in your passport with those 4 useles visas...the whole thing couldn't have been easier.

Basically just a day trip from Bangkok with a 1 hour stop at the Cambodian border...and having to walk about 100 meters or so.

Are you sure you get 90 days with a LAND visa run, i just done one and they gave me 15 days and had to go to immi at bkk to get a 90 day.

[lopburi3]

You would not have been able to obtain 90 days in Bangkok unless there had been an error made. If you use a visa for entry you should receive the normal time that type of entry normally gets regardless of where you make your entry.

[travelmann]

Countries like New Zealand now have the electronic chip in your' passport, hence no stamp on arrival or departure. I have gone from NZ to Thailand without any departure stamp from NZ and had no problems.

I have flown from the UK many, many times. Many times to Spain and other parts of Europe. At least thirty times to Thailand. I have never been stamped out of the UK. This also applies to ferry crossings to Europe as well.

However, this thread is really about crossing a land border and returning in questionable circumstances. To me it seems that trying to re-enter without an exit stamp from the country the OP purports to have visited is a case of trying to save a little bit of money and risking a lot more in the process.

No its not about that at all??????????????????????? oh dear the ???? key has gotten stuck again

I like the way an assumption of someone is made on the financial status of any questions asked.

Its simple Im stamped out of Thailand therefore I should be able to walk back in but it appears they have an agreement to earn 800 baht from each re-entry.

[travelmann]

The Thai side check your passport for your exit stamp from Cambodia. No exit stamp = no entry to Thailand

I agree that is what is required, but i have never seen them check. I have entered Thailand at Poi Phet and Klong Yai at least 8 times. My passport has had pages added 3 times and almost every page is full. It would take them more than 5 minutes to search for and find the most recent exit stamp from Cambodia. I am through in less than 10 seconds every time. They may check some, but I do not think that they check all. I think that the worst that could happen is that they'll send you back and you'll waste an hour.

Even if they don't check every passport, they can still make random checks. Why risk it?

If you ever cleared Cambodia immigration at Poi Phet, you would not ask this question! It depends on the risk and the consequences of them checking and not finding an exit stamp from Cambodia in your passport. If you want to pay $20+ for the thrill of clearing Cambodia immigration, be my guest. I have never tried the "straight back into Thailand" route, I go to Cambodia for holidays, but I suspect that some have done it successfully.

I did try it once. just to see what would happen. The Thai side checked my passport and found no entry / exit stamps. I feigned ignorance, was sent back and I got my entry / exit stamps. Back to Thailand no problem.

I would add that my passport was almost full at that time yet they still checked every page.

Nowadays I get the E-visa online that avoids the financial negotiations on the Cambodian side at Poipet

Thanks AT LAST (oh dear caps lock stuck again) someone who has actually tried to to see what would happen.