Aranyaprathet'S Famous Border Scams

[Robroy]

Aranyaprathet is the scene of some of the world’s great border scams - a major local industry. The Thai police are paid off to turn a blind eye, so will be of no help. Those heading into Cambodia may be subject to any of these:

* At the train or bus station you will be told you need to board a ‘government bus’ to take you to ‘the right place’ for your Cambodian visa.

* A man will approach you at the reception desk of your hotel, saying he works for ‘Thai Immigration’ - and can expedite your exit from Thailand and/or visa into Cambodia.

* A tuk tuk driver will want to take you to a special ‘visa office’, to get a faster/easier/cheaper visa.

* There are even offices set up to sell you Cambodian ‘visas’ right next to the border.

* If you need a passort photo (as you usually do for Cambodia) a tout at the border will take you to a ‘scanning shop’ that will sell you a photo + fake visa, requiring a payment of $35.

There are many more variations, both in town and at the border itself. Most of Aramyaprathet's hotels and tuk tuk drivers are in on these scams.

The result? Lots of time and money lost. For example, instead of a 15-minute journey to the border, you will find yourself driven in circles - sometimes for as long as seven hours - visiting offices, shops and restaurants owned by relatives of the scam operators: and paying at each for spurious paperwork, fake visa stamps, food and drink. (To ensure the latter, your driver will simply disappear for an hour.)

All this can be easily avoided. Once you arrive in Aramyaprathet, getting into Cambodia is simple:

1. Find a tuk tuk to take you to the border. This should cost 80 baht, and will take 15 minutes maximum.

2. Exit Thailand through Thai Immigration and (after producing passport, photo and $20-30 fee) enter Cambodia through Cambodian Immigration.

That’s it.

In town, negotiate your tuk tuk fare in advance, and insist the driver take you to the border (everyone knows that word). Refuse to get out at unplanned stops. Keep saying ‘Border!’ A fallback is to say ‘Mee visa lao!’ (I already have a visa) or 'Ba!' (Go!). This should ensure they drop scamming attempts. Hundreds of fresh victims arrive every day, and it doesn’t pay to waste time on the non-credulous.

Bottom lines:

1. No Customs or Immigration formalities take place anywhere but the border itself, and then only after you have entered Thai Immigration.

2. Crossing from Thailand to Cambodia does not require intermediaries of any kind.

[HeavyDrinker]

The snag is though RobRoy, that, even in this day and age of the Information Superhighway, where info such as you have posted can be found with 20 minutes surfing online, some people simply can't be arsed doing even the most basic of researches before their trip.

Super post.

Hope the people who need it, read it.

[dddave]

In the dozen's of times I did visa runs through Aranyapratet, I never encountered any of the scams mentioned. The only questionable charges I ever encountered was the "No vaccination certificate" charge of $2 which could be avoided by just saying "No" and the attempts to charge $5 to $10 extra if you were not staying a night in Cambodia; also easily avoided by a polite but firm "No".

[jalansanitwong]

I havent come across any scammers either. I used to get off the train and take a tuk tuk for 40 baht to the market/border point. If the baht bus was about to leave i would take that for 10 baht.

The only visible scams were both on Cambodian side.

20 baht for 'health declaration'.....for Cambodia ????

100 b departure tax on leaving Cambodia by land. Refuse to pay it and they will quickly wave you on. Plenty of tourists waiting behind me with 100 b at the ready.

[craigt3365]

Good post. One correction. Don't say "ba" if you mean go. It could easily be misconstrued as you calling them crazy. I think you meant "pa". I'm guessing you could also just say "pai"?

Anyway, I've done this transit many times also. Been scammed with the 100B fee, but that's it. I've heard it has gotten worse recently. Best to go with an evisa already in place????

[dddave]

Good post. One correction. Don't say "ba" if you mean go. It could easily be misconstrued as you calling them crazy. I think you meant "pa". I'm guessing you could also just say "pai"?

Anyway, I've done this transit many times also. Been scammed with the 100B fee, but that's it. I've heard it has gotten worse recently. Best to go with an evisa already in place????

I don't think the E-visa can be used at the Poipet crossing but I could be wrong.

[nong38]

This crossing is a stressful experience. 2 options. Get an e-visa and go through with group so you dont get hasseled by the authorities and their helpers or find another crossing.

[pattayadingo]

Good post. One correction. Don't say "ba" if you mean go. It could easily be misconstrued as you calling them crazy. I think you meant "pa". I'm guessing you could also just say "pai"?

Anyway, I've done this transit many times also. Been scammed with the 100B fee, but that's it. I've heard it has gotten worse recently. Best to go with an evisa already in place????

Good post. One correction. Don't say "ba" if you mean go. It could easily be misconstrued as you calling them crazy. I think you meant "pa". I'm guessing you could also just say "pai"?

Anyway, I've done this transit many times also. Been scammed with the 100B fee, but that's it. I've heard it has gotten worse recently. Best to go with an evisa already in place????

I don't think the E-visa can be used at the Poipet crossing but I could be wrong.

Correct about the visa craigt3365.

Yes, the E-visa is valid at Poipet. That is where I generally cross over. Look on their website and it tells you where the E-visas are valid.

No hassles, no demands, no need for photos as the E-visa carries one (take both copies of the visa and make sure you have the bar code printed on the visa). No need for either side Thai or Cambodian to be given extra 'funds'.

To all that hassle and harangue me on my way to Thai immigration and into Cambodia, I smile and say no.

[aarn]

Gee, APrathet sounds easy compared to the crap I used to go through at the Klong Yai/KohKong border. Thai side was easy, Cambo side... so many snouts in the trough. The whole gamut - touts to fill in your border pass, no international vacco cert., office closed for lunch, minimum 1,500 baht for 30 day visa etc. Hope the e-visa has reduced all bakshish to a mangeable 200B now. AA

[Huayrat]

BA means lets go so dont say that

[Huayrat]

PA means lets go so dont say that

[pattayadingo]

Warning about e-visa

For those reading this and applying for an e-visa go to the official Cambodian site at

http://www.mfaic.gov.kh/evisa/

I have posted a topic in visas about another site that tries to look official but charges an extra $20 for the same visa. So take care where you apply

[zakk9]

I've been crossing the Aran/Poipet border 5-6 times per year the last 7 years, and while the scams were a hassle back then, I hardly see any of them anymore. There's a sticker at the Cambodian passport control window saying "No money to be paid here", they have reduced the visa fee for those paying with Thai baht from 1,000 to 800 (still more expensive than $20 though), the pickpockets are mostly gone as are most of the visa "agents". Those who are still left are easy to ignore. At the railway station, I've never been offered anything but transport to the border.

The important thing to avoid is the free shuttle bus to the "International Bus Station" several kilometers out of town. Hiring a motorbike taxi or tuk tuk to get to the bus station next to the market or one of the smaller bus stations at the main road solves that.