Cigarettes And Prices - Poi Pet Border Run

[AdventureArtist]

I'm heading to Poi Pet tomorrow morning for a visa run. 500b just for the round trip minivan from Khao San, wait at the border, I pay USD to Cambodian immigration (tourist shops wanted 1650-1700 for full visa run including visa fees) After reading some posts here and elsewhere, looks like that extra +-500b I'm saving by paying the Cambodians myself in dollars makes the trip faster by using another checkpoint. I'm a cheep bastard though, which brings me to my point:

Cigarettes. Figure I should buy some in Cambodia at the border, sweeten the deal a little, but I don't know the going rate, nor which cigarettes are going to rip my lungs to shreds. In Vientiane you can pick up yellow Honghuas for 100b a carton at the bus station. In Mai Sai I paid 200 for a carton of L&M Reds. I'm ignorant to Cambodian booze and smokes. Any smokers with any advice of brand/price would be greatly appreciated.

Along that vein, are they doing the x-ray coming back into Thailand? Anyone have an opinion on how many smokes I'm going to get away with?

Also, I read everywhere that it's $20. Then I hear $25. On here as late as April 2012 I'm hearing $20. Is it $20?

Thanks in advance for any help, and good luck to all those sweating over these visa run reports, crossing fingers tonight for that moment tomorrow when the Thai immigration officer at the embassy gracefully accepts your paperwork and your money without even looking up, and you get that visa you swear you weren't going to get again. You got this.

[visarunner]

Good luck to you.

1carton, 200cigarettes is the legal quantity to take duty free with you.

LM red are thb150.-/carton, they have three version available, as I am not a smoker, I can't tell you which ones are best.

They check your back when you walk back to Thailand.

[Nisa]

I don't recall the prices but they are very different if you want the real thing or knock-offs. They offer both and you need to ask them the price of each. The knock-offs do taste different and who knows what they put in them.

[LuckyLew]

If you pay 100-200 Baht for a carton

You will get what you pay for and they will be

fakes full of god knows what

I got fake marlies at Cambodia border once,

smoked 5 cigarettes ... throw up for 24 hours

chucked the rest in the bin

My opinion is that smokes are all land crossings

are all fakes and you get what you pay for

[bangkokburning]

Youve been warned of fakes so there you go. Try the casino or just buy sny old crap, all the same tobacco.

[bigt116]

I get the 'Texas star' or 'Texas 5' - cant remember the name, 90-100 baht for a carton of either green menthol or blue ice menthol and I love them, far better than any menthols in 7/11

[fstarbkk]

If you pay 100-200 Baht for a carton

You will get what you pay for and they will be

fakes full of god knows what

I got fake marlies at Cambodia border once,

smoked 5 cigarettes ... throw up for 24 hours

chucked the rest in the bin

My opinion is that smokes are all land crossings

are all fakes and you get what you pay for

Same here. Had several experiences as described above, at both Poi Pet and Nongkai. Beside the fact that the stuff tasted all wrong, I was able to confirm my suspicions by looking closely at the packaging and confirming that there were telltale differences in the artwork and the printing (I used to work in that industry). Smoking is bad enough as it is. I wouldn't risk smoking sawdust and God knows what else, used by some North Korean state enterprise who produces these fakes by the millions!

[AdventureArtist]

Hey Guys,

So I had to leave before anyone had replied. Here is a quick recap of my border run to Poi Pet:

7:30AM: left Khao San (Vega Travel on Rambutri always does me pretty solid) in a mini-van headed to Cambodia. The bus had only three people. Somewhere near by, we stopped and waited for maybe 45 minutes for two Cambodian couples. With spare seats, we drove straight to the border with only a gas stop or two. Near the border, they stopped at some kind of travel agent, where the guys there dragged me off the minivan. I was dubious. They said that because I'm doing a round trip we do visa at another place, much faster. It was then I realized they were just trying to sell me a visa and I needed to get back into my minivan, so I told them I was getting back on the bus and doing it myself. They gave me the hard sell, telling me it would take too long and that I would miss the bus back, we only wait one hour, what will you do if you miss bus? I looked him straight in the eye and calmly said "I will tell my travel agent, are you done with the hard sell now?" and I got back on the bus. It wasn't a complete waste of time though, because they gave me a Cambodian arrival/departure slip and I stole their pen which I had overlooked bringing.

12PMish, we arrive at the Poi Pet crossing. Somebody from the hard sell place had gotten into the van, and when we got out pointed me to the minivan pool across the road and said you get one of these back to Khao San, they rotate ever hour, you won't miss it. He have me a sticker with "RT" as my ticket.

Stamped out of Thailand had a little line, but nothing serious.

Getting visa in Cambodia was also pretty fast. Short form, $20. No line. Out in 20 min.

Stamped entrance into Cambodia. Long line, and not organized, people cutting, acting a fool. took maybe 45 minutes or more

This is where I bought cigarettes. HM red for 200b down from 350 b. They're soft pack and they taste funny. Should have gone with a local brand.

No line for exit stamp out of Cambodia.

Then an absolutely crazy line to get into Thailand. Maybe two hours. It was Sunday, and possible lunchtime, but by the time the line got me in at far as seeing the counters, there were immigration officers at every station. Yeah, 2 hours, line moving really slow.

Back in Thailand, Went up to the minibus tent, showed them my sticker, waited for 1/2 hour for the next bus, and took off. This time the bus was full with Cambodians, and it took 5 1/2 hours to make it to Khao Sarn.

Overall, a good successful trip, only wish I was happier with the Cigarettes.

[AdventureArtist]

And don't forget to eat a Cambodian sandwich on French bread. Much better than any sandwich I'd ever gotten in Laos. It was amazing, I should have gotten more for the road.