Savannakhet border "scam"

[Totster]

There is a difference between giving a tip to a lowly paid worker, and being extorted money by a government official.

There is a difference between being extorted money by a government worker, and the exchange rate fluctuation.

Did you read the OP?

The point is - the price is $30 OR bt1500, not $30 or the baht equivalent.

totster

[bertty]

Yes I read the OP.

He paid 1500 baht for his visa. The cost of the visa is 1500 baht.

What am I missing?

[brewsterbudgen]

Yes I read the OP.

He paid 1500 baht for his visa. The cost of the visa is 1500 baht.

What am I missing?

You're missing nothing. The thread is misleadingly titled. There is no "scam"; there are number of different prices for different nationalities priced in US$ and baht and all appropriately displayed.

[transam]

Yes I read the OP.

He paid 1500 baht for his visa. The cost of the visa is 1500 baht.

What am I missing?

The cost of a visa in Dollars is different depending on which country you come from, from 30 to 40 Dollars (I think), if you do not have US Dollars the blanket fee is 1500bht, which is a rip off. Soooooooo, if your paper Dollars are not like new they demand 1500bht. I have my idea why....

[Jungle Jim]

I have had the same thing happen at the Laos , Burma, and Cambodia borders. I hide most of my baht and tell them i only have U.S. dollars . Take it or leave it. Guess what ? They fall for it every time.

[bertty]

So if you live in Thailand and want to go to Lao, to save money you would go to the bank and change your Thai baht into USD.

I would expect the cost of changing the money would negate any savings made on paying in Dollars.

[MANICMINER]

You can also get a visa at a lao consulate before travelling, and it is cheaper. As i recall, it was only 1200 baht.

[transam]

So if you live in Thailand and want to go to Lao, to save money you would go to the bank and change your Thai baht into USD.

I would expect the cost of changing the money would negate any savings made on paying in Dollars.

Nope, last time $35 cost me just over 1000bht in Lao, the bank in Lao (CMek) is about 50 mtr from Lao immigration,so the difference paid for diesel for the trip.

You want to give them beer money, up to you.

[bertty]

I'm talking about changing Thai baht into USD in Thailand.

P.S. if it's 50 meters from immigration to the bank, how much petrol money did you spend

[franck1972]

Yes I read the OP.

He paid 1500 baht for his visa. The cost of the visa is 1500 baht.

What am I missing?

What your missing is that I didn't get to choose between 1500 B and 30 USD.

Actually I chose to pay 30 USD, and they chose to force me to pay 1500 B by rejecting my 50 USD bill.

Clear enough ?

I've been travelling to many place with new, old notes, I have never ever experienced a problem because of 1mm scratch on a bank note...

[khwaibah]

Refreshing to hear the punters cry about the scams on the Lao boarder instead of the Cambodia border.

[transam]

I'm talking about changing Thai baht into USD in Thailand.

P.S. if it's 50 meters from immigration to the bank, how much petrol money did you spend

Now come on . The trip to Lao costs about 500bht in diesel. I cross the border on foot, go into the bank and buy $35 Dollars, about 1000bht, I walk 50yds to the immigration counter and hand over $35.

Is that not easy...?..........

[NiwPix]

I was at Savannakhet yesterday morning. I was worried because I only had a $100 note ( not the exact $30 ). I didn't know where I could change $100 to small notes. The $100 note was brand new. Only a "dent" from folding it in half. Just in case I obviously had the 1500 THB with me.

I handed them the $100 for my $30 Visa on Arrival fee. He took it, got out his register and gave me exact change....2x20 and 3x10. All those bills I received were in perfect shape as well.

I understand that it is very frustrating for you, but I wouldn't call it a scam...more so "unreasonable" on their end in regards to your case.

[AGareth2]

if there is a sign saying the price clearly in bht where is the scam?

[franck1972]

I was at Savannakhet yesterday morning. I was worried because I only had a $100 note ( not the exact $30 ). I didn't know where I could change $100 to small notes. The $100 note was brand new. Only a "dent" from folding it in half. Just in case I obviously had the 1500 THB with me.

I handed them the $100 for my $30 Visa on Arrival fee. He took it, got out his register and gave me exact change....2x20 and 3x10. All those bills I received were in perfect shape as well.

I understand that it is very frustrating for you, but I wouldn't call it a scam...more so "unreasonable" on their end in regards to your case.

That's why I've put scam between double quotes...

[bertty]

I'm talking about changing Thai baht into USD in Thailand.

P.S. if it's 50 meters from immigration to the bank, how much petrol money did you spend

Now come on . The trip to Lao costs about 500bht in diesel. I cross the border on foot, go into the bank and buy $35 Dollars, about 1000bht, I walk 50yds to the immigration counter and hand over $35.

Is that not easy...?..........

Oh I see, I thought you were talking about saving petrol on the 50 meter drive to the bank.

Now it all makes sense.

[franck1972]

if there is a sign saying the price clearly in bht where is the scam?

There is no sign at all anymore actually but that's not the point.

It's about refusing a perfectly valid bank note, to force to pay an amount that is much higher in thai baht.

[AGareth2]

maybe he didn't have change

[franck1972]

maybe he didn't have change

He had, I saw the guy before me giving him a twenty and a ten...

[bertty]

So if he took USD off the guy before you then it must just be down to you having a damaged note.

[AGareth2]

oh well

must be a scam then

[transam]

maybe he didn't have change

He had, I saw the guy before me giving him a twenty and a ten...

One time I went and gave the guy two predestine $20 bills, "No have $5 change", walked away, went to the bank and changed it up....

[franck1972]

So if he took USD off the guy before you then it must just be down to you having a damaged note.

Yep, or maybe the ink was still too fresh...

[PREM-R]

I had a $20 dollar note refused at the Nong Khai - Vientiane border a couple of months ago, handed over $35 for the Laos visa and the official handed back the $20 after examining all the notes VERY carefully. Luckily I had more dollars as I was going to pay for the hotel with them, I handed over another $20 note and he accepted it. I will now check the dollars when I collect them from SuperRich to make sure they are perfect before I accept them so that I will not have this problem again.

[mataleo]

Its well known thing.

Before u go u research on here like I did.

And i knew that.

They do same thing in Nong Khai.

[nidieunimaitre]

I had a $20 dollar note refused at the Nong Khai - Vientiane border a couple of months ago, handed over $35 for the Laos visa and the official handed back the $20 after examining all the notes VERY carefully. Luckily I had more dollars as I was going to pay for the hotel with them, I handed over another $20 note and he accepted it. I will now check the dollars when I collect them from SuperRich to make sure they are perfect before I accept them so that I will not have this problem again.

I'm off to buy a new printer.

And lots of paper.

[EmptyHead]

When traveling from Vietnam to Laos by bus, i was forced to reenter Vietnam to find an ATM (miles away) to pay for my Indonesian ex-GF's Laos visa which she wasn't supposed to need.

I was scammed more times in Laos than any other country.

[franck1972]

When traveling from Vietnam to Laos by bus, i was forced to reenter Vietnam to find an ATM (miles away) to pay for my Indonesian ex-GF's Laos visa which she wasn't supposed to need.

I was scammed more times in Laos than any other country.

Yep, same for me.

In other countries there are also scams of course, but it whether requires your inattention or it's about 1-2 usd so it's not worth worrying too much about.

Had also my gf extorted thousands of bahts 2 years ago, and many other problems.

Laos is now truly pissing me off, it's like you need to read a whole book about Laos scams before you want to cross its border

Laos Border Scams for dummies, any good book writer here ? :-D

[franck1972]

When I get scammed out of a few baht I always tend to smile and think,' well done you got me'

450 baht, how will you ever be able to go on ?

yes, but it put his border run 100% over budget.

its the principle you know?

as to how this is a scam when it is clearly documented, i dunno.

Well some say it's a "known thing", well ok, maybe if you're here everyday, reading most forums.

But quite honestly, who has time to read that much every day ?

I'm surprised that there is no "scam" or "attention" part on thaivisa.com.

Wouldn't it be a good thing to add ? A section with all scams classed geographically, or by type ?

[ubonjoe]

In reality it is not a scam. It is Lao immigration's fixed price for the visas. Every baht and dollar goes to the government.

Not accepting the $50 bill is the only problem the OP had.