Cambodia: Arrival by air - Why only 2-week business visa stay?

[hermespan]

This has never happened to me before. I always get 28 days, a month, whatever standard first entry stay is for the $20 or $25 visa fee. Just checked my passport now and see that I was given only 13 days. I have been coming to Cambodia for years, no police problems, no overstays etc

I see that my full page visa issued at step one (application for visa on arrival - pay the man) reads the full month, but my little stamp from step two (immigration kiosk), reads only 13 days total. Which date will immigration go by when I depart and what will happen? I think the guy with the stamp screwed up.

I was planning to extend to my usual long term visa (6 or 12 months) for banking and work purposes, but as of tomorrow I will have overstayed by eight days. I might also change my plans about making Phnom Penh my home base if sojourners are no longer welcome here. And of course, I do not want to incur extra fees.

But mostly I want to avoid this happening again.

What to do?

[hermespan]

Travel agency update...

1. User error: And not mine. Officer probably forget to change stamp from previous visitor (who presumably was from a country that gets only two weeks).

Lesson - do not follow a third world non-ASEAN visitor in line. Did I?

2. Not rare: This is not the first time she has seen this. And it won't be the last.

Lesson: Border guards can be not only corrupt, they can also be inefficient. Check your stamp immediately (my habit, I just neglected this time). If there is any irregularity speak to Immigration while still at the airport, best with the same officer, so he doesn't 'lose face'.

3. Free: Based on my experiences from coming to Cambodia for 20 years, dealing with Immigration in Cambodia anywhere other than at Pochentong airport (such as land crossing from Trat) can be slow, complicated, expeneive and opens one up to extortion. Never the less, the travel agency assures me when I point out the anomaly they should correct for free. I have my doubts

4. Cannot fix at agency: Surprised me that although they can extend visas travel agencies cannot fix such problems. A personal visit to airport is required. I doubt tuk-tuk cost will be reimbursed. ;-)

5. Fee for initial entry visa: Announced would go up October 1, 2014 $5 - to $30 (presumably for business visa and tourist one would be $25?). However this has not been relayed to the travel agency. so, at this point it appears to be delayed/cancelled. anyone who arrives in Cambodia tomorrow and thereafter, please notify what you pay.

6. Fee for 1-year extension: Still $283 via travel agency. Other agencies may charge slightly less or more. No announcement of increased fees for long-term visas such as six-months and one-year.

7. Discretion: I do know that border guards do have lee-way (always less time in country not more). If they don't like your smell they can stamp you in for one-day if they wish.

Edited September 30, 2014 by hermespan

[phuketrichard]

it went to $30 an $35

today

[hermespan]

Hmm, 'boiling a frog'. Might not be worth staying on if this trend continues. While it is true that rates have not gone up for ages (ten years?) it's much easier in Malaysia where I get three months every time for free. It was $25 last week, and acccording to travel agents no official announcement yet - could change when I go in tomorrow, and whether those will translate in higher fees for long stays I do not know as of yet.

Challenge is for anyone coming in on a business visa (i.e. extendable visa, it is irrelevant whether you are doing business here) is that options are extending for three months but only single entry or 6/12 months multi entry. I intend to be here two months so it's a bit of a hassle. I want to be able to go to Vietnam or Malaysia or Indonesia and return within those 2.5 months.

I calculated whether it makes financial sense to get a long stay visa just to save tax on interest (4% vs.14%) and with my small money it doesn't really for someone who wants to sojourn here for only 6-weeks at a time a couple times a year.

BTW, the visa problem was solved by a $10 tukturk ride to Pochentong airport.

Everyone I saw along the way knew what had happened - the immigration office must have forgotten to change his stamp from previous ASEAN visitor such as a Thai citizen who apparently get two weeks. Simple and fast to solve right in airport though it took several steps of intermediarries to get over and into arrival Immigration. Immigration officer supervisor at Pochentong was professional, apologetic, charged me nothing and everything is back to normal.

They did some creative accounting rather than admit in my passport that ome of their own screwed up. According to the new stamps, after I arrived in PNH I left back for BKK and returned the same day! Total fiction. Hmm, if I lie in my passport, by say using a fake stamp of a country that doesn't exist, isn't that some sort of criminal offence? I suppose it was too embarrassing to admit their officer fouled up and report it officially in their records. But now I can't trust the documentation of my own passport of my travels. Actually this happened once before to me in Cambodia - wrong date stamp. And after the fact I corrected my passport stamp date with notation that they had made a mistake. I figure if it's my passport I can doodle in it if it pleases me. Technically passports though are property of the state. Never liked that. I figure that if men in uniform can doodle in my document (in languages I don't read) I can collect Disneyland ride stamps.

[Penefattore]

I calculated whether it makes financial sense to get a long stay visa just to save tax on interest (4% vs.14%) and with my small money it doesn't really for someone who wants to sojourn here for only 6-weeks at a time a couple times a year.

Is a long stay visa on passport enough to qualify as a resident and get the reduction of witholding tax on interest to 4% ? how long has the visa to be ? 1 year ? 6 months ?

[hermespan]

I calculated whether it makes financial sense to get a long stay visa just to save tax on interest (4% vs.14%) and with my small money it doesn't really for someone who wants to sojourn here for only 6-weeks at a time a couple times a year.

Is a long stay visa on passport enough to qualify as a resident and get the reduction of witholding tax on interest to 4% ? how long has the visa to be ? 1 year ? 6 months ?

Either. But with a year visa they are less likely to ask to see a lease or letter from emoyer Edited November 23, 2014 by hermespan

[ravip]

Lesson - do not follow a third world non-ASEAN visitor in line. Did I?

Time up to wipe out the 3rd world critters?