basic visa questions (first trip to Cambodia)

[Langsuan Man]

An e-visa has the advantage in that you only get a stamp in your passport, not a full page paper visa, and then another page used for the stamps. The "printed" e-visa is removed when you return to Thailand

So if you are worried about using up your passport pages (as some here are) then an e-visa is for you

[phuketrichard]

Your wife doesn't need a passport at all; as long as she has Thai national ID - she can enter Cambodia for up to 14 days without issue.

I'm sure that crossing is the same as Chong Chom. The Thai army and Thai immigration will let no one exit or enter Thailand with out a valid passport and no border pass or id allowed. She needs a pass port and no e-visa allowed at Choam Sa Ngam. Also Cambodia tends to inforce the 6 months left on passport, your wives only has 5 months as of now. She needs a new passport.Your wives needs to go to Ubon and get a new passport.

That's right and in any case, where border passes were ever accepted, they would have only allowed someone such as a Thai trader or gambler a one day or perhaps multiple day pass, that would only be valid for travel in the vicinity of the border, not away from it.

No way any substantial travel is ever allowed on a border pass and nor should it be. Every third party nationality needs a passport, so too do Thais. Besides, a Thai passport is cheap as chips (still only 1000 Baht), compared to the hundreds of dollars an Aussie or EU passport can cost. Only disadvantage is it's valid for just 5 years when nearly every other country issues 10 year ones (for adults).

Actually Cambodia will accept a Thai national ID for up to 14 days in country; Thailand and Cambodia have a specific agreement for this (rather like the Shengen Treaty area in the EU - a driving license will enable me to merrilly wander through many countries in Europe without a passport at all). If Thailand won't let someone out without a passport - fair enough - but they can certainly enter Cambodia without one.

NOT true

my daughter had to show her pasport to LEAVE Thailand an was then stamped into Cambodia for 14 days

no passport u wont get out of the country or into the next one

[phuketrichard]

An e-visa has the advantage in that you only get a stamp in your passport, not a full page paper visa, and then another page used for the stamps. The "printed" e-visa is removed when you return to Thailand

So if you are worried about using up your passport pages (as some here are) then an e-visa is for you

an the e-visa cost you $10 more than the normal visa

$37 charge on site and $3 cc fee

Regular visa at immigration $30

PS; just read on Pattaya Addicts someone just crossed at Poi Pet and was ONLY charged the normal fee no extra's

[mike2011]

Poipet. That's good news. Last time I paid 5 USD extra. They even had a sign established demanding the increased fee of USD 25 as opposed to USD 20. I paid USD 30 instead of 25 for the Ordinary Visa at the time as I had to catch a bus.

Richard, how long did the poster have to stand his ground before the officials gave in? Was he alone at the counter and when did this take place? I mean the time of the day.

I am aware that the fraudulent practice of increased fees was addressed and prohibited in an official memo by the Cambodian government. Not that this necessarily means much. I am also aware that over the years people got the official price by standing they ground and spending some time at Poipet (though Koh Kong border did not give in as far as I know).

[TheSiemReaper]

It is 100% true and I've done it with a Thai national - so I can state this with a 100% degree of certainty. If you hand over a passport as you enter Cambodia; they'll stamp it but you are not required to do so and can hand over a National ID instead.

[TheSiemReaper]

An e-visa has the advantage in that you only get a stamp in your passport, not a full page paper visa, and then another page used for the stamps. The "printed" e-visa is removed when you return to Thailand

So if you are worried about using up your passport pages (as some here are) then an e-visa is for you

an the e-visa cost you $10 more than the normal visa

$37 charge on site and $3 cc fee

Regular visa at immigration $30

PS; just read on Pattaya Addicts someone just crossed at Poi Pet and was ONLY charged the normal fee no extra's

I've never paid immigration in Poipet so much as an extra bean to enter Cambodia either. Sometimes I think you folks over in Thailand must have "sucker here! Please take my cash!" written on your foreheads before you come to Cambodia.

You've all been robbed. You've all been cheated. Most of you appear to have been stabbed/mugged/beaten etc. on a visit here. Yet, none of this ever happens to me or to those people I know. Once again, I think you guys are trying to get into trouble...

[phuketrichard]

I lived in Cambodia in 2008-09 an have been traveling there Legally since the mid 90 an first visit was away back in 1988 overland

True out of 30 years in Thailand my home has been broken into a few times but not since i moved out of Patong in 1996

Please stop generalizing, although must admit many end up paying 1,000 baht at poi pet ( before it went to $30) for the visa, Unless u have other Cambodian stamps in ur passport or stick to the sign which said $20

Many, probably at least 75% of the people that i know that live in PP, SR, SHV, Batt and even Kampong Cham

have been robbed, at least once, if not more an had things stolen out of their cars /homes

Now, how long is it that you have lived there??

[TheSiemReaper]

I lived in Cambodia in 2008-09 an have been traveling there Legally since the mid 90 an first visit was away back in 1988 overland

True out of 30 years in Thailand my home has been broken into a few times but not since i moved out of Patong in 1996

Please stop generalizing, although must admit many end up paying 1,000 baht at poi pet ( before it went to $30) for the visa, Unless u have other Cambodian stamps in ur passport or stick to the sign which said $20

Many, probably at least 75% of the people that i know that live in PP, SR, SHV, Batt and even Kampong Cham

have been robbed, at least once, if not more an had things stolen out of their cars /homes

Now, how long is it that you have lived there??

Been here 3 years, I know 2 people who've been burgled, and that's it. No muggings, stabbings, beheadings, terror attacks, etc. a couple of burglaries - it's better than back home in England that.

I maintain that most crime of this nature is a crime of opportunity - if you don't give someone the opportunity; they won't steal your things. That's why I pay a premium for security at home, why I don't wear "bling", why I don't hold my smartphone in public places, and so on...

As for demands for more cash at Poipet; they've never made any - though a Khmer officer once asked if he could fill in my arrival card for $1...

[mike2011]

Poipet - they try it all the time and last time I went that direction they had a big sign up at the counter 25 USD. If you have 30 minutes left to make it to your bus you do not have too many choices. Yes, making a stand would probably work out - but not within 5 or 10 minutes. By the way, the passport had one or another Cambodian stamps/visa in it....

After a very long day in BKK and with a night trip to PP ahead of me, I opted to pay the 5 USD surcharge. I got to PP by 5 AM and was on time for breakfast at my favorite Chinese tea shop. Since then they are welcome only to admire my extended visa and no money for the honey.....

Perhaps, more useful to other readers. Make sure you have those 30 USD (or USD 35 to the extendable) in USD and exact change. Without the precise bills in the right currency trying to make a stand is pretty much useless.

While the scam is not nice, the Poipet crowd is considerably more reasonable and the crowd loitering around the checkpoint while looking for victims much less aggressive and potentially violent than those muggers at the Koh Kong crossing.

From what I understand from our "buffaloes" reporting on the Osmach crossing in Surin province, Poipet seems to beat those officials as well.

Long time since I crossed at Pailin and Anlong Veng. So no idea how those fellows behave. No real borders scams there at the time aside from the increased visa and demands to pay in THB.

[Langsuan Man]

An e-visa has the advantage in that you only get a stamp in your passport, not a full page paper visa, and then another page used for the stamps. The "printed" e-visa is removed when you return to Thailand

So if you are worried about using up your passport pages (as some here are) then an e-visa is for you

an the e-visa cost you $10 more than the normal visa

$37 charge on site and $3 cc fee

Regular visa at immigration $30

PS; just read on Pattaya Addicts someone just crossed at Poi Pet and was ONLY charged the normal fee no extra's

And how much is an extra page in your passport cost you ? Certainly more than $10 but hey it's your money so spend it like you want

[phuketrichard]

An e-visa has the advantage in that you only get a stamp in your passport, not a full page paper visa, and then another page used for the stamps. The "printed" e-visa is removed when you return to Thailand

So if you are worried about using up your passport pages (as some here are) then an e-visa is for you

an the e-visa cost you $10 more than the normal visa

$37 charge on site and $3 cc fee

Regular visa at immigration $30

PS; just read on Pattaya Addicts someone just crossed at Poi Pet and was ONLY charged the normal fee no extra's

And how much is an extra page in your passport cost you ? Certainly more than $10 but hey it's your money so spend it like you want

For me; US passport I get 26 pages for $82 so $3/page

OR buy a new passport with 48 pages for $110 $2.30/page :-)

[TheSiemReaper]

An e-visa has the advantage in that you only get a stamp in your passport, not a full page paper visa, and then another page used for the stamps. The "printed" e-visa is removed when you return to Thailand

So if you are worried about using up your passport pages (as some here are) then an e-visa is for you

an the e-visa cost you $10 more than the normal visa

$37 charge on site and $3 cc fee

Regular visa at immigration $30

PS; just read on Pattaya Addicts someone just crossed at Poi Pet and was ONLY charged the normal fee no extra's

And how much is an extra page in your passport cost you ? Certainly more than $10 but hey it's your money so spend it like you want

For once I'm in full agreement with Richard. Even including the costs of a courier a page in a 48-page British passport comes to about $8 not $10...

[khwaibah]

An e-visa has the advantage in that you only get a stamp in your passport, not a full page paper visa, and then another page used for the stamps. The "printed" e-visa is removed when you return to Thailand

So if you are worried about using up your passport pages (as some here are) then an e-visa is for you

an the e-visa cost you $10 more than the normal visa

$37 charge on site and $3 cc fee

Regular visa at immigration $30

PS; just read on Pattaya Addicts someone just crossed at Poi Pet and was ONLY charged the normal fee no extra's

And how much is an extra page in your passport cost you ? Certainly more than $10 but hey it's your money so spend it like you want

For me; US passport I get 26 pages for $82 so $3/page

OR buy a new passport with 48 pages for $110 $2.30/page :-)

Strange. My new US passport has 52 pages and I only paid 110 USD. Looks like you got short changed.

[phuketrichard]

an the e-visa cost you $10 more than the normal visa

$37 charge on site and $3 cc fee

Regular visa at immigration $30

PS; just read on Pattaya Addicts someone just crossed at Poi Pet and was ONLY charged the normal fee no extra's

And how much is an extra page in your passport cost you ? Certainly more than $10 but hey it's your money so spend it like you want

For me; US passport I get 26 pages for $82 so $3/page

OR buy a new passport with 48 pages for $110 $2.30/page :-)

Strange. My new US passport has 52 pages and I only paid 110 USD. Looks like you got short changed.

how many can u stamp on

[khwaibah]

"how many can u stamp on"

Technically there are only 44 pages that can be used for visa stamps. There are 52 pages in the passport and they are marked as such. US does not put out a 48 page pp. We pay 110 USD overseas where as you pay 110 in the US for a standard 28 page pp. BTW I just looked again and out of the 44 pages the last 3 are for endorsements and normaly a visa stamp is not allowed so that puts it down to 41 pages for visa stamps where as a 28 page passport has 17 pages for visa stamps.

[Sheryl]

There are limits to how often you can add pages to a US passport, I htink it's twice. I know that hwen last I did it I was told I would not be able to do so again, if the pages fill up then I have to get a new passport no matter how much time left on the old one.

One of the reasons why I now favor e-visas.

[khwaibah]

There are limits to how often you can add pages to a US passport, I htink it's twice. I know that hwen last I did it I was told I would not be able to do so again, if the pages fill up then I have to get a new passport no matter how much time left on the old one.

One of the reasons why I now favor e-visas.

Just the other day a friend his third addition added to his passport.

[phuketrichard]

it all depends on the condition but over the years seems 3 is max.

who cares about getting a new one?

its only another $28

NOTE' in Bangkok they will give u TWO sets ( the first 2) for the price of one where as the embassy in Cambodia will NOT

I have never gotten a evisa for Cambodia,( in the past 12 years) prefer to pay 100 baht to sit near the front of the plane

or just get it at the border, never been asked for more than the $20 (before)

Kwai; sorry about the 48vs 52. My last passport was issued in Phnom Phen in 2008 and they only had 28 page ones than so assumed that 48 page ones would be available as thats what they were before they went with the chip inside.

Have only had ONE passport issued in the states and that was back in 1967 :-)

[BKKSnowBird]

There are limits to how often you can add pages to a US passport, I htink it's twice. I know that hwen last I did it I was told I would not be able to do so again, if the pages fill up then I have to get a new passport no matter how much time left on the old one.

One of the reasons why I now favor e-visas.

I had 48 pages added in BKK once. I would not want more. It was so thick and hard to find the current stamp. It also takes much longer when going back to the US because they start asking a lot of questions.

I just renewed mine even though it still had 4 years and about 20 blank pages left.

[khwaibah]

it all depends on the condition but over the years seems 3 is max.

who cares about getting a new one?

its only another $28

NOTE' in Bangkok they will give u TWO sets ( the first 2) for the price of one where as the embassy in Cambodia will NOT

I have never gotten a evisa for Cambodia,( in the past 12 years) prefer to pay 100 baht to sit near the front of the plane

or just get it at the border, never been asked for more than the $20 (before)

Kwai; sorry about the 48vs 52. My last passport was issued in Phnom Phen in 2008 and they only had 28 page ones than so assumed that 48 page ones would be available as thats what they were before they went with the chip inside.

Have only had ONE passport issued in the states and that was back in 1967

The 52 page passport came into effect when the increase of fees were applied a while back. While a standard 28 page passport is available in the US for 110 USD if you reside over seas and are in the US visiting you can renew your passport in the US for the same 110 USD and get 52 pages. I renewed my passport back on March 6 at the US Consulate in Chiang Mia, March 12 had an email from them..Come an Get it.. 6 day turn around.

[BKKSnowBird]

it all depends on the condition but over the years seems 3 is max.

who cares about getting a new one?

its only another $28

NOTE' in Bangkok they will give u TWO sets ( the first 2) for the price of one where as the embassy in Cambodia will NOT

I have never gotten a evisa for Cambodia,( in the past 12 years) prefer to pay 100 baht to sit near the front of the plane

or just get it at the border, never been asked for more than the $20 (before)

Kwai; sorry about the 48vs 52. My last passport was issued in Phnom Phen in 2008 and they only had 28 page ones than so assumed that 48 page ones would be available as thats what they were before they went with the chip inside.

Have only had ONE passport issued in the states and that was back in 1967

The 52 page passport came into effect when the increase of fees were applied a while back. While a standard 28 page passport is available in the US for 110 USD if you reside over seas and are in the US visiting you can renew your passport in the US for the same 110 USD and get 52 pages. I renewed my passport back on March 6 at the US Consulate in Chiang Mia, March 12 had an email from them..Come an Get it.. 6 day turn around.

Wow! I am in the US and it took me 5 weeks! Did you pay extra to get it so quick?

[khwaibah]

it all depends on the condition but over the years seems 3 is max.

who cares about getting a new one?

its only another $28

NOTE' in Bangkok they will give u TWO sets ( the first 2) for the price of one where as the embassy in Cambodia will NOT

I have never gotten a evisa for Cambodia,( in the past 12 years) prefer to pay 100 baht to sit near the front of the plane

or just get it at the border, never been asked for more than the $20 (before)

Kwai; sorry about the 48vs 52. My last passport was issued in Phnom Phen in 2008 and they only had 28 page ones than so assumed that 48 page ones would be available as thats what they were before they went with the chip inside.

Have only had ONE passport issued in the states and that was back in 1967

The 52 page passport came into effect when the increase of fees were applied a while back. While a standard 28 page passport is available in the US for 110 USD if you reside over seas and are in the US visiting you can renew your passport in the US for the same 110 USD and get 52 pages. I renewed my passport back on March 6 at the US Consulate in Chiang Mia, March 12 had an email from them..Come an Get it.. 6 day turn around.

Wow! I am in the US and it took me 5 weeks! Did you pay extra to get it so quick?

No.This is standard for Chiang Mai. The standard song is 2 weeks but 6 days is standard and yes it comes from the US diplomatic pouch.