Just a warning to those considering a visa run though Hat Lek border (near Trat).

I made the trip three months ago and the experience was not pleasant.

The Cambodian officials, bless them are far worse than their compatriots at Poipet, I was taken into a room which was basically a shed with four of these primates and told the visa was 2000 baht - refused to pay any more than 1000 - after a while one of the guys reminded me where I was and that I was a foreigner and that I could either pay the 2000 or go back to Thailand. he then threw my passport on the ground and pointed back to the border.

Ended up paying 1500 and then was asked for a further bribe when departing - this time 300 baht.

The whole experience lasted about two hours - I think half the problem is that this border is reasonably quiet so they hit you hard.

Nice beaches nearby but just be prepared to pay a little more than Poipet......

I was taken into a room which was basically a shed with four of these primates and told the visa was 2000 baht

this is normal at that border, even though your visa sticker will have $20 stamped, they will refuse a twenty dollar bill and want baht so they can charge anything.

refused to pay any more than 1000 - after a while one of the guys reminded me where I was and that I was a foreigner and that I could either pay the 2000 or go back to Thailand.

to cross back into thailand there, you need a cambodian visa, entry stamp and then an exit stamp. both sides of the border know this.

he then threw my passport on the ground and pointed back to the border.

don't worry, i had mine thrown on the ground, except frisbeed clear out the door into "no man's land" a few years back.

Ended up paying 1500 and then was asked for a further bribe when departing - this time 300 baht.

that wasn't a bribe, the 300 baht is a "fine" for not staying one day in cambodia. there is no escaping that, as they make a lot of money from border hoppers every day.

when crossing that border i used to continue on to sihanoukville but would get a cambodia visa beforehand for $20 at the embassy in bangkok. flying into phnom penh is $20 at the airport also.

Huski...any relation to jauntyjohn or unbiasbob?

Huski...any relation to jauntyjohn or unbiasbob?

yeh, we are all farangs.

however, i think my passport was thrown farther than anyone's elses by an cambodian immigration officer.

Good answer, Huski.

I would find it extremely difficult not to throw the Cambodian "officer" through the wall if he did that to me.

Probably just as well that I don't go down there.

If I want to play with monkeys I can go to Lopburi.

Guess I'm lucky.

I've done that border hop a dozen times at least, and never had a problem.

Nice beaches nearby

Be careful at the deserted beaches there. I stopped at one for an hour or so my last trip back from down there, which was about a month ago.

I went for a dip in the ocean, and explored some possible camping areas along the beach under the trees.

Not sure what it was, but it's the equivalent of what Americans call a "chigger" or "redbug", which is a micrscopic little bugger that you can't see.

I must've had 250 of the bastards all over me. They feel like a hellacious mosquito bite & it takes about 3 weeks for them to stop itching. You don't even know they've gotten on you till about 4 hours later.

I went for a dip in the ocean, and explored some possible camping areas along the beach under the trees.

chiggers sound gnarly and painful, that doesn't sound fun

never go "exploring" around cambodia anyway, as there are so many landmines still scattered everywhere.

Landmines destroy the fabric of rural communities which depend on land for agriculture, grazing, and trading. In Cambodia, 35 per cent more land could be cultivated if it were not for the threat of mines.

Landmine explosion