thailand , phillipines or cambodia ?

[dirtycash]

thinking of booking a trip for few months, im undecided about going back to thailand i have basically seen it all and am just back 4 weeks ago from pattaya and hau hin . how does phillipines differ for nights out , beer etc , female company obviously and bars / nightlife, cost of budget rooms with wifi and maybe pool per month. also cambodia , ive been to sihanoukville once never been to phnom penn. anyone any advise on visa costs, rooms, food , etc etc.

i also want to ask, what is cost of a years visa stay in cambodia and phillipines.

cheers

DD

[Macclad]

Cambodia.....you can get a 30 day Visa on Arrival which can be extended to a long stay visa for up to 12 months,if you wish.....cost is about 7,000 baht.

Phnom Penh,there is plenty of nightlife near the river which is probably the best area to stay.Plenty of female company and cheap beer.

Phillipines....I'm not sure.I think you can get a visa that lasts you for up to 18 months but you have to report to Immigration every 2 months.After the 18 months is up you have to leave the country.I believe the island of Cebu is about the best place to stay,a lot more so than Manila.But if its the ladies you are after then Angeles City is the best place to stay.Its about 2 hours drive from Manila.

For hotels in both countries you can always check on Trip Advisor.

[phuketrichard]

Cambodia

the tourist Visa is $30 and Extendable ONLY for one month

the Business/Ordinary visa is $35 and extendable up to 1 year in country for around $280

Decent air con rooms under $30/night, western meal $4-7

female companionship is there but nothing like PI or Thailand

[Rumpole]

Note that in Cambodia the long-stay extendable Ordinary Visa may now a bit more difficult to get. There are reports of people at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports and the land border at Poipet being asked for documentary evidence to prove that they are employed / running a business etc. It still seems to depend on the individual immigration officer and how he is feeling on the day, but they are tightening up.

Philippines, most Western passport holders get 30 days free on arrival, which you then extend for a further 29 days for about 800 pesos (more if you use an agency), and then continue to extend for periods of either 2 months or 6 months. After 6 continuous months in the country you will need to apply for an ACR (Alien Certificate of Registration) card. Also if you stay for more than 6 consecutive months, you are required to get "exit clearance" before they will let you leave. This is a hassle as you have to apply to the Bureau of Immigration 2 or 3 weeks in advance. They will also hit you for all kinds of fees and taxes. You can avoid it by leaving the country after say 5 1/2 months and then immediately returning, as this resets the clock.

In the Philippines you can expect to spend around 50% more than in Thailand or Cambodia for accommodation and eating out - and the quality of both is generally much lower.

[Scouse123]

In Cambodia you can most certainly get deals by the month for accommodation both in Phnom Penn and Siem Reap in the $250 -$350 range for a decent place. You can reduce this cost by taking a room in a shared house.

In Cambodia as some poster has mentioned, they are undergoing a clampdown. The purpose of this is to sift out those staying in the kingdom on overstay, without visas and those actively in employment without work permits which are only $100 a year.

When entering Cambodia you must pay the $35 fee for the one month E visa which can then be extended at a cost of $285- $295 for a years extension. There is no Police reporting every ninety days as there is in Thailand.They will NOT extend the $30 tourist visa so make sure you get the correct one on your way in. Go to a Travel agent and it will take four working days to process a years by business visa.

You won't have a problem getting a years visa at a travel agent but you will if you try to do it yourself with immigration.

Alcohol and food is very well priced in both PP and SR and booze is cheaper as a rule, than Thailand with happy hours non stop. Regards women, you will probably do a great deal better in Phnom Penn than Siem Reap and far more choice.

Cambodia is nowhere near as diverse as Philippines and Thailand. Once you have seen PP, SR and Snooky which you have already visited, there isn't a great deal more developed as yet for foreigners to see, maybe Battambang and Kep and one or two others but nothing like Thailand. If you are purely in party mode,you may get bored.

[phuketrichard]

They will NOT extend the $30 tourist visa so make sure you get the correct one on your way in

wrong;

tourist visa can be extended 1 month in country for about $40

[Scouse123]

I was specifically referring to the one year extension not the additional month for a tourist.

The OP was talking about one year extension of visa for Cambodia I believe.