Travel overland to Cambodia

[post]

I refer to the following URL of entry requirements of Cambodia:

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cambodia/entry-requirements

"You can get a visa on arrival at most ports of entry. Payment is in $US only. Bring 2 passport photos. The government of Cambodia increased their visa charges in 2014. An ‘E-class’ business visa costs US $35 for 1 month and can be renewed indefinitely on an annual basis. Costs for annual business visas (‘E-ex’) are subject to change; consult the Immigration Department for the latest costs."

What are understood are:

1. a visa label occupies one page of your passport

2. a business visa can be extended to another 12 months by paying a certain amount of fees (some travel agent quoting USD290)

3. the extended visa (multiple-entry) again occupies one page of your passport

What are concerned are:

1. one really wants to save blank pages of his/her passport

2. he/she will need to travel to Cambodia 10 times or more within a year for example

Questions are:

1. can the business visa holder asks for a 12-month extension immediately once he/she arrives in Cambodia?

or

2. does he/she need to wait a certain number of days before the existing business visa expires in order to ask for a 12-month extension?

Please kindly share your experience if you have any.

[Sheryl]

I am moving this to the Cambodia visa forum.

In answer to your questions:

1. You can save the full passport page used by the visa by instead getting an e-vsa, which uses no pages. However,m e-visa is valid only for tourist visa and if you plan on the one year extension, you need to come in on a regular,(AKA "business") visa. Which you can indeed get on arrival. It costs I think $5 more than the tourist visa.

2. The extension will indeed take up another full page in your passport and $265 - $290 is about right, many agents can do it for you.

3. You can do the extension as soon as you like, do not have to wait for the entry visa to be near expiration.

4. the one year extended visa is multi entry so after that all you get are just exit and entry stamps. But you will indeed have needed to use up 2 full pages to get that far.

[mike2011]

Sheryl,

where is the place that offers a one year visa for USD 265? That's a very good price, so I am interested.

[Sheryl]

It is a few years since I did it but that used to be the rate at Lucky Motorcylce Rental on Monivong. May have gone up a little since but Lucky is still usually the least expensive in town (and highly reliable), short of going out to immigration yourself.

[phuketrichard]

Sheryl

how is ur application for the Cambodian to get a LA visa going?

[fang37]

So, Thais need a passport for entry into Cambodia?

And visa?

Motor vehicle OK?

[Sheryl]

Thais can get a pass to go to just the casinos or Camb side of the border market without a passport. Beyond that, a passport is required but as ASEAN nationals they will get a visa exempt entry of 14 days. Longer stay needs a visa.

Motor Vehicles: long story, not easy, varies with the border checkpoint. See http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/846291-what-is-the-latest-info-regarding-taking-a-thai-car-across-to-cambodia-via-chong-chomosmach/

Not that for cars the wheel of a Thai car will be on the wrong side as Cambodia drives on the right. Which makes it more dangerous to drive though not impossible.

[Sheryl]

Sheryl

how is ur application for the Cambodian to get a LA visa going?

Temporarily on hold. The Cambodians in question, wife had surgery, complications developed, will be a long time getting back on her feet.

[dennis123]

@Sheryl, do I need to specifically asks for a 30 day "business" visa at arrival so that I can later extend it to one year or don't I have to mention anything at all, besides avoiding the e-visa.

I just cancelled my house here so I might stay a couple of months or even longer in Cambodia.

[phuketrichard]

yes u need ask for the 'Ordinary " visa ...cost is $35 could be more at land borders.

you can than go the next day if u wish to extend it for a year, ( it will run $285 or so) in PP, more if u do it from outside PP thru any agent

[shirtless]

I have just done it ariived Koh Kong border they accept USD but prefer Thai Baht, other land borders may be different, E1 business visa 1800 baht 40-50 dollars depending on immigration. once you have an E1 you can renew for 3, 6 , 12 months 285 12 months 85 3 months 6to 12 month business visa is multiple entry.

[dennis123]

Great, think I'll go for the 6 month multi entry as I don't know my exact plans but do go back home in May/June so then I have plenty of options.

[phuketrichard]

just crossed monday with car

gave him $30 and he just looked at it but took it, $35 for the ordinary ( business ) visa 1,800 baht is $51

You ONLY think they prefer baht cause they can charge u more

paid for 3 days ( 300 baht) and an extra 100 baht for him to raise the gate LOL

Drove less than 2 minutes, hit a pot hole an blew a tire

[dennis123]

just crossed monday with car

gave him $30 and he just looked at it but took it, $35 for the ordinary ( business ) visa 1,800 baht is $51

You ONLY think they prefer baht cause they can charge u more

paid for 3 days ( 300 baht) and an extra 100 baht for him to raise the gate LOL

Drove less than 2 minutes, hit a pot hole an blew a tire

Obviously yes, they are also very keen on exchanging dollars or baht for riel with silly stories that everyone pays with real/riel lol.

Damn unlucky you, my tires are always a bit soft so less chance to blow one I guess. Oh and don't drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, you're going to regret it big time, what a disaster was that, like 60km no road at all, only potholes non stop.

I'm stuck in Phnom Penh till the 17th, just got back from Siem Reap again, now waiting for my Thai visa, applied for SETV, she asked for either a plane ticket out of Thailand or bank statements so I provided bank statements as I don't know what my plans will be in 3 months from now. Long time to wait for a visa though, today it's the 13th and have to pick it up tuesday late in the afternoon so I won't be moving before wednesday as I won't drive at night.

Anythings you can recommend in the Phnom Penh area or a bit outside of it as I've seen most of the city already.

[phuketrichard]

Drive up to Odoung, great temple on the mtn

take a trip across the river to Diamond island

been inside Aoen mall yet an seen the crazy prices and the khmers ice skating??

Other than that, i walk alot in PP

Wont be driving to pp or sr this trip.

In fact this trip was to scout out Kep and see if its liveable, i would say YES, IF i could find a decent rental house ( have yet to see ONE) but still

Thailand wins hands down.

Hindsight

Cambodian gf applied for her thai visa in SHV, no plane ticket or money needed.

why didn't u use an agent?

u can pay extra and have it 1,2 days or normal price is 3 days

Where are u exiting? I am heading back Monday via Hat Lek

[dennis123]

Drive up to Odoung, great temple on the mtn

take a trip across the river to Diamond island

been inside Aoen mall yet an seen the crazy prices and the khmers ice skating??

Other than that, i walk alot in PP

Wont be driving to pp or sr this trip.

In fact this trip was to scout out Kep and see if its liveable, i would say YES, IF i could find a decent rental house ( have yet to see ONE) but still

Thailand wins hands down.

Hindsight

Cambodian gf applied for her thai visa in SHV, no plane ticket or money needed.

why didn't u use an agent?

u can pay extra and have it 1,2 days or normal price is 3 days

Where are u exiting? I am heading back Monday via Hat Lek

Thanks, some solid advice

Haven't been too any mall yet, not so much of a shopper but yeah why not, nothing to do anyway.

I was in Kep for two days, there's not so much there really, you have the crab market and food stalls and some relatively short beaches and that's about it, I couldn't live there even if I could find a house. Sure I think there are some KTV's as well, but for me being gay and single there would be very little or actually no entertainment so yeah Thailand wins hands down. Actually of all places I met so far (Koh Kong, Sihanoukville, Kampot, Kep, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Poipet) I think I'd prefer Phnom Penh most however no beaches here. Sihanoukville feels a bit grimmy and the rest is a bit too boring for me (koh kong, kampot, kep). Siem Reap is nice for a few days but way too touristic.

So all together I won't be able to replace Thailand with Cambodia, that's for sure.

Well maybe I could live in SIhanoukville but it feels a bit unsafe, maybe I get used too it, but when I drove there with my window open at night and 3 low life Khmer guys at a motorbike yell something at me and follow me for quite a while when I'm on the way to the casino I don't feel too happy, so I stopped at a restaurant instead where I had a pretty decent steak for 8 dollars and a few beers, eg an hour break or so before I continued to the casino. Such odd events don't happen in Pattaya in the three years I've been there. Also I went to a bar near a beach at night where about 6 foreigners were sitting, most single and one pair, and they all looked like the biggest scum of the earth, couldn't even try to make a conversation with them as they just looked at me like <deleted> you want, problems? Odd situations for a holiday destination.

I tried to use an agent in Phnom Penh as I didn't want to spend all day long at the embassy like in Laos, however that agent looked at my passport and said I had too many stamps so I had to go in person, so I did today and there was no waiting time at all, just submit my application with either return ticket or bank statement (provided the latter) and now have to go back on Tuesday.

Then I will drive back to Sihanoukville or Koh Kong and stay at either place one or two more days and exit at Had Lek as well (I paid 700 baht for 7 days and 100 baht to raise the thing as well

I like the completely deserted beach over the bridge near Koh Kong city.

[dennis123]

Btw, next time you're in Phnom Penh check out the steak at Nagaworld, great piece of meat, bit expensive though, 30 dollars but haven't had such good steak for a long time.

[dennis123]

@PhuketRichard, couldn't you tell me it takes 500 stairs to get there? My god, I've had my exercise again, and that after a heavy night of drinking of course!

[phuketrichard]

hahahhahhha :-)

but wasn't the view worth it!!!!!

BTW i exited at Hat lek today, had the pay the difference from what i told then (4 days @ 100/day ) to 6 days so another 200 baht,

BUT they didn't charge to lift the gate.

8:15 am departure Kep to SHV to pick u gf's passport (left at 11:15 am) an than was in Trat by 4 pm at our favorite hotel Hotel Toscana and jump in the pool

[dennis123]

hahahhahhha :-)

but wasn't the view worth it!!!!!

BTW i exited at Hat lek today, had the pay the difference from what i told then (4 days @ 100/day ) to 6 days so another 200 baht,

BUT they didn't charge to lift the gate.

8:15 am departure Kep to SHV to pick u gf's passport (left at 11:15 am) an than was in Trat by 4 pm at our favorite hotel Hotel Toscana and jump in the pool

Definitely worth it yes, Cambodia is beautiful, especially around that temple.

Hope I can pay the 100/day difference in dollars as I don't have a single bath left, tomorrow afternoon pick up my passport here in PP and then I head back as well.