‘Anarchic’ Poipet fees decried

[geovalin]

Phak Seangly

New reports of border officials at Poipet International Checkpoint demanding extra from travellers crossing the border between Cambodia and Thailand have again thrown the spotlight on the oft-maligned western gateway to the Kingdom, with an opposition lawmaker pledging action to stop the “anarchy”. From fees for a “VIP” service, to demands for money for cash-strapped guards to pay for utilities, paper and ink, the most recent complaints were “typical” of a years-long culture of irregular payments being exacted at the Banteay Meanchey province crossing, said Sum Chankea, provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc.

According to a 34-year-old Cambodian, who recently travelled to Thailand with his wife, border officials proffered two explanations as to why they needed an extra $5, despite there being no fee for Cambodians to exit their homeland. “At the departure office, [the official] saw that my wife had a new passport and said we needed to pay 10,000 riel to have it stamped,” the man, who declined to be named, said.

read more: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/anarchic-poipet-fees-decried

[oneday]

"...saying heavy monitoring and booths designed to only allow passports to change hands, prevented such payments..."

Right!

"...He instead suggested other people milling around the border, such as tour guides or brokers who help people complete their application forms, were responsible..."

555, OMG!

I think people can tell the difference between a border customs official and a tour guide. These people are so stupid. They really think people will buy their BS.

[Roota]

Poipet is the absolute armpit of Cambodia and the worst border crossing I know of in SE Asia. I always suggest that first-timers enter the country there (watching their backs every minute, of course) because the rest of Cambodia will feel like paradise after that.

[Tomtomtom69]

Poipet is the absolute armpit of Cambodia and the worst border crossing I know of in SE Asia. I always suggest that first-timers enter the country there (watching their backs every minute, of course) because the rest of Cambodia will feel like paradise after that.

Interestingly my experience is very different and so too is that of many other seasoned Cambodian travellers.

At Poipet, the rip-off attempt is never more than 100 Baht over the official fee and they aren't too persistent if you don't pay it. They might sigh but they will still process your visa in almost the same time as someone who pays the extra fee.

At Koh Kong (Cham Yeam) however, reports indicate that the officials want hundreds of Baht over the official price, routinely asking something like 1200 Baht for a tourist visa and 1500-1600 for a business visa when the prices (in USD) are much lower than this. They also try to get you to pay for the fake quarantine form, whereas at Poipet there's so much chaos and so many people it's easy to avoid it and there they make no effort to get you to pay (unlike at Koh Kong).

[ggt]

While crossing over from Thailand into Cambodia...there was a group of men hustling foreigners into a make-shift office...one chair and small table...no office supplies or equipment...whereupon, a Cambodian dressed in uniform was encouraging foreigners to pay him 400 baht to secure safe passage thru the Cambodian immigration check point...he had at least a dozen thugs standing around to assist in one's decision...extortion...nothing less...seems to be one of the best paying jobs in SE Asia...

[thaidrew]

Standard fee for Khmer passport holders exiting Cambodia is $4, my partner asked to pay this multiple times, last occasion just 2 weeks ago. I refused, took her to the exit window and after 2 attempts was able to exit. The thing is that Khmer people are so used to paying for'free' government services that they accept as normal.

[siam2007]

what would you expect in a country where you even have to pay the Police to start doing their Job when you need them....

[Sheryl]

....At Poipet, the rip-off attempt is never more than 100 Baht over the official fee and they aren't too persistent if you don't pay it. They might sigh but they will still process your visa in almost the same time as someone who pays the extra fee.

That is my experience as a foreigner also. However I have many Cambodian friends who regularly travel through there and they never get through unscathed. Always have to pay something.

Most recently a grandmother travelling with her grandchildren (who live with her, mother abandoned them years back) had to pay 1,000 baht to get them in despite having with her a signed, stamped letter from the local sangkat attesting to the fact that she is the children's caretaker and has permission to take them out of the country. Ostensibly because she was not their biological mother.

There is also a lot of illegal entry/exit (still) for a bribe, that of course can work in Cambodians favor. for example I know one who while in Thailand on a visa regularly makes short trips back to Cambodia, not stamping in at either end but rather paying a small "fee" to slip in and out.