Post by Admin on Nov 15, 2013 22:45:47 GMT
Flying No problems all you need is a passport photo and 20 Dollars for a 30 day visa and it takes about 10 minutes and no corruption.
Poipet scams This is a very corrupt border and I have been across it twice and the last time they now have sign up over the official sign with a hand written note for 100 baht also if you have no passport photo they will charge 100 baht . I said no it is only $20 dollars there is no 100 baht fee and they quickly did my application and rushed me out so I would not stop others from paying.When you get through immigration you have to look for your guide as there will be guys there saying Siem Reap and if you go with them you are going to have to pay again as they are not your tour guide. The first time I went they asked if I had a visa and I said no and they give you a form to fill out, all tours will do this, if you say yes they will charge 1000 baht or more for the visa I declined and just did at the border . The second time same thing I said no and as did a couple of other people and I think this was because I booked a super cheap ticket. The guy became a jerk and would not let us go , then made us wait about an hour and took us out to a bus station where we ended up paying another 100 baht to complete the trip so if you want to avoid this hassle or do not care about paying extra get the visa from the embassy before you leave and your border crossing will be quicker and easier.
So let me break down the process as it is kind of confusing and everyone will have to do this . When you get to the border you go through Thai customs and get an exit stamp , now if you have a visa keep walking down the street to the office and stand in line and get fingerprinted and a stamp in your passport . If you do not have a visa you have to go to the first building on the right as you head towards the border and deal with the corrupt officials and get a visa then you head to immigration so you have to do 2 stops instead of one.
One final note if going to Siem Reap almost every tour agency( unless you paid extra for the taxi service then this does not apply) will drop you off someplace different and there will be a bunch of Tuk Tuks drivers wanting to take you to a hotel and say it is free . They will try and take you to a different hotel where they get a kick back as well as convince you to use them to go to Angkor Wat the next day.If you already have a reservation be firm and demand to go to your hotel and usually pay 3 to 5 dollars and this depends where they drop you and I have been to Siem Reap 5 or 6 times and it has never been the same .
Coming back to Thailand at Poipet is much less a hassle and the only people that will try and scam you are the ones that offer to take your bags. It is a short walk from where they drop you off you stand in line and get an exit stamp from Cambodia then walk to the Thai border fill out the forms and get Thai entry , depending on the day can be quick or a couple of hours , try avoid crossing on Sunday as that is one of the busier days.
Poipet scams This is a very corrupt border and I have been across it twice and the last time they now have sign up over the official sign with a hand written note for 100 baht also if you have no passport photo they will charge 100 baht . I said no it is only $20 dollars there is no 100 baht fee and they quickly did my application and rushed me out so I would not stop others from paying.When you get through immigration you have to look for your guide as there will be guys there saying Siem Reap and if you go with them you are going to have to pay again as they are not your tour guide. The first time I went they asked if I had a visa and I said no and they give you a form to fill out, all tours will do this, if you say yes they will charge 1000 baht or more for the visa I declined and just did at the border . The second time same thing I said no and as did a couple of other people and I think this was because I booked a super cheap ticket. The guy became a jerk and would not let us go , then made us wait about an hour and took us out to a bus station where we ended up paying another 100 baht to complete the trip so if you want to avoid this hassle or do not care about paying extra get the visa from the embassy before you leave and your border crossing will be quicker and easier.
So let me break down the process as it is kind of confusing and everyone will have to do this . When you get to the border you go through Thai customs and get an exit stamp , now if you have a visa keep walking down the street to the office and stand in line and get fingerprinted and a stamp in your passport . If you do not have a visa you have to go to the first building on the right as you head towards the border and deal with the corrupt officials and get a visa then you head to immigration so you have to do 2 stops instead of one.
One final note if going to Siem Reap almost every tour agency( unless you paid extra for the taxi service then this does not apply) will drop you off someplace different and there will be a bunch of Tuk Tuks drivers wanting to take you to a hotel and say it is free . They will try and take you to a different hotel where they get a kick back as well as convince you to use them to go to Angkor Wat the next day.If you already have a reservation be firm and demand to go to your hotel and usually pay 3 to 5 dollars and this depends where they drop you and I have been to Siem Reap 5 or 6 times and it has never been the same .
Coming back to Thailand at Poipet is much less a hassle and the only people that will try and scam you are the ones that offer to take your bags. It is a short walk from where they drop you off you stand in line and get an exit stamp from Cambodia then walk to the Thai border fill out the forms and get Thai entry , depending on the day can be quick or a couple of hours , try avoid crossing on Sunday as that is one of the busier days.