Who Is Currently Overstaying Their Cambodian Visa?

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siliconlife
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Re: Who Is Currently Overstaying Their Cambodian Visa?

Post by siliconlife »

ryoon wrote: Fri Aug 29, 2014 8:26 am
OrangeDragon wrote: I'm sure there's a right amount of wheel grease to overcome that which is less than the cost of paying immigration here.
That's a bet I will not be willing to take.

Anyway I doubt that in a country where a sizable portion of the Cambodian population do not have a legal existence (no ID card, no paper) going after barang who overstay their visa is such an urgent mater.
Just one thing that I do not understand given the easiness to get a visa here (me pay one time a year, me do not have to even go the immigration or have a job) how can you overstay ?
I mean you are so low on cash that you cannot pays or just forgetful by nature ?
Anyone who's been posted up on these corners for a while has met a few overstayers. And yeah, all of the ones I have met do not have the cash to pay. But it's usually never that simple. Cambodia is not exactly a country that encourages people to live responsible lifestyles, and the estranged, the fugitive, the clinically depressed, the addicted etc (each one has a unique story to tell), often find themselves wasting away here. And once you hit that slippery slope of overstaying, good luck climbing out. However, putting it down to just money or forgetfulness would be overlooking the more complex nature of the situation, imo.
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Re: Who Is Currently Overstaying Their Cambodian Visa?

Post by phuketrichard »

guess i have been lucky, ( or i move in a different circle than many), been traveling to Cambodia for ages, never met anyone on an overstay
Cambodia is not exactly a country that encourages people to live responsible lifestyles, and the estranged, the fugitive, the clinically depressed, the addicted etc (each one has a unique story to tell), often find themselves wasting away here
BS; you cant blame it on Cambodia, these same people would be the same in their own country, Cambodia does not make u change who you are. :beer3:
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Re: Who Is Currently Overstaying Their Cambodian Visa?

Post by frank lee bent »

i have stamped out on my oz passport and entered thailand with a virgin usa passport- no worries
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Re: Who Is Currently Overstaying Their Cambodian Visa?

Post by phuketrichard »

NOT on a land border>
only flying in or out can u switch passports
otherwise they look for the exit stamp
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Re: Who Is Currently Overstaying Their Cambodian Visa?

Post by Ronny »

phuketrichard wrote: Wed Sep 06, 2017 8:18 pm guess i have been lucky, ( or i move in a different circle than many), been traveling to Cambodia for ages, never met anyone on an overstay
Cambodia is not exactly a country that encourages people to live responsible lifestyles, and the estranged, the fugitive, the clinically depressed, the addicted etc (each one has a unique story to tell), often find themselves wasting away here
BS; you cant blame it on Cambodia, these same people would be the same in their own country, Cambodia does not make u change who you are. :beer3:

How do you know, Richard? Do you actually go around asking every expat you know if they have overstayed their visas? And even if you did, do you think they would tell you the truth? Give me a break...
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Re: Who Is Currently Overstaying Their Cambodian Visa?

Post by frank lee bent »

you have 2 as well Richard?
i don't often do land borders so wouldn't know
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Re: Who Is Currently Overstaying Their Cambodian Visa?

Post by phuketrichard »

Ronny wrote: Wed Sep 06, 2017 8:36 pm
phuketrichard wrote: Wed Sep 06, 2017 8:18 pm guess i have been lucky, ( or i move in a different circle than many), been traveling to Cambodia for ages, never met anyone on an overstay
Cambodia is not exactly a country that encourages people to live responsible lifestyles, and the estranged, the fugitive, the clinically depressed, the addicted etc (each one has a unique story to tell), often find themselves wasting away here
BS; you cant blame it on Cambodia, these same people would be the same in their own country, Cambodia does not make u change who you are. :beer3:

How do you know, Richard? Do you actually go around asking every expat you know if they have overstayed their visas? And even if you did, do you think they would tell you the truth? Give me a break...
did u read what i responded to ???
Anyone who's been posted up on these corners for a while has met a few overstayers.
and i said
guess i have been lucky, ( or i move in a different circle than many), been traveling to Cambodia for ages, never met anyone on an overstay
I guess i got a cyber stalker as u seem to take pleasure in going at me :stir: :please:
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Re: Who Is Currently Overstaying Their Cambodian Visa?

Post by chiltern »

phuketrichard wrote: Wed Sep 06, 2017 8:34 pm NOT on a land border>
only flying in or out can u switch passports
otherwise they look for the exit stamp
I travel on two legitimate UK passports due to visits to Israel and Iran, a few years ago I boarded a plane in London using one passport but entered Cambodia using the other one immigration must have noticed that the passport entered on the aircraft manifest did not match the one I was entering with as I was asked to produce both passports. It didn't cause a problem and I was soon on my way.
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Re: Who Is Currently Overstaying Their Cambodian Visa?

Post by siliconlife »

phuketrichard wrote: Wed Sep 06, 2017 8:18 pm guess i have been lucky, ( or i move in a different circle than many), been traveling to Cambodia for ages, never met anyone on an overstay
Cambodia is not exactly a country that encourages people to live responsible lifestyles, and the estranged, the fugitive, the clinically depressed, the addicted etc (each one has a unique story to tell), often find themselves wasting away here
BS; you cant blame it on Cambodia, these same people would be the same in their own country, Cambodia does not make u change who you are. :beer3:
I disagree.
My argument is not that Cambodians are inherently irresponsible - many of them aren't - but rather that the country's institutions lack the ability or integrity to properly promote such qualities. Any country with a legal and police system as corrupt and defunct as Cambodia's does not encourage responsible living. This in turn extends to other parts of society. Look at some of the things Khmer kids do, eg. widespread cheating in exams. You can not blame the kids for just all being bad kids, cheaters at heart; like the children of any country they are influenced strongly by their milieu.

And while Cambodia might not change one's core identity, it might change the decisions one makes, and thus make an imprint on identities, like any place. It's not to say this is the case for everyone - the fugitives who have been coming here to hide out for decades (funny how they don't go to Iceland, isn't it?) are obviously tainted seeds before they arrive. But for others, I have witnessed them become changed by Cambodia first hand, for better or worse. Either way, you'd have to be pretty hardened for a place like this not to leave an indelible mark upon you. That's just my experience/opinion, anyway. Must be my circle! :beer3:
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Re: Who Is Currently Overstaying Their Cambodian Visa?

Post by Ghostwriter »

This :
" Upside, anyone overstaying on accident will be immediately notified and a small fine handed out. Downside, anyone not having the visa renewal money at that time will be screwed." --> 2014 comment, in this thread.

I guess the notification system didn't start, or doesn't work properly, or is not enforced.

I came to Cambodia alone, looking for work, in sept 2015. I did find some work, quickly, and began to save some money. 6 months after, i went back a few days to my previous country, in order to bring my wife and child. We arrived in Cambodia, passed the immigration, and were delivered a tourist visa, to renew one month after. However, the immigration officer notified us that, as our kid was under 12 y.o, we would not have to extend his visa, as he was obviously not entering the country to work, and as he was under the responsability of registered adults.

One month after, i went to an agent, who tells me the same thing. So, i extend my and my wife's visas, and i got my child passport rightaway, which confirms what the immig officer said.

Then we change of city, time passes by, we didn't have to go out of the country, child in school, family registered at the embassy, neat and clean.

Fast forward to 2017, october. 3 immig officers drop by my flat at 7.30 in the morning, as a routine check following our tenant report, it's already more than one year in that flat, center city. They check my passport, my wife's passport, they don't ask about my kid passport which i hold in my hand. They make usual comments ( "oooh you are lucky to have such a flat", "you must be rich" blah blah blah and ask for tea money, i had just a 100 $ in cash for which i say "sorry that's for my wife" and give them small change, like 3000 riel, which is a joke, but fuck them anyway.

Having a nasty feeling after that, i check my kid passport again, and now the lack of visa disturbs me a bit, so i inquire about that to some friends who have their kid at the same school.

Shit. They have an extended visa for their kid, although more recent than my kid's entry in Cambo.

I check another family, same thing. Shit shit shit....I head directly to the immigration front of the airport, show them, and their verdict is a slap to my face : "yes sir, it's a 1 and half year overstay, 10 $ per day".

That's around 5000 $ at the time. I do not have this money. I working my way up in a new position at work, have a decent salary, but i couldn't spare much yet. And even if i can save as much as possible starting from then, it would have taken more and more months to get that sum, and the overstay would keep growing anyway.

I remain calm, and ask them if there is any possibility for clemency, discount, whatever. They say i can try with the ministry of interior, without giving me any contact or direction though. Fuck fuck fuck....

I talk about that to my embassy, they say they can't do anything.
I talk to my kid's school, they say they can't do anything.

Fuckity fuck, and shittery shit. My kid might need to get out for medical reasons in a neighbor country, so the timing is very bad for this situation, healthwise, moneywise, stresswise, workwise.

I ask how this could happen, and why neither school nor embassy notified us this visa issue, i mean, they have computers, databases, contacts, follow-up, registers....cross checking data would highlight this issue pretty quickly, i'm thinking...

Turns out the law changed while we were in, and nobody told us that kids now have to get a proper visa extension.

I talk about this to my workplace superior, the new site's manager, hungry for money, which was in a conflictual working relation with me, working my way up into site's management. He gives me his contact, an aide to the minister of interior (allegedly), i phone him, man, it took 1 and half month to get an appointment with him (not in town, in town but busy, out of town again, etc...),
so he tells me to meet at this famous (too famous) cafe located in a gas station where someone really meaningful has been shot down. Oooh shit, that looks like a baaad sign to me.

Anyway, after many broken talks, he tells me he can get a 40 % discount, but now we are closer to 6000 $, minus 40 % it's still way too much for my purse. I ask if they can help a bit more, as i have not that kind of money, he says he will try and get in touch with me, and 2 months later i get a "no" as an answer.

While this time, i pushed around me to see if there is any possibility to bend the system for us, as we are clean. I mean, not your typical overstayer. Someone must be able to understand us, right ?

After many pushes, here it comes at last. At this time i was ready to give my kid a sleeping pill, put him in a bag, and carry him by bus to Vn or else, i was really tense and ready to take it to the next level, in terms of asking for help (exfiltration with some foreign soldiers based here, paying someone from my wife's embassy to get it done, anything doable even with risks).

Finally, someone put up a meeting with a high high grade immigration officer. Not at the airport surroundings. Another one. The man receives me, let me explain the situation, and tells me he will be in touch in 3 weeks or so. 4 weeks after, i get back to him to push a bit, he gives me another appointment weeks later, i come back to his office, and tells me that everything is sorted, i have to go to the office close to the airport get my son's exit visa, go quick to Vn border, check out Cambo, check in VN, check out Vn, check in Cambo, new visa ready to go.

I rent a car, we go, we come back, everything is sorted indeed.

That was march 2018. This thing was the drop too much for me. I've been dealing with all kinds of shit in my life, but it's another taste in your mouth when your kid is involved,
Starting from this day, the coundown was launched in my head. I bought plane tickets for us, 30, 29, 28 days...5, 4, 3, 2, 1 we left end of may 2018, and will never come back ever again.

I guess we hold the world record for shortest stay in Vn, it must have been 10 mn tops. But it felt like a neverending 5 stars resort vacation in our minds. When my wife complains about something (almost never happens but still), i like to remind her how grand i am to bring her on such short notice to fancy countries for short but intense holidays.

My kid have no idea about this, it's going to be a good story to tell him someday i guess.

Now it's 10 months we got out, i'm still a bit tense when remembering this. Lesson for life : crosscheck the official informations with better ranking officials just in case, you never know if you might be trapped in a loophole or a dead angle somehow.

I need a glass of wine now.

Oh, you might ask : "why so much wait from the immig high high officer ? "
Spoiler:
They take their time to check you, deeply. Enquiries with neighborhood, work, embassy, police, airport immigration of course. They couldn't prove we had fee-cheating intentions too, as our adults passports were ok, and as they could see us on the airport video, could see the officer talking to us, but didn't have a record of what was told to us. As i went home early on a daily basis, worked 6/7, rarely went out, didn't have a reputation in hookers & drug places, and was unknown to famous people with a shit reputation, we were ok to them. They wouldn't let go a 6500 $ fine like that, you know that.
Cheers.
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