Visa Run Poi Pet

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bittermelon
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Re: Visa Run Poi Pet

Post by bittermelon »

@Pizzalover , is this a recent thing? When you say "And they do check the entire list"do you mean the odd person that they pay extra attention to?
Pizzalover
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Re: Visa Run Poi Pet

Post by Pizzalover »

I can not fully answer the question. What I do know is from my own experience Sept. 2018. After that I checked online. Plus the biz traveler who has also put his experiences online. He is a regular contributor to one of the Thailand fori.

Poipet was always a problem. In 2017 they made a big show out of my stamps and took pains to make sure that it was really just my 2nd land entry that year. Once that was clear all was ok. Just an additional stupid remark, free of charge, and all ok.

This September it seemed to very different. I had no such problem in late July or earlier this year. The moment the passport officer had flipped through passport pages and saw numerous stamps I was a case for a special desk. I had to show money and airline ticket, hotel reservation. The docs in print out or on a device (device seemed to be a concession by a young lady (student?) who acted as interpreter). Better have print-outs. Once these items were cleared I was not let go and the bitchy officer went to a terminal to check my days in Thailand. In case I had 'too many days.' We are not talking over-stay as I dont have any such over-stay stamps in my passport. As I also had no visa or extension of stay in my passport and it was the second land entry; she was checking how many days I had accumulated on my airport entries and the lone land entry. I can only presume that they are going after people who fly in and out and thus stay longer than they want. There is no legal limit afaik. They also did not give me any information as to what was the problem or requirement. They keep their activities as nontransparent as possible. What I m saying here are my conclusions from what was done and said. THere is no handout at the border, no law online covering this, no directive. In the end it is all up to them.

After that I checked on ThaiVisa for similar stories and, boy, there are entire threads dedicated to this. This has been going for quite some time and Poipet and BKK airports (plural) leading the way. They have apparently turned away really rich people on alleged lack of money. Totally bizarre situation.

One poster on TV claimed that fixes on the Cambodian side of the border are able to fix problems with Thai immigration for a hefty fee. No idea if that claim was based on personal experience or just a stupid remark like so many online.

According to posters on TV smaller crossings do not create trouble. Thus the Pailin to the west or Osmach and Anlong Veng might be better crossings to Thailand depending on your destination. There are direct buses to Anlong Veng from PP. Awful long and slow ride though. PP-Battambang and the collective cab or a van to Pailin border seems much faster.

For those who qualify for visa free entry to Vietnam, the 15 days stamp, Bavet might be best. It would also keep your passport clean of Thai stamps as the number of stamps is a red flag.

For those flying in and out of BKK, check for flights out HCMC (SGN). sometimes flying out of SGN and coming in through BKK on the return trip is possible at the same or even lower price. This helps avoiding Poipet and keeping the stamp count low.

My conclusion is that transiting through Thailand has become a privilege. It has nothing to do with your financial situation, legal status as an expat, whatever other record. It is up to the discretion of an immigration officer that might be corrupt or not.
King Keil
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Re: Visa Run Poi Pet

Post by King Keil »

I passed through Thailand 4 times last year and didn't have any problems. 3 times DonMuang/Sovannabum and 1 time poipet. When they realize that you are only staying a few days they don't bother, at least not with me.
Not been asked for any airtickets or cash.
Pizzalover
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Re: Visa Run Poi Pet

Post by Pizzalover »

Lucky you.

I do the same. My luck, i.e. what saved me from the old bi..h at immigration, was that I had a grand 2 (!) days for 2018 in my passport at that time. 2017 was less than 10 days total. All that was transit PP-BKK or BKK-PP.
Never got into trouble at BKK, I never used DMK. I do SUSPECT that it has something to do with the airline, at least in my case. When you submit your boarding pass piece together with the passport they see what you fly and from where. In my case major airline and long distance. If you come in on Air Asia on a regional flight, they might be more interested or suspect you're a visa runner. After all, those airlines check for your onward flight. So all in the green there, perhaps.

Poipet: I had once some minor trouble because I showed up with just a small backpack. They smelled visa runner and drove them nuts not to find any suitable Thai stamp. In the end two officials went through and finally believed their own eyes that I had entered Cambodia from Vietnam, Vietnam from the Phils, and that my outbound ticket from BKK was to MNL. Morons....

The last entry in Poipet in September was surreal. I really I have no idea what was wrong with that sick bit... Not entry is in 2 months with a brand new passport. Let's see.

The frustrating thing is that this behavior is unpredictable. The only thing we can do is share the info on their stupid behavior so as to have the right answers and docs ready if asked. I m now weekly monitoring the relevant threads on Thaivisa and look for recent reports. What I do see is all negative. I strongly advise anyone going in that direction via Poipet to do the homework.

I still use Poipet as the road to Koh Kong is a nightmare. Takes more time than to Poipet now. I could go via Pailin but then I would have to change several times transport and might get stuck. Poipet/Aran is pretty good in terms of connections. I can leave until 12.30 noon and still make it across, get a clean hotel and good food. Some sleep and next morning nice breakfast and off I go. Anyone going to Isaan or Vientiane via Thailand would do good to use Osmach. For short visa runs HCMC is anyhow a much nicer place.
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armchairlawyer
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Re: Visa Run Poi Pet

Post by armchairlawyer »

Great thread! Loads of great information.
Can someone tell me what it's like entering Cambodia at Poipet from a transport perspective? (I have the necessary EOS). I will be transiting from BKK to PP with a lot of luggage (up to 100kg). I fly into BKK at about 3pm. I believe there is a good bus service to Aranya where presumably I would overnight.
Thanks in advance.
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phuketrichard
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Re: Visa Run Poi Pet

Post by phuketrichard »

i went in and out of Poi Pet twice this year legally an once just waked across last year, ( didn't exit thailand, didn't legally enter or leave Cambodia GF needed to get her stamp an i didn't want spend (1,000 baht for re entry and $30 for visa) for one night stay)
Its not a big deal
both time i entered i had to get a voa $30 ONLY and not a speck of trouble
I exited with my car at KK last august, the road from Kep was terrible!!!

If ur planning on talking ur thai car across u need get advance permit from Phnom Pehn.
Otherwise use osamch or Koh Kong

If ur alone, just hire some kid with a cart to haul ur stuff across
Plenty of decent places near the border to stay, under $25...use Booking.com
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
Barang chgout
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Re: Visa Run Poi Pet

Post by Barang chgout »


I still use Poipet as the road to Koh Kong is a nightmare.
The 48 is all newly resealed.

Sent from my SM-G570Y using Tapatalk

Pizzalover
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Re: Visa Run Poi Pet

Post by Pizzalover »

armchairlawyer wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 1:07 pm Great thread! Loads of great information.
Can someone tell me what it's like entering Cambodia at Poipet from a transport perspective? (I have the necessary EOS). I will be transiting from BKK to PP with a lot of luggage (up to 100kg). I fly into BKK at about 3pm. I believe there is a good bus service to Aranya where presumably I would overnight.
Thanks in advance.
I m doing the same regularly (although with only 55-60kg).

3 PM is a bad time to show your face at BKK and not being Chinese. Depending on delays and whatever, prepare yourself mentally for a long wait to get stamped into Thailand. We look at 60-90 minutes. I hope not but it has happened to me this year.
Transport-wise you're pretty much f...ed over. UNLESS: You are lucky with being stamped in, getting your stuff, catching the shuttle to the airport bus station at the street level and make it to the air aran pattana van. Here is the link: http://www.airaran.co.th/bus-schedule/?lang=en

You need to make it to the van leaving Ekkamai bus station at 4 PM and that will arrive at BKK airport bus terminal 4.20-4.45 pm. And hope there is enough space for you and probably a second seat for your bags.

This will get you to the border by 8 PM or 8.30. Enough time to cross and make it to one of the night buses to PP. You can easily hire a porter on the Thai side to carry your stuff past Cambo Immi where the tuktuks are waiting.

If money is no concern, get a taxi to Aran and travel in style.

If that does not work out - there is a last chance to make it at least to Aran: Take the airport train to the first station Lat Krabang. Exit and cross over to the small train station. Take one of the two trains going to Chachoengsao Junction (link: http://procurement.railway.co.th/checkt ... nguage=Eng) :
371 Ordinary 18:34 dep arrival: 19:20

383 Ordinary 19:17 Dep arrival 20.00

At Chachoengsao take tuktuk to the nearby bus station and get on the yellow bus (http://www.iloveyellowbus.com/en/roots.html). There is a bus at around 9.30 PM running through Aran and getting into town just before midnite. Stay the night in Aran and next morning cross the border. Preferably between 8.30 and 9.30 AM. You avoid the early morning rush hour and still make it to the buses to PP. Capitol bus has a 10.30 AM departure to PP.

The night buses in Cambodia are not a good as in Vietnam. There has been some improvement but still not so nice.

Whatever happens, keep in mind that the THAI SIDE closes for exiting at 9 PM. Entering Thailand is until 10 PM.

Food in Aran is very good. Hotels reasonable and clean. No comparison to the mayhem in Poipet.

I should add that there is very good street food at Lat Krabang train stations and nobody starves at Chachoengsao bus station. Enough to snack the time away
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Cam Nivag
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Re: Visa Run Poi Pet

Post by Cam Nivag »

Cam Nivag wrote: Mon Dec 10, 2018 6:06 am A Siem Reap expat has been posting hysterics on Facebook the last two days about new requirements from the Thais to enter Thailand and that he, a presumed bottomfeeder on a visa run, was denied entry at the land border and had to return to Siem Reap and fly to Bangkok. His story was short on helpful details.
I just saw another post on Facebook from a lady who lives in Cambodia and was rejected when trying to enter Cambodia by land on a visa run. It seems the Thais are crecking down on this and telling expats in Cambodia who are only interested in entering and promptly leaving Thailand by land to fuck right off.

Here is the post:

Image
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Re: Visa Run Poi Pet

Post by Username Taken »

Cam Nivag wrote: Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:16 pm
trying to enter Cambodia by land on a visa run.
Pretty sure she was trying to enter Thailand.
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