Cambodia News (Battambang): On 4 April 2021, the Battambang police received a foreign man from the immigration department and transferred him to the General Department of Immigration of the Ministry of the Interior. Police said that the westerner, identified as French national HERVE PINHEDE, 63 years old, has already spent 14 days in quarantine.


On March 18, 2021, the police of Mong Rousey district saw a French man walking in the street, so they stopped him for questioning. After questioning, the police found that the French man was a tourist. He said that he had come from Phnom Penh to Battambang to go sight-seeing.The police detained the foreign man because he only had a copy of his passport and his visa was expired.

The French man didn't give the police exact information, so he was sent to the Sangke quarantine center. Then, after spending 14 days in quarantine and after receiving a negative covid test, the police sent the French man to the Department of Immigration following the legal procedure.

Tourist visa expired? I thought there's still a special provision in place, due to Covid? Or do they mean that it had already expired before the pandemic started?

At least we know what his real crime is: walking down the street while being French... "On March 18, 2021, the police of Mong Rousey district saw a French man walking in the street, so they stopped him for questioning."

April 7, 2021
Frenchman ends epic cross-country journey with deportation

Battambang police believe a French national’s claim that he was on an epic cross-country journey on foot before being stopped is telling the truth.

When questioned by authorities, 63-year-old Herve Pinhede had claimed to be on a “tourist walk” from Phnom Penh to Battambang and had already completed 230 kilometres of the 280 kilometre walk.

However, further investigation revealed that Pinhede did not have an original copy of his passport and that his visa had also expired.

As a precaution, he was then sent to the quarantine centre in Sangke district.

After a 14-day quarantine and mandatory COVID-19 tests, Pinhede was then sent to the Department of Immigration in Phnom Penh for further processing.

Moung Russei district police chief Colonel Sor Kimlong told Khmer Times yesterday that Pinhede was about 50 kilometres outside Battambang city when local authorities informed him about the Frenchman walking in the scorching heat.

Col Kimlong intercepted Pinhede and asked why he was out walking, to which he replied that he had been walking from Phnom Penh and mentioned that no other provinces had bothered him.

“We didn’t ask him much due to the language barrier and we stopped him because we were afraid of COVID-19,” he said, referring to any strangers coming to Battambang from other provinces.

“According to his appearance, I thought that perhaps he was not lying because he had stained shoes and his shirt was full of dirt.

As a precaution, he was then sent to the quarantine centre in Battambang province’s Sangke district. When he finished the mandatory 14-day quarantine with negative tests for COVID-19, Pinhede was transferred to the General Department of Immigration in Phnom Penh.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50835059/f ... portation/