I am heading up to Kratie today and then Laos. I assume there are bus/visa scams and I would like to be made aware of them. Thanks for any advice.

Why so much for Canada ? Aren't we Commie enough for them ?

rexdart wrote:I am heading up to Kratie today and then Laos. I assume there are bus/visa scams and I would like to be made aware of them. Thanks for any advice.

Not really an answer to your question, but when I left Laos for Cambodia they checked my, and everybody else's, body temp, fortunately the ear...., and we were issued a 'health notice' issued by the Cambodian Ministry Of Health. I still have it, I thought it was hilarious. Oh yes, of course a fee of $1 had to be paid for that service.

^Keystone Kops ?

Gotta love their inventiveness.

You should have demanded the Anal Thermometer.

Mexico in the old days was similar. Ham Fisted Integrity. Where, "you waaant mi sister?", was an honest question.

Last time we went through - Jan/Feb - it was $1 for "health check". Got told we were very bad people who are responsable for the spread of malaria (lol), when we declined their offer.

More to the point,we were already being hit on for $2 "stamp fee" by the officials on both sides of the border. if you don't pay when you leave Cambodia, then no exit stamp, then when you get to the Laos guys they send you back to Cambodia. Lots of fun and games if you have time to waste. The Laos officials had serious time to waste, so closed their windows and went out the back to drink and karaoke, just to let us know that they were royally pissed off and that they would leave us there until we begged to pay. No sense of humour at all.

Anyway, end of story, paid $1 to each side so there was no jealous feelings, but had to bargain discreetly since some people had paid the $2. And it's not about the $1 difference - it's about the fuckwittery - even if i'm not khmer, I do feel the need to save a bit of face from time to time...

This was crossing in a minivan from cambodia to Laos and doing our own visas.

Coming back from Laos we met a busload from 4000 Islands to Siem Reap who seemed to have all coughed up $30 or $35 for their Cambodian visas, paid directly to the bus guy.

Traveling by minivan again, we got asked $25 for the visa, paid $22...

Oh, and be warned, ladies - 2000riel to use the toilet. But at least they sell beer...