Fun at the vaccination center

This is where our community discusses almost anything! While we're mainly a Cambodia expat discussion forum and talk about expat life here, we debate about almost everything. Even if you're a tourist passing through Southeast Asia and want to connect with expatriates living and working in Cambodia, this is the first section of our site that you should check out. Our members start their own discussions or post links to other blogs and/or news articles they find interesting and want to chat about. So join in the fun and start new topics, or feel free to comment on anything our community members have already started! We also have some Khmer members here as well, but English is the main language used on CEO. You're welcome to have a look around, and if you decide you want to participate, you can become a part our international expat community by signing up for a free account.
User avatar
cautious colin
Expatriate
Posts: 1199
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2017 9:47 am
Reputation: 490
Great Britain

Re: Fun at the vaccination center

Post by cautious colin »

Bluenose wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:15 am
cautious colin wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:39 am
Bluenose wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:25 am before calling any numbers they selected the oldest-looking people to go first ahead of everyone else, including me!
Typical Cambodian queuing. Just like ABA, why even bother with the numbers :facepalm:
My original post maybe doesn't make it clear, I was one of the old people selected to go first. I'm only in my 50's but white haired, all the others selected were seriously old and nobody seemed to mind, in fact seemed to take it as a given that the elderly would be given priority (so did I even before I was picked). That's one of the things I quite like here.
That is one of the things that makes me irate. Why have a system if nobody follows it. I'm not against the elderly going first. but make that the system rather than having one and ignoring it
Chad Sexington
Expatriate
Posts: 1054
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2019 3:43 pm
Reputation: 1343
Great Britain

Re: Fun at the vaccination center

Post by Chad Sexington »

mannanman wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:51 am
Chad Sexington wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:23 am
$100+ over the official price? You need to change your agent.
I just got a 12 month ER visa EOS for a total cost of $330 (not 100% sure of the actual visa EOS cost but I think it’s about $290?) so my agent takes the grand sum of $40 for taking care of all the “heavy lifting” ( it’d cost me way more than that just in travel expenses) saving me the hassle of traveling all the way to PP and standing in line half the day.
Official price is $190 direct from immigration. Most agents charge $290/$300 for an ER (slightly more to facilitate an EB).
I think you need to change agents! :hattip:

But I don’t think the agent makes all that money. Maybe pay some to their contact but it’s more than $30.
That’s me been educated 👍 that being said, I couldn’t use my usual agent because of lockdown in Sihanoukville. Even so, at that price I’d still rather pay an agent to do the donkey work.
User avatar
phuketrichard
Expatriate
Posts: 16859
Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 5:17 pm
Reputation: 5771
Location: Atlantis
Aruba

Re: Fun at the vaccination center

Post by phuketrichard »

Chad Sexington wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:46 am
mannanman wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:51 am
Chad Sexington wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:23 am
$100+ over the official price? You need to change your agent.
I just got a 12 month ER visa EOS for a total cost of $330 (not 100% sure of the actual visa EOS cost but I think it’s about $290?) so my agent takes the grand sum of $40 for taking care of all the “heavy lifting” ( it’d cost me way more than that just in travel expenses) saving me the hassle of traveling all the way to PP and standing in line half the day.
Official price is $190 direct from immigration. Most agents charge $290/$300 for an ER (slightly more to facilitate an EB).
I think you need to change agents! :hattip:

But I don’t think the agent makes all that money. Maybe pay some to their contact but it’s more than $30.
That’s me been educated 👍 that being said, I couldn’t use my usual agent because of lockdown in Sihanoukville. Even so, at that price I’d still rather pay an agent to do the donkey work.
$300 in Kampot, even helped e set up the app on my phone
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
The Judge
BANNED
Posts: 280
Joined: Sun May 23, 2021 9:15 am
Reputation: 96
Cambodia

Re: Fun at the vaccination center

Post by The Judge »

mannanman wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:51 am
Chad Sexington wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:23 am
$100+ over the official price? You need to change your agent.
I just got a 12 month ER visa EOS for a total cost of $330 (not 100% sure of the actual visa EOS cost but I think it’s about $290?) so my agent takes the grand sum of $40 for taking care of all the “heavy lifting” ( it’d cost me way more than that just in travel expenses) saving me the hassle of traveling all the way to PP and standing in line half the day.
Official price is $190 direct from immigration. Most agents charge $290/$300 for an ER (slightly more to facilitate an EB).
I think you need to change agents! :hattip:

But I don’t think the agent makes all that money. Maybe pay some to their contact but it’s more than $30.
Official price is $180 for a unlimited entry 12-month visa, so if you're paying $330, you're paying the agent $150 extra (damn near the visa cost for a year) to be a runner. They don't do shit other than drop the passport and any documentation you complete at their office, and pick it back up for you.

For an extra $150, they should have a high class hooker deliver it to your place with a bottle of chilled wine, and an hour of short time.
User avatar
armchairlawyer
Expatriate
Posts: 2511
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 1:43 pm
Reputation: 1514
Cambodia

Re: Fun at the vaccination center

Post by armchairlawyer »

Clemen wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 8:30 pm
This is something that affects everyone, any vaccine is better than no vaccine.
Xenophobia, fuck off. Ivermectin promoters, unless there is some data to show your claims( hint, it’s bullshit), I hope you go to jail for spreading disinformation
Since Ivermectin has not been mentioned on this thread, I expect your obscene ranting is about the references to it on other threads, such as:
post501908.html#p501908

which, if you read the links therein, you would know that there is plenty of evidence. And you would also know that the medics using it are not anti-vaccine and do not see Ivermectin as an alternative to vaccines.
User avatar
atst
Expatriate
Posts: 3575
Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2017 2:27 pm
Reputation: 2126
New Zealand

Re: Fun at the vaccination center

Post by atst »

cautious colin wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:19 am
Bluenose wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:15 am
cautious colin wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:39 am
Bluenose wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:25 am before calling any numbers they selected the oldest-looking people to go first ahead of everyone else, including me!
Typical Cambodian queuing. Just like ABA, why even bother with the numbers :facepalm:
My original post maybe doesn't make it clear, I was one of the old people selected to go first. I'm only in my 50's but white haired, all the others selected were seriously old and nobody seemed to mind, in fact seemed to take it as a given that the elderly would be given priority (so did I even before I was picked). That's one of the things I quite like here.
That is one of the things that makes me irate. Why have a system if nobody follows it. I'm not against the elderly going first. but make that the system rather than having one and ignoring it
I think they have a system and follow it after all the oldest have been done then call the numbers.
I was impressed at the airport waiting for covid test before being bused to hotel, they went through the line and brought forward all pax with young kids to go first, shows respect for elderly and those traveling with young kids, something the west is slowing forgetting.
I'm standing up, so I must be straight.
What's a poor man do when the blues keep following him around.(Smoking Dynamite)
User avatar
AndyKK
Expatriate
Posts: 6448
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:32 am
Reputation: 2248
Great Britain

Re: Fun at the vaccination center

Post by AndyKK »

Chad Sexington wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:23 am
AndyKK wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 10:50 pm
clutchcargo wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 7:33 pm
highrider wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 5:15 pm
clutchcargo wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 6:16 pm Love the way there is an anecdotal report of a particular instance and some posters jump in with generalisations that disparage khmers and claim xenophobia.

Come on. There may be more to this story.. OP- are you saying the village chief wouldn't authorise the vax papers based solely on the fact that you weren't social distancing with your wife at the vax centre? Did you fuss or argue with him over that? I mean it's not a big deal right? Is there more to the story?

And let's remind ourselves (and whilst there have have been issues around barangs having issues getting the required papers from the sangkat), the country policy as a whole has been that foreigners can get a vaccine for free just like the locals. And furthermore, as stated by HE over a year ago, existing, resident foreigners can also avail themselves of free public hospital treatment for covid just like the locals.

No discrimination there and doesn't sound xenophobic to me..at least at the highest levels..not disputing there might be some isolated cases otherwise.. Imagine if we were in Thailand, they've already made it public policy that there is dual pricing at hospitals for foreigners and that they must have their own health insurance.

That is complete nonsense. You're also trying to disparage Thais with these accusations and ignoring the reality of Cambodia.

Health insurance (for Covid) is MANDATORY for foreigners coming into Cambodia during Covid. It is not, for Cambodian nationals. This is identical to the Thai policy, the difference being in Cambodia coverage needs to be min. US$50000, in Thailand it's US$100000.

Cambodia has dual pricing for foreigners at hospitals and this has been the case for years - especially at private hospitals and clinics. Thailand does not have an official dual pricing policy but some government hospitals are allowed to charge foreigners more according to category: 1) migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar = generally pay the same as Thais 2) working expats from any other country and from these three countries if not classified as migrant workers = pay a higher price, perhaps twice this rate. 3) tourists, non-working expats = pay an even higher rate.

However, most working expats and migrant workers will have insurance, as will retirees, so paying out of pocket is generally not necessary. Private hospitals generally charge everyone the same, though I have heard the odd story here and there. Again, most people will have insurance, which covers most things, but not everything. The government 30 Baht health insurance can't be used at private hospitals, which is why you'll need private health insurance there.

This policy could have been put in place to discourage your cheap charlies from using government facilities and steer them towards the private ones, which are, in the majority of cases superior anyway.

As far as xenophobia in Cambodia is concerned - in my experience it's about the same as in Thailand. You're never going to satisfy everyone.
I'm not talking about foreigners coming into Cambodia needing mandatory covid insurance for what 20 days? No, I'm talking about expats living here. For example, retirees here can get a renewable retiree visa extension once a year without leaving the country and through a travel agent..no stress. Unlike Thailand that makes you jump through hoops...money deposit in a Thai bank account, evidence of medical insurance and need to renew visa at a gov't office which is a hassle.

Dual pricing in Thai hospitals is explicit from the top down. Discriminatory in my view for the gov't to say so..once you do that it sends an insidious message to the general public and perpetuates the xenophobia that exists there imo.

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/thai-p ... oreigners/
https://www.pacificprime.co.th/blog/dua ... oreigners/

So your assertion that
Thailand does not have an official dual pricing policy at hospitals
is wrong. Thailand DOES have an official policy of dual pricing for foreigners as per above.

In contrast, Cambodia does NOT have an explicit gov't policy for dual policy of foreigners at hospitals. There is a difference. Because once the the government sanctions such a policy of discrimination for foreigners that sends very much a green light to the psyche of the community at large.

I don't deny there may be/are different prices for foreigners in Cambodia but unlike Thailand it is not explicit, official government policy.
Quote from above - Cambodia but unlike Thailand it is not explicit, official government policy.
No, but when you renew your EOS you pay the agent for their work $100+ over the official price, some will say here take all your docs to immigration and get the official price. But you and myself know you will be likely fobbed off, and will have to return to an agent. So who makes the rules?
$100+ over the official price? You need to change your agent.
I just got a 12 month ER visa EOS for a total cost of $330 (not 100% sure of the actual visa EOS cost but I think it’s about $290?) so my agent takes the grand sum of $40 for taking care of all the “heavy lifting” ( it’d cost me way more than that just in travel expenses) saving me the hassle of traveling all the way to PP and standing in line half the day.
Sorry Chad Sexington, you missed my point, I was talking about the official price of the EOS that would be direct from immigration. The official price is about $170 - $190 I believe. I only just renewed mine once again via an agent for around $288.
Always "hope" but never "expect".
Chad Sexington
Expatriate
Posts: 1054
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2019 3:43 pm
Reputation: 1343
Great Britain

Re: Fun at the vaccination center

Post by Chad Sexington »

AndyKK wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 5:41 pm
Chad Sexington wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:23 am
AndyKK wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 10:50 pm
clutchcargo wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 7:33 pm
highrider wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 5:15 pm


That is complete nonsense. You're also trying to disparage Thais with these accusations and ignoring the reality of Cambodia.

Health insurance (for Covid) is MANDATORY for foreigners coming into Cambodia during Covid. It is not, for Cambodian nationals. This is identical to the Thai policy, the difference being in Cambodia coverage needs to be min. US$50000, in Thailand it's US$100000.

Cambodia has dual pricing for foreigners at hospitals and this has been the case for years - especially at private hospitals and clinics. Thailand does not have an official dual pricing policy but some government hospitals are allowed to charge foreigners more according to category: 1) migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar = generally pay the same as Thais 2) working expats from any other country and from these three countries if not classified as migrant workers = pay a higher price, perhaps twice this rate. 3) tourists, non-working expats = pay an even higher rate.

However, most working expats and migrant workers will have insurance, as will retirees, so paying out of pocket is generally not necessary. Private hospitals generally charge everyone the same, though I have heard the odd story here and there. Again, most people will have insurance, which covers most things, but not everything. The government 30 Baht health insurance can't be used at private hospitals, which is why you'll need private health insurance there.

This policy could have been put in place to discourage your cheap charlies from using government facilities and steer them towards the private ones, which are, in the majority of cases superior anyway.

As far as xenophobia in Cambodia is concerned - in my experience it's about the same as in Thailand. You're never going to satisfy everyone.
I'm not talking about foreigners coming into Cambodia needing mandatory covid insurance for what 20 days? No, I'm talking about expats living here. For example, retirees here can get a renewable retiree visa extension once a year without leaving the country and through a travel agent..no stress. Unlike Thailand that makes you jump through hoops...money deposit in a Thai bank account, evidence of medical insurance and need to renew visa at a gov't office which is a hassle.

Dual pricing in Thai hospitals is explicit from the top down. Discriminatory in my view for the gov't to say so..once you do that it sends an insidious message to the general public and perpetuates the xenophobia that exists there imo.

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/thai-p ... oreigners/
https://www.pacificprime.co.th/blog/dua ... oreigners/

So your assertion that
Thailand does not have an official dual pricing policy at hospitals
is wrong. Thailand DOES have an official policy of dual pricing for foreigners as per above.

In contrast, Cambodia does NOT have an explicit gov't policy for dual policy of foreigners at hospitals. There is a difference. Because once the the government sanctions such a policy of discrimination for foreigners that sends very much a green light to the psyche of the community at large.

I don't deny there may be/are different prices for foreigners in Cambodia but unlike Thailand it is not explicit, official government policy.
Quote from above - Cambodia but unlike Thailand it is not explicit, official government policy.
No, but when you renew your EOS you pay the agent for their work $100+ over the official price, some will say here take all your docs to immigration and get the official price. But you and myself know you will be likely fobbed off, and will have to return to an agent. So who makes the rules?
$100+ over the official price? You need to change your agent.
I just got a 12 month ER visa EOS for a total cost of $330 (not 100% sure of the actual visa EOS cost but I think it’s about $290?) so my agent takes the grand sum of $40 for taking care of all the “heavy lifting” ( it’d cost me way more than that just in travel expenses) saving me the hassle of traveling all the way to PP and standing in line half the day.
Sorry Chad Sexington, you missed my point, I was talking about the official price of the EOS that would be direct from immigration. The official price is about $170 - $190 I believe. I only just renewed mine once again via an agent for around $288.
So I’ve since learned, that’s what I get for not bothering my arse to check out the actual cost 😬
User avatar
Kammekor
Expatriate
Posts: 6430
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 12:50 pm
Reputation: 2933
Cambodia

Re: Fun at the vaccination center

Post by Kammekor »

Chad Sexington wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:32 pm


So I’ve since learned, that’s what I get for not bothering my arse to check out the actual cost 😬
Don't bother too much, obtaining an EOS at the DOI for the official price is more unlikely than Cambodia's soccer team winning the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
mannanman
Expatriate
Posts: 1442
Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2021 4:52 pm
Reputation: 536
Isle of Man

Re: Fun at the vaccination center

Post by mannanman »

Kammekor wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:53 pm
Chad Sexington wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:32 pm


So I’ve since learned, that’s what I get for not bothering my arse to check out the actual cost 😬
Don't bother too much, obtaining an EOS at the DOI for the official price is more unlikely than Cambodia's soccer team winning the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Plenty of reports of people obtaining visas at immigration.
People of the world, spice up your life.
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: DiscoverSEA, Freebirdzz, Google [Bot], John Bingham, khmerhamster, Majestic-12 [Bot], Newinkow, newsgatherer, Old8404, Ong Tay, Random Dude, ron100, SINUS and 799 guests