Your experiences on border crossing scams in SE-Asia

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gavinbrisbane
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Re: Your experiences on border crossing scams in SE-Asia

Post by gavinbrisbane »

I cannot put "Thai into 'roman', but- Khap khun karp, mae de, ma be lie chqarp, gien yen , --- for starters..... ?? Putting language into roman ia hard as you know...

Mai bi Lai kharp... choc deee

Gav - Australia???? Canada????

Come on??
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Re: Your experiences on border crossing scams in SE-Asia

Post by Jamie_Lambo »

are you feeling alright Gav?
your posts seem to have taken a crazy turn the past day or so lol
:tophat: Mean Dtuk Mean Trei, Mean Loy Mean Srey
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ot mien kampf
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Re: Your experiences on border crossing scams in SE-Asia

Post by ot mien kampf »

The crossing outside Battambang through Pailin used to have a little hut beyond Thai immigration (heading to Cambodia) that would try to sell a $30 Cambodian visa for 1500-2000 baht. It was closed the last time I went, but it looked pretty convincing the first time I saw it.
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Re: Your experiences on border crossing scams in SE-Asia

Post by Samouth »

juansweetpotato wrote:
Samouth wrote: Actually when I was waiting at the immigration department at Vietnamese side. Some people put from 10000 to 20000 dong in their passport most Vietnamese and no doubt they had their passports stamped first.
Yep, I recently slipped in 20,000 VND on the Viet side . Only done it once before, but since it's all been redesigned at Bavet, the immigration officer told me to get back in line. A whole couple of bus loads were waiting. I just went to the other desk and slipped in the $1, he immediately stamped it and I was off. Normally I just walk past everyone and place it on the desk and they do it for free withinh 3 or 4 mins.
Another Viet that was doing the same as me put in 50,000! I don't like corruption but sod waiting 45 mins.
BTW, when I was waiting for my passport to be stamped at Phnom Penh airport, the immigration officer wasn't really friendly at all. Look like she hates her job. It was in the early morning,she hadn't dealt with many people yet, so she wasn't tired at all, no excuses for her to be rude. I am not sure if she or them in general would do the same thing to tourists.
Not sure, but I have never had bother with them myself. Haven't been through the airport for a few years now though, so it may have changed.

I know the Viets say that people in the street in HCM are rude, but I never found that myself, unless they mean ignoring you. That happens quite a lot if your a foreigner. People here don't really tell me much about anything to do with that sort of thing. Do you find people on the street in PP behave rudely to other Cambodians a lot ?

EDIT: Hang on, I just remembered that on the way out the Cambodian immigration officer that stamped me out was extremely rude and surly. I just asked him what was wrong? He also wouldn't lend me a pen to fill out the form. It was OK though because the other immigration guy was, as is normal at Bavet, cool and lent me one. Did they try and charge you a dollar for the stamp Samouth?
Continue, my first time crossing Vietnam border without passport.

As i mentioned earlier, i needed to pay 20 dollars each way. However i really don't know the exact price of this permission letter. You know what i wasn't even allow to get out of the bus. I needed to stay on the bus the whole time and the bus driver assistant processed all the document for me.

Nah they didn't try to charge me one dollar for the stamp. However i don't know if this happens the same for foreigner. When i flew to Siem Reap, i was told to get 1 USD back after i checked in and when i flew to Malaysia, i got 7 dollars back. I wasn't sure why.
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If you know a lot, know enough to make them respect you, if you are stupid, be stupid enough so they can pity you.
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juansweetpotato
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Re: Your experiences on border crossing scams in SE-Asia

Post by juansweetpotato »

Samouth wrote: Continue, my first time crossing Vietnam border without passport.

As i mentioned earlier, i needed to pay 20 dollars each way. However i really don't know the exact price of this permission letter. You know what i wasn't even allow to get out of the bus. I needed to stay on the bus the whole time and the bus driver assistant processed all the document for me.
If they wanted you to stay on the bus they must have been putting something on top, and they didn't want you see how much.
Most daily workers cross the border both ways for about R5000. Next time sneak across as a poor person. lol
Nah they didn't try to charge me one dollar for the stamp. However i don't know if this happens the same for foreigner. When i flew to Siem Reap, i was told to get 1 USD back after i checked in and when i flew to Malaysia, i got 7 dollars back. I wasn't sure why.
I don't understand that, can you tell me more? From what did you get $7 back, the visa fee?

The dollar stamp thing is a standard on certain borders on the Vietnam side, and they aren't much pleased if you refuse to pay it.

They tried to charge me $2 on top at the Ha Tien border (Cambodian side) once. I said, "What a dollar for you and a dollar for him?". He just laughed and waved me through.

The eastern borders have been much better than Koh Kong for me. Must be that all the tourists come in from Pataya/Bangkok or something?
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Re: Your experiences on border crossing scams in SE-Asia

Post by Samouth »

juansweetpotato wrote:
Samouth wrote: Continue, my first time crossing Vietnam border without passport.

As i mentioned earlier, i needed to pay 20 dollars each way. However i really don't know the exact price of this permission letter. You know what i wasn't even allow to get out of the bus. I needed to stay on the bus the whole time and the bus driver assistant processed all the document for me.
If they wanted you to stay on the bus they must have been putting something on top, and they didn't want you see how much.
Most daily workers cross the border both ways for about R5000. Next time sneak across as a poor person. lol
Nah they didn't try to charge me one dollar for the stamp. However i don't know if this happens the same for foreigner. When i flew to Siem Reap, i was told to get 1 USD back after i checked in and when i flew to Malaysia, i got 7 dollars back. I wasn't sure why.
I don't understand that, can you tell me more? From what did you get $7 back, the visa fee?

The dollar stamp thing is a standard on certain borders of Vietnam and they aren't much pleased if you refuse to pay it.

They tried to charge me $2 on top at the Ha Tien border (Cambodian side) once. I said, "What a dollar for you and a dollar for him?". He just laughed and waved me through.

The east borders have been much better than Koh Kong for me. Must be that all the tourists come in from Pataya/Bangkok or something?
i don't need to sneak in as poor person as i have passport now. it is expensive so i need to use it.

For the money i got back from the airport, i believe this is the airport fee and that is only eligible for Cambodian. i might be wrong. I didn't bother to ask them much, i just went straight to get the money.
បើសិនធ្វើចេះ ចេះឲ្យគេកោត បើសិនធ្វើឆោត ឆោតឲ្យគេអាណិត។

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phuketrichard
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Re: Your experiences on border crossing scams in SE-Asia

Post by phuketrichard »

if u flew air asia internationally (and assume other airlines as well) all Cambodians get $7 back from the departure tax fee charged everyone in the ticket price
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Re: Your experiences on border crossing scams in SE-Asia

Post by PSD-Kiwi »

phuketrichard wrote:if u flew air asia internationally (and assume other airlines as well) all Cambodians get $7 back from the departure tax fee charged everyone in the ticket price
Yes, all airlines. Cambodian citizens are exempt from the departure tax which is included in the ticket prices.
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Re: Your experiences on border crossing scams in SE-Asia

Post by Anchor Moy »

Reposting this. From recent reports, things haven't really changed.
https://cambodiaexpatsonline.com/the-roa ... -t418.html
Re: Easy Laos border crossing?
Quote
Postby Anchor Moy » Tue Jun 03, 2014 1:45 am
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...
ot mien kampf
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Re: Your experiences on border crossing scams in SE-Asia

Post by ot mien kampf »

??? The visa itself is officially $25 isn't it?

I view the stamp fee as the same as the stupid exorbitant "airport taxes" you get charged all the time. Except $2 is better than a $30 tax in local currency when you're down to your last few notes...
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