Who Is Currently Overstaying Their Cambodian Visa?
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 2:38 pm
Be honest. Are you? This article seems to imply that most Westerners are doing it, LoL.
"Look at any Cambodian online forum will uncover a plethora of visa overstayers pleading for a solution to their predicament."
^ Ha!
A "plethora"? Give me a break! ! !
Cambodia has seen a boom in tourism in recent years that has brought a steady flow of tourist dollars to a grateful government. Arrivals totaled 2.2 million during the first half of 2014, up five percent on last year’s figures for the same period.
It is inevitable that some travelers will find cracks and take advantage of the perceived lax enforcement of Cambodia’s visa system.
A look at any Cambodian online forum will uncover a plethora of visa overstayers pleading for a solution to their predicament.
They range from the careless tourist overstay a week and was getting away with a daily fine of $5, to the shirker owing the immigration office over $2,500 for an 18-month overstay.
A business visa – now known as the ordinary visa – gives bearers the ability to renew their visa indefinitely without leaving the country. A one-month visa is available for $25, but set to rise to $35 in October - still a relatively small amount when compared with many other countries.
A few months of overstaying on a visa quickly builds up. This was the predicament that James (not his real name), from Scotland, found himself in.
Battling depression, he fueled it with the cheap alcohol in Cambodia after arriving on a tourist visa. The Scottish boozer spent the majority of his time and money at riverside bars.
By the time he straightened out, he had overstayed his visa by seven months. The fine would be over $1,000, money he didn’t have. He is now working to claw together the money from friends and family to pay the fine, while surviving on a minimal amount.
Repeated requests for figures from the Ministry of Tourism were met with a wall of silence. This is likely due to the lucrative nature of the Cambodian enforcement procedure.
A fine can often be negotiated down to a lesser amount, especially at the border crossings. It is a solution that many opt to try.
Joe not his real name, is in his 60’s. The British national came to Cambodia in January after the breakup of his marriage and the diagnosis of a terminal illness.
“I’m here to spend my pension on the things I love, and that’s women and cheap beer.”
He added that much of his savings went to helping orphanages and charities in Cambodia.
Carl not his real name), 22, also from England said his job in London left him unable to afford a basic standard of living. He was eventually evicted from his London flat after defaulting on rent.
“I lived in a shack in London for which I paid $1500 a month for, and I only earned $2000. Here I earn half that, and it still covers everything and more, plus the weather is nicer,” he said. “I also had dreams of travelling to Asia and I’m doing that.”
Joe said he spent a lot of time in Thailand, but visa rules for foreigners there have become more stringent. He currently owes.....
...click link to continue reading...
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/3889/t ... verstayer/
By Ismail Vorajee and Billy Otter
"Look at any Cambodian online forum will uncover a plethora of visa overstayers pleading for a solution to their predicament."
^ Ha!
A "plethora"? Give me a break! ! ! Cambodia has seen a boom in tourism in recent years that has brought a steady flow of tourist dollars to a grateful government. Arrivals totaled 2.2 million during the first half of 2014, up five percent on last year’s figures for the same period.
It is inevitable that some travelers will find cracks and take advantage of the perceived lax enforcement of Cambodia’s visa system.
A look at any Cambodian online forum will uncover a plethora of visa overstayers pleading for a solution to their predicament.
They range from the careless tourist overstay a week and was getting away with a daily fine of $5, to the shirker owing the immigration office over $2,500 for an 18-month overstay.
A business visa – now known as the ordinary visa – gives bearers the ability to renew their visa indefinitely without leaving the country. A one-month visa is available for $25, but set to rise to $35 in October - still a relatively small amount when compared with many other countries.
A few months of overstaying on a visa quickly builds up. This was the predicament that James (not his real name), from Scotland, found himself in.
Battling depression, he fueled it with the cheap alcohol in Cambodia after arriving on a tourist visa. The Scottish boozer spent the majority of his time and money at riverside bars.
By the time he straightened out, he had overstayed his visa by seven months. The fine would be over $1,000, money he didn’t have. He is now working to claw together the money from friends and family to pay the fine, while surviving on a minimal amount.
Repeated requests for figures from the Ministry of Tourism were met with a wall of silence. This is likely due to the lucrative nature of the Cambodian enforcement procedure.
A fine can often be negotiated down to a lesser amount, especially at the border crossings. It is a solution that many opt to try.
Joe not his real name, is in his 60’s. The British national came to Cambodia in January after the breakup of his marriage and the diagnosis of a terminal illness.
“I’m here to spend my pension on the things I love, and that’s women and cheap beer.”
He added that much of his savings went to helping orphanages and charities in Cambodia.
Carl not his real name), 22, also from England said his job in London left him unable to afford a basic standard of living. He was eventually evicted from his London flat after defaulting on rent.
“I lived in a shack in London for which I paid $1500 a month for, and I only earned $2000. Here I earn half that, and it still covers everything and more, plus the weather is nicer,” he said. “I also had dreams of travelling to Asia and I’m doing that.”
Joe said he spent a lot of time in Thailand, but visa rules for foreigners there have become more stringent. He currently owes.....
...click link to continue reading...
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/3889/t ... verstayer/
By Ismail Vorajee and Billy Otter
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