Poipet Cambodia visa run...

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, gunghang said:

Reflecting on the previous posts, maybe I was in violation of a "stay overnight" rule. The Thai official may have cut me some slack because of a Thai wife.

The overnight rule for Cambodia has nothing to do with Thai immigration.

[Christopher LG]

Many thanks to everyone for all your advice...it's very much appreciated.

[CaptainPeacock]

I did this Poipet visa run 5 years ago and had NO problems, anyway...

 

Anyone done this visa run recently?

 

Couple of questions if i may...

 

Whats the visa on arrival price for 2019?

 

Do you have to pay a 'fee/whatever' to leave the same day?

 

Thanks in advance for any info.

[BritTim]

12 minutes ago, CaptainPeacock said:

I did this Poipet visa run 5 years ago and had NO problems, anyway...

 

Anyone done this visa run recently?

 

Couple of questions if i may...

 

Whats the visa on arrival price for 2019?

 

Do you have to pay a 'fee/whatever' to leave the same day?

 

Thanks in advance for any info.

Using Poipet for a visa run now is highly discouraged. The situation is much more difficult than in years past.

 

There are many reports of people using Poipet, not infrequently with problems. The visa run companies have stopped using Poipet because of all the complications.

 

If you have US dollars, the correct price for a Cambodian visa on arrival is $30.

 

You can be asked to pay a fee to leave Cambodia the same day. When you get your visa, do not tell them you are leaving the same day. When you stamp out from Cambodia, they may again ask you to pay. Smile and say no and you may get away with it. If you need to pay, 200 baht is enough. More problematic, Thai immigration may give you a hard time for the same day return, and it is much more expensive to sort out if they decide not to admit you.

 

Did I remember to advise you to avoid doing a visa run at Poipet?

[dannyspurs]

Can tell you it’s a problem now. I’m staying the night in casino hotel because Thai immigration here said absolutely no about coming back in the same day i left. I’ve done the same here several times as recently as last February, but even the supervisor refused to bend. 

[JackThompson]

5 hours ago, dannyspurs said:

Can tell you it’s a problem now. I’m staying the night in casino hotel because Thai immigration here said absolutely no about coming back in the same day i left. I’ve done the same here several times as recently as last February, but even the supervisor refused to bend. 

If you are entering Visa-Exempt or METV - DO NOT Try at Poipet Tomorrow - go to Ban Laem, instead.  People have been told "come back tomorrow," then given official denials of entry when they did as instructed.  Going rate reported for "fixers" there is 20K Baht.

 

If on a Non-O-ME, you will probably be OK, tomorrow - but I'd never try to enter there, myself. 

 

Note: to Ban Laem - taxi direct fastest and most expensive.  Bus or shared taxi to Battambang, then shared-taxi to Ban Laem is the least-expensive option.

Edited January 15, 2019 by JackThompson

[dannyspurs]

2 hours ago, JackThompson said:

If you are entering Visa-Exempt or METV - DO NOT Try at Poipet Tomorrow - go to Ban Laem, instead.  People have been told "come back tomorrow," then given official denials of entry when they did as instructed.  Going rate reported for "fixers" there is 20K Baht.

 

If on a Non-O-ME, you will probably be OK, tomorrow - but I'd never try to enter there, myself. 

 

Note: to Ban Laem - taxi direct fastest and most expensive.  Bus or shared taxi to Battambang, then shared-taxi to Ban Laem is the least-expensive option.

My car is parked at Aranyapratet so I have to give it a shot. Good news is it was a fun night in Poipet. 

[NotWhatItWasnt]

I met a guy in the Thai immigration que at Poi Pet on December 30 2018 who was doing his visa run / in & out in the same day.

 

I gathered from talking that he'd done this before.

[JackThompson]

35 minutes ago, NotWhatItWasnt said:

I met a guy in the Thai immigration que at Poi Pet on December 30 2018 who was doing his visa run / in & out in the same day.

 

I gathered from talking that he'd done this before.

 

8 hours ago, dannyspurs said:

My car is parked at Aranyapratet so I have to give it a shot. Good news is it was a fun night in Poipet. 

If you do not come to Thailand frequently, and/or stay for long when you visit, there will likely be no problem. 

 

But, those who take longer trips, and/or more frequent trips, may be targeted for denial-of-entry, there. 

 

At any other land-border in the country, there is no enforcement of a non-existent rule on "too much time in Thailand, before."  That non-rule is only enforced at Poipet/Aranya, and some airports.

Edited January 16, 2019 by JackThompson

[dannyspurs]

7 hours ago, JackThompson said:

 

If you do not come to Thailand frequently, and/or stay for long when you visit, there will likely be no problem. 

 

But, those who take longer trips, and/or more frequent trips, may be targeted for denial-of-entry, there. 

 

At any other land-border in the country, there is no enforcement of a non-existent rule on "too much time in Thailand, before."  That non-rule is only enforced at Poipet/Aranya, and some airports.

Got in today, although it was so crowded it was nearly a two-hour wait. One of the immigration guys told my wife that the rules are changing so often they even have trouble keeping track themselves. 

[JackThompson]

16 hours ago, dannyspurs said:

Got in today, although it was so crowded it was nearly a two-hour wait. One of the immigration guys told my wife that the rules are changing so often they even have trouble keeping track themselves. 

The long-lines are another good reason to avoid the place. 

[NotWhatItWasnt]

2 hours ago, JackThompson said:

The long-lines are another good reason to avoid the place. 

"The queue of death"

 

[GlynRhedyn]

I can confirm that you cannot do same day returns at Poipet. I was refused re-entry yesterday and had to stay overnight. I was talking to an Aussie in the same situation. He said he had done same day returns at Poipet on 30+ previous occasions and this took him completely by surprise.

Sent from my T07 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[JackThompson]

55 minutes ago, GlynRhedyn said:

I can confirm that you cannot do same day returns at Poipet. I was refused re-entry yesterday and had to stay overnight. I was talking to an Aussie in the same situation. He said he had done same day returns at Poipet on 30+ previous occasions and this took him completely by surprise.

I would never try to enter there at all - unless you rarely visit Thailand, and only stay short-periods when you do.  A history of longer and/or more-frequent stays has resulted in official denial-of-entry stamps (and entries in the immigration-database) from several.  This includes one who was told, "You have to come back tomorrow" - which he did, and was formally denied-entry when he followed their instructions.

Edited January 18, 2019 by JackThompson

[BritManToo]

On 1/15/2019 at 11:21 PM, JackThompson said:

If on a Non-O-ME, you will probably be OK, tomorrow - but I'd never try to enter there, myself. 

Went there last week, Thai immigration gave me a hard time both ways even with a Non O.

On the way out, examined every page in my passport, half full all SEA, took 15 minutes.

On the way in one week later, many questions, why Cambodia, why this border, why Thailand, where you go next?

 

Cambodian side very easy, the VISA officer demanded $300 + 100Bht, I just paid as not much point in arguing over 100Bht.

Bus from Mo Chit  to Rong Klua 217Bht, leaves every hour, same for trip back, 5hr journey.

Bust/Van PoiPet to Siam Reap $7, 4hr journey.

Border crossing time 2hrs.

Cheap as chips!

 

Siam Reap is a lot of fun, don't bounce, make it a little holiday, your Cambodian VISA is good for 30 days and it's a lot cheaper than Thailand.

Edited January 25, 2019 by BritManToo

[overherebc]

On 1/21/2018 at 4:42 AM, gunghang said:

I've used Mae Sai.  I had to stamp out at immigration at the south end of town and then proceed to the north end to cross.  This was many years ago.  The fee was USD5.

 

There are very cheap flights to Hat Yai, RT about the same as a visa to Lao or Cambodia.  The problem was with the land crossing. I had a non-im and crossed a couple of weeks before the trouble started (4 years ago?).

 

The last in and out run for me was 2015. I flew Jet Air to Singapore.  I got funny looks when I stamped out of Singapore half an hour after stamping in, and I got another puzzled official when I turned up in Bangkok several hours after departing.  I had a non-im O in the passport and he may have expected another.  Still, I got 30 days.

A few years ago finnair were doing cheap returns BKK Singapore, filling seats as most got off in BKK on the Helsinki/Singapore run. 

Can't find anything like that nowadays.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Cambodian side very easy, the VISA officer demanded $300 + 100Bht

Typo ........ $30 + 100bht.

[Tomtomtom69]

On 1/11/2019 at 3:47 PM, BritTim said:

Using Poipet for a visa run now is highly discouraged. The situation is much more difficult than in years past.

 

There are many reports of people using Poipet, not infrequently with problems. The visa run companies have stopped using Poipet because of all the complications. 

 

If you have US dollars, the correct price for a Cambodian visa on arrival is $30.

 

You can be asked to pay a fee to leave Cambodia the same day. When you get your visa, do not tell them you are leaving the same day. When you stamp out from Cambodia, they may again ask you to pay. Smile and say no and you may get away with it. If you need to pay, 200 baht is enough. More problematic, Thai immigration may give you a hard time for the same day return, and it is much more expensive to sort out if they decide not to admit you. 

 

Did I remember to advise you to avoid doing a visa run at Poipet? 

You could also exit Thailand for Poipet, catch a taxi down to Ban Laem and re-enter there, all on the same day. But few farang do this because they are too cheap. Or even better, just go to Ban Laem, Ban Pakkard or Chong Chom and exit/re-enter the same day there.

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Cambodian side very easy, the VISA officer demanded $300 + 100Bht,

I do hope that is a typo!

[ubonjoe]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I do hope that is a typo!

 

22 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Typo ........ $30 + 100bht.

 

[phuketrichard]

18 hours ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

You could also exit Thailand for Poipet, catch a taxi down to Ban Laem and re-enter there, all on the same day. But few farang do this because they are too cheap.

what a crazy idea, would cost more than staying the night in Poi Pet and no way ur gong to enter at poi pet, ( assume from Bangkok) an make ur way to Ban Laem via battambang/ Pailin and make it back to Bangkok in a day.

 

[JackThompson]

3 hours ago, phuketrichard said:

what a crazy idea, would cost more than staying the night in Poi Pet and no way ur gong to enter at poi pet, ( assume from Bangkok) an make ur way to Ban Laem via battambang/ Pailin and make it back to Bangkok in a day.

 

A private-taxi direct would not require routing that far East, South, then back West and North again, though Battambang / Palin.  Your taxi would take Hwy 59 South from Hwy 5, a few KM East of Poipet, which runs along the border to Ban Laem.  If a longer-stayer, you might get an "exit interview" at Poipet, though, which could eat an hour or so. 

Edited January 26, 2019 by JackThompson