CO-CO
Rather wrinkly & occasionally cantankerous member
Something I posted on Thai Visa about a friend's experience...
Just by way of update, I received this a few minutes ago from the horses mouth
.
If anyone wishes to pick up on the fact that I thought the $600 was shown at the border (rather than withdrawn as a precaution for the Don Mueang landing) - flame away!!
Ok here is my own blow by blow account of the Poipet entry refusal , sensible questions will be welcomed .
I do have a 12 month non immigrant O multiple entry visa from Savannakhet as I find two days turn around more attractive than waiting over a month to finalise the process at the local immigration with a potential pain in the ass visit from immigration officials. So I have had a Laos visa for two years and crossed the border at Poipet 4 times a year with no issues same day on this occasion I was not so lucky.
All went well and seemed normal after leaving Thailand until 2 Cambodian agents started talking to me saying that if I have any problems reentering Thailand I should talk to them ( didn't give this a second thought but they seemed very convinced I may have trouble) - so I departed from Cambodia the same day with no fine or tea money paid and as normal got to passport control Thai side. As soon as I handed my passport in I was ushered to one side to a desk where the IO quite clearly said he didn't like my Laos visa as he knew I had not shown money in order to obtain it - then he said I have crossed land borders too many times back to back.
Just to clarify, I wasn't actually asked to show money but as I sat there a young man joined at the desk who asked what the IO needed from him and he was asked to show 10k Baht which he showed immediately only to be told he must fly back and was not allowed to pass !
Then a man with three kids arrived and was told he had too many land border crossings and must fly back in !
At this point I tried to discuss the facts about my visa but he was very abrupt and had already made his decision I was not getting in , so all passports were taken and stamped as refused entry for not having sufficient funds ( remember I wasn't asked to show funds ) we all got issued with a letter which we had to sign as well.
Then we headed out to where the Cambodian fixers were remarkably waiting to arrange things for us to either get into Thailand or to the airport.
So first things first, 500 Baht to cancel the departure stamp from Cambodia then sit in a dodgy cafe waiting for the boss to confirm cost and if they could get me in or not. Of course they said we can get you through for 20k !!!!!!!!!! I said thanks but no thanks and headed for the taxi only after did all of the events click together in my mind and I started to smell a rat.
On arrival at Siam Reap I met two nice guys in Starbucks who had also been denied entry and told they must fly however they were only on a visa on arrival and not a non immigrant O - they eventually got flights booked for next day. I also covered my bases due to the stamp saying insufficient funds in my passport I took an extra 600 dollars to add to my 14 k Thai Baht .
On arrival at Don Muaeng I was shitting bricks but the IO called his supervisor over who looked at my visa said "OK, no problem and have a nice safe journey back to Buriram" again no funds required to be shown.
On returning home I contacted Buriram immigration who I told the whole saga to and exactly what visa I had and was told as long as I leave the country every 90 days by any route land sea or air I was fine and I could do back to back border crossings purely to satisfy the visa requirements .
Hopefully this will clear up some of the ASSumptions being made about this and as Jip99 said in the opening post this was just a heads up that there is a potential scam going down in Poipet. ( make your own decisions based on my experience please) Good luck.
If there is any discrepancy between Jip's post and my account, it is because we had a hasty phone call, seeking his advice, when I was stuck in Cambodia.
Glad that you got back in. Must have been extremely frustrating and indeed worrying. Thanks for taking the effort to recount your experience.
Just by way of update, I received this a few minutes ago from the horses mouth
If anyone wishes to pick up on the fact that I thought the $600 was shown at the border (rather than withdrawn as a precaution for the Don Mueang landing) - flame away!!
Ok here is my own blow by blow account of the Poipet entry refusal , sensible questions will be welcomed .
I do have a 12 month non immigrant O multiple entry visa from Savannakhet as I find two days turn around more attractive than waiting over a month to finalise the process at the local immigration with a potential pain in the ass visit from immigration officials. So I have had a Laos visa for two years and crossed the border at Poipet 4 times a year with no issues same day on this occasion I was not so lucky.
All went well and seemed normal after leaving Thailand until 2 Cambodian agents started talking to me saying that if I have any problems reentering Thailand I should talk to them ( didn't give this a second thought but they seemed very convinced I may have trouble) - so I departed from Cambodia the same day with no fine or tea money paid and as normal got to passport control Thai side. As soon as I handed my passport in I was ushered to one side to a desk where the IO quite clearly said he didn't like my Laos visa as he knew I had not shown money in order to obtain it - then he said I have crossed land borders too many times back to back.
Just to clarify, I wasn't actually asked to show money but as I sat there a young man joined at the desk who asked what the IO needed from him and he was asked to show 10k Baht which he showed immediately only to be told he must fly back and was not allowed to pass !
Then a man with three kids arrived and was told he had too many land border crossings and must fly back in !
At this point I tried to discuss the facts about my visa but he was very abrupt and had already made his decision I was not getting in , so all passports were taken and stamped as refused entry for not having sufficient funds ( remember I wasn't asked to show funds ) we all got issued with a letter which we had to sign as well.
Then we headed out to where the Cambodian fixers were remarkably waiting to arrange things for us to either get into Thailand or to the airport.
So first things first, 500 Baht to cancel the departure stamp from Cambodia then sit in a dodgy cafe waiting for the boss to confirm cost and if they could get me in or not. Of course they said we can get you through for 20k !!!!!!!!!! I said thanks but no thanks and headed for the taxi only after did all of the events click together in my mind and I started to smell a rat.
On arrival at Siam Reap I met two nice guys in Starbucks who had also been denied entry and told they must fly however they were only on a visa on arrival and not a non immigrant O - they eventually got flights booked for next day. I also covered my bases due to the stamp saying insufficient funds in my passport I took an extra 600 dollars to add to my 14 k Thai Baht .
On arrival at Don Muaeng I was shitting bricks but the IO called his supervisor over who looked at my visa said "OK, no problem and have a nice safe journey back to Buriram" again no funds required to be shown.
On returning home I contacted Buriram immigration who I told the whole saga to and exactly what visa I had and was told as long as I leave the country every 90 days by any route land sea or air I was fine and I could do back to back border crossings purely to satisfy the visa requirements .
Hopefully this will clear up some of the ASSumptions being made about this and as Jip99 said in the opening post this was just a heads up that there is a potential scam going down in Poipet. ( make your own decisions based on my experience please) Good luck.
If there is any discrepancy between Jip's post and my account, it is because we had a hasty phone call, seeking his advice, when I was stuck in Cambodia.
Glad that you got back in. Must have been extremely frustrating and indeed worrying. Thanks for taking the effort to recount your experience.
