The Thai-Cambodian border as seen from Aranya Prathet.
Busy borders, such as the one between Cambodia and Thailand, are always full of people wanting to make as much money out of naïve tourists as they possibly can. Traveller Ruth Edwards shares her experience in Impact Magazine (4-Oct-2010):
“Out of all the borders I have ever crossed, none come close to what I experienced crossing from Aranya Prathet in Thailand to Poipet in Cambodia. After arriving at Aranya Prathet we took a tuk tuk to the border, or at least that’s where we thought we were going. Instead we were taken to a building next to the Cambodian Consulate and experienced one of the most professional scams I have ever seen. We were met by very professional looking men who told us that we needed to stay with them to fill out forms and then they would go with us to the Cambodian Consulate next door where we would get a visa. We told them we thought we had received a visa at the border but they insisted we could only get one there. We were dubious, but only because we had been warned of scams at this border crossing, otherwise I would definitely have believed them. To start with we politely told them we would go there instead but all of them – even our tuk tuk drivers, who were obviously in on it – persisted to us that we needed to get our visas at the Consulate. It was only when I, very forcefully, demanded to be taken to the border that we finally went on our way.
The success of this scam lies not only in how official everything looks but also in the fact that you can get a visa from the Cambodian Consulate but it will cost up to 40 dollars, twice what you pay on the border. So you wouldn’t be aware of what had happened until you arrived to the border and realized you had been fooled. After that narrow escape we carried on to the border and crossed over to the Cambodian side without a hitch. We went to the visa office, where we were subjected to another scam. Tourist visas cost 20 dollars but one of the officials, who was needlessly taking our passports to and from the visa desk, tried to charge us 100 baht for the ‘express service’, insisting it would take 2-3 hours otherwise. No signs mentioned anything about an extra charge and so we flatly refused to pay. As the man was talking to other tourists we took our passports to the desk ourselves and got our passports back in about 10 minutes.”
What we can learn from Ruth’s experience is that if we’re planning to do a border crossing, we should always be wary of scams. Border crossings are full of perils such as “late-fees,” “weekend-charges,” “express services” and people coming up to you offering “help.” As long as you stay alert, you should be fine, and doing some research before attempting a border crossing might well save you from being scammed.
Just to testify,this border scam was absolutely true and disappointing. We’ve been to Bangkok from Phnom Penh last December 2010 for a Holiday vacation and did border crossing through Aranya-Poipet. On halfway from Poipet-Aranya immigration office ,it’s a very exhausting experience for waiting in line at almost 3 hours under the heat of sun together with other foreign backpackers. After starving from hours of crossing, we’ve been relief when we finally arrive in Aranya to take a connecting shuttle to Bangkok. Just spent 3days & 2 nights at Bangkok and enjoyed all the memorable getaways there. We are expecting to return with no hassle to Phnom Penh and calculated all the remainting time for travel, as the next day we have to resume on our hotel work there. Early in the morning, we bought bus tickets at cheap travel booths on the streets of Kao San,and we were rest assured by the seller that everything will be fine and will arrive at ETA on PP.So upon taking the shuttle back from BKK to Aranya border, it is a smooth drive on the way. All the passengers were glad enough to be at Aranya and expecting to arrive exactly at the Border immigration office as what we were all told. But, here comes the dilemma.. just 5 minutes along to arrive exactly on the border immigration exit ,this shuttle suddenly took us in a small office near the Consulate. Then we took of the van and was told by some unassuming men that we have a stop over there and we can eat if we want before we do the exit on the border. After a few minutes of resting on the benches there, here they come along to give everyone a visa application form that we need to fill up immediately so we can all proceed to the border exit. As an ASEAN national, we told these guys that we have free visa on all asean member countries and we still have our unexpired business visa on cambodia,so we dont need to do this visa application. So we kept on waiting for the other foreign passengers to finish the forms. Some of them comleted it and gave to these men,being clueless to their tricks they were asked to pay 1200 baht for the cambodian visa. Two old travellers pay them instantly because they want to exit in fastest time. Me and my husband was very very doubt on what weve seen and heard. These scammers now are forcing everyone to complete the forms and pay them so they can bring it quickly in the consulate office. They were told that they cant do the visa on the border exit. Some foreigners started to refuse and said that they will do it on their own at the border. Then these men started to be rude on forcing them, shouted at them and forcing them to do what he wants. My husband and I again discuss about it and advice the other foreigners that its a scam because they can do visa for only 20$ at the border exit. My husband got out of his patience coz we were all stucked up for longer and longer so he confronted this guy and ask him if we can all go and proceed to the border because we dont need to do these crazy scam stuffs and were running out of time to catch the bus in Siem reap. They argued and my husband almost hit this guy for being so rude on him. After crazy things, happened,the other foreigners discussed with each other and decided to go with each other and do it on the border. So this scammer failed, and told everyone that they cant ride on the van to the border and asked them to walked with their heavy backpacks and luggages. We are tremendously affected even we took the van and seen them all walking on the street under the heat of the sun. We then all arrived at the border exit. After several minutes of waiting then we all proved these crazy scammers that foreigners can obtain visa on the border for only 20$.
Hope you’ll find this helpful.
So beware of these scammers and have a safe trip to everyone..
well my border crossing went very smoothly!!!!!!
took the train from Bangkok….. took the local truck/bus to the border… tuk tuks exist for tourists…. locals dont take the tuk tuk…..these are only for dumb tourists… who dont do research… checked out of Thailand without a hitch… was followed by some tout… i told him that i was not gonna pay him.. and he said that that was ok and it was his job… he pointed me to the visa on arrival office….the sign above the wiondow said 20$, the low life border guard before the window said it would cost me 800Bhat, slightly more than 20$… i told him i was gonna pay in dollars and he said it was 21 $… 1 $ Baksheesh…. i just smiled , pointed to the sign and said “no its 20 not 21..”…… the big smile is the same as the givingthe finger…..
so ….. do ur research, ask other travellers….. and confront corrupt border guards cos they are puny and are affraid if u stick up for whats right!!!!!
The Poipet border crossing is nothing compared to Cham Yaem (Koh Kong). They refuse to accept US Dollars, and insist on 1,200 Baht for a tourist visa, which effectively doubles the cost. I have a business visa, but friends I was crossing over with needed tourist visas. I interjected on their behalf and demanded the price be the $20 stated (and displayed), or a formal complaint to Phnom Penh would be lodged. We got our way, but they were not happy with us.
If this is the first experience travelers have for Cambodia, the tourist industry will falter before it really gets going…. the problem with first impressions is that you only get to make one.
We got scammed for a 300 baht ($9) exit fee at the Koh Kong border on 1-1-12. We felt helpless because the Kmer border officials wouldn’t stamp my Vietnamese girlfriends passport unless we paid. I been hit for $5 coming in before but never going out. I yelled and complained but they just politely said it costs 300 baht for Vietnamese to get stamped out. An obvious rip off but they played on the fact that we had no facts from the Vietnamese consulate to fight back with. Then the Thai guards did the same thing to her for $5. She was compliant and I was furious but felt helpless.
I had to pay the 300 baht exit from Cambodia fee too. The visa cost 1100 baht. No idea what the real costs are as they are not posted anywhere