Visa run to Cambodia

[gerefan2]

Quick travelogue ....

I needed to extend a 90 day O visa for a further 30 days so decided, after much thought,to do another visa run to Cambodia (as opposed to going somewhere by air for a few days) I have done two or three in the past and if you have never done one, it’s not something to look forward to!

I decided to do it again with “5 Star Visa Runs” who are based outside the Sportsman Bar on Soi 13, a few hundred metres from Boyztown. Their website says they provide luxury minibuses with a maximum of 6 passengers in business class seats.

Last time I used them you reported to the pub at 6 am and got a free breakfast and departed sharp at 0645. All went fine and a free packed lunch was handed out enroute, together with a free drink on return. So I decided to use them again.

I went along to book a few weeks ago and the lady at the pub said no more freebies and the bus would now pick us all up at our hotels. This I didn’t like as it adds another hour to the journey if you are last to be dropped off or picked up. Anyway I double checked with her that it was still just six passengers as the fare is a rather large 2800 baht. Yes was the reply. The website is years out of date.

Anyway, the day arrived (yesterday) and I was picked up at the crack of sparrows fart at 0620. We drove around Pattaya and picked up the five other people and set off.

An hour later we diverted into Rayong (in the rush hour) and picked up someone else. Then we picked up a couple. We continued the tour of Rayong and picked up yet another passenger. There were now 10 of us in this “luxury” minibus....which ONLY HAD 9 seats...and it was then I noticed only 4 of those were Luxury. Luckily I was in one.

Myself and another passenger specifically checked with the woman, when we booked,and we were both told the number of passengers was 6. TiT

The return journey also went all around Rayong dropping off these extra people so we didn’t get back to Pattaya until 5 pm.,instead of about 3 pm. Then more driving around Pattaya′...

So there you go....note the name if you ever have to go through this ordeal!

A few pretty pics of the Ban Pakkad Border crossing. A few years ago it was just a few shacks. Interestingly, you don’t cross...they take all the passports across while you hang around on the Thai side. First time it is rather unnerving as a man should never, ever be parted from his passport when abroad!

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[goji]

Thanks for posting that.

If companies like 5 Star Visa Runs screw their customers over like that, sharing the experience allows other people to avoid them. That's the only way to drive up standards.

Also, the whole process seems like a farce. Drive to the border & have your passport stamped without even crossing the border.

It would be much better for the environment in Thailand if they permitted you to do that at your local immigration office.

[colmx]

The return journey also went all around Rayong dropping off these extra people so we didn’t get back to Pattaya until 5 pm.,instead of about 3 pm. Then more driving around Pattaya′...

A few pretty pics of the Ban Pakkad Border crossing. A few years ago it was just a few shacks. Interestingly, you don’t cross...they take all the passports across while you hang around on the Thai side.

You are lucky you also paid the premium for the visa service... if they weren't paying "corruption" to the passport handlers at either side of the border... you might have to add an additional 2 hours to your journey by the time you manually stamped out of Thailand, obtained proper Khmer Visa, cross border and return

[frequent]

... if they weren't paying "corruption" to the passport handlers at either side of the border...

I'm not sure how, in principle, that's different to all the "legitimate" services in international airports across the world who, for a fee, can speed you through passport control

[scottish-guy]

In the VIP lounge in Sousse, Tunisia you never have to even see Passport Control - passports are collected from you by the lounge staff and returned to you duly stamped whilst you relax in comfort.

[frequent]

If companies like 5 Star Visa Runs screw their customers over like that, sharing the experience allows other people to avoid them. That's the only way to drive up standards.

I do love a poster with a sense of humour

[frequent]

Soon you might be able to do it by train - https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/ase...ready-for-test

[goji]

You are lucky you also paid the premium for the visa service... if they weren't paying "corruption" to the passport handlers at either side of the border... you might have to add an additional 2 hours to your journey by the time you manually stamped out of Thailand, obtained proper Khmer Visa, cross border and return

OK, thanks for explaining that. Must remember premium can mean a bribe to smooth things over. Obvious with hindsight.

.

[FarangRuMak]

I went with a company on second road opposite Mike Shopping Mall to Aranyapratet?/Poi Pet crossing about 6 years ago.
We paid the full fee up front but we were not told that we were to pick more people in many small towns on the way.
When were about 2 miles from the border we were all TOLD to get out and sit down in a restaurant.
There we were all advised to give our passports to a very unofficial looking official together with 300 baht so that he would go ahead and get everything stamped in advance so we would have no delay crossing into Cambodia.
As most of us were going to Siam Reap we though this was a good time-saving idea.
A nerve-racking hour later he came back with our passports stuffed with various blank forms which he told us to fill in.
Then he drove us sheeple to the border where we had to Q like everyone else.
So (shared if possible) private taxi for me after that.

[scottish-guy]

A pre-paid "service" in Thailand which turned out to be considerably less of a "service" than promised.

Who'd have guessed it?