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32<br />
PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO CAMBODIA<br />
3<br />
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS<br />
Fake Visas at Poipet<br />
On the Thai side <strong>of</strong> the Poipet border you will be harassed by a legion <strong>of</strong> touts<br />
<strong>of</strong>fering to make your <strong>Cambodia</strong>n visa for you. <strong>The</strong>y will charge you more than<br />
if you get your visa at the allotted <strong>of</strong>fice before <strong>Cambodia</strong>n immigration. In<br />
recent months that harassment has turned to veiled menace. Whoever these<br />
people are (and they are <strong>Cambodia</strong>ns), there is obviously money in what they<br />
are doing since they could not operate without the tacit permission <strong>of</strong> the Thai<br />
border police and the <strong>Cambodia</strong>n immigration <strong>of</strong>ficials. When I approached<br />
the border, they had actually set up an <strong>of</strong>ficial-looking checkpoint and flagged<br />
down my motorcycle as if they were police. All this is a scam. It is perfectly<br />
normal and legal to get your visa on arrival at <strong>Cambodia</strong>n immigration once<br />
you have exited Thailand. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. Many tourists<br />
I saw were visibly upset at the intimidation even before they had set a foot<br />
on <strong>Cambodia</strong>n soil. Ignore the touts, however insistent they may be.<br />
touts pushing to help you complete the<br />
process for a fee. You don’t need them. <strong>The</strong><br />
process is simple. At some borders with<br />
Thailand, <strong>Cambodia</strong>n immigration will<br />
insist you pay in Thai baht because they<br />
can make money on the differential on the<br />
exchange rate. <strong>The</strong>re is not much you can<br />
do about this if you want to get into the<br />
country.<br />
Although <strong>Cambodia</strong> issues visas on<br />
arrival at most if not all entry points, the<br />
same cannot be said if you are traveling the<br />
other way to a neighboring country. Vietnam<br />
requires that you have a visa before<br />
you travel whether you enter by land or by<br />
air, and at the time <strong>of</strong> writing a visa on<br />
arrival is not available when crossing from<br />
<strong>Cambodia</strong> to <strong>Laos</strong> by land. Thailand<br />
allows most nationalities to stay as tourists<br />
in the country for 30 days on arrival. At<br />
press time this was still true if you arrive by<br />
air. In 2008, they reduced the period to 15<br />
days only if you arrive by land. Check with<br />
the Thai Embassy or a reputable travel<br />
agent if you are traveling on to Thailand<br />
from <strong>Cambodia</strong> and you want to stay in<br />
Thailand longer than the allotted time.<br />
Requirements are changeable.<br />
CUSTOMS<br />
Visitors who are 18 years or older are<br />
allowed to bring into <strong>Cambodia</strong> 200 cigarettes<br />
or the equivalent amount <strong>of</strong> tobacco,<br />
and one opened bottle <strong>of</strong> liquor and perfume<br />
for personal use. Currency in possession<br />
must be declared on arrival.<br />
<strong>Cambodia</strong>n Customs on the whole are not<br />
too fierce.<br />
MEDICAL REQUIRE-<br />
MENTS<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are no vaccination requirements on<br />
entering <strong>Cambodia</strong>, but for your own<br />
well-being it is wise to get certain vaccinations<br />
including hepatitis A, hepatitis B,<br />
typhoid, Japanese encephalitis, cholera,<br />
rabies, and tetanus. It is also advisable to<br />
update your childhood vaccination series<br />
for polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and so<br />
on, if you are likely to be around children.
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