Cambodia entry refusal for no Carnet

[KTMphil]

A friend just tried to enter Cambodia from Laos at the 4,000 Islands/ Veun Kham international border crossing with Cambodia and was refused entry into Cambodia for not having a carnet, first time we've heard of this.


This is what he sent today:



Just got refused at the Cambodian border with Laos at Veun Kham. The 4000 island crossing. Same day as my visa expires, lol


Cambodian customs guy waved a bunch of Carnet stubs at me and asked for mine. My Carnet is beng renewed and I won't have it for three weeks.



I thought I had done the basic homework and established that Cambodia was not a Carnet country. Just now I've checked every list and Cambodia


isn't on it.





cambo bdr by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[Nightrider70]

I avoid crossing borders on my last day of my VISA because then they are more likely to invent problems that needs to be fixed by bribes. They know your options are limited so it is an opportunity for them to extort bribes. $10 would have got him across.

 

[Lone Rider]

The Cambodia border people at the Veunkham crossing are a PITA and they often refuse entry to people on bikes for no reason at all and in many cases also don't accept bribes. Use the Osmach border crossing (Thailand to Cambodia) as this crossing seems to be quite flexible.

 

[KTMphil]

Jeremy's response:


Thanks a lot Phillip.

In the last few years I've been hit at 2 previous borders. Guatemala and Bolivia. The first cost me about $20, the second $6. I'm one of those guys who goes with the flow, understands that it's sometimes best just to smile and pay up.


If he had given me any opening to pay, I would have jumped at it. $10? Fuck, I was good for $50 and a big bottle of BeerLao. Never gave me an opening.


So I'll back away from Cambodia here, out of Laos and back into Thailand and go for the Osmach crossing, expired visa and all.



Feel free to post this on your forum.


Thanks.

 

[blackwolf]

Jeremy's response:


Thanks a lot Phillip.

In the last few years I've been hit at 2 previous borders. Guatemala and Bolivia. The first cost me about $20, the second $6. I'm one of those guys who goes with the flow, understands that it's sometimes best just to smile and pay up.


If he had given me any opening to pay, I would have jumped at it. $10? Fuck, I was good for $50 and a big bottle of BeerLao. Never gave me an opening.


So I'll back away from Cambodia here, out of Laos and back into Thailand and go for the Osmach crossing, expired visa and all.



Feel free to post this on your forum.


Thanks.

Since you had already entered Cambodia, then the "expired" visa is no longer relevant. What you do (or should have done) is, enter Cambodia, get stamped in, then stamp out, get back into Laos where you will buy a new visa and then go to Thailand via Chong Mek, drive to Chong Chom, exit Thailand then enter Cambodia. Yes you will use up more space in your passport and an extra US$30 for a Cambodian visa you only used for 3 minutes, but at least it would have sorted out the overstay problem. Just because your motorcycle was refused at Stung Treng doesn't mean you couldn't have solved your expired Lao visa problem.

 

[LivinLOS]

The Cambodia border people at the Veunkham crossing are a PITA and they often refuse entry to people on bikes for no reason at all and in many cases also don't accept bribes. Use the Osmach border crossing (Thailand to Cambodia) as this crossing seems to be quite flexible.

Add in poipet.. and Koh Kong.. Etc..

The problem with cambo is there is no system, and they just make shit up as they go along different at each border, and even each day..

I was well frustrated with it by the end. What is ok one time isnt the next..