You may visit Thailand without a visa. You are allowed to stay then max 30 days. Do you want to stay longer then you must make a so-called 'borderrun'.
I arrived on July 3 and I will leave for the Philippines on August 9. So somewhere I had to make a borderrun. When Geert (owner of Villa Oranje) heard about it, he suggested that we together would make a short trip to Phnom Phen. Of course that was a nice plan for me. I did plan to visit the nearby countries from here in the future. So having a 'guide' is very comfortable. Not having to sort all things out yourself.
So Geert booked the flight, the hotel and a taxi, and we left on the 15th, coming back the 18th.
Also in Cambodia you are allowed to stay 30 days with just a visa which you can get on arrival. In the airplane you get 2 forms to fill out. First step after arrival is: go to the counter for "apply for visa". Hand over your passport, the papers and some money and walk to the next counter to get your passport back. After that, immigration and customs and that' s it.
Outside there are several counters selling 'free' simcards. Do not buy, they are only valid for some days. Buy after you have checked in at the hotel, there are shops everywhere selling normal simcards. A taxi to the centre costs at the moment $15.
No, I am not interested in the Killing Fields or whatever other tourist attraction so we did not specifically visit one. Just enjoying the daily life of the people, looking around, wandering some of the town. And of course now, the Cambodian food. View from the hotelroom:
The atm-machines will provides dollars. Most of the time in notes of $100.
So here is what happened to me:
I need to pay the bill in restaurant Nelson (mentioned before, along the boulevard, near 148 street). I put the $100 note in the small map which they everywhere present. The boy takes it to the back, stays away 5 minutes and comes back with a false note. Stating that I gave that to him. Now: how do you proove you gave him a real note?
Well, your money is gone forever, you can forget about getting it back. But I first will tell you what to do to prevent this and maybe you better stay away from that Nelson restaurant.
First, we went back to the hotel were I took the money from the atm (inside hotel). They assured us that all notes were checked before placed into the machine, they showed us where the nearest police-station was. Do NOT count on the Cambodian police to help you. First they do not speak any English and they are absolutely not motivated and/or intended to help you.We were every time sent to another police-station and after 3 or 4 back to the first 1. After some help and long conversations they understood everywhere what had happened but refused to do anything. Geert mentioned that there was also a tourist-police and we were lucky that they were just having lunch in a restaurant were we drove by.
I told the story again and they decided right away to come with us to the restaurant. Of course the boys denied everything and started to show the movies from the cctv system to prove they didn't switch the notes. That took all a very long time and of course much talking in Cambodian language. That made me a little nervous because it is not unusual in these countries that local people make a deal with the police and blame the tourists. According to me the tv showed clearly that they had switched the notes. You are not checking a note for about 1 minute, then take the change, then go discuss with your partner, which took 5 minutes, go stand both with your back to the camera to block the sight and then come tell the note is false. At that point the lady entered and after a new discussion with the head of the 4 policemen, he came up with his advice and I stated that I was satified with this as solution as he would take and keep the note. On the way out I told him that at least now, if they would do this again with another tourist, he would remember this and would know that they were spreading false notes.
Should it ever happen to you, go back to your hotel and ask for the phonenumber of the tourist-police.
Apart from this, I had a very nice time in Phnom Phen - thank you very much Geert - and I definitely will come back for a longer time. I cannot complain about the Thai people but the Cambodian people were even more nice.
I arrived on July 3 and I will leave for the Philippines on August 9. So somewhere I had to make a borderrun. When Geert (owner of Villa Oranje) heard about it, he suggested that we together would make a short trip to Phnom Phen. Of course that was a nice plan for me. I did plan to visit the nearby countries from here in the future. So having a 'guide' is very comfortable. Not having to sort all things out yourself.
So Geert booked the flight, the hotel and a taxi, and we left on the 15th, coming back the 18th.
Outside there are several counters selling 'free' simcards. Do not buy, they are only valid for some days. Buy after you have checked in at the hotel, there are shops everywhere selling normal simcards. A taxi to the centre costs at the moment $15.
No, I am not interested in the Killing Fields or whatever other tourist attraction so we did not specifically visit one. Just enjoying the daily life of the people, looking around, wandering some of the town. And of course now, the Cambodian food. View from the hotelroom:
View from rooftop-restaurant over the river while having breakfast:
And there was a nice restaurant just around the corner called Nelson, with the view from there over the boulevard and river:
Same as in Thailand: are you sitting outside somewhere then all kinds of people come sell things to you. This girl was walking with her mother, 9 years old, but spoke already much better English then most bargirls in Pattaya.
But here, all bars have an airconditioned room so the guests can sit undisturbed and cool inside. Many times to cold for the girls ;-) so they were not overall happy and stayed outside often. Picture of street with bargirls after they have left the scene:
Some other pictures:
Warning: fraude with false dollars
In Cambodia they use 2 currencies: the Cambodian riel and the American dollar. At the moment the rate is about 1 dollar = 4000 riel. You will be charged everywhere in dollars.
So here is what happened to me:
I need to pay the bill in restaurant Nelson (mentioned before, along the boulevard, near 148 street). I put the $100 note in the small map which they everywhere present. The boy takes it to the back, stays away 5 minutes and comes back with a false note. Stating that I gave that to him. Now: how do you proove you gave him a real note?
Well, your money is gone forever, you can forget about getting it back. But I first will tell you what to do to prevent this and maybe you better stay away from that Nelson restaurant.
- In the end the tourist police advised both the restaurant and us to check in the future the notes at the table before going to get the change.
- An advice from Geert to first make a picture of the number of the note.
- And I suggest you take 190, 290, etc from the atm instead of 200, 300, etc. Then you at least have already some 'small' money.
First, we went back to the hotel were I took the money from the atm (inside hotel). They assured us that all notes were checked before placed into the machine, they showed us where the nearest police-station was. Do NOT count on the Cambodian police to help you. First they do not speak any English and they are absolutely not motivated and/or intended to help you.We were every time sent to another police-station and after 3 or 4 back to the first 1. After some help and long conversations they understood everywhere what had happened but refused to do anything. Geert mentioned that there was also a tourist-police and we were lucky that they were just having lunch in a restaurant were we drove by.
I told the story again and they decided right away to come with us to the restaurant. Of course the boys denied everything and started to show the movies from the cctv system to prove they didn't switch the notes. That took all a very long time and of course much talking in Cambodian language. That made me a little nervous because it is not unusual in these countries that local people make a deal with the police and blame the tourists. According to me the tv showed clearly that they had switched the notes. You are not checking a note for about 1 minute, then take the change, then go discuss with your partner, which took 5 minutes, go stand both with your back to the camera to block the sight and then come tell the note is false. At that point the lady entered and after a new discussion with the head of the 4 policemen, he came up with his advice and I stated that I was satified with this as solution as he would take and keep the note. On the way out I told him that at least now, if they would do this again with another tourist, he would remember this and would know that they were spreading false notes.
Should it ever happen to you, go back to your hotel and ask for the phonenumber of the tourist-police.
Apart from this, I had a very nice time in Phnom Phen - thank you very much Geert - and I definitely will come back for a longer time. I cannot complain about the Thai people but the Cambodian people were even more nice.
