Exit To Cambodia

Last August 05, I went to Cambodia for my exit as it was my 30th day in Thailand already. All tourist expats coming from the Philippines are given 30-day stay in Thailand upon entry without any visa requirement. Philippines is part of the "visa exemption" list which means filipinos shall be granted a permission of stay without having to apply for a visa prior to the entry into the kingdom. Upon arrival at a Thai Immigration checkpoint at the airport, you'll simply have an entry stamp onto a page of your passport which displays the "date of arrival" and an "admitted until" field, showing the date when you're due to leave.

In my case, it was August 05 even if I arrived here on the 4th of July. You just need to count 30 calendar days just so you won't get confused especially on some months that has 31 calendar days. So if you need to stay more after your 30 days just like my case, you need to exit to the nearest border so you can re-enter the kingdom of Thailand or apply for a visa. If you will just do exit, you will be given 15 days only. You can either exit to Laos, Burma or Malaysia. Mine was an exit to Cambodia. The nearest one.

Overstaying in Thailand will cost you a lot of money as you will need to pay 500B overstay charge per day of extension. And if bad luck hits you, if you get caught and arrested without valid visa or for overstaying illegally in Thailand, you will face deportation and harsh fines. And ayokong ma-experience yun. Kaya I called a visa run agency and booked for an appointment. Filipina din yung nag-aassist, her name is Minda, but the agency is owned by a local Thai. 850B ang fee which includes everything na.

You will be asked to be ready for pick-up at 4:00am. Yes, ganun kaaga! They will pick you up from your place if the thai driver knows it. If not, they will just ask you to go to a more popular landmark. In my case, I was asked to just wait at TukCom Mall. The driver will give you a ring. The first one is a reminder to wake up and be ready just in case you're still sleeping. Then the second ring means be on the location for pick up. I was the second passenger at that time. There were 2 pinoys and the rest are vietnamese during that trip. And since I had no sleep at that time (remember my Off to Cambodia post), I just slept the whole trip.

It's a 4-hour travel from Pattaya to one of the borders of Cambodia. In our case, we went to Ban Pakkad (Ban Pakard). After a 2 hour travel, may stop over sa isang gas station for pee break. Bibigyan ka na rin nang snacks nung driver sa stop over na yun na binili sa 7-eleven dun din sa gas station. Kasama yun sa fee na bayad mo sa agency. Dun na din kukunin yung passport mo sa'yo nung driver. Pagka-kain, aalis na uli kayo. Pagdating sa Ban Pakard after another 2 hour travel, andoon na ang Immigration Checkpoint. Normally, borders are open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Pagkababa, sinundan ko lang yung dalawang pinoy na mukhang sanay na sa pag-exit. First time ko at ako lang mag-isa, di na ako nagpasama, kaya masid-masid lang. First thing, bago ka mag-exit to Cambodia, pila muna sa Immigration windows para i-check ang passport mo at para tatakan for the exit sa Thailand. Saglit lang yun. Then deretso ka na sa exit. Dere-deretso lang. By that time, nakatapak na ang mga paa mo sa Cambodia. Deretso konti, may makikita kang parang tindahan, andun ang mga forms. In my case, dahil I'm booked with a visa run agency, sila na ang mag-aasikaso. Kukunin lang nang driver yung passport mo uli and will ask one piece of picture. Kahit 1x1 or 2x2, okay na yun.

Upo ka lang, hintay hintay, kasi sila na rin magfi-fill-out nang form. Pipirma ka na lang. Then sasabihin sa'yo kung okay na. Nung binigay na yung sa akin, sumabay uli ako dun sa dalawang pinoy, bumalik sa Immigration Checkpoint for another stamp. It's for your exit sa Cambodia at pasok uli sa Thailand. Then tapos na! Ganun lang siya kadali. Wala pa ngang 30 minutes, okay na. Ni wala ka ngang mapapasyalan or makikitang magandang view. As in typical border lang siya.

Then alis na naman. Byahe na naman. Sakit sa pwet! Tapos may stop-over uli sa Bunchadit Food Center, for lunch naman. Bibigyan ka nang driver nang stub for your meal. You can choose either for a noodle meal set or rice meal set with drinks. Kasama na din yun sa fee. I chose a noodle meal set. In fairness, masarap naman. Then the driver will collect the 850B fee after mong kumain. Konting pahinga, pee break, then alis na uli. Tip lang, kabisaduhin mo lang ang itsura nang mga kasama mo para di ka maiwan or mawala. Hapon na ako nakabalik nang Pattaya nun. Kahit ganun lang, nakakapagod din pala.

Tomorrow is the 17th of August, my 15th day and I have to exit again Thailand and cross the border of Cambodia. Another 8 hour travel, 4 hours going there and 4 hours going back. Masakit na naman sa pwet. Sa susunod, ta-try ko namang mag-exit sa Laos. It's a 12 hour travel going there, mas painful pero mas matagal naman ang extension. And we're talking about months, not just days. Ang catch lang eh expensive siya. Way expensive. Bahala na. See you again Cambodia tomorrow. Walang tulugan uli ito!