Poi Pet to Siem Reap (note: customs problems)

[lmacka]

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The crossing is an absolute dog. Full of people with carts but relatively easy. You'll have to leave your bike and gear unattended for some time although I paid a guy 50B to look after it for me. Took me roughly 45mins to get out of Thailand alone...

Cambodian immigration is easy but customs is a little harder. You must ride through the round-about and it's on your left. You'll have to go upstairs and talk to the "Deputy Chief". This guy's an old bastard, very rude, unhelpful and apparently can't be bribed.
He insisted on having a Carnet form for my bike. I'd never heard of this before (amateur) and said I couldn't get it for my Thai registered bike. He continued to watch the TV while I sat there staring at him for 5 minutes. The bloke wouldn't budge without one, so here I am in Phonm Penh with an illegal-alien-motorbike. Bugger 'em.

I'll write another report on how successful I am in riding through customs but I don't think it'll be a problem. The place is bedlam!

ROAD
There's one double lane highway the whole distance to the city. It's only been paved just recently and is a pleasure to ride on. The traffic isn't too bad but the ride is very flat and boring..

[lipmeng]

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Hi mate

Yep, I was there last 2 weeks back and enter Cambodia via Aran and the Thai customs officer who attend to us ( 3 Malaysian bikes) was very helpful and pleasant. He even telll us that we can leave all our gears on the bike at the exit point just in front of his booth while we get out passport stamp at the immigration. There is no unneccesary fees charged except for the govt samll token fee.

The Cambodian immigration officers told us to get to the customs office after getting our passport stamped by them. We ignore the customs and ride pass their office as to avoid unnecessary redtapes and time wasting as our intended exit point of Cambodia will be ast Strung Treng to Laos.

The Cambodian customs are not as efficeint as the Thai counterpart whereby the latter ahve computer system to capture the info on foreign vehicles coming in and out.


Will update the info on exit to Laos sometime next month.

[burnjr]

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Limpaeng,
what u do is right if u stop the custom wil
ask to pay 10 dollar...
ignore the customs and ride pass their office as to avoid unnecessary redtapes and time wasting as our intended exit point of Cambodia will be ast Strung Treng to Laos.

[lmacka]

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If you stop by Siem Reap give me a shout and we'll have a beer. I parked my ride here and made it my home.
I'd love to chat with some other riders again..

[awabms]

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It seems that there is no proper procedure for foreign vehicle to get in and out of cambodia.The best option for vehicle(without Carnet) is just to avoid the customs...am i right?

[lmacka]

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Worked for me. The only catch is that Thailand only issues 30 day temporary export permits. If you stay out longer than that permit you'll be fined (can't remember how much).

I've been here about 4 months now so I have 3 months worth of fines up my sleeve. Basically this means that I can use these Thai plates anywhere except Thailand. hehe

[awabms]

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How much the price for the petrol in cambodia at the moment?The petrol station quote it in Riel or US dollar?

[shadow]

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I hope the cost of fuel is not a determing factor for making a trip. The cost of fuel is 4000 riel for standard and 4300 for super. The riel is currently at 4160 per $1 US.

[harrythefinn]

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All the bigger stations ie, with electrics pumps with displays usually have the price in USD, can pay in USD or Riel. Small out of the way places ie, fuel in bottles usually only take Riel, all depends on what exchange rate you are prepared to wear. USD is normally OK everywhere.

A good tip to break a USD 100 is at a Caltex or similar that use USD all the time.

Some Cambodia border posts (eg.Pailin) now are insisting on the one page Customs entry form, easy to fill in, usually they will take a copy of the registration paper/book also. You keep it and hand it back to customs when leaving. The old/usual way of of just driving past the Customs still works without any harm, but may change in the future.

[awabms]

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In that case firstly i will try to get the custom entry form .....if they keep insist for a carnet....then i have to get in without any custom form...Its worked on my last trip(day trip) to Koh Kong City, but on the way back we lost 300 baht to the immigration at Chem Yeam.

[yempaul]

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It seems that there is no proper procedure for foreign vehicle to get in and out of cambodia.The best option for vehicle(without Carnet) is just to avoid the customs...am i right?

True ... just leave after you get your passports stamped. I was denied entry at Bavet coming in from Vietnam. They told us we did not ask permission to get our Singapore registered bikes out of Cambodia. What crap. I was thinking all they wanted was money. Funny part is we met the Commissioner of Cambodian Immigration in Vietnam when he was holidaying there. So when they told us to get back into Vietnam, I took out the card and passed it to him. The next thing he said was "Ok you guys are in". LOL ... Anyone wants to get hold of that name card?

[lipmeng]

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Hi Yempaul

How did you guys be able to ride in from Cambodia to Vietnam on SG registered bikes? I'll be delighted to know as I'm riding a M'sian registered @t and intends to ride into Vietnam in the near future.

Thanks.

Lip Meng

[yempaul]

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Hi Yempaul

How did you guys be able to ride in from Cambodia to Vietnam on SG registered bikes? I'll be delighted to know as I'm riding a M'sian registered @t and intends to ride into Vietnam in the near future.

Thanks.

Lip Meng

Hi Lip Meng

We engaged a Vietnamese tour operator who did the application for our entry. IF you're interested I can pass you the contact.

Cheers

[lipmeng]

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Hi Yempaul

Yeah, I will be delighted if you could pass me the contact of the Vietnamese counterpart so that I can work out the costing of the fees with those who are interested to have a go there.

PM me if you can.

Thanks.

Lip Meng

[HIKO]

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HI YEMPAUL.

Since I've been trying to get into vietnam plenty of times I would really like to have your contact info in Vietnam. You can sendit to me on my e-mail adress hikobengt@hotmail.com.

HIKO

[awabms]

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Hi Yeampaul.
I am interested too.Send me the contact to awabms@yahoo.com

Thanks.

[yempaul]

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Hi Yempaul

Yeah, I will be delighted if you could pass me the contact of the Vietnamese counterpart so that I can work out the costing of the fees with those who are interested to have a go there.

PM me if you can.

Thanks.

Lip Meng

HI YEMPAUL.

Since I've been trying to get into vietnam plenty of times I would really like to have your contact info in Vietnam. You can sendit to me on my e-mail adress hikobengt@hotmail.com.

HIKO

Hi Yeampaul.
I am interested too.Send me the contact to awabms@yahoo.com

Thanks.

It's all in your emails and Pms. Good luck with your planning?

[burnjr]

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Yempaul
you could pass me the contact of the Vietnamese counterpart so that I can work out the costing of the fees with those who are interested to have a go there

[Bert on the bike]

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Just back from two and half days in Cambodia (trip report will follow) and to come back to the original subject:

We were told at imigration to go to customs but as the 3 trips in Cambodia before we just drove by (Poipet) and di not have any problems while being in Cambodia or whle coming back.

Just for your info

[brucegsrider]

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Likewise, went thru the thai border no problems. On the Thai side, park near the vehicle entry lane booth and hand greenbook and licence to the office on the right (middle of the road). Go get the passport stamped immigration office on the left. Go back to the booth and fill out an exit form for the bike. They will hand you back a copy of the form along with the greenbook and licence. Hop on the bike and go to boom gate a little further on and fill out another form in duplicate. They will copy your passport etc and give you back a stamped copy of the form.
Then go a hundred metres or so and you will see Cambodia immigration on your right. Park just before it and go thru the immmigration booth. A eVisa makes life easier. Exit the booth on the door on the left and if there is a Cambodian immigration office there, just show him your passport stamp and mimic to him that you are going to get your bike.
get the bike, ride past him and nod, no dramas. Forget customs etc is my advice.
Pretty much the reverse coming back, no dramas at all.

Rode to Siem Reap then PP. Came back thru Battambong. I would liken riding on Cambodian roads similar to playing pacman but the things trying to smack you are Cambodian drivers/riders/cows, dogs, chicken, kids, horsedrawn carts and moving haystacks. Careful of the cows, they can wander across the road with their tether still attached. Had that a couple of times......

Have an ER6N........heard about no lights in daytime so took out the fuse. That doesant disable the two running lights. At the PP hotel, the doorman freaked and taped some back plastic over them saying the BiB (blue) would hit me for 10 or 20 bucks. Ok no problem, but headed off to get a bit of steel rod pulled out of my tyre and got pulled over for going thru a red light......The BiB showed me a pic of a red light in a book and saif five bucks. Only had 10s so handed one over and asked for change LOL. he gave it back to me in riel.........which made me laugh as he could have simply kept it.

Left PP, took off the tape and thru countless checkpoints no dramas.

Not enjoyable riding.........I'm sure offroad is great fun.

Was very happy to get back to Thailand.