Refused exit at Chong Chom - Osmach border crossing.

Moto-Rex

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Refused exit at Chong Chom - Osmach border crossing.

After reading reports here, and talking to a guy that crossed at the Kap Choeng - Osmach border crossing only 2 weeks before, I decided that's were I would enter Cambodia.

This is what happened.

I turned up at the border, parking outside at the customs office. I was told to go to the immigration box first, some 20 metres away.

There I filled out a form with the help of a friendly, helpful and good English speaking immigration guy.

He asked me what my plans were, and I told him, I was riding through Cambodia for a month, and would re enter Thailand at Koh Kong - Hat Lek border crossing, to which he stamped my passbook, and said "have a good trip".

I then headed back to the customs desk were there was now one general, and two stooges waiting for me.

First question was "were you go", I said the same as I had said to the immigration guy, one month in Cambodia, and exit at koh kong.

He replied "no no no, you cannot, its to far" Thinking he was concerned for my well being, I said with in good humour, that I had come from Chaing Mai so Hat Lek was no problem.

Again I get, "no no no, you cannot go, you can only go to siem reap and come back". So I said, OK I only go to siem Reap and come back, thinking once Im in Ill be right.

Then he says, "no no no, you can only go to siem reap for 3 days, and that I must leave may green book with him as a guarantee I will come back.

I show him my passbook and green book, and say its my bike, rego in my name, and many farang cross here with bike no problem, adding I had been to Laos fours times with no problem etc etc.

Again, "no no no, I will not sign papers for you, you not go Cambodia". I could see this was going no were, and I wasn't going to jump up and down, Im in no hurry, Ill cross some were else, so I walked back to the immigration box to get my exit stamp cancalled, and told him what had happened, he look a little embarrassed. I asked him do many farang come through here with bikes. I could see he didn't want to say much. He just said it was no problem with him if I wanted to go, but if customs say no, I cant go. I thanked him for he's help and headed back towards my bike at the now empty customs desk. The three stooges were no were to be seen. Yuk Yuk Yuk.

I know your going to say Moe, Larry and Curly just wanted some extra tea money, which may have been the case. But I didn't sense that was the problem at the time.
 

DavidFL

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Moto-Rex
Sorry to hear about that one. It's kinda weird alright.
Did you get any photos of the three stooges? It would be good to post 'em & expose the culprits.

I also wonder if any of the local riders down that way, who have been using that border crossing, can shed anymore light on the situation.
 
Oct 12, 2005
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My initial reaction is that it may have been more to do wih the current tensions with Thailand in that area rather than a case of tea money... There are still ongoing issues around Preah Vihear and O Smach which aren't being reported, and it may just be the Cambodian officials' way of retaliating. Though obviously I don't see what they would have to gain by refusing people entry to Cambodia!?!
 

Moto-Rex

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dancingroads wrote: My initial reaction is that it may have been more to do wih the current tensions with Thailand in that area rather than a case of tea money... There are still ongoing issues around Preah Vihear and O Smach which aren't being reported, and it may just be the Cambodian officials' way of retaliating. Though obviously I don't see what they would have to gain by refusing people entry to Cambodia!?!
Gday dancingroads.

This was not the Cambodian officials, this was Thai customs officials that stopped from leaving Thailand.

Rex
 
Aug 7, 2003
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Sounds a bit strange to me, I regularly use that crossing and have been thru on overstay(bike) without a fine, wrong book(took the wrong one by mistake), took a friend and his bike was in his wifes name all OK. They do occasionally ask if you will come back thru Kap Cheong or exit Cambodia via another border. They complete all the paperwork if you don't come back via Kap Cheong otherwise they are lazy and do a local paper only.
Although it is safe to say the customs guys don't believe anyone would want to ride around Cambodia, they often quizz me as to where I went and how long it took. It shouldn't be relevant, but do you speak Thai?

I would hazard a guess and say it may have been a tempory guy on duty or/and they had been hassled by the Army who are there also, or even that a higher up official happened to be there that day and they just wanted to show their "muscles" . I hope this doesn't become more common and would be keen to hear if it has happened to anyone else.
 

Moto-Rex

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harrythefinn wrote:
I would hazard a guess and say it may have been a tempory guy on duty or/and they had been hassled by the Army who are there also, or even that a higher up official happened to be there that day and they just wanted to show their "muscles" . I hope this doesn't become more common and would be keen to hear if it has happened to anyone else.
Thinking back harrythefinn, your probably right. The head guy was dressed up like a north Korean general on may day, and the two other guys did seem a little intimidated by him.

Ive never ridden in this area before, so dont no what the norm is, but this day I rode through six large check points. All with police and armed soldiers.
I was stopped at two of them. The first one a policeman just wanted to look at my riding boots and say hello. And the second, a soldier just wanted make sure I wasn't lost, and after telling him were I was headed, he told to make sure I didn't miss the turn off 200 metres up the road, and to have a good ride.
 

burnjr

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Dec 28, 2005
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Brothers,
I have problenm when exit combodia at Stung treng the custom office ask us to pay $10 dollar(each bike) for work on sunday and not declare the bike when entre from Koh long Yai(KOH KOH).actually we already declare and have embesy latter from combodia embessy at malaysia.
just for extra money..4 bike for US 40 dollar.
but for laos custom is very nice and everything u pay us3 dollar all come with offical resit*(paper) :arrow: :arrow: :arrow: and computer print.