Cambodia from Ban Hat Lek

We're considering travelling along the Thai coast towards Cambodia, can we
get Cambodian Visas at the border?

If this route is possible does anyone have any recent experiences/ advice
they would care to share.

TIA
Jan


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On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 23:41:59 -0000, "Jan"
wrote:

We're considering travelling along the Thai coast towards Cambodia, can we
get Cambodian Visas at the border?

If this route is possible does anyone have any recent experiences/ advice
they would care to share.

TIA
Jan


Went through there 3 weeks ago. Yes you can get visas at the border
at Hat Lek/Koh Kong. Below is a rather long account of my trip from
Pattaya to Koh Kong Cambodia that I wrote for another forum. I later
took the speedboat ferry to Sihnokville and then the Bus to Phom Phen
and then flew to Sien Riep and back to Bangkok. Koh Kong seemed
fairly safe. Scams are prevalent but no violent crime I could detect.
The people are very friendly. The speed boat ferry to Sihnookville
was awesome. Ride on the roof or deck for the view. Way faster and
more comfortable than by minibus. BTW people in Koh Kong will lie and
say the speed boat ferry is canceled to sell you minibus tickets so
they can get commission. Don't believe it unless the weather is
clearly bad and the boat is actually absent in the morning.
Sihnookville has some crime problems but is relatively safe if you use
common sense. Day is safe. Night in dark secluded areas bad things
happen. I had no trouble.


Repost...................

From Pattaya

I checked out of my hotel and at 7:30am was waiting in the lobby with
my luggage ready to go. The travel agent I bought the minibus ticket
from had given me a ticket for the driver complete with instructions
written in Thai so he knew where I was supposed to wind up. Minibuses
to the Cambodian border are readily available from any travel agent in
Pattaya. They are very commonly used by expats for "visa runs". When
their visa is almost expired and can no longer be extended they hop in
a minibus to the Cambodian border and stamp out of Thailand, into
Cambodia, then out of Cambodia back into Thailand with a brand new
Thai visa stamp and come back to Pattaya. Just walk into any travel
agent and say you need a minibus ticket the Cambodian border at Hat
Lek (the town on the Thai side of the border) Cost was 670 baht ~$17
one way. Round trip is even more common but I don't know if you get a
break on the one way price if you go round trip. You can get a minibus
strait to the border but I had to leave on Monday and Tuesday was the
first day they had all the way to the border so I would ride from
Pattaya to Trat and then change minibuses and go from there to the
Cambodian border.

If you were coming from Bangkok you could make almost the same trip
even cheaper on the air conditioned bus. Just go to Eikimei bus
station. Go to the window that says Trat and buy a ticket. Make sure
it is the express bus and not the one that stops in every town along
the way. In Trat, across the street from the air conditioned bus
station slightly to the right near an open air market there are
minibuses that leave for Hat Lek every 30 minutes or so throughout the
day. Price from Bangkok would probably be ~200 to~300 baht for the AC
bus and the minibus is clearly posted 100 baht from Trat to Hat Lek.

My minibus arrived about 15 minutes late. It was a BMW van and there
were about 5 people inside. The seats were quite comfortable, but a
little cramped on leg room, as is almost any kind of public
transportation in Asia. Thai sized, not 6' American sized. Still, it
wasn't to uncomfortable. While the driver loaded my backpack in the
back a German lady told me the driver had been driving up and down
various streets for the last 20 minutes looking for my hotel. The
driver got in. Headed to a gas station filled up with gas and we hit
the road.

I was a little surprised at how GOOD the roads were in Thailand. I had
expected them to get worse the further I got from Bangkok but that was
not the case. 4 lane divided highways in excellent condition most of
the way. As good as many American highways. Thailand has obviously
spent allot of money on the roads along that route. After about an
hour and 45 minutes we stopped at a very modern rest area where there
was a 7-11 convenience store, a very good open air coffee stand, Thai
restaurant and decent restrooms. We stopped for about 15 minutes to
stretch our legs then back in the van and on to Trat. In Trat the
driver pulled up to the minibus stop across from the bus station. He
paid my fare, 100 baht, that was included in the 670 baht I paid to
the travel agent, to the operator there and explained to him in Thai
where I was headed. I just had a seat and waited. This is also what
you would do if you had arrived from Bangkok on the AC bus.

After about 20 minutes we started loading in the minibus. It was a
full load. All Thai locals. I was the only falung on board. The people
who were on the original minibus from Pattaya all had different
destinations and did not get off with me. We headed out of Trat on a
two lane paved highway. Not as nice as the road to Trat bus still very
good. Heading towards Hat Lek we passed through several Thai army
checkpoints. Nothing more than a cursory look-over by the sentry.
Along the way the local Thai passengers got off one by one at there
destinations. By the time we reached Hat Lek we were down to me and 4
Thai's. The driver drove around town dropping then one by one until
finely one Thai lady and me were all who were left. The end of the
line.

The Thai lady grabbed her stuff and wandered away. I loaded up my
backpack and ask the driver which way to the border and he pointed
down the street. I couldn’t see it but set out that way all alone and
after a quarter of a block it was pretty obvious. There was a Thai
immigration shack with a walk up window, barriers, a couple of bored
looking solders and bunch of touts, children running about, and other
nuisance type people. I will admit it seemed a little more
intimidating than it really is and my heart was beating a little hard
at that point. This was for real, I was on foot, walking alone into
Cambodia at a somewhat remote border crossing for the first time. Not
another westerner to be seen anywhere. I proceeded to the Thai
immigration window and handed my passport through to a real asshole
looking bureaucrat in a uniform. No land of smiles here. He more or
less ignored me for a while as he slowly shuffled papers and then with
out even looking up or acknowledging me he picked up my passport, very
slowly looked at the exit form. Methodically stamped me out of
Thailand and handed it back to me without so much as a single word or
a friendly look. I walked from there towards the border.

A soldier at the barrier looked at my passport to verify I had been
stamped out properly and passed me through into a no mans land between
the Thai and Cambodian border posts. I was immediately set upon by a
pack of very aggressive touts offering to sell cigarettes, carry my
bag, sell me weed, get me a taxi, help me with immigration forms, find
me a hotel........... They were quite annoying and quite aggressive
but harmless otherwise. Probably wise to lookout for hands in your
pockets or in your backpack though. There was no sentry or border
guard on the Cambodian side. You just walk right in. Your first stop
is in an office to visit the health quarantine officer. You can’t miss
it because about 12 touts will point you towards it. Inside there was
a guy in a dirty white coat seated behind a wooden table and another
guy standing around for no apparent reason. He had a simple health
questionnaire about SAR's symptoms and have I traveled in countries
where there is yellow fever and such. Then he asks if I had an
"international vaccination certificate" which of course I did not
since you DO NOT need such a certificate to travel in Cambodia. He
said since I do not have it I must pay him 50 baht. This is total
bull**** and do not fall for it. I said I had contacted the Cambodian
embassy in Washington DC before my trip and ask about that and they
told me I did not need the certificate. (My own bull****) He thought
about it for a minute, and then signed my paperwork. I did not have to
pay him the 50 baht bribe.

Next, on to the visa office. A couple of doors down you walk into a
dirty, barren office, and there are several asshole looking
bureaucrats in uniforms sitting behind a scarred up old wooden table
with a single chair in front for you to sit in. The back door of the
office was partially open and you could see into a dimly lit room
where there were several men in military uniform along with women and
children all sitting around a big dinner table eating and loudly
talking. The visa application is simple and after I filled it out I
handed it to the asshole bureaucrat with my passport and the required
passport sized photo. (don't forget to bring two passport photos with
you for your visa) He didn't even look at it and said the visa was
1,100 baht. This is more bull****. The official price set by the
Cambodian government is 20 US dollars (funny that even the Cambodian
government sets official fees in Dollars not Riel) The semi official
price in Thai Baht is 1,000 which was set at a time when the exchange
rate was better. That is of course closer to $25 today. The Cambodian
border agents have long capitalized on the spread and demanded payment
in Thai Baht rather than the official US dollar amount. If you force
the issue they have to accept the $20 payment but they can keep you
there half the day while you paperwork is sent to Phom Phen by carrier
pigeon for verification so I was prepared to pay in baht but not the
1,100 he ask for. I handed him 1,000 baht, gave him a friendly smile,
told him I know it is 20 dollars and that 1,000 baht is a very good
deal for him. He again stated it was 1,100 and I again smiled and said
1,000 baht is a very good price for him. He said he would have to ask
the commander and then after a word or two in Khmer shouted to the
back room and an answer from a disembodied voice that sounded like it
had a mouthful of rice, he waited for several minutes and said the
commander had agreed 1,000 baht was OK. Damn corrupt Cambodian border
officials. He placed the visa sticker in my passport and directed me
to the window next door to have my passport stamped. There was a
typical entry/exit form to fill out. I did this, handed it through the
window, the agent stamped my passport and handed it back. No money was
asked for at this point.

The touts have to wait outside the offices but at the window you have
about 4 touts hanging over your shoulder the whole time. I needed a
ride to town and one of the touts spoke good English and was soft
spoken and less annoying than the rest so I ask him if he had a moto.
He of course did. I offered 50 baht for a ride into town. The correct
price is 30 to 50 baht and I was tired and did not feel like
bargaining so I offered the high end of a fair price. He immediately
accepted. Once you hire a motodop the rest of the touts leave you
alone. It was worth the 50 baht just to get rid of all those touts. I
let him carry my bag to his moto. He loaded it on the moto, started it
up, and I hopped on the back.

Riding on the back of a motodop (Cambodian motorcycle taxi) in
Cambodia is not nearly the hair raising experience it is in Thailand.
(Except in Phom Phen) If you are not the adventurous type you will
probably still be quite comfortable on a Cambodian motodop. Cambodian
motodops are very cautious drivers and traffic is very light. They
rarely get over 20 miles per hour they and never rev there engines
above a very low rpm or accelerate quickly. I almost suspect they
drive that way to conserve gasoline and to prevent wear and tear on
there engines. You can probably get a car taxi but in my opinion
motodops are the most efficient way to get around.

Koh Kong is several miles from the Thai border across a river. The
road is a brand new narrow two lane concrete road. Very smooth and
with almost no traffic. Along the way there is yet another checkpoint
where you hand your passport through a window and they verify you have
your visa and are properly stamped. No hassles or demands for money
there. At the river there is a brand new toll bridge. You pay the
toll. I think it was like 10 baht, I don't remember for sure. The toll
is clearly posted and paid to a girl in a booth. Then on into town.
Koh Kong is on the other side.

It was about noon. I left Pattaya around 7:50 am and was in Koh Kong
Cambodia in about 4 hours of fairly easy travel. The total cost was
670 baht ~$17 for the minibus ticket from Pattaya to the Cambodian
border. 1000 Baht ~$25 for my Cambodian visa. 50 Baht ~$1.25 for the
Motodop to Koh Kong. and 10 Baht 25¢ for the toll bridge.

I didn't have a hotel in mind. There are good hotels in town for about
$15 but I wanted to see how cheap I could go so I told the driver I
wanted a hotel with a bathroom and shower in the room near the boat
dock for no more than $3. He said no problem and took me to a hotel
that was more or less what I expected. Upstairs, a ceiling fan but no
AC. Bathroom with a shower, sink and a squat toilet but no hot water.
It was a little worn but was clean, quiet and secure. What do you
expect for $3. I was satisfied but probably most would want to splurge
on a $15 room with fancy AC, TV, sit down toilet, and hot water.

As I was checking in the motodop ask if I was planning to take the
speedboat ferry to Sihankville tomorrow. I told him yes. Then he ask
if I would buy the ticket through him rather than the ticket office
since the price was the same either way for me but he would get a 40
baht sales commission if I bought it through him. I wondered if it was
a ploy to get my money and I would never see a ticket so I hesitated
but I did appreciate his honesty in admitting he would be getting the
commission. Motodops in Cambodia get a commission on almost anything
you buy if they are the one who brings you in so you always have to
read between the lines of any thing your motodop does. More often than
not his commission is more important to him than your satisfaction.
Often it does not affect your price and is just how they do business.
Other times it can be added to your bill or can result in bad advice.
I didn't really mind the guy getting a commission so long as it didn’t
affect my price. He could see I was hesitating so he said I could get
the hotel to issue a receipt for the money and take responsibility for
making sure I received my ticket. I had read this is a common and
legitimate practice so I agreed. Since the motodop driver was being
honest with me about the commission and I did need transportation
around town I ask him how much to hire him for the day. He just said
"whatever you think" and wouldn't list a price. I ask, "is $5 OK?" he
seemed a little disappointed but readily agreed. I had my hotel and
transportation for the day. I locked up my stuff in my hotel room, and
then ask the driver to show me around town.

Thanks, very informative !!! I'll print this off to take with me.
Sounds silmilar to our border crossing at Poipet in 2000. It was
interesting to hear the " international vaccination certificate " scam is
still doing the rounds.

BTW Did you do any diving or snorkelling in Cambodia?

Jan


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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
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On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 11:39:35 -0000, "Jan"
wrote:

Thanks, very informative !!! I'll print this off to take with me.
Sounds silmilar to our border crossing at Poipet in 2000. It was
interesting to hear the " international vaccination certificate " scam is
still doing the rounds.

BTW Did you do any diving or snorkelling in Cambodia?


I did not have time but they have an awesome day triop I hear from
Sihnookville where you go out to an island. I did not have an extra
full day to spend but everyone seems to think it is quite pristine and
quite spactacular. Sihnookville is certainly the place to arange such
a thing.

Thanks for the read. Older links about the trip are on

http://rectravel.com/kkz

*@X.* wrote in message . ..
On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 23:41:59 -0000, "Jan"
wrote:

We're considering travelling along the Thai coast towards Cambodia, can we
get Cambodian Visas at the border?

If this route is possible does anyone have any recent experiences/ advice
they would care to share.

TIA
Jan


Went through there 3 weeks ago. Yes you can get visas at the border
at Hat Lek/Koh Kong. Below is a rather long account of my trip from
Pattaya to Koh Kong Cambodia that I wrote for another forum. I later
took the speedboat ferry to Sihnokville and then the Bus to Phom Phen
and then flew to Sien Riep and back to Bangkok. Koh Kong seemed
fairly safe. Scams are prevalent but no violent crime I could detect.
The people are very friendly. The speed boat ferry to Sihnookville
was awesome. Ride on the roof or deck for the view. Way faster and
more comfortable than by minibus. BTW people in Koh Kong will lie and
say the speed boat ferry is canceled to sell you minibus tickets so
they can get commission. Don't believe it unless the weather is
clearly bad and the boat is actually absent in the morning.
Sihnookville has some crime problems but is relatively safe if you use
common sense. Day is safe. Night in dark secluded areas bad things
happen. I had no trouble.


Repost...................

From Pattaya

I checked out of my hotel and at 7:30am was waiting in the lobby with
my luggage ready to go. The travel agent I bought the minibus ticket
from had given me a ticket for the driver complete with instructions
written in Thai so he knew where I was supposed to wind up. Minibuses
to the Cambodian border are readily available from any travel agent in
Pattaya. They are very commonly used by expats for "visa runs". When
their visa is almost expired and can no longer be extended they hop in
a minibus to the Cambodian border and stamp out of Thailand, into
Cambodia, then out of Cambodia back into Thailand with a brand new
Thai visa stamp and come back to Pattaya. Just walk into any travel
agent and say you need a minibus ticket the Cambodian border at Hat
Lek (the town on the Thai side of the border) Cost was 670 baht ~$17
one way. Round trip is even more common but I don't know if you get a
break on the one way price if you go round trip. You can get a minibus
strait to the border but I had to leave on Monday and Tuesday was the
first day they had all the way to the border so I would ride from
Pattaya to Trat and then change minibuses and go from there to the
Cambodian border.

If you were coming from Bangkok you could make almost the same trip
even cheaper on the air conditioned bus. Just go to Eikimei bus
station. Go to the window that says Trat and buy a ticket. Make sure
it is the express bus and not the one that stops in every town along
the way. In Trat, across the street from the air conditioned bus
station slightly to the right near an open air market there are
minibuses that leave for Hat Lek every 30 minutes or so throughout the
day. Price from Bangkok would probably be ~200 to~300 baht for the AC
bus and the minibus is clearly posted 100 baht from Trat to Hat Lek.

My minibus arrived about 15 minutes late. It was a BMW van and there
were about 5 people inside. The seats were quite comfortable, but a
little cramped on leg room, as is almost any kind of public
transportation in Asia. Thai sized, not 6' American sized. Still, it
wasn't to uncomfortable. While the driver loaded my backpack in the
back a German lady told me the driver had been driving up and down
various streets for the last 20 minutes looking for my hotel. The
driver got in. Headed to a gas station filled up with gas and we hit
the road.

I was a little surprised at how GOOD the roads were in Thailand. I had
expected them to get worse the further I got from Bangkok but that was
not the case. 4 lane divided highways in excellent condition most of
the way. As good as many American highways. Thailand has obviously
spent allot of money on the roads along that route. After about an
hour and 45 minutes we stopped at a very modern rest area where there
was a 7-11 convenience store, a very good open air coffee stand, Thai
restaurant and decent restrooms. We stopped for about 15 minutes to
stretch our legs then back in the van and on to Trat. In Trat the
driver pulled up to the minibus stop across from the bus station. He
paid my fare, 100 baht, that was included in the 670 baht I paid to
the travel agent, to the operator there and explained to him in Thai
where I was headed. I just had a seat and waited. This is also what
you would do if you had arrived from Bangkok on the AC bus.

After about 20 minutes we started loading in the minibus. It was a
full load. All Thai locals. I was the only falung on board. The people
who were on the original minibus from Pattaya all had different
destinations and did not get off with me. We headed out of Trat on a
two lane paved highway. Not as nice as the road to Trat bus still very
good. Heading towards Hat Lek we passed through several Thai army
checkpoints. Nothing more than a cursory look-over by the sentry.
Along the way the local Thai passengers got off one by one at there
destinations. By the time we reached Hat Lek we were down to me and 4
Thai's. The driver drove around town dropping then one by one until
finely one Thai lady and me were all who were left. The end of the
line.

The Thai lady grabbed her stuff and wandered away. I loaded up my
backpack and ask the driver which way to the border and he pointed
down the street. I couldn?t see it but set out that way all alone and
after a quarter of a block it was pretty obvious. There was a Thai
immigration shack with a walk up window, barriers, a couple of bored
looking solders and bunch of touts, children running about, and other
nuisance type people. I will admit it seemed a little more
intimidating than it really is and my heart was beating a little hard
at that point. This was for real, I was on foot, walking alone into
Cambodia at a somewhat remote border crossing for the first time. Not
another westerner to be seen anywhere. I proceeded to the Thai
immigration window and handed my passport through to a real asshole
looking bureaucrat in a uniform. No land of smiles here. He more or
less ignored me for a while as he slowly shuffled papers and then with
out even looking up or acknowledging me he picked up my passport, very
slowly looked at the exit form. Methodically stamped me out of
Thailand and handed it back to me without so much as a single word or
a friendly look. I walked from there towards the border.

A soldier at the barrier looked at my passport to verify I had been
stamped out properly and passed me through into a no mans land between
the Thai and Cambodian border posts. I was immediately set upon by a
pack of very aggressive touts offering to sell cigarettes, carry my
bag, sell me weed, get me a taxi, help me with immigration forms, find
me a hotel........... They were quite annoying and quite aggressive
but harmless otherwise. Probably wise to lookout for hands in your
pockets or in your backpack though. There was no sentry or border
guard on the Cambodian side. You just walk right in. Your first stop
is in an office to visit the health quarantine officer. You can?t miss
it because about 12 touts will point you towards it. Inside there was
a guy in a dirty white coat seated behind a wooden table and another
guy standing around for no apparent reason. He had a simple health
questionnaire about SAR's symptoms and have I traveled in countries
where there is yellow fever and such. Then he asks if I had an
"international vaccination certificate" which of course I did not
since you DO NOT need such a certificate to travel in Cambodia. He
said since I do not have it I must pay him 50 baht. This is total
bull**** and do not fall for it. I said I had contacted the Cambodian
embassy in Washington DC before my trip and ask about that and they
told me I did not need the certificate. (My own bull****) He thought
about it for a minute, and then signed my paperwork. I did not have to
pay him the 50 baht bribe.

Next, on to the visa office. A couple of doors down you walk into a
dirty, barren office, and there are several asshole looking
bureaucrats in uniforms sitting behind a scarred up old wooden table
with a single chair in front for you to sit in. The back door of the
office was partially open and you could see into a dimly lit room
where there were several men in military uniform along with women and
children all sitting around a big dinner table eating and loudly
talking. The visa application is simple and after I filled it out I
handed it to the asshole bureaucrat with my passport and the required
passport sized photo. (don't forget to bring two passport photos with
you for your visa) He didn't even look at it and said the visa was
1,100 baht. This is more bull****. The official price set by the
Cambodian government is 20 US dollars (funny that even the Cambodian
government sets official fees in Dollars not Riel) The semi official
price in Thai Baht is 1,000 which was set at a time when the exchange
rate was better. That is of course closer to $25 today. The Cambodian
border agents have long capitalized on the spread and demanded payment
in Thai Baht rather than the official US dollar amount. If you force
the issue they have to accept the $20 payment but they can keep you
there half the day while you paperwork is sent to Phom Phen by carrier
pigeon for verification so I was prepared to pay in baht but not the
1,100 he ask for. I handed him 1,000 baht, gave him a friendly smile,
told him I know it is 20 dollars and that 1,000 baht is a very good
deal for him. He again stated it was 1,100 and I again smiled and said
1,000 baht is a very good price for him. He said he would have to ask
the commander and then after a word or two in Khmer shouted to the
back room and an answer from a disembodied voice that sounded like it
had a mouthful of rice, he waited for several minutes and said the
commander had agreed 1,000 baht was OK. Damn corrupt Cambodian border
officials. He placed the visa sticker in my passport and directed me
to the window next door to have my passport stamped. There was a
typical entry/exit form to fill out. I did this, handed it through the
window, the agent stamped my passport and handed it back. No money was
asked for at this point.

The touts have to wait outside the offices but at the window you have
about 4 touts hanging over your shoulder the whole time. I needed a
ride to town and one of the touts spoke good English and was soft
spoken and less annoying than the rest so I ask him if he had a moto.
He of course did. I offered 50 baht for a ride into town. The correct
price is 30 to 50 baht and I was tired and did not feel like
bargaining so I offered the high end of a fair price. He immediately
accepted. Once you hire a motodop the rest of the touts leave you
alone. It was worth the 50 baht just to get rid of all those touts. I
let him carry my bag to his moto. He loaded it on the moto, started it
up, and I hopped on the back.

Riding on the back of a motodop (Cambodian motorcycle taxi) in
Cambodia is not nearly the hair raising experience it is in Thailand.
(Except in Phom Phen) If you are not the adventurous type you will
probably still be quite comfortable on a Cambodian motodop. Cambodian
motodops are very cautious drivers and traffic is very light. They
rarely get over 20 miles per hour they and never rev there engines
above a very low rpm or accelerate quickly. I almost suspect they
drive that way to conserve gasoline and to prevent wear and tear on
there engines. You can probably get a car taxi but in my opinion
motodops are the most efficient way to get around.

Koh Kong is several miles from the Thai border across a river. The
road is a brand new narrow two lane concrete road. Very smooth and
with almost no traffic. Along the way there is yet another checkpoint
where you hand your passport through a window and they verify you have
your visa and are properly stamped. No hassles or demands for money
there. At the river there is a brand new toll bridge. You pay the
toll. I think it was like 10 baht, I don't remember for sure. The toll
is clearly posted and paid to a girl in a booth. Then on into town.
Koh Kong is on the other side.

It was about noon. I left Pattaya around 7:50 am and was in Koh Kong
Cambodia in about 4 hours of fairly easy travel. The total cost was
670 baht ~$17 for the minibus ticket from Pattaya to the Cambodian
border. 1000 Baht ~$25 for my Cambodian visa. 50 Baht ~$1.25 for the
Motodop to Koh Kong. and 10 Baht 25¢ for the toll bridge.

I didn't have a hotel in mind. There are good hotels in town for about
$15 but I wanted to see how cheap I could go so I told the driver I
wanted a hotel with a bathroom and shower in the room near the boat
dock for no more than $3. He said no problem and took me to a hotel
that was more or less what I expected. Upstairs, a ceiling fan but no
AC. Bathroom with a shower, sink and a squat toilet but no hot water.
It was a little worn but was clean, quiet and secure. What do you
expect for $3. I was satisfied but probably most would want to splurge
on a $15 room with fancy AC, TV, sit down toilet, and hot water.

As I was checking in the motodop ask if I was planning to take the
speedboat ferry to Sihankville tomorrow. I told him yes. Then he ask
if I would buy the ticket through him rather than the ticket office
since the price was the same either way for me but he would get a 40
baht sales commission if I bought it through him. I wondered if it was
a ploy to get my money and I would never see a ticket so I hesitated
but I did appreciate his honesty in admitting he would be getting the
commission. Motodops in Cambodia get a commission on almost anything
you buy if they are the one who brings you in so you always have to
read between the lines of any thing your motodop does. More often than
not his commission is more important to him than your satisfaction.
Often it does not affect your price and is just how they do business.
Other times it can be added to your bill or can result in bad advice.
I didn't really mind the guy getting a commission so long as it didn?t
affect my price. He could see I was hesitating so he said I could get
the hotel to issue a receipt for the money and take responsibility for
making sure I received my ticket. I had read this is a common and
legitimate practice so I agreed. Since the motodop driver was being
honest with me about the commission and I did need transportation
around town I ask him how much to hire him for the day. He just said
"whatever you think" and wouldn't list a price. I ask, "is $5 OK?" he
seemed a little disappointed but readily agreed. I had my hotel and
transportation for the day. I locked up my stuff in my hotel room, and
then ask the driver to show me around town.