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Right, well I've made it to Siem Reap, Cambodia... managed to get here in just over 8 hours and, I think, I didn't get scammed along the way!
I checked out of the hostel at a horrific 4.50am and caught a taxi from right outside the hostel. We were headed to Morchit bus station. I'd read on the internet that the journey should cost about 90-100 bhat... well it ended up costing 160 bhat. Not sure what happened there, he had the meter running and didn't seem to be going round in circles so not really sure if he ripped me off or not...
Journey was pretty much without incident other than right at the start when he pulls up outside a Seven Eleven and seem to explain that he wants to get some mobile credit... okay I said... oh wait, no he wants an advance on the taxi fare so he can get some. I'm good thanks mate... drive on!
The taxi dude drops me at the bus station and to be fair sets me up with where to get my ticket etc so can't really complain...
At the ticket office the middle-aged Thai woman running the joint decides to turn on the old charm... "Very handsome" ... "How old are you?" ... "Married or single?" ... flattery is always appreciated at 5.15am in the morning! Anyway, I got my ticket - 207 bhat for a 4 hour journey to the town of Aranyapraphet which is near the border... decent bus, reclining seats, aircon, free drink of water... can't complain. Nothing particularly interesting happened other than we were boarded twice, one by police and once my the military. to check 'papers' (I think they're basically checking for Cambodians in Thailand illegally. Of course being a Westerner, I'm above all that, and they didn't even ask to see my passport...
We arrive at the Aranyapraphet and I need to catch a Tuk Tuk about 6km to the border. I grabs one for 80 bhat (as expected) and tell him to take me to the border. Only thing was he decides I need to stop on the way to get my visa. Here we arrive at scam number 1 that I've been warned about. We pull up at some random joint where an official looking dude approaches me still in the Tuk Tuk and hands me the Cambodian immigration form and says "Visa. Free service"*... I'm not impressed... I says to my driver "This is not the border. Take me to the border"... he plays dumb for a bit..."Take me to the border"... he takes me to the border.
Jumps out the Tuk Tuk and I'm immediately hassled again - "Visa express service... faster... cheaper". Still a bit irritated by my first scamming attempt I give a fairly short... "No thank you. Goodbye" and they leave me alone.
Thai immigration stamps me out of Thailand and doesn't even ask for a tip... legends!
Now to get my Cambodian visa. Strolls in and I'm the only one there. The officals treat me like royalty. Handing me a form, a pen... one even gave up his chair for me. I'm just finishing my form when he says "You pay in bhat" (Scam 2, part a - they try to make you pay way too much in Thai bhat. The price is $20 for a tourist visa as it says on a sign in the room!)... "No. I pay in US dollar." ... "okay, the price is $20 and 100 bhat" (Scam 2, part b - when part a fails they try and get you to hand over 100 bhat for express service... express service?! I was the only one in the room... I'll wait my turn!)... to which I reply "Sorry, no bhat''. My visa is processed in about 2 minutes.
Cambodian immigration stamps me into Cambodia and like their fellow stamp loving friends in Thailand they don't even ask for a tip... legends!
Now all that's left is to get to Siem Reap...
I jump on the free bus to the taxi rank/tourist bus location. By the way right from leaving Thailand a Cambodian offical has walked with me and told where to go all the way along... he seems nice but I'm suspicious. He's now on the bus too. Bus jouney is about 3 minues but it's enough time for me to introduce myself to the only other passenger, a young Japaness lad, and I suggest we share a taxi to Siem Reap together to which he agrees. My offical tells me this will be $20 each (this is about right by my research...).
We arrive at our location and I'm taken to a counter for the taxis. The official asks we both pay our $20. Hang on... "Why can't I pay at Siem Reap?". Has to be at the office in advance apparently. So I says I want to see the taxi and I want to speak to the driver before I do anything.
Scam 3 - the taxi takes you very close to Siem Reap but not to you agreed location. He tells you a yarn about the taxi not being allowed any further into the city... you are then handed over to a mob of Tuk Tuk drivers who will assist you. This is, of course, nonsense and taxi can go into the centre.
I speak to my driver, who's English is bad, first saying that if I paid this other dude I would be giving him no money. He seems to agree. I then explain that he will take me all the way to my destination and "no Tuk Tuks". I show him on the map, he looks confused, but agrees. The group of officials now around the cab all confirm he will take me to my hostel. Anyway this goes on for a good few minutes with me basically repeating myself. Eventually me and the Japanese lad jump in and get on our way.
Journey goes without a hitch. That is until we reach the edge of Siem Reap. The driver tells me he's just stopping here to get directions to our places as they will know... here we go I think to myself. Driver jumps out and a random dude pokes his head in the driver's door... he explains, ever so politely that this cab can go no further due to it's type of licence and we need to switch vehicles. I explain (the Japanese lad doesn't have a great command of the English language) firmly, but politely that this will not be happening. This taxi will be taking us both to our destinations as agreed at the border. He keeps trying bless him but I aint budging... eventually he starts guilt tripping me "Why do you come to Cambodia if you don't trust Cambodians? You're not respecting Cambodians". To which I politely requests that he respects me and let my driver be on his way. He cracks but he says he has one last thing to say - "You do not respect Cambodians. You do not respect Buddhists either. You will have bad luck for this"... we recommence our journey.
a*******!
Within about 10 minutes I'm dropped at Siem Reap Hostel where I'm staying. The driver tries to make subtle attempts to say that he is just the driver and does as he's told... he then says he's hungry and hopes we have a tip for him. Not a chance pal! I check in at the hostel...
That pretty much brings me to now... not sure what the plan is for the rest of the day but I'm feeling rather satisfied with myself for not getting duped. These guys are good and without the power of the internet I would definitely have fell for one of them as they're good at what they do!
All in all, the challenge was quite good fun!
Hoping to have something good to say about Asia in the next blog...
* - this service is not in the slightest bit free. My Japanese friend unfortunately fell for it and it ended up costing him 1200 bhat for his visa, about $36 compared the $20 I paid. Cretins!
- comments
Dad Welldone for standing up to these.....enjoy and take care...love you Indiana xx
Mum Well done, it must be so frustrating not knowing who you can trust. Calm and diplomatic is the order of the day, that way no one gets offended. Rise above it. Hope things improve for you, otherwise 'New Zealand here I come'. Mum xx