Rode in the morning from Pailin town to the border town of Phsar Prum and park Bluey right in front of the Immigration and Customs. Best to be obvious but also ignorant I assumed so with Bluey fully in sight I proceeded to immigration stamping out and ignored customs.
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| Immigration & Customs at Phsar Prum - Cambodia |
No guards at the gates really so after immigration was done I packed up and rode Bluey very slowly to the Thai side wondering when will someone blow the whistle and pull me back to the Cambodian side but it never happen so I was out of Cambodia.
This was interesting for the previous time I was in Cambodia, running though the proper paperwork cost me USD 12.5 export fee and at least an hour waiting for the customs officer to figure out their paperwork but just being ignorant and riding through hoping no one notice cost me a free exit from Cambodia. This also allowed me to keep the original “temporary customs permit” which I got at the Cambodia entrance border of Chong Chom as a souvenir.
The Thailand side border Banpuggard made me run a wild goose chase which makes me feel like each of the counters did not trust each other. First up was counter 9 which was to get the immigration white card and TM2 form but the lady would not give me the TM2 form and ask me to go to immigration first at counter 4 then customs then back to her at counter 9.
So I got to counter 4, and mention motorbike crossing to the officer just in case since the TM2 form was missing. The officer checked with his buddy which refered to another list on a paper and finally asking where is Bluey registered. Apparently on their list was four countries that was allowed entry of vehicle into Thailand.
Malaysia
Singapore
Laos
Cambodia
Got stamped in at Immigration and I had to jump a fence to go to customs which was on the road drive through. Immigration was on the pedestrian walk path. Customs asked for all the standard documents and a new requirement of a photocopy of my passport with the entrance stamp into Thailand. This I could not prepare in advance since I just got the stamp a minute ago so I was directed to a nearby photocopy booth and got the papers for 3 baht. Bluey was also brought into the Customs holding area instead of parking in the no man zone.
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| Border Checkpoint - Banpuggard |
As the Customs processed the Temporary Import Permit (TIP) form he asked where was I going.
Home ... back to Malaysia.
15 Days ok ? Enough to go home to Malaysia ?
NO ! Cannot ! Give me 30 Days.
This was the first time I had to bargain to get a 30 days permit. I guess I had enter once too many time into Thailand and it is showing in their system.
15 Days enough to reach Malaysia.
NO ! ... I go Bangkok Songkran (Thailand New Year Festival) ... 15 days not enough ... I want to see Songkran then go back to Malaysia.
Songkran was a week later so effectively after Songkran I would have 2 weeks to get home hence the argument was sound. If I don't get 30 days, there was no way I could hang out in Bangkok for Songkran.
The Customs officer was convinced and he laughed when I mention Songkran giving me the thumbs up and said OK ... for you 30 days.
Phew.
Customs done I went back to counter 9 hoping to get the final TM2 form. The lady filled up the form and now I had to go back to counter 5 for the immigration stamp on the TM2 form. Mind that I was lining up again and again for all this counter behind new people so this whole process really took up time.
Immigration looked at me and the TM2 forms and asked me to bring Bluey into the immigration compound. Jump the fence again to Customs and somehow explained that I needed to ride Bluey into the pedestrian only section to show immigration the bike. I went round and round looking for a way in and the guards started blowing whistle stopping me like I was crazy trying to jail brake the customs holding area.
Somehow I manage to convey the message and the guards showed me a gate which they opened for my entry into the Immigration holding area. Immigration Officer checked the bike chassis number, double check all the paper works again, requested for my driving license and was very pleased with the international driving license.
Immigration finally stamped the TM2 form and with that I was now good to go into Thailand. The whole process took me 2 hours at the border and since this was a very remote border luckily there was not much people in queue else I would have been stuck for a long long time.
The last leg ... the road back home ...
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| Back in Thailand - Chantaburi Region |
Traveled on : Apr 2019
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