Taking on the boarder officials and losing - mostly!
The bus from Stung Treng was late and was not due until 5.45PM... We headed away from the bus station after walking and waiting there for 30 mins, and got an iced coffee. When we arrived back we were told that we'd be picked up by moto and dropped buy the highway...
This is what happened, 2 motorcycles arrived we hopped on with bags and sped through town to the side of the rd. Dropped off and waited only a few mins for our 'big bus' as they are referred to in Cambodia. Promising start! Then we were asked by the bus conductor for our passports and 5 dollars, to which we declined. We'd already got a Lao visa so just stamps from the boarder control. It's written in every guidebook and travel site that 'petty overcharging' happens at land boarders in Asia, in particular all the ones we were taking. First stop getting stamped out of Cambodia. By now it's 6.30PM and we are hurried off the bus to the immigration hut, around 5 guys all in casual wear show up and get to work on the passports handed over on the bus...
Then sadly I was first in the Q. Not wanting to just give them my 2 dollars I said no and politely asked they stamp my passport. To which the guy said 'no stamp now, in the morning' it's 2 dollars overtime ... I persisted with my best 'please stamp me put of your country sir' and they were having none if it. The leader of the pack encouraged them to pack away and shut the hut.. Lights off and boarder officials getting on their motos to head back to their pit. At this point no one else had the opportunity to pay the bribe or get a stamp as the men are completely insolent, they just walked off. Andy slammed dollars down on the counter and took pictures of the officials and it was still looking bleak. I continued with my whine- 'please stamp us out sir' and they said in the morning. By this point the bus conductor had told us that it wasn't that much money and we should just pay and walked off and the bus drove down to the Lao border. There are around 10 of us now trying to get a stamp out... The guys ask Andy to delete his picture and he negotiates them back to the hut with an I'll delete if you stamp us out- inclusive of the cash...
They witness the photo being deleted and start processing the passports, 2 dollars were being handed over and things happening. I had put my passport through the counter and went to retrieve it and got my hand slapped! Of course I wasn't happy and may have shouted which then started the ring leader off on some rant at me. I got my stamp, Andy got his and we managed to only part with 2 of the 4 dollars requested (this sadly felt like a mini victory). Then we walked down to the Lao border and we knew it would be 'same,same' so I handed over my passport and asked why there was a 2 dollar overtime fee... Andy had had enough of my do-gooder attitude by now and asked me just to pay- so I did! I then ranted at the bus guy who wasn't interested either as he makes a dollar on every passport he takes through on behalf of the bus.
Safe to say we did the boarder crossing when you're advised not to- and we can see why. I'm sure that I caused a lot of unnecessary grief for the bus as it has to wait while Ana is taking on the world but it's just so frustrating that this is allowed to happen.
Note to self- you can't always take on the world and win, but if you don't try then you'll never know ;)
The bus from Stung Treng was late and was not due until 5.45PM... We headed away from the bus station after walking and waiting there for 30 mins, and got an iced coffee. When we arrived back we were told that we'd be picked up by moto and dropped buy the highway...
This is what happened, 2 motorcycles arrived we hopped on with bags and sped through town to the side of the rd. Dropped off and waited only a few mins for our 'big bus' as they are referred to in Cambodia. Promising start! Then we were asked by the bus conductor for our passports and 5 dollars, to which we declined. We'd already got a Lao visa so just stamps from the boarder control. It's written in every guidebook and travel site that 'petty overcharging' happens at land boarders in Asia, in particular all the ones we were taking. First stop getting stamped out of Cambodia. By now it's 6.30PM and we are hurried off the bus to the immigration hut, around 5 guys all in casual wear show up and get to work on the passports handed over on the bus...
Then sadly I was first in the Q. Not wanting to just give them my 2 dollars I said no and politely asked they stamp my passport. To which the guy said 'no stamp now, in the morning' it's 2 dollars overtime ... I persisted with my best 'please stamp me put of your country sir' and they were having none if it. The leader of the pack encouraged them to pack away and shut the hut.. Lights off and boarder officials getting on their motos to head back to their pit. At this point no one else had the opportunity to pay the bribe or get a stamp as the men are completely insolent, they just walked off. Andy slammed dollars down on the counter and took pictures of the officials and it was still looking bleak. I continued with my whine- 'please stamp us out sir' and they said in the morning. By this point the bus conductor had told us that it wasn't that much money and we should just pay and walked off and the bus drove down to the Lao border. There are around 10 of us now trying to get a stamp out... The guys ask Andy to delete his picture and he negotiates them back to the hut with an I'll delete if you stamp us out- inclusive of the cash...
They witness the photo being deleted and start processing the passports, 2 dollars were being handed over and things happening. I had put my passport through the counter and went to retrieve it and got my hand slapped! Of course I wasn't happy and may have shouted which then started the ring leader off on some rant at me. I got my stamp, Andy got his and we managed to only part with 2 of the 4 dollars requested (this sadly felt like a mini victory). Then we walked down to the Lao border and we knew it would be 'same,same' so I handed over my passport and asked why there was a 2 dollar overtime fee... Andy had had enough of my do-gooder attitude by now and asked me just to pay- so I did! I then ranted at the bus guy who wasn't interested either as he makes a dollar on every passport he takes through on behalf of the bus.
Safe to say we did the boarder crossing when you're advised not to- and we can see why. I'm sure that I caused a lot of unnecessary grief for the bus as it has to wait while Ana is taking on the world but it's just so frustrating that this is allowed to happen.
Note to self- you can't always take on the world and win, but if you don't try then you'll never know ;)
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