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Coronavirus Issues and Cambodian Immigration Policy

Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Cambodian Immigration. This is not a topic I bring up particularly often but it is a topic that I think is going to have a tangential impact on folks who are staying here in Thailand because it can have an impact on for example border runs and visa runs and so I thought it was noteworthy enough to go ahead and do a video on. 

In a recent article from the Bangkok Post, bangkokpost.com, the article is titled Cambodia Bars Entry by Water Transport. Quoting directly: "The Ministry of Public Works and Transport issued an announcement on Friday to suspend the entry of travelers through waterways to prevent the spread of the COVID-19." Quoting further: "Director-general of the General Department of Waterway Transportation stated – ‘The Department has decided to suspend the entry of passengers and ships from now on until further notice’. Therefore please be informed and follow the new directive."  So it appears that water borders are going to be a problem. 

Meanwhile, and this is anecdotal, but it is my understanding that Cambodian Immigration Authorities, much like Thai Immigration Authorities are promulgating regulations that will be restricting travel to Cambodia for those with certain nationalities.  So it is very possible that we are going to see folks with certain nationalities not being able to get into Cambodia in the relatively near future. Now this has an impact on a lot of the viewers of this channel or possible impact on a lot of viewers on this channel, because those were doing border runs or visa runs, oftentimes like to do a border run or a Visa Run to Cambodia. It is a fairly popular place to go. Phnom Penh is certainly a nice city especially for doing an air border run; spend a weekend over there and then come back to Bangkok. It happens quite frequently. 

So the thing to take away from this video is for those who do need to do border runs, those who do need to do visa runs in order to maintain their status here in the Kingdom, it is probably a good idea to ascertain where the receiving country so when you are leaving, where the country are going to be going to, what their position is on this. Let's be clear, Cambodia's position may have changed radically from the time this video was made to the time it came out, to the time you see it. So something to really seriously consider is looking at for example if you are thinking of using Cambodia as a lily pad from whence to do a visa run and return to Thailand, it is probably good idea to go ahead and check the Immigration rules and regulations that are currently in force in Cambodia to ascertain whether or not you can actually get into Cambodia in order to turn around and come back out of Cambodia to come back here to Thailand.

We have made multiple videos on Thai Visa runs and the Coronavirus. We will continue to make videos on all of this as it is sort of relevant to Southeast Asia or as much as we can. It is pretty broad scope. I am trying to trying to get the broad strokes taken care of as well as things that may be acutely important for expats over here in this region but the thing to take away from this video is it looks like Cambodia is taking measures with respect to restricting travel in the midst of this Coronavirus pandemic and those who are looking to go over there for any reason but more acutely for Visa Run purposes it is probably a good idea to see if there are other alternatives or I should say to ascertain what exactly Cambodia's position is before making any irrevocable travel arrangements.