Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing increased frequency of Thai- Cambodian Border Runs. I wasn't even fully aware of this until I read an article from the Pattaya Mail that is pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Pattaya Immigration Bureau sees return of pre-pandemic numbers. Now the thrust of this article actually goes in a very different direction but there was a small excerpt in here that I thought was interesting actually and very pertinent to this video. However, the thrust of the article really goes in a different direction. I urge those who are watching this video, go check out that article in detail, read it for yourself but to quote an excerpt, quoting directly from again, the article is titled: Pattaya Immigration Bureau sees return of pre pandemic numbers, pattayamail.com. Quoting directly: "He added that they were now daily Visa Run departures from Jomtien Immigration to Cambodian border to replace the three-times weekly service. He stressed it was necessary to book in advance and not to turn up at the border unescorted or without prior registration." 

So a couple of things, key things to take away from here. So before there were three of these sort of Border Runs a week. Now it is back to daily which that is kind of what I have always been used to when it comes to Border Runs here in Thailand with especially Cambodia. The other thing to bear in mind, again and we have actually talked to folks who have gotten stuck on the other side of the Border because they just thought, "Oh, I can just do it myself. No big deal!" Yeah it is a big deal because Immigration, they have got stuff they are dealing with up there and they don't want to deal with anybody who is not coming through a Visa Agency, a Visa service, one of these services that is doing these Border Runs. Before everybody goes off getting all angry and I know a lot of people, I see it in the comments and stuff from time to time when I do actually check the comments, "oh they are just setting it up to make Visa agents money", this that and the other thing. No I don't necessarily think that is exactly what it is although maybe that is an element of like "make work for the economy" going on although I just don't think that that is how these folks think at the end of the day. Instead, I think what is going on is look they have got their protocols to deal with, they have also got a whole lot of protocols that are still going on even in the aftermath of opening up the country that basically Immigration doesn't want to be dealing with anybody off the cuff. They want to make sure that everyone they are dealing with is sort of they know what they are going to be dealing with before those people show up at the border.

If you don't do that, again we have had calls from folks, we've dealt with correspondence from multiple people that have gotten stuck on the other side of the Border, ended up having to go back to Phnom Penh, fly back in, this, that and the other thing. Look yeah there are problems. So, if you are looking to do a Border Run, do your research beforehand, do not try to do it just winging it to use an expression. It's better to go ahead and do your research, get in contact with someone who actually does this on a regular basis, do it correctly lest you find yourself getting stuck in Cambodia or Cambodia might not let you in, then you end up in a situation where you are in this kind of weird limbo up along the border, especially if you're running up against an overstay or something, that's just a problem you don't want to have. So again, prior planning prevents poor performance, go ahead and prepare in advance, do your research and then go ahead and make your arrangements accordingly.