With Cambodia being a Thailand neighbor, several million Thais and foreign visitors cross into the country from Thailand every year.
Some try to do so with a fake Cambodia e-visa they have inadvertently purchased from a scam visa company operating online.
Last week, the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation came out warning tourists against using online sites offering e-visas for Cambodia.
This after they have received a new round of complaints from tourists that have bought fake visas to Cambodia on these sites.
Visas that cost them up to $300, and that are worthless when the person with it tries to enter Cambodia.
The ministry themselves have found a large number of fake Cambodia e-visa sites operating on the Internet. Even issuing a letter back in 2017, saying they knew of 17 sites selling fake e-visas.
They are now warning tourists, not only are these visas not valid, but there is currently no system in place for them to get their money back when they find out the visa is a fake.
How to avoid buying a fake Cambodia e-visa online?
The Cambodian ministry recommends anyone planning a trip to Cambodia either obtains a legitimate visa from a Cambodia embassy, or uses the government’s official website — E.Visa — Kingdom of Cambodia. On the website, you can obtain a Cambodia e-visa for only $36, and it is then valid for three months.
The online application process is simple too.
Just register a new account, complete the application form and pay the fee via a credit card. You will receive an approval letter within three days. The final step is print out that letter and show it to Cambodian immigration as you enter the country.
You are then set for a visit of up to 30 days, and with a visa that is valid for three months.
And, no, no matter what any of these scam sites tell you, they cannot get you a valid visa for Cambodia faster.
Related: Can you take a direct bus from Bangkok, Thailand to Phnom Penh, Cambodia?