🛺 Thailand Border Fail 🛃 Bye Family ✌️
The border with Thailand about 15km from my house recently opened for one day, so I shuttled my wife, kids, and in-laws to Thmor Da for a crossing.
😷 Pre-COVID Land Border Reopens 🛃
The border crossing with Laem Klat, Thailand, has been closed every since my wife and I moved here roughly two years ago. "Here" is Steung Kach in Pursat Province, Cambodia, by the way, adjacent to Trat Province over in Thailand. Once upon a time in a pre-COVID world, this border crossing was open for crossings by local residents from both sides of the border, but it was never an international crossing.
In April of last year an announcement was made that this border would re-open as an international crossing, and it was so close to happening that Governor of Pursat Province came and made a big speech about it, a date was set for the opening, etc. Well, fast forward to now, Cambodia has a new Prime Minister, Thailand has gone through some changes as well, and the deal is no longer on the table despite the Chinese having already built a casino and an entire mini economy based around the casino on this very border.
🎰 Abandoned Casinos 🎲
There are actually two casinos on this border, and one of them you can see in the above photo. This is the Khmer casino, but it's been shuttered for at least a year because it's main source of income was pre-COVID Thai gamblers using the local border crossing located at the end of the driveway to this monstrosity. The Khmer casino stayed open for awhile after COVID, but wasn't able to survive on Khmer gamblers alone, and the Chinese only gamble in Chinese casinos, so it's future was pretty grim.
With only one day to react, we heard a rumor that the border was going to open for only one day because of a beach festival on the Thai side. This was pretty exciting, especially because even though we live right next to the sea, a roughly 1 km wide strip of Thailand prevents us from access to it due to imaginary lines known as borders, and of course bureaucracy too.
🚐🚗 Khmer-avan 🚙🛻
I was 99% sure I wasn't go to be allowed to cross the border, but I went anyways because everyone kept insisting I go and that I'd be allowed to enter Thailand. I honestly went along just to make everyone not feel sad for me and also to shoot some pics of the caravan crossing over without me in tow. I brought my passport along that strangely enough has a valid Thai visa in in because of a mandatory international crossing I had to perform only a week prior to this.
I parked my tuk-tuk a few kilometers from the border at a friend's house, then we combined our passengers in hopes the Cambodian and Thai border guards would let him drive over the border despite not having insurance, a driver's license, or even a valid ID. To my surprise the guards said he was good to go, so I rejoiced that my wife and kids would finally be able to see what's on the other side of the imaginary lines that we stupid humans use to divide ourselves and prevent global citizenship.
I am pretty friendly with all the guards because I often bring guests to this gate to take selfies, and once we even walked across and met Thai soldiers hung out for an hour and came back. I didn't get to see much then except that Thailand has green mowed grass, soldiers that lace their boots tight and tuck their shirts in, smooth multiple lane highways, high voltage power lines, and many other signs of modernity.
🛻 Yota', Permission Granted 🛃
The guard that took us across back then had once lived in S. Korea and visited the N. Korea border. He said the difference between both sides of the border here is about the same, at least as far as poverty and development goes. Okay, back to the present, I hopped out of the truck and snapped some pics of the truck before running over and doublechecking with the guards that I wouldn't be allowed to join the Cambodian convoy.
The guards were a bit bummed to tell me the Thai government only invited Cambodians to be a part of this beach festival and crossing. I had already known this would be the outcome, but I just wanted to do the formalities to make my wife, kids, friends, and in-laws feel better. I walked back to the truck and pretended to be surprised that I was denied access to Thailand. My convoy of Cambodian homies seemed relieved to see me get denied access in a sense, mostly because if I hadn't gone along, they all would've believed I could've joined them and was simply being anti-social.
Well, what can I say, at least I speak fluent Khmer and have the cell phone numbers of many border guards here, haha. One day I aim to be the first non-Cambodian or Thai to officially cross this border for a non-emergency. If you want to see how awesome the beach adventure was you'll have to read my wife @sreypov's or my oldest daughter @srey-yuu's blog posts. This day ended with me functioning as a humble tuk-tuk driver, so I hired a soldier to give me a moto ride back to my tuk-tuk where I began the one-hour drive back home. Border FAIL yo'
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where you live is so close to Thailand and has land restrictions, I really like going to Thailand, but haven't made it yet
What a joke! but I am glad you can at least laugh about it or turn your frustration over idiotic bureaucracy into a post
It's a shame, the real reason the border isn't international is because the roads on the Cambodian side are shameful. Within 100 meters of the border gate on the Cambodian side the road is broken pavement on one side and gravel on the other, definitely not ready for waves of fully loaded tourist buses. The reason the government tells the people is that it's because Thailand is trying to steal Cambodian land.
And now that I've illegally crossed over to the other side once before on foot with Cambodian soldiers, I've seen the Thai side has 4-lane paved highways coming to a dead-end, mowed grass, high voltage power lines, basically just waiting for Cambodia to be ready on the other side. Like you already said though, I knew at the very least the journey would be Hive content 😆.
Yay! 🤗
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Sigh. I totally get what you mean. It's like I saw a very hot woman, knowing she's my buddy's mom. My other friends encouraged me to give it a try. I knew my buddy wouldn't approve me, but I will still have to go along with my other friend's suggestion, to ask my buddy if I can go out with his mom.
Ok this part I need to make it even clearer of your situation. You knew the Thai border will not allow a foreigner to cross it, but deep down in your heart, you're still keeping the finger crossed and hoped for a miracle; as if I already knew my buddy wouldn't give permission for me to go out with his mom, deep down in my heart there's still this one last "wish", just may be somehow that day he banged his head 🤣🤣🤣
Ok. That went too far away. So happened this morning I worked up extra early and saw this post, and got an extra couple of minutes to write this rather unusual comment for you. I'm glad you went for it anyway, just to satisfy my other friends wishes.
I'm curious, so how did it go for you? Were you able to date the hot babe?! I hope the mother banged her head or probably an angel appeared to her and told her, okay let your daughter go out with this dashing debonair of a man @davidke20! Blush blush! Haha. TGIF to you!
Well, you basically nailed it. Haha, I didn't even get the chance to mention I had been to Thailand a week earlier and actually have an active one-month Thai visa. On a previous trip a couple Cambodian soldiers walked some guests and I over to meet the Thai soldiers and sit on a bench on the Thai side for about 15 minutes.
On that trip the Cambodian soldiers admitted to being intimidated by the professionalism and discipline of Thai soldiers, and even mentioned it must be exhausting to mow so much grass. I assume they were too shy and/or nervous to ask the Thai guards if I could join the Cambodian convoy. No IDs were checked, only pictures taken of each car and its passengers, a head count, then each person given a necklace with a number to wear when returning to Cambodia.
Awww! This is a bit sad that you were left behind even with all the efforts you did. They are so strict even if you have the proof to show them. I bet your kids and your wife did not fully enjoy their escapade on the other side because you were not with them.
Well, I already knew it wasn't going to be possible because our border isn't equipped with all the tech for an international crossing yet. Before COVID this border was open to Thai and Khmer citizens, but only locals from the nearby border area. I think the agreement was that citizens could cross during the day but had to return across the same border before the border closed in the evening.
I hate to admit that everybody that was quite happy to go without me, and they all laughed and smile as they disappeared into Thailand. They even came back and told me how awesome it was, how beautiful the beach is, and really rubbed it in my face 🤣🤣🤣
Haha, they really did tease you ha! As if the feeling of being left alone is not enough! But I bet you were a good sport though!
As a reply, well, I wasn't all that alone I have me, myself and I🤭😆
Hope they brought something for you from Thailand perhaps the sticky rice with mangoes!😉
Hmm....come to think of it, I didn't get any cool surprises, I'm gonna file a complaint with the manager 😆😆😆
Thank you so much for giving us an amazing travel scenario. The joy of this journey makes us happy through these photographs. Especially the Thai border though I've never traveled. Looking at some of the pictures I feel the joy of that trip. Also, I respect your intention to cross this border. These are some great roadside scenes. Thank you very much for introducing us. May God always bless you with beautiful healthy days with your family. Wishing you success in your travels.
best regards @mdakash62
It was a good trip because either way my wife and kids needed a ride to the border to join our friends in their car. I was already very close so it wasn't a big detour for me to go the border gate, but I do wish I was able to see the land that is so close to my home but yet remains a mystery. Over there is a very big town with hospitals and many modern facilities. Thanks for stopping by.
You will enjoy such a birthplace again in the future with your family . I am expecting that from the creator. Thank you so much for all your love.
It's sad, you were left behind.
But that doesn't matter,Because your wife and children and also your entire family can enjoy the vestifal.
Yes, I kind of thought it would happen that I couldn't join them, but we are used to having visa problems and difficulties crossing borders. I have been to the gate so many times now that the soldiers all know me well, haha.
hahaha ,, it will be your best friend friends.