I arrived in Cambodia on the 1st of April for a visa run. It's the first time I've had to do so since early 2020 when Thailand shut its borders and very generously offered emergency visa extensions to foreigners who were stuck in the country due to the pandemic.
In the past, a visa run could be done in 2-3 days. In fact, once, I did a visa run in a matter of hours! A few years ago, when I was switching from a business visa to a tourist exemption, I took an early morning bus to the Cambodian border and returned on the same day! Things aren't so easy nowadays, but are slowly getting better as things reopen and return to normal.
I returned to the Royal Thai Embassy on Thursday to pick up my passport and my brand new Non-O Visa! In another time, I could have even booked the $20 direct bus back to Bangkok that very night... but everything is a little slow and tricky at the moment. After receiving my visa, I had to prepare for my return to Bangkok. Coming to Cambodia was easy! Going back is a little more complicated, but still far easier than it was last summer.
After submitting all of my paperwork: visa, flight booking, COVID insurance policy, 1 night quarantine hotel, proof of pre-paid PCR test upon arrival, and closed transport from the airport to the quarantine hotel, I had to wait for my "Thailand Pass". This is the new system that the Thai government is using in lieu of the previous 14-day alternative state quarantine (ASQ) or "Phuket Sandbox".
Now, I'll take part in the "Test and Go" scheme! It's a one night quarantine with a PCR test. After I've tested negative for COVID, I'll be free to re-enter Thailand. The government website said the Thailand Pass could take 5-7 days to be issued. I played it safe and booked a ticket back to Thailand for the following Friday (15th of April). Imagine my surprise when I woke up the very next morning with the Thailand Pass document in my email inbox! Oh well... better safe than sorry. In the end, I'll stay in Cambodia a grand total of 15 days.
Still, it's kind of nice to be in a new place. I am fond of Cambodia. I just wish I could have traveled more. Much of my trip has been sitting in my hotel and working.
However, I've tried to do some fun things here and there. One morning I decided to visit the Cambodia Museum of Economy and Money! I couldn't take pictures inside, but it was really interesting!
The museum's exhibits were all about the economy of Cambodia - from the Angkor era to the present. It also featured the different currencies of the country, from the French Indochinese Piastre to the modern Khmer Riel.
Did you know that during the Khmer Rouge Regime there was no money? It was totally outlawed, and the country returned to a barter economy.
While waiting to return to Bangkok, I've just been taking it easy. Phnom Penh is a really popular expat destination. It's smaller and less developed than Bangkok (with a population somewhere between 2 and 3 million), but there are some great shopping malls, cafes, parks, and skyrise condos. I think that life here for an expat must be pretty nice! It's a quieter city than the Big Mango, and I appreciate the change of pace.
In the mornings, I like to pick up a can of coffee from the local mini mark and sit outside of the shop to drink it. Sometimes I will take an early morning walk around the National Museum and Royal Palace area.
Unfortunately the Royal Palace is still closed to visitors due to COVID-19. It's understandable, but I would have liked to have visited it again.
It seems that the government has decided to take this time to do some renovations on the beautiful old palace.
One morning I took a walk through the Old Market, which is just on the other side of the road from the Phnom Penh Night Market. It reminded me a lot of Chatuchak Market in Bangkok or other touristy markets. A monk was performing some sort of blessing ritual when I visited. He was walking up and down the aisles of the market, sprinkling holy water on people as he passed.
There's a small city park near my hotel, and sometimes I go for a walk there before it gets too warm.
I've been trying to save money and not eat out very much. Early on, I was eating a lot of peanut butter bread and instant noodles, but once I realized I would have to stay here a little longer than I expected, I realized I probably needed to eat more "real" food. There's a little restaurant at my hotel, and they make great Cambodian dishes for just a few dollars. Their prawn fried rice is excellent!
As is the grilled pork with vegetables. I'm trying to eat more veggies so that I don't get sick while I'm here!
A change in scenery has been nice, and much appreciated after being stuck at home for a few years. However, I'm ready to go back to Bangkok. This hasn't been a vacation, but a visa run. I wish I could have done more traveling and sightseeing while I was in Cambodia, but it's difficult do to much or go anywhere without your passport (which was at the Thai embassy for much of my stay!).
In any case, it's been interesting to get a glimpse of what daily life in Phnom Penh is like. I had never really spent much time here before, and I'm happy to get to know the city a bit better.
The most important thing now is that I remain COVID- free to get back to Thailand! If I test positive during my Test and Go, I'll have to quarantine until I'm negative again, and that would be a disaster!
I brought several ATK tests with me to Cambodia, and I picked up a few more at a nearby pharmacy across from my hotel. I've been testing every other day or so, just to make sure. So far, so good! If all goes well, I'll be back in Thailand on Friday and out of quarantine on Saturday!
No comments:
Post a Comment