Traveling to Cambodia via Vietnam and Laos
Visa run tactics shared among recruiters,
Traces of living remain inside the criminal complex near Phnom Penh, Cambodia on the 16th (local time). Photo=Yonhap News,
, “Although a Level 4 travel warning (travel ban) has been issued for densely packed criminal areas in Cambodia, methods to circumvent this and enter Cambodia are being shared. This so-called ‘visa run’ involves entering Cambodia through neighboring countries.”,
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, “According to the industry on the 17th, after Kampot Province’s Bokor Mountain area, Bavet, and Poipet in Cambodia were designated as travel ban areas as of midnight the day before, methods involving entering Cambodia via neighboring countries have been spreading on recruitment platforms for crime syndicates.”,
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, “A ‘visa run’ refers to the practice of crossing into neighboring countries to renew visa-free stay periods by exploiting the fact that foreign nationals’ stay duration is calculated from the date of entry. However, among Cambodia’s crime syndicate recruiters, it has come to mean an entry method using neighboring countries.”,
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, “A recruiter explained, ‘You can go (to Cambodia) via Ho Chi Minh City,’ adding, ‘Another flight is needed from Vietnam.’ A person involved in a crime complex near the Thai border said, ‘Thailand and Vietnam don’t allow “guan operations” (bribing officials), so if you’re caught, that’s it. However, in Laos, “guan operations” are possible, so you can get out for about $20,000 (approx. 28 million KRW) per person.'”,
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, “Recruiters are sharing ‘visa run tactics.’ For example, if you want to enter Cambodia through the Moc Bai checkpoint in Tay Ninh Province, Vietnam, you must pass through Bavet, a now-banned area, so you need to go via Thailand. An insider familiar with the crime syndicates said, ‘There are almost no cases of entering directly with an emergency passport anymore. Travelers will now likely transit through China, Vietnam, or Thailand.'”,
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, “Professor Lim Joon-tae from Dongguk University’s Department of Police Administration advised, ‘It is necessary to continue to inform about similar crimes that may occur in other areas besides the specific banned countries and request travelers to refrain from traveling.'”,
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