Cambodian Visa

Talk about GREAT customer service!

In and out in 20 minutes...

With a visa...

During their lunch break...

When the visa desk is "Closed"!

Even after reading on their web site that the visa desk is closed from 11:30 until 2 p.m., something possessed me to arrive at the Cambodian Embassy via moto taxi at 11:51. As the Vietnamese policeman outside the gates was pointing out the hours on the sign posted on the embassy gates, a woman came out and asked, "Visa?"

I said yes. She waved me inside, sat me down at a huge table, and gave me the application form. As I was filling it out, I realized that I had left the requisite two passport-size photographs in my hotel room. When I told her this, she asked for my passport and said, "No problem no problem." She then made two black & white photocopies of my passport photo, cut out one, and glued it to the application.

I fully expected to come back late in the afternoon for same-day service, but she grabbed one of the embassy officials on his way to lunch and told me to sit and wait. She gave him my passport, the application, and the pictures, and he disappeared into the embassy building. Five minutes later, he was back. He escorted me into his office where he filled out the paperwork, attached the visa to my passport, handed it back to me, and collected the fee: US$30 in greenbacks.

WOW!

About 20 minutes after arriving, I was back on the moto headed for my hotel. While I would advise following the posted hours, it's amazing what can happen when things line up just right!

Thank you, Campuchia!

Side note: Got my first-ever non-US haircut last night. It was ~US$7 and looks pretty good. Will post a photo when I get one :)