We’ve seen countries around the world outline plans to open borders to visitors. Per AEC News Today, Cambodia has revealed plans to welcome tourists, and I don’t think we’ve seen anything like this from any other country.
On the plus side, Cambodia’s measures seem to mitigate virtually any risk associated with travelers spreading coronavirus in the country. At the same time, I would have to imagine that these measures may prevent just about anyone from considering a visit.
For context, Cambodia has only had a total of 126 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and has had zero deaths. Since April 13 the country has only had a total of four confirmed cases.
In this post:
Cambodia’s tourism plans in era of coronavirus
On June 8, 2020, Cambodia’s Minister for Economy and Finance, Aun Pornmoniroth, outlined plans to bring back tourism. The focus is on safeguarding the country from COVID-19, and getting visitors to bear the cost of this as much as possible.
Cambodia is requiring testing before departure and upon arrival, but that’s only the beginning…
Cambodia requires COVID-19 test prior to travel
Before even traveling to Cambodia, visitors need:
- A health certificate confirming that they’ve had a SARS-CoV-2 test less than 72 hours prior to departure
- $50,000 in health insurance coverage
That’s fair enough.
Cambodia’s requirements upon arrival
Not only is extensive testing being done for visitors to Cambodia, but there will be lots of nickel-and-diming:
- Visitors will have to make a $3,000 deposit upon arrival in the event that medical treatment is needed
- Visitors to Cambodia will have to pay $5 to be taken by bus to a testing facility upon arrival
- Visitors will then have to pay $100 for the RT-PCR test
- Visitors will have to pay $30 to stay in the waiting area overnight, and will have to pay an additional $30 for three meals
- If all the results come back negative, everyone is free to leave
However, if even one person on a flight tests positive:
- All passengers will be required to quarantine for 14 days in a government designated facility
- This will come at an all inclusive cost of $84 per day, so that will cost $1,176
- An additional swab test will be required for $100
- In the event of hospitalization, the cost will be $225 per day, plus up to an additional $400 for up to four swab tests
- If visitors need to be cremated, that will cost $1,500, though it’s not known if this includes the cost of an urn
I mean, I can appreciate a country having a comprehensive plan to the point that it involves cremation, but… I think Spirit Airlines charges fewer fees?
Bottom line
I can’t fault Cambodia for erring on the side of caution when it comes to allowing in visitors. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for countries to require testing before travel and upon arrival.
However, the measures are so extensive beyond that, and I have to imagine this will prevent a vast majority of people from visiting.
Like I said, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Cambodia’s policy, and I respect it. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see this adjusted pretty quickly, given how important tourism has become to Cambodia’s economy.
What do you make of Cambodia’s new entry requirements?
(Tip of the hat to You Have Been Upgraded)
This report is on the money as far as I'm aware. I won't be going to Cambodia - the costs are prohibitive. The Cambodian government has done an incredible job of protecting its people, but it has killed the economy. I have a wife there and many friends and former students. The feedback I'm getting is that most people are really struggling. Hunger is becoming a serious issue. Some of the comments above suggest that...
This report is on the money as far as I'm aware. I won't be going to Cambodia - the costs are prohibitive. The Cambodian government has done an incredible job of protecting its people, but it has killed the economy. I have a wife there and many friends and former students. The feedback I'm getting is that most people are really struggling. Hunger is becoming a serious issue. Some of the comments above suggest that only admitting high-end tourists is a good thing. This rather ignores the fact that most Khmers employed in tourism-related services are catering to the budget / mid-range market. Ultra-wealthy visitors do not patronize the local businesses and markets that are the main victims of the policy. The medical fees quoted are inflated and absolutely outrageous but no worse than a Cambodian pays if they go to hospital. A Cambodian hospital bed is a taxi with the meter ticking. There is growing resentment within Cambodia towards the policy. The tourism industry is so crucial that I suspect the government will have to think again. For now, tourists are essentially unwelcome and you stand a good chance of spending your stay being overcharged for accommodation and testing in a government facility. Stick the $3K up your shirt - you won't be getting it back. I lived there for 12 years: it's one of the most corrupt countries on Earth.
Even if you wanted to go, how do you get a visa? No VOA, no E-Visa .........
I was initially relieved to see the guidelines but the devil is in the details.
First, the idea of handing $3,000 per person in cash to the Royal Cambodian government and expecting them to return it is so optimistic as to border on insanity. I've never known the Royal Cambodian government to return money under any circumstance. What was the point of the $50,000 health insurance again?
Second, one of the government quarantine facilities...
I was initially relieved to see the guidelines but the devil is in the details.
First, the idea of handing $3,000 per person in cash to the Royal Cambodian government and expecting them to return it is so optimistic as to border on insanity. I've never known the Royal Cambodian government to return money under any circumstance. What was the point of the $50,000 health insurance again?
Second, one of the government quarantine facilities is a run down old school. Only Cambodians really coming into the country currently with how restrictive the Visas are so I only know Khmer who have been through it. Its not worth $8 much less $84 a night.
Third, they are only issuing business and diplomat visas right now. So this isn't going to hurt tourism... Tourism is already effectively flat-lined and they're not trying to resuscitate it. I can't imagine many businesses are going to bother with these requirements either.
Maybe they'll change... But given that the Royal Cambodian government just announced a 50% reduction in their 2021 budget I expect that we'll see a lot of new expenses to everything.
@rpakn
hahahahahaha
planned on going to cambo to visit online girlfriend...now it's a no go.
ASEAN members usually waive this and that for citizens of member states, since it's more or less headed towards becoming a union eventually, so I'd be interested to see what are the criterion for Southeast Asia travelers.
The thing that stands out to me, is the $50,000 health insurance, which seems queer, and I can almost certainly say it's aimed directly at Chinese tourists.
Cambodia's regime luckily still has ASEAN to step in if not...
ASEAN members usually waive this and that for citizens of member states, since it's more or less headed towards becoming a union eventually, so I'd be interested to see what are the criterion for Southeast Asia travelers.
The thing that stands out to me, is the $50,000 health insurance, which seems queer, and I can almost certainly say it's aimed directly at Chinese tourists.
Cambodia's regime luckily still has ASEAN to step in if not things would have gone to shit, but the government has really bought the China Dream hype and paid for their greed in the form of a new Macau. With neither the strict regulations of Singapore's casino regulatory authority and means to enforce them, nor the enclave border of an SAR to manage things, Sihanoukville was a social unrest waiting to happen.
Even worse, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and some parts of Thailand have a mini schengen style thingy, and Vietnamese vs Chinese was riot waiting to happen.
This actually makes sense. From a medical standpoint, as a frontline medical provider, without taking economy into the picture, to “clear” from potential exposure, an enforced 14 day quarantine on arrival makes the most sense.
I’d actually dispense with the test on arrival and enforce the 14 day quarantine. And then allow tourists to go about what they want to do.
@Azamaraal
You mention Spanish flu. And yes, there were clear lessons from it that were learned in 1919 and 1920 and which the Cambodians clearly learned, let alone Australia and New Zealand.
At medical school we get taught the difference between how it was handled in Philadelphia and St Louis. Unfortunately the US is retrying the Philadelphia approach, and it works the same in 2020 as it did in 1919.
In terms of deaths,...
@Azamaraal
You mention Spanish flu. And yes, there were clear lessons from it that were learned in 1919 and 1920 and which the Cambodians clearly learned, let alone Australia and New Zealand.
At medical school we get taught the difference between how it was handled in Philadelphia and St Louis. Unfortunately the US is retrying the Philadelphia approach, and it works the same in 2020 as it did in 1919.
In terms of deaths, there were probably only 100 million people on earth then who had a good diet and good health care, which is why the number of deaths was so large.
And returning to this thread, poor countries like Cambodia with limited health care capacity have worked out that keeping the virus out is a higher economic priority than getting tourist dollars. Even wealthy countries like Australia have reached the same conclusion.
It’s sad for the people who work in tourism. But the alternative is to be like the US or the UK. And very few people want that at the moment.
"I think Spirit Airlines charges fewer fees?"
That's true. Spirit's cremation fee is only $1200.
@Azamaraal ~ yes, I often wonder about that too. I'm sure that certain words and phrases trigger a 'red flag'. I suspect that the bar is set too low, catering for the faint-of-heart at OMAAT HQ.
On the other hand, entire posts pass the test which really are beyond the pale, and aught not see the light of day.
Ben
It's interesting to try to predict when a post gets the "your comment is awarding moderation" treatment as a previous post just got the lucky XXXX.
Is it because I used quote marks """""? Is it because I used %%%%%%? Is it because I said 100 MILLION (in caps)?
I'd like to find out so that I can save your PC bot some time and trouble ;-)
Or is it just because you love me?
@DavidF
You suggested that the "Spanish Flu" of 2018 - 20 (?) was easily managed but also maintain that you are a doctor.
My understanding that being easily "managed" resulted in "ONLY" 50 - 100 MILLION deaths - that's MILLION by the way. Nice management. Especially when the world population was only 1.8 Billion in 1918. 5.55% of everyone, not 5.5% of those who contract it.
If that is the final rate then over 450...
@DavidF
You suggested that the "Spanish Flu" of 2018 - 20 (?) was easily managed but also maintain that you are a doctor.
My understanding that being easily "managed" resulted in "ONLY" 50 - 100 MILLION deaths - that's MILLION by the way. Nice management. Especially when the world population was only 1.8 Billion in 1918. 5.55% of everyone, not 5.5% of those who contract it.
If that is the final rate then over 450 Million will die when Covid-19 is properly "managed".
Current worldwide results are very encouraging and it appears that modern medicine and some preventive measures are keeping it much better contained but certain countries exhibit the best and the worst approaches. Be happy that Australia and New Zealand reacted quickly and forcefully and thus have extremely good results and I hope it continues.
In the fact that the traveler will have a medical cover health as is required , isn't it crazy to ask 3,000 dollars for cover ... a medical treatment if needed ? (in cash haaa haa ) Totally non sense ! Who will go with those kind of rules ? And the airlines companies ? They will not go there with such rules , as few peoples would like to pay that. It's only a good news for the nearby beautifuls countries who will have more down to earth rules.
Eight of us cancelled our plans for September yesterday. We were doing Siem Reap then down to PP for two weeks. No worries always another year. Now have to figure out where to go.
I am Brazilian , living in Thailand for the past 5 years ,now standed in Brazil , I am trying to find a way back home, in Thailand . My question is, if I comply with all the requirements you have listed above , even if I need to go quarantine , would I be allowed to enter Cambodia ? From what dates ? Mid June ? Begining July ?
PS: From Cambodia it will be easier to get into Thailand , I think.
@Wade
The US has already tried the “barely test anybody” strategy.
It made things worse: your public health authorities only detected clusters when it was too late to isolate early cases.
Don’t forget there are two metrics we use here: official cases (120K US and 42K UK) and excess national deaths compared with previous years (160K US and 60K UK). If you reduced testing the excess death count will be widely cited instead -...
@Wade
The US has already tried the “barely test anybody” strategy.
It made things worse: your public health authorities only detected clusters when it was too late to isolate early cases.
Don’t forget there are two metrics we use here: official cases (120K US and 42K UK) and excess national deaths compared with previous years (160K US and 60K UK). If you reduced testing the excess death count will be widely cited instead - and it’s even more gruesome.
Currently neither Australia nor New Zealand has recorded unusually high excess death numbers, at all. So I don’t see why you think we are fudging our figures. Even our infection number figures reflect that both testing and treatment are completely free, so there are no barriers to getting tested.
While I, of course, respect these measures, for me that means that I will not visit Cambodia before the restrictions have been lifted, or significantly eased. The main issue is that they plan to quarantine the whole flight if one passenger tests positive. Even though they require a test before boarding, there's a relatively high chance of this happening and there are no mitigation measures. Could even be a false positive, which then means your...
While I, of course, respect these measures, for me that means that I will not visit Cambodia before the restrictions have been lifted, or significantly eased. The main issue is that they plan to quarantine the whole flight if one passenger tests positive. Even though they require a test before boarding, there's a relatively high chance of this happening and there are no mitigation measures. Could even be a false positive, which then means your traveling into a costly state quarantine.
But looking at this... they'll probably have to accept an extremely low level of tourism until a vaccine comes out that allows lifting these measures. I wonder if there won't be internal political pressure to ease the regulations.
@Wade, you are truly delusional !
Australia and NZ have been meticulous in reporting and recording Covid infections and deaths (total of 102 in Australia). The US has more than that each day before you even get out of bed each morning.
Don't tell lies and mistruths about other countries; you're not the president you know.
@Wade
I am a doctor, and my hospital in Australia hasn’t had a Coronavirus case for 55 days.
And the rules here are you get swabbed for the virus even if you have a sniffle or a cough. We aren’t failing to count or report cases, we have just followed the technique the Americans taught us a century ago to manage pandemics. And it still works. And we have squashed the virus. For now.
...@Wade
I am a doctor, and my hospital in Australia hasn’t had a Coronavirus case for 55 days.
And the rules here are you get swabbed for the virus even if you have a sniffle or a cough. We aren’t failing to count or report cases, we have just followed the technique the Americans taught us a century ago to manage pandemics. And it still works. And we have squashed the virus. For now.
Every single case we have had is aggressively contact traced. I get a report every day as a senior doctor which describes the 5-10 new cases per week and where they are traced to (which is basically 90% people returning home from the US and UK and being quarantined on arrival in policed hotels.)
The spread of this virus is easy to stop using tried and tested techniques. Even poor countries like Cambodia can do it.
And once you have done that you can open up your economy and ease restrictions. I went to the mall today and it was packed...and none of us wear masks because we know that there’s no virus circulating in our towns.
The problem is countries like the US which try not to implement the measures and have consequently lost control of the virus. That’s why Australia and New Zealand prohibit anyone from your country from entering our countries apart from returning citizens (who are driven straight to quarantine by a bus driver wearing full PPE.) We love America and Americans, but we can’t take the risk of allowing you into our country when we have made the sacrifices we have to eliminate this virus. (We don’t even allow people into my state from the next state, let alone from hotspots like the USA.)
And it’s the same reason why Cambodia will be taking a huge risk if they allow in anyone from places like the US and UK before a vaccine is available.
I have a feeling that (if anyone goes at all) we will start seeing deposits being 'lost' despite needing no treatment or care at all...
@Tim
It’s untrue to say that it can only be controlled, not stopped.
It’s a highly contagious virus but also a highly predictable one that is easy to manage like our great-grandparents did with similar viruses a century ago in the days before vaccines and anti-viral medication.
Australia and New Zealand have shown that if you close your borders and do a total lockdown for 4-6 weeks you let the virus die out. Then...
@Tim
It’s untrue to say that it can only be controlled, not stopped.
It’s a highly contagious virus but also a highly predictable one that is easy to manage like our great-grandparents did with similar viruses a century ago in the days before vaccines and anti-viral medication.
Australia and New Zealand have shown that if you close your borders and do a total lockdown for 4-6 weeks you let the virus die out. Then you keep your borders (including state ones) closed and make people returning from overseas do patrolled hotel quarantine.
And then your economy returns to normal - except airlines - until a vaccine arrives.
Simple and it works. And countries rich and poor can make it work.
Here in Australia overseas visitors are banned but we also cannot get an Exit Pass for an overseas vacation. So we will fill the hotel rooms that overseas visitors normally would.
Our friends in the US and UK like to claim that Nothing Could Work, but we have proved that simple old-fashioned measures work.
What doesn’t work is smart Alec attempts to defeat science. Temperature checks and blood tests are not foolproof and won’t stop community transmission. And countries like Cambodia will introduce cases if they let people from hotspots like the UK and US in. It’s a bad idea.
If you let nobody in you keep False Negatives out.
Yes @Tim, you can only manage it, not stop it.
Trouble is that it is not even being managed; it is out of control.
You have a whole bunch of selfish people who defy expert medical advise, claiming their First Amendment rights, liberty, land of the free, blah, blah blah.
Who would have thought that your Constitution, with its twisted out of shape Amendments would be the death of many, and the...
Yes @Tim, you can only manage it, not stop it.
Trouble is that it is not even being managed; it is out of control.
You have a whole bunch of selfish people who defy expert medical advise, claiming their First Amendment rights, liberty, land of the free, blah, blah blah.
Who would have thought that your Constitution, with its twisted out of shape Amendments would be the death of many, and the looming death of US democracy (such that it is).
New Zealand and Australia for starters, have stopped it! You lot weren't willing to put aside your 'rights' for 5 minutes and look at the mess you are in! Wake up!!
Ben, in your response to Greg you stated "...stop the spread of the viris..." That's the problem , none of these lockdowns were meant to stop it but to SLOW the transmission. It's widespread transmission is inevitable. We can only manage it, not stop it.
No plans to visit Cambodia but I would not be surprised that if you took out a travel insurance policy today for travel Covid-19 would be covered as it is a declared pandemic, like taking out a home owners policy when a hurricane is known to be on the way.
Cambodia? Do Pol Pot's Family have to follow the Rules too?
For all the snide comments, bear in mind the current rules in Australia and New Zealand:
“NO INTERNATIONAL VISITORS ALLOWED “.
Don’t knock Cambodia. They have made sacrifices to contain this virus that Americans and British people refused to make, and their vastly superior health outcomes justify it.
USA 120,000 deaths
Cambodia 0 deaths
They have just followed the time honoured way of stopping a pandemic: close your borders and lockdown. And as always...
For all the snide comments, bear in mind the current rules in Australia and New Zealand:
“NO INTERNATIONAL VISITORS ALLOWED “.
Don’t knock Cambodia. They have made sacrifices to contain this virus that Americans and British people refused to make, and their vastly superior health outcomes justify it.
USA 120,000 deaths
Cambodia 0 deaths
They have just followed the time honoured way of stopping a pandemic: close your borders and lockdown. And as always it has worked for poor countries like Cambodia and rich countries like Australia and middle income countries like Uruguay.
Why should these countries now jeopardise that by allowing entry to people in from high risk countries like the UK and USA?
BYOU - Bring You Own Urn
My advice is , just do not visit Cambodia for now . In fact do not travel at all until Jan 2021 .
And they seriously say this is to welcome tourists? Not gonna happen!
If you have to stay at a Cambodian hospital, they directly charge you their ICU price per night, even if you don’t need intensive care. Don’t expect any discounts. The additional $3k are meant as a back up, some insurance policies do not pay if your home country hasn’t lifted its travel advisory notes for your travel destination, no matter if your insurance covers covid19.
I wouldn't set foot in cambodia. They aren't being honest about their numbers because they are under the thumb of china. When travel starts for people who wish to visit that part of the world I would put more faith in Vietnam and Thailand, before I put any trust in cambodia.
@globetrotter~ knowing how Americans value a set of perfect white teeth, I guess that as you suggest, Americans are avoided "like plaque" ! LOL.
This is why this year I'm going to Branson, MO and seeing the USA this year, except for the East/West coast states.
As far as I know, most if not all insurance is completely useless when it comes to COVID-19. Policies exclude everything that may have anything to do with the virus. So yeah...insurance won't help.
LOL.. Cambodia thinks they are Maldive or something, I live in Vietnam only 1 hr away from VN-Cambodia border and still don't want to go there
Absolutely insane. I don't care about being responsible for additional costs but there is no way in hell I am spending a night in a testing facility or a government run quarantine facility. So disappointing as this is a trip I had already pushed back.
Ben - you're so desperate get travelling again, why don't you take a visit there and review the quarantine accommodation? Kill two birds with one stone....
@YYZ Phil - yes! Countries like New Zealand are not allowing any visitors at all so I appreciate Cambodia's attempt to open up while protecting itself from the potential ravages of a disease brought in by citizens of rich Western countries that have totally flubbed their COVID-19 responses. The world is now tentatively trying to open up and these trials will result in errors that will be fixed. If you want the ancien regime just...
@YYZ Phil - yes! Countries like New Zealand are not allowing any visitors at all so I appreciate Cambodia's attempt to open up while protecting itself from the potential ravages of a disease brought in by citizens of rich Western countries that have totally flubbed their COVID-19 responses. The world is now tentatively trying to open up and these trials will result in errors that will be fixed. If you want the ancien regime just travel domestically if you can; do not bother the rest of the world.
Very glad we made our trip to Cambodia last fall. And the country has much more than just Angkor Wat to offer.
How much of this cost is going to end up in Hun Sens pocket. Didn't Hun Sen go to China when the virus first became known and tell the world there was nothing to worry about. Wasn't Hun Sen the person who allowed a ship to dock in Cambodia that other countries refused entry and greeted the passangers as they disembarked as he advised there was nothing to fear. Didn't the CCP under Hun Sen...
How much of this cost is going to end up in Hun Sens pocket. Didn't Hun Sen go to China when the virus first became known and tell the world there was nothing to worry about. Wasn't Hun Sen the person who allowed a ship to dock in Cambodia that other countries refused entry and greeted the passangers as they disembarked as he advised there was nothing to fear. Didn't the CCP under Hun Sen have emergency laws enacted that if you reported on the virus jail was sure to follow. I would go as far to say that at least one passanger from each flight will test positive with the exception of flights from China.
@Jason: Unless you have a Taiwanese passport or permanent residency, you should look into some alternate connections; Taiwan is not going to be allowing entry OR transit by foreign nationals until a vaccine exists.
Is there any insurance companies that offer travel coverage that doesn't exclude Covid-19? The travel insurance policies I've seen have a direct exclusion for illness caused by Covid-19 so I don't even know if it's possible to buy travel insurance that would suit Cambodia's needs.
This site fails to enforce its own commenting guidelines as it permits peddling deception and sowing confusion. Two months ago, I raised the prospect that the world would not welcome Americans but avoided us like plaque. I brought the possibility of a requirement of a vaccine certificate from host countries three days before Gary first wrote about health passport. When all bloggers praised Doug Parker for reading a racism book, I wrote a different perception...
This site fails to enforce its own commenting guidelines as it permits peddling deception and sowing confusion. Two months ago, I raised the prospect that the world would not welcome Americans but avoided us like plaque. I brought the possibility of a requirement of a vaccine certificate from host countries three days before Gary first wrote about health passport. When all bloggers praised Doug Parker for reading a racism book, I wrote a different perception of him with a link. Is there a difference between Parker showing off the racism book and Trump holding a bible in front of St. John Church? My three comments were blocked. My comments also are tagged for moderation!!!
@marc @kyall. Australia has still not announced a date when international travel will resume. The Sept 21 date in the Newscorp papers u saw is wishful thinking not fact.
The borders have been closed since mid March & Australians Have not been able to leave without Special exemption. Only returning AustralIan citizens or residents have been permitted in & all must quarantine in a hotel for 14 days. There has been no non essential...
@marc @kyall. Australia has still not announced a date when international travel will resume. The Sept 21 date in the Newscorp papers u saw is wishful thinking not fact.
The borders have been closed since mid March & Australians Have not been able to leave without Special exemption. Only returning AustralIan citizens or residents have been permitted in & all must quarantine in a hotel for 14 days. There has been no non essential domestic travel either but that is now slightly changing. I imagine local travel will be opened up before international flights.
There is some talk of a travel bubble with NZ which may come as soon as Sept but only if no’s continue to drop & all Australia’s state borders are opened, which they are currently not.
Apart from that, Economists suggest it is unlikely AustralIans will be able to travel globally till 2021 at the earliest but there is still no official word from the govt.
For that $30 food fee does that include tax, tip and an alcoholic beverage? The $30 fee for room accommodations, does that credit as travel for 3x on my CSR?
@ Icarus: Insurance 101 is to collect as many premiums and deny as many claims as possible. Its primary goal is to collect $$ not pay out. Who will hold the bag when an insurance claim is denied?
@ Wade: stop comparing COVID-19 to other non-infectious deadly diseases. It just shows you support pseudo-science. How many of your family members, relatives, and friends became the statistics? You would be singing a different tune as...
@ Icarus: Insurance 101 is to collect as many premiums and deny as many claims as possible. Its primary goal is to collect $$ not pay out. Who will hold the bag when an insurance claim is denied?
@ Wade: stop comparing COVID-19 to other non-infectious deadly diseases. It just shows you support pseudo-science. How many of your family members, relatives, and friends became the statistics? You would be singing a different tune as all of your lives worth more than others.
@Ross: How can you justify the death rate, not infected cases, in this country? The CDC reports that the US deaths are around 15% under counted as deaths outside hospitals and nursing homes are excluded.
Interesting set of policies. This will deter the vast majority of potential tourists from considering a trip Cambodia. I wonder if they are trying to attract only very wealthy people? The "if anyone on your plane tests positive for COVID" rule is much less draconian if you arrive on a private plane with only your family members.
Glad I visited Cambodia earlier this year when I did. I think we can agree that this is all so disappointing though. Not even 500,000 people have died from COVID-19 yet. This isn't even 0.0064% of the global population. Four times as many people die each year from diarrheal diseases than from COVID-19. In Asia, I would be much more worried about the former than the latter.
Binyamin,
You finally made a funny!
“I mean, I can appreciate a country having a comprehensive plan to the point that it involves cremation, but… I think Spirit Airlines charges fewer fees?”
Medical costs need to be paid up front. Your insurance will reimburse you after sending in appropriate forms a few months later. Hence the need for the cash deposit. Thailand for example has had problems with tourists taking advantage of their free public healthcare leaving the government stuck with tourist medical bills...
my guess is Cambodia is trying to avoid that very problem.
For me, I'm unlikely to travel anywhere for a while, but if I did go somewhere, Cambodia would be one of the places I'd consider, provided I could get a long enough visa. I would only consider a country that takes this really seriously and would make me safe.
People are forgetting that not all airplane passenger from point A is tested for Covid-19. I may be wrong but I don't think there's a direct flight to Cambodia from the US, so it is most likely a connecting flight to other Asian countries like Japan, Hong Kong etc. So some of these connecting Asian countries do not require a Covid test, so it is possible that a asymptomatic passenger is flying on the first leg of the flight.
Their country, their rules.
Maybe it will help precious sites like Angkor et al to recover from the tourist hordes.
Or maybe starvation will motivate them to rethink the policy.
It’s pointless to pass judgment on them.
We have no skin in the game.
If countries stayed out of each other’s affairs the world might be a better place.
Lucky, You are so good in writing I must say and able to worded it differently in replying to some of the lousy comments here.
@ Greg - I must say you are dumb in your comment as this article is great to let those who may be planning to visit Cambodia but didn't know such rules exist, to go or not it is each own decision but to know these rules are important.
If anyone has been to Cambodia, you know that their custom and immigration officers openly ask for tips.
So my guess is that travelers may very well be able to pay people off along the way upon arrival for a fraction of the total cost listed and may be able to get out any lengthy quarantine.
I support this kind of strategy. It should deter cheap travellers. Less traveller, but those who have enough money to pay the expenses needed, will be enjoying a less crowded Cambodia!
I do hope the South East Asian countries will finally realise that less and quality are better than cheap mass tourism which only destroy their countries. Cambodia's new stragedy is a new start for better sustainable tourism.
In a nutshell , don’t visit. If you have insurance , why do you need to pay a further $3000?
Based upon the number of underage brothels in Phnom Penh, i will never go to Cambodia again.
Good luck to them.
Without Angkor Wat, they don't have much to offer.
Angkor Wat is such an incredible site, that I would find it very tempting to jump through even extreme hoops to be able to visit it again empty of other tourists. Will you be able to arrive by boat in Sihanoukville and fly domestically?
@ JG
Yes.
As a national of Cambodia, I can understand why they would want to provide strict rules like that. If they want to do as much as they can to keep the risk of COVID-19 out, that's their right. As a tourist, you're a guest in that country just like tourists are entering the US.
Canada's not allowing tourists in for this reason as well. I have a Cambodian-French aunt who has cancelled her trip here...
As a national of Cambodia, I can understand why they would want to provide strict rules like that. If they want to do as much as they can to keep the risk of COVID-19 out, that's their right. As a tourist, you're a guest in that country just like tourists are entering the US.
Canada's not allowing tourists in for this reason as well. I have a Cambodian-French aunt who has cancelled her trip here for that very same reason.
It's safe to say that tourism as an industry will be put on hold until research uncovers more ways to limit the spread. How could anyone fault Cambodia for wanting to protect her people?
Who wants to start their vacation thinking about cremation and urns? This will deter 99.99% of the people who might be interested in visiting, if not more. I don't blame Cambodia, but do hope they realize that.
And the idiots who are still bringing up fake stats or stupid statements like "Cancer and heart disease killed more people", cancer and heart disease are not infectious diseases, and COVID death rates are DESPITE measures implemented. The...
Who wants to start their vacation thinking about cremation and urns? This will deter 99.99% of the people who might be interested in visiting, if not more. I don't blame Cambodia, but do hope they realize that.
And the idiots who are still bringing up fake stats or stupid statements like "Cancer and heart disease killed more people", cancer and heart disease are not infectious diseases, and COVID death rates are DESPITE measures implemented. The death toll will now no doubt climb because of people like Jorge.
Can the mods please do something about people like that? It's no different from shouting "Fire" in a crowded theater (when they were open, at least...).
As someone who has lived and worked in Cambodia, my first instinct is to disbelieve the claims re no of cases, the hygiene there leaves a lot to be desired.
Regarding their entry conditions, way too harsh and reminds me how corrupt the country is. ( not that this is a criticism, merely a fact, easy to check.)
Any expat who works there is told by their employers that they need medical insurance...
As someone who has lived and worked in Cambodia, my first instinct is to disbelieve the claims re no of cases, the hygiene there leaves a lot to be desired.
Regarding their entry conditions, way too harsh and reminds me how corrupt the country is. ( not that this is a criticism, merely a fact, easy to check.)
Any expat who works there is told by their employers that they need medical insurance which gets them out of the country for treatment (Bangkok or Singapore) which could explain low no of cases !
As for staying in a govt approved centre if test positive , no thank you :-(
title of this post should be, "A Burning Desire to Visit Cambodia."
What If I rather be buried whole and cremated?
Such nonsense completely rules out any visitors, leisure or otherwise, for the foreseeable future. Even “essential” travelers will avoid that place.
You really believe their data on Covid cases / deaths?
In that case, I have an ancient Buddhist city where I can sell you some real estate . . .
The fear of getting this covid 19 ,is getting way out of hand,and becoming to important.the spread is mostly through super events,and indoors.also even if you have it ,but you are not sick,you can not pass it on.life is not about being safe 24/7.
Lol at the 99.9998% survival rate, obviously this is a joke. Considering 115,000 have died in the US already, that would mean the population would have to be 57.5 billion people and all of them would have to get it.
I'm not really sure the point of throwing such numbers out there is. As Andrew said, the mortality rate is probably not as high as people initially suspected, but it's also not virtually zero.
Bottom line, the world isn't quite ready for non-essential international travel. Lets wait and see and hopefully travel can resume as numbers drop or a vaccine is developed.
@Frank - The global death rate is 5.6%, and COVID-19 is on track to be the #3 cause of death in the U.S. this year, after heart disease and cancer.
I think I would be exhausted from doing all these requirements just for the trip. Whoever's decision on these rules need to be replaced. Good luck!
Think Cambodia better off close the country for tourism than creating all these rules which will preventing visitors from entering the country anyway.
@Ben You're right, my reading comprehension ain't what it used to be. I would be happy to accept the risk of quarantine if it was limited to members of my party. But if I'm betting nobody on the *plane* has COVID-19 -- well, that's leaving way too much to chance. It would be a miracle if someone on the plane *didn't* have COVID-19. This will primarily serve people who were planning to go to Cambodia...
@Ben You're right, my reading comprehension ain't what it used to be. I would be happy to accept the risk of quarantine if it was limited to members of my party. But if I'm betting nobody on the *plane* has COVID-19 -- well, that's leaving way too much to chance. It would be a miracle if someone on the plane *didn't* have COVID-19. This will primarily serve people who were planning to go to Cambodia anyway for very long stays. If they're lucky their quarantine will be shorter than expected.
Frank, Billy Bob - did you get that figure from Infowars?
I agree the number is probably lower than reported due to America's inability to perform mass-activities with any level of competency. (In this case, testing.) But I wouldn't perpetuate fake numbers. That's just dishonest.
@Santastico
You've pretty much nailed Cambodia.
Don't get me wrong...Angkor Wat is amazing and the Raffles in Siem Reap is pretty great but the whole visitor industry is about separating you from your US Dollars.
That includes business travel.
On the plus side, flights to Cambodia just dropped to their lowest prices in years!
@Ben: Would you mind to to share just out of curiosity why all my posts now come with the following message: "Your comment is awaiting moderation. This is a preview, your comment will be visible after it has been approved."
I have been reading and posting on your page since your first post and I never posted anything that was not appropriate. Just wondering why you flagged my posts.
@Greg, he is just reporting the news, don't shoot the messenger.
They just killed the tourism in their country. Why would anyone go there? Also, does this smell like a huge scam? If you are required to have health coverage why would you need to pay all those fees? They will never see my face there.
Was planning US-Thailand-Cambodia-Thailand, connecting through Taiwan for January 2021. I’m just not quite there yet and this makes another argument for no.
I think in leu of $3k, a medical insurance policy of $50k required. check the website again.
Do you think shipping the urn back to your home country is also an uncharge or would that be part of the cost?
And any idea how long customs would take to clear the urn to get me home? Well, "me" but you know what I mean.
I disagree with the premise of the article. At least Cambodia is enabling the possibility of a realistic visit by Western travelers. If it were possible to travel to Mainland China or Taiwan under similar terms, our family would probably be on a plane real soon now. We'd be happy to put down the deposit and take the required tests. As is, the trip is either prohibited entirely (Taiwan) or subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine (China), which is a trip-killer.
@ Kendor -- Are you sure you'd really be willing to travel to Cambodia? You understand that if there's a single positive test result on your entire plane you'd have to quarantine in a government facility for 14 days? And also keep in mind these tests aren't 100% accurate...
Why can't you find anything wrong with Cambodia policy. Why all the pussyfooting around.
More importantly, why keep covering all these ridiculous restrictions as "opening up to tourism" when clearly these harsh plans by Cambodia, Srilanka etc or the total haphazard waffling by Iceland are the complete opposite of what tourism should be.
You have a big platform, use it to be a strong advocate of travellers instead of being the press arm of...
Why can't you find anything wrong with Cambodia policy. Why all the pussyfooting around.
More importantly, why keep covering all these ridiculous restrictions as "opening up to tourism" when clearly these harsh plans by Cambodia, Srilanka etc or the total haphazard waffling by Iceland are the complete opposite of what tourism should be.
You have a big platform, use it to be a strong advocate of travellers instead of being the press arm of these draconian haphazard rule makers
@ Greg -- My point is that I think every country should be able to decide for themselves what restrictions they want to have, based on the best information available to them. It's a tough balance between welcoming tourists and trying to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Countries will quickly learn whether their policies make sense. For example, I'd be willing to bet Cambodia will adapt a different policy pretty quickly.
I'm not a...
@ Greg -- My point is that I think every country should be able to decide for themselves what restrictions they want to have, based on the best information available to them. It's a tough balance between welcoming tourists and trying to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Countries will quickly learn whether their policies make sense. For example, I'd be willing to bet Cambodia will adapt a different policy pretty quickly.
I'm not a scientist, doctor, or epidemiologist. Should I use my platform to encourage every country in the world to open borders with no restrictions, or what would you recommend I advocate for?
Ben,
Curious what your thoughts are about leaving the US while we still have a Level 4 Do Not Travel order from the State Department?
I know they will (probably) let you fly out but are you concerned about the scrutiny you might get when you come back? I wonder if we could risk losing our Global Entry for defying this order/recommendation for leisure travel? Am I crazy? Thoughts on this?
@ JG -- Personally that's not something that concerns me, though everyone has to decide for themselves. I'd only travel to places that I'd consider to be "safe." The way I view it, the primary intent of the Level 4 advisory is the potential for immigration restrictions to evolve.
If I were to travel internationally I'd certainly recognize the risk of rules changing, and that I could be stuck somewhere. But that's about the extent to which I read into that warning.
$85 a night all inclusive is a pretty sweet deal for quarantine. Aman?
I doubt tourists will go anywhere that includes a 14-day quarantine stay in a government facility.
@Kyall -- Can you link to an article that has more detail about this 17 September date for Australians. I can only find one, and it has a paywall...
They will change it, once the number of travelers drop down to near zero.
Who in the hell is gonna travel to Cambodia w/ all that nonsense? Insane! Especially when the Wuhan virus has a 99.9998% survival rate. This is getting way beyond ridiculous at this point. They should have just kept the country closed with those restrictions. I feel bad for the people because most depend on tourism for their livelihood
There's no way their case and death count are accurate. It's not like the health care infrastructure is advanced there. They do have a very young population though.
Testing before and during,will be a NO go for many people.what is the next testing about?
I have Singapore/Maldives/Cambodia planned for January, and I'm seriously rethinking my entire itinerary. Moving around multiple countries on one trip might be near impossible. May have to simplify and pick one country for the whole time
I am assuming their fees include a free stay in the Maldives (at least until these requirements are rescinded - tomorrow, I would guess).
Dang it. Had a Japan/Cambodia/Bali trip planned for September, however every day it looks more likely to not happen... We have been watching the news regularly for updates, but these restrictions will remove Cambodia from the list, barring a major review of the policies. Like Lucky said, the first two I'm fine with, but those other too draconian
Honestly most Asian countries are the same.
1. Negative test result from departure country
2. Test again in destination country
3. Pay the quarantine and necessary medical treatment
Japan, China, Korea, etc you name it Lucky. Asia countries care covid19 more due to population density and ideology. Euro and US are FREEDOM 1st.
Australians can’t go anywhere until September 17th...
Specifically, I am worried that the testing on T -72 becomes some new international "standard"
Might as well have barred travel as the rules essentially do that.
Considering the cost of cremation in the US - that’s got to be a pretty special urn.
Your Holiday in Cambodia just got re-invented! Just don't forget to bring your own urn with you.