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In March, 08, I took a 7 days/6 nights Cambodia package tour with Maneerat Transport & Travel in Pattaya and that was a horrible experience. When you are in Pattaya, don't go to this "dark travel house" for your travel needs.
Here are the mishaps:
1. Visa Scam: When I arrived at a restaurant near the border at Poi Pet, an agent working for Maneerat asked me for 1200B visa cost plus his 100B handling fee (this fee was never mentioned by Maneerat). I asked him if I could pay US$20 (which was the info I had on the visa cost), but he said no. Unwillingly, I paid him 1300B. (1200 Baht is almost twice of US$20.)
Later, I asked some experienced travellers in Thailand about the visa cost issue and they confirmed I was ripped off.
2. Exchange Scam: After I had passed Cambodian immigration, the driver took the group on the bus to a currency exchange place nearby. He told us exchange places were closed in the weekend (that day was Friday) in Siem Reap and we had better get our exchange there. I found out later that there were plenty of exchange shops in Siem Reap that open 7 days a week. I did my homework and knew US$1 can get about 3,900 Cambodian Riels. That place quoted me the rate of US$1 to 3,200 Riels, which was a total ripoff. Of course, I did no exchange in the shop. Unfortunately, other people on the bus did some exchanges for their Bhat and US$.
3. Tour Not as Described: The tour was not what was described in the tour program. Among many unsatisfactory things, I was left stranded in Sihanoukville (Cambodia) when no one picked me up to return to Pattaya. I had to get back to Pattaya on my own!
Again, don't go to this "dark travel house" for your travel needs.
Here are the mishaps:
1. Visa Scam: When I arrived at a restaurant near the border at Poi Pet, an agent working for Maneerat asked me for 1200B visa cost plus his 100B handling fee (this fee was never mentioned by Maneerat). I asked him if I could pay US$20 (which was the info I had on the visa cost), but he said no. Unwillingly, I paid him 1300B. (1200 Baht is almost twice of US$20.)
Later, I asked some experienced travellers in Thailand about the visa cost issue and they confirmed I was ripped off.
2. Exchange Scam: After I had passed Cambodian immigration, the driver took the group on the bus to a currency exchange place nearby. He told us exchange places were closed in the weekend (that day was Friday) in Siem Reap and we had better get our exchange there. I found out later that there were plenty of exchange shops in Siem Reap that open 7 days a week. I did my homework and knew US$1 can get about 3,900 Cambodian Riels. That place quoted me the rate of US$1 to 3,200 Riels, which was a total ripoff. Of course, I did no exchange in the shop. Unfortunately, other people on the bus did some exchanges for their Bhat and US$.
3. Tour Not as Described: The tour was not what was described in the tour program. Among many unsatisfactory things, I was left stranded in Sihanoukville (Cambodia) when no one picked me up to return to Pattaya. I had to get back to Pattaya on my own!
Again, don't go to this "dark travel house" for your travel needs.
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