Cambodian visa border scam

ESL TEACHERS: Aranyaprathet, Thailand/Poipet, Cambodia (Most direct access to Siem Reap). This post has nothing to do with Yeonggwang but it may save you some money. Many teachers like to visit Thailand and Cambodia during their winter holidays. The temples at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap are AMAZING. If you do only one trip from Korea, this should be it.

Cambodia is a very poor country so there are a lot of scams. Sadly, the Cambodian government participates in one such scam. I took a bus from Bangkok to the Aranyaprathet/Poipet border. The bus drops you off at a 'bus depot' on the Thai side about 2 miles from the border. I was with four Canadian teachers. Some tuk-tuk drivers were waiting for us. We asked to go to the border. Instead, they drove us to the building below.

The guys at this building said that you couldn't get visas at the border any more (a lie). The visa at the border is $20 US. I don't remember how many Bhat they charged us, but it came out to be about $30 US. I would much rather have saved the money and spent an additional $10 US in Cambodia so it would help the common people.

I was really concerned that this was a real scam. I was worried that we'd slide our passports over the counter and be held up for $100 to get them back. That wasn't the case, thankfully. My Lonely Planet book suggested going straight to the border, but the Canadians guys said they were just going to go along with the scam so I did too. Again, not a huge deal, just very frustrating.

Another note. Pretty much from the point you exit the Thai building where they stamp your exit from Thailand a Cambodian guy will follow you and ask if you need a cab or hotel. No matter what you say, he won't leave your side. He'll be there with you on the shuttle bus as you ride to the bus depot. He'll also stand there with you until you get in a cab or a bus. And, he'll be hoping for a tip. I was so angry about the scam and being hassled by people that I refused to give these guys a tip. They were disappointed, but they didn't do anything.

Another note. Leave Bangkok on a bus before 9 AM. The whole trip takes 8+ hours and that's assuming there's no long wait at the border. You DO NOT want to stay the night in Poipet. I'm not saying it is unsafe, but it definitely isn't a nice place. There's good western food and beer waiting for you in Siem Reap.

THE SCAM:

The building with the tuk-tuks parked out front.




The sign out front. As far as I could tell, this was operated by the Cambodian government.


The 30-day visa they issued me. It was legitimate, I just overpaid for it.


THE REAL BORDER:

Approaching the real border from the Thai side.


Still on the Thai side. You can see the framed picture of the king and queen.


Just past the Bon Voyage sign you're in physically walking across the border.


I assume that when you walk through that arch you are officially in Cambodia.


A little further along, past the Angkor Wat-style facade. There's a 'no man's land' where they have gambling casinos. I recommend you keep walking.


After you have your visa stamped by Cambodian authorities, you get on this free shuttle bus. This bus take you about 2 miles down the road to the 'bus depot' on the Cambodian side. At the bus depot you can catch a bus to Siem Reap or a taxi. I HIGHLY recommend splurging for a private taxi. I think we paid $40 for four people and got to Siem Reap in two hours instead of four.

Power English Text

ESL Teachers: Korea has standardized English test for each grade level. The material covered on the test comes from the Power English in Text books. They print one for 3rd and 4th grade and another for 5th and 6th grade. I'm told the same series continues in middle school and high school.

As you can expect with any standardized test, this is what the students and Korean teachers really care about. I have CDs that use similar dialogue but I am not given copies of these books. The Korean homeroom teachers review these books with the students.

The cover.


A sample conversation. Korean on the left, English on the right.

Summer camps and holidays

ESL TEACHERS: You need to plan ahead for your time off. Your contract will state how many vacation days you are given. My contract allows me 10 business days (Monday - Friday) in the winter and 10 business days in the summer. Several other teachers in the area have 20 days winter and 5 days in the summer. Personally I like my arrangement but either will work.

You need to be proactive in scheduling your vacation time. Do not assume that your school administrators are thinking about it or planning for it. They may not even be aware of it (they may be new). The first step is to know exactly what is written in your contract. You then need to bring up the subject with your co-teacher about two months in advance. Eventually, you would like to get it in writing. I hate operating this way, but there are enough horror stories about last-minute changes that it just makes sense.

In my case, for my two weeks in the summer I emailed my co-teacher and asked if any camps had been scheduled. I then emailed and said I'd like a 4-week window so that I could shop for the best airfare. My co-teacher didn't really respond, but he was more or less OK with it. I then looked online and found the airfare I wanted for my China trip. After I booked it, I gave him the dates. The school then filled in the four weeks of English camps into the other weeks. Basically, the summer session if 6.5 weeks (July 17th - September 1st). I use two for vacation, they use four for English camp.

This Youtube video pretty well highlights the frustration of last-minute changes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIeHeJ0V4LY&feature=player_embedded

NOTE: Your co-teacher is caught in a very awkward position on nearly everything you ask. He/she is supposed to give you answers and keep you happy and at the same time always defer to the principal for things that matter. So, it is not uncommon for the co-teacher to say yes to you (without ever asking the principal) and then come back and say 'sorry, no' after the principal has become involved.

I saw this on a Dave's ESL discussion board. Cut & paste this in to MS Word and print it out. Fill in the days you want to get it approved by your principal.

=============================================================

VACATION/PERSONAL TIME REQUEST FORM:

NAME: __________________________

DATES REQUESTED: FROM _____ TO _____

TOTAL NUMBER OF DAYS: _____

VACATION _____ PERSONAL _____
(Check One)

APPROVED BY: ____________________

DATE: ____________________

The express bus to Incheon Airport

ESL TEACHERS: There is a bus from Yeonggwang direct to Incheon Airport. Unfortunately it only runs twice a day to the airport and twice a day back to Yeonggwang. The fair is 29,000 Won each way. The ride takes about 4 hours depending on traffic.

I'll have to confirm this, but I think the poster below tells the bus times. The departures to Incheon are 03:20 and 9:30. The return options are 08:40 and 18:20. I expect to be taking the 03:20 bus when I go to China in August so I'll update this if I find any errors.

This is a poster in the Yeonggwang terminal.

The Seoul subway system

ESL TEACHERS: The Seoul subway system is very easy to use. If you look on Google you can find many subway maps. I like the link below because it has an interactive page where you can plan your route.

http://www.smrt.co.kr/Eng/index.jsp

One thing that makes the subway really easy is that they number each station. If you know you're going from station 213 to 219 you can ignore the Hongul and just count the station numbers. The cars have flat screen monitors that announce each stop.

You can buy single ride tickets using the touch screen consoles. They have an English button. After you enter your destination stop it tells you how much money to put in. They charge a 500 Won deposit for the card.


Another view of the ticket console.


This is a picture on the platform. Note that I'm boarding at station 339. I needed to get to station 340, one stop away. The black arrow tells me that the train is going in the right direction.


This was my transfer to the green line.


This is a picture of a one-ride fare card.


You need your fare card to exit the platform, so don't lose it on the train. When you exit the platform you can get a refund of your 500 Won deposit using one of these machines.


Each station has a station map like this one. Note that they number each exit. Sometimes you'll be told directions like , "take exit #4 and go straight" so it's helpful to be aware of the exit numbers.


This show how there are signs in the subway station directing you to each numbered exit.


A picture of a subway entrance. Note that this is entrance/exit 10 of subway station 220.



If you spend a lot of time in Seoul you can get a fare card like this one. It works on the subway and in taxis.

Taking the bus to Seoul

ESL TEACHERS: Yeonggwang is about 180 miles (288 km) south of Seoul. Luckily there is an express bus service directly from the Yeonggwang bus terminal to the main Seoul bus terminal. The Seoul terminal is called the Express Bus Terminal on subway maps. It sits at the intersection of subway lines 3, 7, and 9.

The buses don't have toilets so they make a 15-minute stop near the halfway point. From my experience it seems like the stop is 1 hour 45 minutes north of Yeonggwang and 1 hour 30 minutes south of Seoul, but that depends on Seoul traffic. When you come in to the rest area the announcement will come on in English. The driver will count heads before leaving, but don't be late. I always take my carry-on bag and ticket with me just in case I somehow miss the bus.

There are two levels of bus service to and from Seoul. The 'Normal' bus costs 16,000 Won one way and has four seats across (two on either side of the aisle). The other option is the 'Excellence' bus which cost 23,600 Won one way. It had two seats on one side of the aisle and one seat on the other. The seats are wider and they recline more. In my opinion it is worth the extra 7.600 Won.

LEAVING YEONGGWANG

The 'Excellence' express bus that costs 23,600 Won.


The 'Normal' express bus that costs 16,000 Won.


Here is the schedule for buses from Yeonggwang to Seoul. These cards are available at the Seoul ticket booth in the Yeonggwang terminal.


Here's the schedule you see above:
07:00 --- 23,600 Won
07:40 --- 16,000 Won
08:20 --- 23,600 Won
09:00 --- 16,000 Won
09:40 --- 23,600 Won
10:20 --- 23,600 Won
11:00 --- 16,000 Won
11:40 --- 23,600 Won
12:20 --- 23,600 Won
13:00 --- 16,000 Won
13:40 --- 23,600 Won
14:20 --- 16,000 Won
15:00 --- 23,600 Won
15:40 --- 16,000 Won
16:20 --- 16,000 Won
17:00 --- 23,600 Won
17:40 --- 23,600 Won
18:20 --- 16,000 Won
19:20 --- 16,000 Won
22:00 --- 23,600???

THE REST AREA

Here's a tip: Make a mental note of your bus's parking space number. When you return from the rest area you'll find that all the buses look alike and you don't want to be confused.


This is the rest area.


ARRIVING IN SEOUL

This is the arrivals area of the Seoul express bus terminal. Turn to your left as you come through the door.


This sign is in the arrival area. Note the area indicating that the Express Bus Terminal - Honam Line is to your left.


Look for this PC bong. The departure area of the bus terminal is just to the left.


Inside the retail area adjacent to the bus terminal. You see this just after you walk past the ticket window. The arrow is indicating that you can head down the escalator to catch the 3, 7, and 9 subways. Down below there is a McDonald's and an Outback Steakhouse.


HEADING BACK TO YEONGGWANG

When you come out of the subways there are signs pointing to the Gyeongbu and Yeongdong Lines. You want the Honam Line. I am wondering if they renamed it because I have never seen signs for Honam. If you get confused ask some one to point you to the Shinsegae department store. Shinsegae is attached to the Honam bus terminal.

Coming off the subway. The bus line you want is the Honam Line. I never see signs for the Honam Line.


This is the ticket window where you buy your return to Yeonggwang.


This is the electronic screen above the ticket window. The screens rotate through all of the various cities. Yeonggwang can be seen in the middle row.


This is the bus schedule posted on a column near the ticket window.


Here's a close-up of the Yeonggwang schedule.


Here's the schedule as of July 10, 2010:
07:00 --- 23,600 Won
07:40 --- 16,000 Won
08:20 --- 23,600 Won
09:00 --- 16,000 Won
09:40 --- 23,600 Won
10:20 --- 16,000 Won
11:00 --- 16,000 Won
11:40 --- 23,600 Won
12:20 --- 23,600 Won
13:00 --- 16,000 Won
13:40 --- 23,600 Won
14:20 --- 16,000 Won
15:00 --- 23,600 Won
15:40 --- 23,600 Won
16:20 --- 16,000 Won
17:00 --- 23,600 Won
17:40 --- 23,600 Won
18:20 --- 16,000 Won
19:20 --- 16,000 Won
22:00 --- 23,600???

???? The last bus is called the Midnight Excellence. I assume it costs 23,600 Won but it might be more.

Buses returning to Yeonggwang leave from Gate 8. Here's a tip: There can be several buses parked at Gate 8 at the same time so when you're within 10 minutes of your departure step outside and look for your bus.

Yeonggwang city buses

ESL TEACHERS: Many teachers can walk to their schools but some of us have to take a bus. I don't like the city buses very much. They are old and they all have manual transmissions so they jolt back and forth a lot when the driver changes gears. I was pleasantly surprised learn recently that they do have air conditioning. On July 1, 2010 the base fair went up from 1,000 Won to 1,100 Won. I'm not sure if they adjusted all fares though. I seem to be still paying 1,300 Won to get to Baeksunam Elementary and 1,200 Won to get home.

When I go to school in the morning I pay as I'm stepping off the bus. When I go home in the afternoon I pay as I board the bus. I have no idea why they do it that way.

The Yeonggwang city buses are yellow and white.

Beopseong, Hongnong, and Yeonggwang

ESL TEACHERS: Beopseong, Hongnong, and Yeonggwang. Our ESL community is made up of teachers in Beopseong, Hongnong, and Yeonggwang. Three of us teach in Baeksu but we both have apartments in Yeonggwang. I recently counted off the list for a new teacher and realized that we have 17 teaching positions in the area. I'm not 100% sure about the Yeonggwang public schools, but I know the total number of positions is correct.

- Baeksu middle school (covers two elementary schools) (PP)
- Baeksu elementary (covers two elementary schools) (PP)
- Private Buddhist high school in Baeksu (PP)
- Hongnong middle school (PP)
- Hongnong elementary 1 (PP)
- Hongnong elementary 2 (PP)
- Beopseong elementary (PP)
- Beopseong middle school (PP)
- Beopseong high school (PP)
- Yeonggwang middle school 1
- Yeonggwang middle school 2
- Yeonggwang high school 1
- Yeonggwang high school 2
- Yeonggwang elementary 1 (English town)
- Yeonggwang elementary 2
- Haeryong High School (private in Yeonggwang)
- Haeryong Middle School (private in Yeonggwang)

Of the 17 positions, 14 teachers have apartments in downtown Yeonggwang.

ESL TEACHERS: Two live in Beopseong and one is up in Hongnong. Hongnong is a small town, but it is home of the nuclear power plant. The power plant directly funds nine of teaching positions. I noted the nine with a (PP) above.

As a reminder, if you have questions about Yeonggwang and would like to contact me, please email me directly. My email address is jleonard518 AT gmail DOT com. Please put something like 'questions about Yeonggwang' in the subject line. Thanks, Jim.

Ways to kill time

ESL TEACHERS: One thing you will have a lot of when you teach in Yeonggwang is free time. LOTS of free time. On the average weekday I am free between 5 PM and 10 PM and there's lots of downtime on the weekends too. I strongly recommend you come prepared with things to do.

One teacher here is doing a graduate program online that keeps him rather busy. I have two outlets (other than drinking beer). I have a Slingbox for watching TV and I'm studying Spanish using Rosetta Stone.

A Slingbox is a device that broadcasts TV over the internet. There are many websites where you can watch old TV shows. The advantage of a Slingbox is that you can use the DVR back home to record specific programs. The website is www.slingbox.com. My friend is hosting my Slingbox in Washington, DC which is why you see local DC weather in the pictures below. Basically, you buy a Slingbox for $300 and then have someone back home get an extra cable box with a DVR. They plug the Slingbox into the cable box and then connect it to their internet router. You download Slingbox viewing software and off you go. Obviously streaming/downloading from the internet will be free (or at least less expensive). I think a Slingbox-style solution makes the most sense if you want to record and watch sporting events.

DirecTV has some kind of option for overseas but since it's 100% online I'm guessing you can't record. There's also a rival to the Slingbox called Hava (www.myhava.com). I got a Slingbox because Hava doesn't work with Macs. Slingbox has very annoying customer service, so I can't give them strong recommendation, but I can say that having this device has been a huge benefit for me. It will be especially useful during college football season.

Here's how the Slingbox looks on your laptop. You click on the remote as if you were watching TV back home. There's a full screen view that hides the remote, but I wanted to show what it looks like.





I bought all five levels of Spanish. I'm currently on level 3. I didn't start until the end of March but I really wish I brought it over with me so that I could have studied during the winter break.

Gwangju News

ESL TEACHERS: There is a monthly magazine published for westerners in Gwangju and Jeollanam-do called the Gwangju News. They distribute this free publication at various places. I have found it at the First Nepal restaurant. Some of the articles are hepful for newcomers and all of the advertisers (dentists, medical clinics, restaurants, churches, etc.) all cater to ex-pats. The website for the magazine is www.gwangjunews.net.

Travel Insurance

ESL TEACHERS: Before I came to Korea Canadian Connection mentioned that I might look at getting travel insurance. You're covered by the Korean national healthcare system once you get your ARC, though there's about a 30-day gap before you first get here. I purchased a separate policy for what is known as medical evacuation insurance from a company called Global Rescue.

Medical evacuation means that the company will transport you back to your home country if you have a medical emergency. Say for example you are in a bus accident and are paralyzed. In that situation, the company will send an air ambulance to come pick you up. I am not saying that you need this kind of insurance. I never would have purchased it myself but I personally know of a guy who was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in Mexico and was very fortunate to have this type of coverage. The policy cost me $650 US for the entire year.

Here's the card that I have taped to my refrigerator in Korea. I also have a wallet-sized policy card that I carry with me.