I was scouting around among the posts before going without finding anything up to date, so I figured after having gone through it I should post an update here.
I just went to Phnom Penh to get a new Tourist Visa - where my aim was a double entry. I didn't know if that was possible to get here before going, but I'd figured I would chance it since I wanted to visit Cambodia anyways.
After having arrived in PP i started looking and asking around to see what the various places said about it. I started off by asking at the hotel (who offered visa services). They didn't even know what a double entry visa meant, but after some explaining they understood and called their agent. After having chatted a bit on the phone she relayed the conversation to me (without thinking beforehand) and she said that they don't give out double entry but that a single entry was 41 dollars. Note here that the fee of the visa itself is 40 dollars. She realized her mistake and said that price is what the agent took, the hotel would have to charge 50 dollars. I said I'd think about it and went on my way.
I had just found out from a friend that large parts of the city would close down in honor of the late king, which included the Thai embassy, for 4 working days. The hotel didn't mention this, which I kept in mind. I went on to asking a few other places and they all confirmed that double entry wasn't an option. I finally settled for a place that looked trustworthy and where I got a good feeling of the staff. The said that double entry wasn't possible (again), but that they could get a single entry to me for 45 dollars. This meant a service charge of 5 dollars, which isn't too bad.
Note here that they first asked if I had a flight ticket out of Thailand (which I don't for the primary reason that I have no direct intention of leaving anytime soon) - I said; nope. They said they could fix that for 1 more dollar. I was like what ever - and said yes. They then informed me of the situation with the Thai embassy (they were the first to do that, which is what made me choose the place) and explained to me that I either had to take a "rush" order or wait until the embassy reopened. I asked how much the rush order was and they said it was an additional 3 dollars - bringing the grand total up to 49 dollars. It was now almost on par with what the hotel had offered (The Walkabout Hotel), but with the big difference of these people seemed to know what they were talking about. I paid the 49 dollars upfront and handed in my passport and a photo (the had a service for this as well for an additional dollar, but I had brought my own). I was given a date 3 days ahead to come pick it up. The days went by and when I got back I was handed my passport with a single entry visa in it. Smooth sailing.
The agency I used is: Sr Angkor Travel Co. LTD, #59E, St. 51 (pasteur), Phsar Thmey III, Khan Daun penh, Phnom Penh. info@srangkortravel.com
The agency is on the same street as (and near) "Heart of Darkness", "Saigon" and "Walkabout Pub".
During my inquiries I got the feeling that you can pretty much go to any travel agency and ask for it - none of them do it directly - they all hire the agents themselves. And pretty much everyone is in on this trade - hotels, agents, travel agencies even some restaurants. You might wonder why I chose not to go to the embassy directly? It's because you technically need to have proper travel documentations out of Thailand to show the embassy and from what I gather the clerks at the embassy get some kickback from the agents, leaving them preferring that method, which in turn makes them strict towards walk-ins. I don't think it's a problem if you actually have the required documents (might even get a double entry) - See below. I didn't and I have to deal with embassies, so I took the agent and seeing how it worked out well I feel it was a good call.
2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months
- Visa application form completely filled out
- Recent( 4 x 6 cm.) photograph of the applicant
- Evidence of travel from Thailand (air ticket paid in full)
- Evidence of adequate finance (20,000 Baht per person and 40,000 Baht per family)
- Consular officers reserve the rights to request additional documents as deemed necessary
(source: mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html Thailand's Visa Information : Issuance of Visa - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand)
Anyways, I hope the information is helpful to some of you.
Cheers