If you had hoped to visit Cambodia this year, you may want to think again as the Foreign Office (FCO) has revealed it has asked tourists to pay a £2,400 ‘coronavirus deposit’ on arrival.
In an update to the FCO’s travel advice page for Cambodia, it says visitors hoping to enter must get a visa before arrival, obtain a medical certificate stating you do not have coronavirus within 72 hours of arriving in the country and have proof of insurance that has a minimum of $50,000 (£39,729) medical cover.
All foreign travellers will also be required to pay a deposit of $3,000 (£2,400) for COVID-19 service charges at the airport on their arrival and only once deductions for the services have been made will the remainder of the deposit be returned.
The services that will be deducted include $5 (£3.97) for transport from airport to waiting centre, $100 (£79) for a coronavirus test, $30 (£23) for overnight stay at a hotel or waiting centre and $30 (£23) for three meals a day while waiting for the test result.
If one passenger on the flight tests positive, everyone on that flight (which can be over 800 passengers for large flights) will be quarantined for 14 days and will need to pay $100 (£79) for a coronavirus test and $84 (£66) each day for hotel stay and meals.
For those that test positive for coronavirus, they will be charged $225 (£178) per day for a hospital room and - even in the case of death - will be charged $1,500 (£1,192) for cremation.
The minimum amount you would need to pay is $165 (£131) for the test, transport, meals and overnight stay and you will receive the rest of your deposit back.
So far, there has only been 128 confirmed cases in Cambodia and zero deaths.
The new regulations are being implemented today to prevent a second wave of the virus to the South East Asian nation. It comes after New Zealand has seen its first new cases in three weeks with two women visiting from the UK testing positive for the virus.
All of this considered, we might head to Portugal instead - as an air bridge could be opening up between there and the UK by the end of June.
