Crossing Into Cambodia Changed How I Thought About Vietnam

A Chinese traveler’s difficult border crossing and reflections after traveling across Vietnam

Opening

The land crossing from Ha Tien, Vietnam to Kep, Cambodia was exhausting.

If someone wants to repeat this route, honestly, I would not recommend it.

Ha Tien

Ha Tien is a very small city.

Known mostly because of Phu Quoc Island.

The streets are quiet.

Even finding a motorbike taxi was difficult.

Vietnam Exit

At the Vietnamese checkpoint, the officers checked my passport and smiled politely.

Then came the indirect hint for tips.

There was even a small tip box beside the stamping counter.

Most locals seemed to leave something.

I didn’t.

Instead, they looked at my passport and told me:

“Ask Cambodia first. If Cambodia agrees, we will stamp you out.”

Cambodia Entry

Then the real process began.

For nearly two hours, I explained myself repeatedly.

Different officers appeared one after another:

Officer. Supervisor. Higher supervisor.

Everyone told me:

“Go back.” “Take a flight.” “Use another border crossing.”

They suspected I might be involved in telecom fraud.

Apparently this happens often unless you are already a known international content creator.

I kept explaining.

Showed photos with Vietnamese friends and other travelers.

Eventually, they agreed to issue the visa.

The visa cost 30 USD.

No additional bribes.

I even shared some Vietnamese snacks with them.

Small Encounters

Maybe the difficult crossing became lucky in another way.

Abby

An Ethiopian traveler.

I had shared some Vietnamese nuts with her earlier.

She was quietly waiting for transportation.

While I was still handling my visa, she asked for my Instagram before leaving for Phnom Penh.

David

A German traveler.

We first exchanged smiles while waiting in line for immigration.

Later, I had to go back to retrieve my passport and luggage, so we met again.

We shared a taxi to Kep.

He had already visited Cambodia before and knew everything:

SIM card prices. Tuk-tuk prices.

Very practical.

Not the stereotypical careless Western traveler.

More like Chinese or Indian travelers — calculating carefully and avoiding unnecessary spending.

Then he asked about my visa fee.

Mine was 30 USD.

His was 37 USD.

So even he still got overcharged.

Looking Back at Vietnam

After crossing the border, I kept thinking about Vietnam.

I think I will return someday.

Vietnamese people were genuinely friendly to me.

Far more than many Chinese people imagine.

In many ways, Vietnam feels deeply influenced by Chinese culture.

The similarities are everywhere.

Work and Pressure

Long working hours.

The motorbike driver in Da Nang told me he worked 15 hours a day.

His son now works in Shanghai.

He hopes his son will have a better future.

At the same time, Vietnam also has a large informal economy:

• livestreamers
• delivery workers
• ride-hailing drivers

And many young people struggling after graduation.

Louis, the hostel worker in Can Tho, earned around 6 million VND per month.

Roughly 1,600 RMB.

Yet he still worked late nights handling guests.

Wealth Gap

One problem felt especially serious:

The wealth gap.

Some people are extremely rich.

Others work endlessly without meaningful upward mobility.

I remember a 17-year-old girl at a local family dinner.

She woke up at 6 a.m. every day for work.

Yet she could still suddenly leave work and join us for lunch.

That difference stayed with me.

Why I Liked Vietnam

Vietnam is not perfect.

But in one way, I think it is stronger than modern China:

People still know how to live slowly.

You can sit drinking tea for an entire morning.

Or an entire afternoon.

Street vendors rarely pressure you aggressively to buy things.

Interactions feel softer.

Less transactional.

Vietnamese Girls

One thing also surprised me.

Vietnamese girls often felt extremely sincere and caring.

Even after very short conversations, they would wish you well or check on you.

On a local messaging app, I randomly entered a fake birthday.

Several girls I barely knew still sent birthday wishes.

That level of warmth felt very natural there.

Closing

Crossing into Cambodia was difficult.

But maybe it forced me to reflect more clearly on Vietnam itself.

Not as a tourist destination.

But as a society trying to grow while carrying many of the same pressures found elsewhere in Asia.

And despite everything, many people there still seemed able to protect a slower, softer way of living.

Tags

Vietnam #Cambodia #ChineseTraveler #BorderCrossing #TravelWriting #SoutheastAsia