We have a new winner for the title of World's Harshest Covid-19 Entry Requirement.
Cambodia has announced that all visitors to that Southeast Asian country (famous for the Angkor Wat temple complex, pictured above) will be required to pay a deposit of $3,000 upon arrival at the airport to cover "virus prevention services."
The deposit, which became mandatory as of June 11, can be paid in cash or by credit card.
Cambodian officials say that the money will be returned to travelers after fees have been deducted for Covid-19 tests, quarantine costs, and, if necessary, medical services.
Oh yeah, and if you die of the virus while in Cambodia, $1,500 will be taken out of the $3,000 sum to cremate you.
We are not kidding. Cambodia is making tourists pay a death deposit.
We sincerely hope you get that back. But even if you survive the vacation, don't expect the Ministry of Health to refund the full $3,000.
Each new arrival will have to pay $5 for transportation from the airport to a testing center, $100 for a Covid-19 test, $30 for a one-night stay at a hotel while waiting for the test results, and $30 for three meals during the wait.
If all goes well, you'll get through that ordeal and receive a refund for all but $165 of your deposit.
If, however, just one passenger on your flight tests positive for Covid-19, everybody who was on the plane will be quarantined for 14 days at a fee of $84 per day, plus another $100 for another test. That comes out to a total of $1,276.
It's even worse for the passengers who test positive. They each have to pay $225 per day for hospital lodging and medical services during the quarantine, along with $100 per test for up to four tests—for a grand total of up to $3,550.
Seeing as how that's more than the initial cost of the deposit, it's actually cheaper to go for the $1,500 cremation fee.
The possibility of medical costs surpassing the deposit amount is why Cambodia is also requiring visitors to show proof of travel insurance with at least $50,000 in medical coverage.
But honestly, what tourist would go to all this trouble and expense?
