Cambodia is requiring all visitors to pay a $3,000 deposit to cover possible coronavirus costs

If you're thinking about traveling to Cambodia anytime soon, you should probably be aware of the country's recent announcement that all visitors — in light of the coronavirus pandemic — are required to pay a $3,000 deposit upon arrival at the airport.

Cambodian officials have said the mandatory deposit is refundable after fees are deducted for COVID-19 tests or quarantine and medical costs. Every visitor will have to at least pay for transportation to a testing center, the test itself, a one-night stay in a hotel while waiting for a result, and three meals during the mini-quarantine, which comes out to a more manageable $165. But if one passenger on a plane tests positive, every other person on the aircraft must quarantine for 14 days and take a second test, bringing the total up to $1,276, and the number nearly triples, vaulting past the original deposit, for anyone who tests positive. Finally, should a visitor die from the coronavirus while in the country, $1,500 will reportedly be taken out of the deposit for cremation purposes.

Cambodia has staved off the coronavirus quite successfully thanks to a quick response (although some measures have drawn criticism from human rights groups) — as of early June, there have officially been 126 cases since the pandemic began, and 124 recoveries. The perception of safety might tempt some people with the itch to travel to set their sights on the Southeast Asian nation, but the deposit seems likely to be an effective deterrent. Read more at Frommer's.

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