I just got back from Hong Kong as I fullfilled my requirement to leave the country after 16 months on a tourist visa . I chose to go to Hong Kong with my fiance and make it a vacation . I got a good deal on airline tickets through Tiger Airways , going to Clark Airport. But it cost me a lot of trouble .
We arrived in Papangua . I am not sure of this spelling , a day early as to an early morning flight . we got a motel a little pricey. We were going to the airport to check with immigration at the airport , to make sure we had all required papers . we hopped on a jeepny , across from the motel. As were getting on the jeepny, a man cut in front of me and sat next to my fiance and one sat on the other side of her,. she was carry a medium size carry on bag with our passports and our bank passbooks inside a small pouch, also she had my wallet and her wallet with our money in it. When we arrived at the airport , our passports and bank books were missing We went back to the motel to check. No passports or bank book. we immediatly , went to the police station to file a police report. They said they knew their was a gang of pickpockets working this area. We traveled on a couple of tricycles and a couple of jeepneys and talked to the drivers and relayed our story . One Jeepney driver said he knew one such gang and would we pay something to recover the passports and passbooks and we said yes . We waited a while and were headed home, when we received a call from our bank branch near the airport, saying someone turned in our passports and passbooks. We gave the driver 500 pesos. My fiance talked to the guards at the bank and she said they think the driver may have been connected to the pickpockets. So please beware when flying out of Clark .
Also we had to pay 1700 pesos airport tax and 450 terminal tax . I have paid the 450 before , but the 1700 is a new one to me. Also , not told to me by immigration was when you re-enter the country you will have to purchase a return ticket to anywhere but the Philippines . I found this out at the Hong Kong Airport. With Immigration in the Philippines , it is about getting as much money from a tourist as possible. What amazes me as they want more tourist to come here to help their economy, but rip them off at every chance.
We arrived in Papangua . I am not sure of this spelling , a day early as to an early morning flight . we got a motel a little pricey. We were going to the airport to check with immigration at the airport , to make sure we had all required papers . we hopped on a jeepny , across from the motel. As were getting on the jeepny, a man cut in front of me and sat next to my fiance and one sat on the other side of her,. she was carry a medium size carry on bag with our passports and our bank passbooks inside a small pouch, also she had my wallet and her wallet with our money in it. When we arrived at the airport , our passports and bank books were missing We went back to the motel to check. No passports or bank book. we immediatly , went to the police station to file a police report. They said they knew their was a gang of pickpockets working this area. We traveled on a couple of tricycles and a couple of jeepneys and talked to the drivers and relayed our story . One Jeepney driver said he knew one such gang and would we pay something to recover the passports and passbooks and we said yes . We waited a while and were headed home, when we received a call from our bank branch near the airport, saying someone turned in our passports and passbooks. We gave the driver 500 pesos. My fiance talked to the guards at the bank and she said they think the driver may have been connected to the pickpockets. So please beware when flying out of Clark .
Also we had to pay 1700 pesos airport tax and 450 terminal tax . I have paid the 450 before , but the 1700 is a new one to me. Also , not told to me by immigration was when you re-enter the country you will have to purchase a return ticket to anywhere but the Philippines . I found this out at the Hong Kong Airport. With Immigration in the Philippines , it is about getting as much money from a tourist as possible. What amazes me as they want more tourist to come here to help their economy, but rip them off at every chance.
