Overview
- In an Instagram video, Annapurna from Visakhapatnam said staff at Luang Prabang airport and Vietnam Airlines blocked her flight to Cambodia unless she showed $400 in cash.
- She said bank statements and prior entry to Cambodia paid by card were rejected and that staff showed a Messenger group chat instead of an official rule.
- Her posts drew many similar accounts from travelers, including a commenter identifying as Chinese who said Cambodian staff asked them to show $500.
- The Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ guidance for Cambodia notes officers may ask tourists to show cash in US dollars and cites a minimum of $500 per passenger.
- Aviation expert GS Bawa said there is no fixed $400 requirement and that proof-of-funds checks are discretionary and sometimes reach $500–$1000, while no formal response from Laos officials or the airline was reported and the traveler later said she reached Cambodia.