Phnom Penh to Bangkok overland
Replies: 14 - Last Post: Sep 28, 2010 8:32 PM Last Post By: westwood
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Phnom Penh to Bangkok overland
Has anyone RECENTLY traveled overland by bus from PP to Bangkok?I just found out that there is a rip off departure tax flying out of Cambodia, and got more time than dollars anyways, so I guess I'll take a bus.
I hear the roads have improved, none the less it's a long trip....
So if anyone has done it recently i'd like to know if they would recommend the bus company they used and where it dropped them in bangkok.
thanks!
1
You will find that the rip off tax is in nearly all countries, only difference is that in Cambodia they dont build it into the ticket price.2
Yep, airport departure tax in Cambodia is $25USD, higher than most. The air routes to SR aren't competitive either, so those ticket prices are really high. Have a look at http://www.talesofasia.com for the latest updates on the overland trip between Thailand and Cambodia, most of it's from the Thailand to Cambodia direction, and it easier returning to Thailand.4
We took a bus run by Capitol Tours from P.P. I'd use them as far as the border only then pick up a local bus from there. If you do the straight through thing, you'll end up spending too much idle time after being dumped at some restaurant. Bonus? It only cost us US$14 and we ended up at top end of KSR though really late at night.5
Well actually there are more official border crossing between Thailand and Cambodia as publicly known. I just took the Pailin border crossing (in the same area are 2 more official border crossings). Roads all the way from PP to the border are good and there are buses going straight from PP to Pailin border. Same goed for the Hat Lek border crossing.Airport tax at BKK is 700thb = 23us$ (but it is now included in the ticket)
6
thanks for your replies folksWell .....
In other countries that don't include it, I have never paid that much, but not really into debating the airport tax thing.
Fact remains that if you have the time (which I do) you can get there by bus for less than the airport tax and that's what i need info about.
I have quite a bit of gear to carry so not really after the easy option rather than making changes...although i understand that even buying one ticket would involve a change of bus at the border.
Westwood.....Getting dropped off at Kao San road rather than some far out bus terminal sounds good to me even if i do have to hang around a restaurant...What time did you leave PP and how late did you get into kao san approximately?
Anybody else bought a through ticket PP to BKK fairly recently...any recommendations of bus companies?
thanks
8
Have a look at http://www.canbypublications.com for current bus schedules and cost.12
Hummm. Not sure that the departure tax is all that much when compared to the airfare unless you get a very cheap flight.If you have all the time in the world then as you suggest over land travel will be much much cheaper. However if as you say you have "gear" to transport then which ever border crossing you use over land you will have to lug it across the border and then negotiatie a tuk-tuk and then get a bus.,
It could be much more interesting than catching a plane but if your only motivation is to avoid the tax then I suspect that you will end up spending nearly as much as the tax in other forms of transport (but it will certainly be much cheaper than an airfare).
13
Let's forget about the departure tax shall we....this is actually something that tipped the balance in favour of bus travel rather than a big issue I want to discuss at length.I'm into getting to Bangkok on the cheap from Phnom Penh and i have the time to do it overland
Apparently you can buy one bus ticket all the way to Bangkok - yes I'm sure there would be a bit of stuffing around at the border, but I'm sure it can be done on one ticket. According to Westwood it cost around 14 dollars back in 2005 and dropped off right at Kao San - that's more like it!
Has anybody done this since he did it in 2005?
If so i would just appreciate a little info like what bus company they used, rough cost and time involved.
Anyone know what time the Poipet border closes at night?
Thanks folks
14
It was just the stuffing around that p*&** us off. Other than that, it wasnt too bad. BUT dont do it Sundays because the border queues back into Thailand seem to stretch miles.Think you'll find though all the buses would leave P.P in the morning otherwise they wont make it before the border closes.
